Psalm 2 The Lord’s Reign ruins the rebellious and rescues the faithful Nov. 15, 2015

I like sitting in my front yard or resting on my front porch when I have a porch of any size. When I don’t, the yard does just fine. Right before we moved to Bloomfield a few weeks ago, in the fading sunlight of a fall afternoon, the rumble of a Harley Davidson V-Twin eased to a stop right in front of me. So here I am, enjoying the last hours of a pleasant afternoon at our Windsor apartment. Next thing I know, the biker asks, above the Harley's rumble, “Is there a liquor store around here?” I point down the street, to the east at a little strip mall. “Yeah, there's one in that strip mall, just past the Italian restaurant.” He said, “I just go past that green awning and it's right there?” “Yeah,” I said. “It's right there.” At that point, I noticed a cross on his bandanna. The bandanna was folded just so, and positioned on the man's head just right. The cross was clearly seen, burnt orange on a black background. So I asked him, “Are you a Christian?” “No,” he said. “Oh, OK, I saw the cross on your bandanna but, no offense, I didn't think you were.” To which he said, “Well, I'm a Christian, I'm just not practicing.” stand up When Andre started this sermon series in September, he made this statement early in his first sermon: “The question is not, ‘Are you pursuing a kingdom? But whose kingdom are you pursuing?’” I think the stranger looking for a liquor store thought he could pay lip service to one thing and practice another. Separating identity from actions, belief from behavior, won’t get you far. As some of us Southerners say, “That dog won’t hunt.” Psalm 2 and other Scriptures make clear: The Lord reigns; we respond with either reverent submission or rebellious futility. As we continue looking at what the kingdom of heaven is like, we’re leaving the book of Matthew this week. We’re considering a word from the . We’re looking at Psalm 2. So pull up Psalm 2 on your phone or if you’re using a Bible beside your chair, turn to page 374. Let’s clear out some cobwebs: Psalm 2 is not to be understood woodenly as a theological treatise, a systematic theology of simple principles we can neatly work through, wrap up and go home. This sermon is not: “Point no. 1 pause: God has enemies. Point no. 2 read a little faster: God laughs in their faces. Point no. 3 read a little faster: God reigns with everlasting, global authority. Which leads me to point no. 4: Duh? Get on God’s good side.” gesture and smile mockingly I want to clear out another cobweb: How do you perceive the question of verse one? Read it with me: “Why are the nations in an uproar and the peoples devising a vain thing?” What is the tone of this verse? Is God mocking people? Or is He mourning them? That’s a key question you need to answer right now because it’s the first verse. If you think God is mocking them, sneering at people in their futile resistance, that colors everything He’s about to say to you this morning. Likewise, if you think God is mourning their decision, grieved by their rejection of His loving power, you’ll see everything I’m about to say differently. I’ll come back to this but think on that. What are the Psalms anyway? Are they ancient worship songs or some sort of teaching since we don’t have the music. The answer comes from and Psalm 2: Each was used theologically and thematically to set the tone for the rest of the : The purpose of the book of Psalms, according to 1:1, is in a word, instruction; it’s teaching you how to walk into God’s blessing on your life. Psalm 1 says those who listen to God’s teaching are blessed. Mark Futato 60, 62 For the sake of understanding Psalm 2, note Psalm 1 begins with a blessing for obedient living and ends with a curse. But Psalm 2 begins with a curse for rebellious people and ends with a blessing for those who take refuge in the Lord. The word ‘Blessed’ in chapter one, verse 1 and chapter 2 verse 12 form an inclusion; they bookend the whole message of Psalm 1 and Psalm 2. If the Psalms’ purpose, revealed in Psalm 1, is instruction for blessed living, the Psalms’ promise, revealed in Psalm 2, is that “The Lord Reigns.” So, fine, the purpose of the psalms is to instruct all people in how to live a blessed life of holiness and happiness. But, you say, life’s not exactly that great. After all, Jesus’ sermon, which Andre has been preaching to us for the last several weeks, is full of divorce, murder, anger, lust and adultery. If you read the whole Psalter, you’ll see an unsettling trend: starts out with bad news. ? More bad news. ? Bad news. ? Anguish of the soul. ? No one to rescue me. ? Times of trouble. ? Foundations are being destroyed. ? The godly are no more. ? How long will my enemy triumph over me? I think you see the point. What happened to “How blessed is the man who does not walk” in Psalm 1? Or “How blessed is the one who takes refuge in God” from Psalm 2? A great number of people on the earth, then and now, like God until He asserts His authority. Look at verses 1-3. When His influence affects someone’s autonomy, Psalm 2 is saying there are many people who begin to resist Him at that point. I think, although I’m not sure, there was some of that resistance in the conversation I had in my front yard. Whatever the case with that particular man, the pain and groaning so often expressed in the Psalms, all that grief I referred to before in Psalm 3 and 4 and 5 and so on comes from this rebellion. People don’t want God’s authority so they assert their autonomy. No one can separate themselves from God’s influence and direction without living a life that wounds them and other people. It happened with Adam and Eve, Cain and Abel, and Bathsheba and both their families and on and on. People want to rule themselves; the first sin of Adam and Eve has calcified into an irresistible distortion, a belligerent core of their identity. That’s why Christ answered the way he did in Matthew 22 as to what the greatest commandment is. Loving God supremely and loving everyone like we love ourselves crucifies this self-centered autonomy.

After the rebellious autonomy of God’s enemies, what does Psalm 2 speak to us? Simply put, the anger of God. Now that’s awkward. Some of you came here wanting to know what the kingdom of heaven is like. Rebellious, selfish people you’re probably not surprised to discover, even when it’s you. But an angry God who laughs in their faces, who scoffs at these people, who terrifies them in His fury? What do you with this? This is no Jesus meek and mild. My high school church where I learned to follow Christ sometimes sang the hymn ‘In the Garden.’ “And he walks with me, and he talks with me, and he tells me I’m his own. And the joy we share as we tarry there, none other has ever known.” I don’t doubt the message of that hymn. Christ is a friend to sinners who blesses his intimate companions with rich knowledge of Himself. But this God who rages and terrifies his unruly, disrespectful people? That’s like the Ballad of the Goodly Fere by Ezra Pound. Fere is an English word 10 centuries old. It means strong friend or mate as Australians say it. So don’t think fear, think friend) Written of Christ, Pound envisions Christ this way: (this is a selection of verses, not the whole poem)

Aye lover he was of brawny men, O’ ships and the open sea.

When they came with a host to take Our Man His smile was good to see,

I ha’ seen him drive a hundred men Wi’ a bundle o’ cords swung free,

A son of God was the Goodly Fere That bade us his brothers be. I have seen him cow a thousand men. I have seen him upon the tree.

A master of men was the Goodly Fere, A mate of the wind and sea, If they think they ha’ slain our Goodly Fere They are fools eternally.

What do I do with the anger of God? Is He mocking the rebellious? Or is He mourning their response to His authority? I think it’s the latter. Despite the clear power of Christ, I think God’s anger comes from pain at people’s rejection of Him. Gary and Carrie Oliver, both Christian counselors, teach that “Anger is a secondary emotion … usually experienced in response to a primary emotion such as hurt, frustration, and fear. Anger can be an almost automatic response to any kind of pain … Anger is usually the first emotion we see … it is rarely the only one we have experienced. Hidden deep underneath that secondary emotion of anger is the primary emotions of the fear, the hurt, the frustration, the disappointment, the vulnerability, and the longing for connection.” That sounds like God to me: Realize this, the God who made you started all this in a garden without sin. We were meant to walk with Him, naked and unashamed. But this God of love who made us for friendship had to watch us walk right out of the garden, deceived into thinking we needed something else. Humans have the problem of sin but God feels the pain. Understand the truth behind that, empathize with what God has done in Christ and recognize the rightness of being angry at people who would scorn such a gift. God gave His own son out of grace and people still mock Him and publicly disgrace Him, seeking to oppose Him however they can. But God’s anger does not have the final word. The Lord turns from the emotions of these early verses into active engagement with His enemies. Don’t miss that God still moves from anger to grace. He speaks. He acts. He moves from ruining the rebellious to being a refuge. What is God’s first step from anger toward grace? Look at verse 6: “But as for Me, I have installed my King upon Zion, my holy mountain.” This originally referred to David and and the line of Israel’s kings. But now, with all of Scripture written, there’s this progressive revelation from Psalm 2 where the people of God had some idea about the Lord’s anointed. While their expectations were Davidic, ours are Divine. We’re looking back at what they looked forward to: the enthronement of God’s own son as King over all. I see a secure identity here: God is not stopped, thwarted, hindered, stunted, discouraged, confused or dismayed at human rebellion: ‘I have installed my King.’ Centuries after Psalm 2, Christ was sought out in the middle of a long night by Roman soldiers. They came to arrest Him but when He spoke, “I am He,” He knocked them down. Flat on their backs. Far from being confronted, Christ confronted them. God has installed His King. The Lord reigns. I gotta show you this: look at the grammar in verse 6. My 7th grade English teacher, Mrs. Lynch, would be so proud. See where it says “has installed?” That’s called a prophetic perfect. And it’s important because God is saying I have done something in the past which has present and future ramifications. It’s like a stone thrown in a pond that never stops making ripples. It’s finished but He’s not done yet. I just bought a house; it’s finished but it’s not done yet. It’s what happens when you finish 8th grade. You’re in high school now, even if it’s the summer. Or on Christmas break from school or vacation. You still have a job even though you’re not at work. You’re still a student, you’re just on break. That’s how the prophetic perfect functions; what the verse says is a fact, even if it’s not an experiential reality at that moment. The reason I get all worked up about this is because verbs are key to understanding the Bible. If you ever want to find the main point of something you’re reading in the Bible, pay attention to the verbs. Especially, look for the main verb. Try to find the verb that makes everything else click. Let me show you why this is the main verb; if you hate grammar, hang with me. I’ve just got one more thing to say. You can follow along by looking at the slide above me. I’m going to describe what you see so you get this visually and verbally. This psalm has a certain grammatical design. It works like the peak of a roof or a mountain peak. And V. 6 is the culmination of God’s revelation that the Lord reigns. The whole psalm is building – from both directions – into a crescendo. Verse 1 “Why are the nations in an uproar? Verse 12 “How blessed are all who take refuge!” Verse 1 “Why are the peoples devising a vain thing?” Verse 12 “His wrath may soon be kindled.” Verse 2 “The kings take a stand” and verse 12 “Do homage to the son.” Verse 2 “the rulers take counsel among themselves” but verse 12 says “show discernment and take warning from the Lord.” Verse 3 “Let us tear their fetters apart” but verse 9 “you shall break them with a rod of iron.” Verse 3 “cast away their cords” and verse 8 “the very ends of the earth are your possession.” Verse five says God’s enemies are terrified and verse six puts it all together “I have installed my king.” point at the cross. This is getting good, huh? Let’s keep going in God’s word. Verse 7 says ….. Let’s talk about being begotten. The Nicene Creed says Christ was begotten, not made. Such a theological truth is rooted in Psalm 2 and confirmed in the , specifically in the book of Acts. Here’s what begotten means: Christ is one of a kind. And this is more than my son Caleb; technically, Caleb is one of a kind. He’s my only son, my only child. But Christ is one of a kind in a different way: B.B. Warfield helps us here: Only begotten means Christ has uniqueness and shared identity with the Father. “Jesus is all that God is and He alone is this.” Caleb is not all that I am. But Jesus is all that God is. And He alone. The significance of Christ being begotten not made is that He was eternally preexistent, he alone is God’s Son, he reveals God to humanity and He alone saves humanity. This identity of Christ explained in verse 7 is the foundation for the role of Christ in the world: ruler. Do you see the pattern? Identity precedes purpose. Christ’s nature comes before, forms the basis of, His role in the world. The same is true for you. This is how God is leading Andre and Leroy: identity as disciples is key to serving God. Just yesterday, Andre quoted Ephesians 2:10 and Isaiah 49 at the men’s breakfast. Both verses teach that individuals were formed by God with a purpose for their lives that He wants to accomplish. Who we are is central to what we do. Look at verse 8 and 9. You get the idea but I want to say one last, quick thing: A rod of iron was a rare, strong thing in the ancient world. Most people didn’t have one; only the ruler did. But earthenware, clay pots, lots of people had that. Why do I point this out? Because I want you to notice that these are symbols of rare power and common weakness. The Lord reigns with rare power and we all, as humans, live with a common weakness. We are made, not begotten. This is why v. 10 says “Now therefore O kings, show discernment; take warning, O judges of the earth.” It’s time to start thinking about how this sermon applies in some specific ways. If verses one to five spoke from a heart level about rage and rebellion and mourning, and verses six to 9 offered us instruction that forms the bedrock of trusting that the Lord reigns, then verses 10 to 12 offer us some application. As the Psalm closes, God gives some commands and a promise. The first application? Repeatedly recognize the Son as king and serve Him with a submissive heart. There is a command to obey: Serve the Lord and honor the Son. But wait you say, I’m not a king or a ruler. The verse only speaks of kings and rulers. This is where the New Testament sheds some light. A good way to interpret Scripture is following the apostolic example. How did the first century followers of Jesus interpret this passage? Acts 4:27 names Pontius Pilate and Herod; those are great figures. You could call them kings and rulers. That’s not you and me categorically speaking. But in the same verse, Gentiles and Hebrews, people of Israel are mentioned. Those are just people groups, not individual kings or rulers. Psalm 2 speaks to powerful individuals and large groups of people. Psalm 2 speaks to anyone opposed to honoring the Son as God’s anointed ruler. So, the command applies to us all. Now what does it really mean? Have a submissive heart. Be willing to accept the reign of the Lord through His king. In a few weeks, we’re going to begin celebrating Advent. And this year’s theme to inspire and shape our services is “Worship the King.” Now, if you’re sharp here, you may think, well it’s God who reigns and it’s God who rules with an iron rod and defeats his enemies and so on. So how am I supposed to get involved? Aren’t I just submitting by waiting for Him to come and not plotting a rebellion? You could ask me, “Where are you getting that idea? I’m getting that idea from the New Testament when the Son of God makes reference not only to his reign over the nations but his decision to include us in it. Again, I interpret the Old Testament in light of the New Testament. What does Matthew 28:19 say? “Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.” When Psalm 2 said Christ’s inheritance and possession was the whole earth to reign over, it turns out God has more to say. Not only the word of Matthew 28:19 but also :26: “Those who overcome and keep Christ’s deeds to the end will also judge the nations, having received authority from Christ.” Whenever you see phrases in the New Testament that appear in the Old, it’s not an accident. Hebrew believers in God often did what’s called stringing pearls: they would mention just a few words of a Scripture. They only needed to mention a few words because any faithful Jew could fill in the rest of the Scripture. And what does Revelation 5 say of God’s people: we will reign with Him, judging nations. What is that Andre always tells us? “You are ambassadors of the king clothed in immense power.” God will reign over the nations through His anointed one. But He has commanded all his followers to live under His authority. When we live under His authority, more of the earth becomes His. His reign expands through our service. From Psalm 2 to Matthew to Acts to Revelation, there’s a progressive communication that reveals we have a serious part to play in ruling over all that has been made. We are called to make disciples of all the nations so He can rule to the ends of the earth. And we are called to reign with Him. When you live out your kingdom calling, as Amy Sherman describes it, I think you’re reflecting God’s reign on earth through your own influence. Even in the book of Genesis, in chapter one, verse 28, God declares that our identity – there’s that word again -- as created beings comes with the expectation that we would fill the earth and have dominion over all creation. We are representative rulers, as Andreas Kostenberger says, created in the image of God to reflect His rule over the earth. Our imago dei is not so much the existence of mind and will and emotions, Kostenberger says, but the idea that our influence on the earth makes the invisible reign of God visible when we honor Him as the Lord. Everything you do can be an image of God on His throne. The Greek word for worship, proskuneo, has two meanings: it’s both service and adoration. It’s bowing before a great person and it’s living in every area of life to serve that great person. So confess and repent of any lingering rebellion in you. Search your hearts and respond to the Scriptures with obedience to God. Every one of us has areas where we’re not honoring the Son as the installed king of God over all of creation. Confess it, receive God’s forgiveness and walk in newness of life as Romans 6:4 says. A second application here is be encouraged: The Lord reigns. And His reign does not end with His anger over rebellion. I’m helped by Howard Hendricks here, author of Living by the Book. Dr. Hendricks was a professor for Rich and a mentor as well. He lays out 8 common applications for Scriptures: One is: there’s a promise to claim: The Lord reigns. He has installed, enthroned his anointed king. And He will rule over the rebellious people of the earth and prove himself a refuge for all those who trust Him. It’s a double encouragement in my opinion. If you’re dismayed by the state of other people’s living, with their hostile response to God, recognize that the Lord’s reign is secure. He has installed His King. Nothing can change that. No amount of rebellion intimidates, threatens, weakens or shakes Christ the King. The kings of the earth are welcome to take their stand, the rulers can take counsel together. No matter, God says, “I have installed my King.” The Lord Reigns. Take heart, “He has overcome the world.”

On the other hand, this passage offers encouragement to the pain we feel when those we love hate God; when our friends and family want to throw off His influence in their lives. Unfortunately, sometimes, people we love don’t value the gospel, don’t understand His love or worse yet, don’t want it. Please understand: God knows their heart’s condition. Like you, it grieves Him too, and the anger we see in this passage is born out of the pain of rejection. But in his anger he chose to offer them grace through the reign of His risen, one and only Son. In your heart, at the core of your being, let the God of Grace reign. His reign means you can let go of your anxiety about the person. You can move from surviving to thriving by recognizing that God knows. When you know God’s in control, you can be appropriately concerned instead of taking responsibility for this person’s situation. In his book The Best Kept Secret of Christian Mission, John Dickson writes about his introduction to the Christian faith:

Under God, my own conversion was the result of one person's willingness to embody the mission of the "friend of sinners." … One of the relics of Australia's Christian heritage is the once-a-week Scripture lesson offered in many state high schools around the country. … One of these Scripture teachers had the courage to invite my entire class to her home for discussions about God. The invitation would have gone unnoticed, except that she added: "If anyone gets hungry I'll be making hamburgers, milkshakes, and scones." … As I looked around the room at all my friends—all skeptics like me—I was amazed that this woman would open her home (and kitchen) to us. Some of the lads were among the worst "sinners" in our school: one was a drug user (and seller), one was a class clown and bully, and one was a petty thief with a string of breaking-and-entering charges to his credit.

I could not figure her out. She was wealthy and intelligent. She had an exciting social life married to a leading Australian businessman. What was she thinking inviting us for a meal and discussion? At no point was this teacher pushy or preachy. Her style was completely relaxed and incredibly generous. When her VCR went missing one day, she made almost nothing of it, even though she suspected (quite reasonably) it was someone from our group. For me, her open, flexible, generous attitude toward us "sinners" was the doorway into a life of faith. As we ate and drank and talked, it was clear this was no missionary ploy on her part. She truly cared for us and treated us like friends or, perhaps more accurately, like sons. As a result, over the course of the next year, she introduced several of us from the class to the ultimate "friend of sinners," Jesus.

John Dickson, The Best Kept Secret of Christian Mission (Zondervan, 2010 ), pp. 51-52

That’s a woman living securely in the reign of God. Other people, these sinful youth he describes, didn’t control her. That’s someone who is secure in God’s grace and rule. The Lord reigns. So she didn’t have to. How blessed are all who take refuge in the Lord’s reign. What an incredible grace He makes available to us. This is what the Kingdom of Heaven is like.