The Coming King of Israel

1 Why do the nations rage
    and the peoples plot in vain?
2 The kings of the earth set themselves,
    and the rulers take counsel together,
    against the Lord and against his Anointed, saying,
3 “Let us burst their bonds apart
    and cast away their cords from us.”

4 He who sits in the heavens laughs;
    the Lord holds them in derision.
5 Then he will speak to them in his wrath,
    and terrify them in his fury, saying,
6 “As for me, I have set my King
    on Zion, my holy hill.”

7 I will tell of the decree:
The Lord said to me, “You are my Son;
    today I have begotten you.
8 Ask of me, and I will make the nations your heritage,
    and the ends of the earth your possession.
9 You shall break them with a rod of iron
    and dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel.”

10 Now therefore, O kings, be wise;
    be warned, O rulers of the earth.
11 Serve the Lord with fear,
    and rejoice with trembling.
12 Kiss the Son,
    lest he be angry, and you perish in the way,
    for his wrath is quickly kindled.
Blessed are all who take refuge in him. – Psalm 2:1-12 ESV

This Psalm appeals to the rights of the divinely appointed sovereign head of the nation of Israel. This poetic recounting of Israel’s past describes what appears to be a true-to-life scenario in which a coalition of foreign powers has joined forces to “stand against the LORD and against his anointed one” (Psalm 2:2 NLT). This was not an uncommon occurrence for the kings of God’s chosen people. They often found themselves facing stiff competition from the surrounding nations. Ever since they arrived in Canaan after their God-ordained exodus from Egypt, they had been in an ongoing battle with the land’s former occupants. It is impossible to determine which historical event is being described, but the context is less important than the message of futility and sovereign power it contains.

This “royal” Psalm is less about a particular Israelite king who sits on a throne in Jerusalem than it is about “the one who rules in heaven” (Psalm 2:4 NLT). The kings who have aligned themselves against the “anointed” one are actually battling Jehovah Himself. To free themselves from the bondage of Israelite oppression, they have determined to “burst their bonds apart and cast away their cords from us” (Psalm 2:3 NLT). But the psalmist describes Jehovah laughing in scorn at their feeble attempt to thwart His sovereign will.

But the one who rules in heaven laughs.
    The Lord scoffs at them.
Then in anger he rebukes them,
    terrifying them with his fierce fury.
For the Lord declares, “I have placed my chosen king on the throne
    in Jerusalem, on my holy mountain.” – Psalm 2:4-6 NLT

God’s intense rebuke is meant to trivialize their bold demand for independence and minimize their hope of opposing His power and providence. The Israelites are not just any nation; they are the treasured possession of the LORD of Heaven's Armies. To oppose them is to oppose God Almighty. Picking a fight with the king of Israel is a foolish and futile endeavor that will always result in failure. Even the unnamed Israelite king pronounces the LORD’s decree and revels in its providential promise to preserve his power and authority.

The king proclaims the Lord’s decree:
“The Lord said to me, ‘You are my son.
    Today I have become your Father.
Only ask, and I will give you the nations as your inheritance,
    the whole earth as your possession.
You will break them with an iron rod
    and smash them like clay pots.’” – Psalm 2:7-9 NLT

But this is where the Psalm takes an interesting turn. The king describes himself as God’s son and claims to have a divinely ordained right to rule over all the nations of the earth. He boldly declares that God has given him the whole earth as his possession. The only place in Scripture where this kind of divine promise of global dominance appears is in 2 Samuel 7, where the prophet records the details of the Davidic Covenant. God is addressing King David and assuring him that he will be the father of a long line of heirs who will sit on his throne and perpetuate his dynasty.

“‘Furthermore, the Lord declares that he will make a house for you—a dynasty of kings! For when you die and are buried with your ancestors, I will raise up one of your descendants, your own offspring, and I will make his kingdom strong. He is the one who will build a house—a temple—for my name. And I will secure his royal throne forever. I will be his father, and he will be my son. If he sins, I will correct and discipline him with the rod, like any father would do. But my favor will not be taken from him as I took it from Saul, whom I removed from your sight. Your house and your kingdom will continue before me for all time, and your throne will be secure forever.’” – 2 Samuel 7:11;16 NLT

Solomon would fulfill this promise, but there is far more going on here than David could comprehend. The authors of the New Testament understood that there was a greater fulfillment of this promise than Solomon's reign. While he did ascend to his father's throne, his kingdom eventually came to an end, and because of his disobedience, God split Israel in half, creating two kingdoms that would stand opposed to one another. Yet, God had promised David that his throne would be secure forever.

That is where the New Testament writers saw the prophetic nature of Psalm 2. With the help of the Holy Spirit, they grasped the Messianic implications of the “second psalm.” In a sermon he preached in Antioch of Pisidia, Paul quoted from Psalm 2.

“…now we are here to bring you this Good News. The promise was made to our ancestors, and God has now fulfilled it for us, their descendants, by raising Jesus. This is what the second psalm says about Jesus,

‘You are my Son.
    Today I have become your Father.’” – Acts 13:32-33 NLT

The New Testament authors viewed Psalm 2 as a Messianic psalm and quoted it 18 times. Chapter 4 of the Book of Acts records the words of a prayer issued after Peter and John were released from jail. It contains a quote from Psalm 2 and attributes the words to King David.

“O Sovereign Lord, Creator of heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them— you spoke long ago by the Holy Spirit through our ancestor David, your servant, saying,

‘Why were the nations so angry?
    Why did they waste their time with futile plans?
The kings of the earth prepared for battle;
    the rulers gathered together
against the Lord
    and against his Messiah.’” – Acts 4:24-26 NLT

The disciples clearly understood that Psalm 2 was a prophetic vision of Jesus, the Son of God and the long-awaited Messiah of Israel. He was the ultimate promise of the Davidic Covenant and the one to whom God would give the nations as His inheritance. David’s reign ultimately came to an end and while his kingdom continued under the leadership of his son Solomon, it too would have an expiration date. After the split of the kingdom, Solomon would be followed by other kings in the Davidic line. Still, in 587 BC, the Babylonians completed their years-long siege of Jerusalem and destroyed the city, its beloved Temple, and took many of its citizens captive. With the fall of Jerusalem, the Davidic line came to a halt. No more kings would sit on David's throne. But with the coming of Jesus, born of the line of David, that dynastic drought ended.

So, the closing verses of Psalm 2 contain a warning to the nations, advising them to submit to God’s royal Son, the King of kings and LORD of lords.

Now then, you kings, act wisely!
    Be warned, you rulers of the earth!
Serve the Lord with reverent fear,
    and rejoice with trembling.
Submit to God’s royal son, or he will become angry,
    and you will be destroyed in the midst of all your activities—
for his anger flares up in an instant.
    But what joy for all who take refuge in him! – Psalm 2:10-12 NLT

The nations of the earth stand opposed to the LORD’s anointed one. Just like they rejected the authority and sovereign power of the kings of Israel, they ultimately reject the reign of God's royal Son. But the day is coming when Jesus, the Messiah, will return to set up His kingdom on earth and rule from David's throne in the city of Jerusalem. The apostle John was given a vision of this future event and recorded it in the Book of Revelation.

Then I saw heaven opened, and a white horse was standing there. Its rider was named Faithful and True, for he judges fairly and wages a righteous war. His eyes were like flames of fire, and on his head were many crowns. A name was written on him that no one understood except himself. He wore a robe dipped in blood, and his title was the Word of God. The armies of heaven, dressed in the finest of pure white linen, followed him on white horses. From his mouth came a sharp sword to strike down the nations. He will rule them with an iron rod. He will release the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty, like juice flowing from a winepress. On his robe at his thigh was written this title: King of all kings and Lord of all lords. – Revelation 19:11-16 NLT

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Mr. Worldly Wiseman

1 Dear brothers and sisters, when I was with you I couldn’t talk to you as I would to spiritual people. I had to talk as though you belonged to this world or as though you were infants in Christ. 2 I had to feed you with milk, not with solid food, because you weren’t ready for anything stronger. And you still aren’t ready, 3 for you are still controlled by your sinful nature. You are jealous of one another and quarrel with each other. Doesn’t that prove you are controlled by your sinful nature? Aren’t you living like people of the world? – 1 Corinthians 3:1-3 NLT

18 For I have told you often before, and I say it again with tears in my eyes, that there are many whose conduct shows they are really enemies of the cross of Christ. 19 They are headed for destruction. Their god is their appetite, they brag about shameful things, and they think only about this life here on earth. 20 But we are citizens of heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives. – Philippians 3:18-20 NLT

1 Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honor at God’s right hand. 2 Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth. 3 For you died to this life, and your real life is hidden with Christ in God. – Colossians 3:1-3 NLT

In his classic work, Pilgrim’s Progress, John Bunyan recounts the efforts of a new believer in Christ who embarks on a journey to the Celestial City, a metaphor for heaven. On his way, Christian, the book’s main character, encounters a wide array of characters, many of whom try to distract and detour from his destination. Bunyan gave each a name that reflects their particular character. One of these individuals is a gentleman named Mr. Worldly Wiseman. Here is Bunyan’s description of their encounter.

Now as Christian was walking solitarily by himself, he spied one afar off come crossing over the field to meet him and their hap was to meet just as they were crossing the way of each other. The gentleman’s name that met him was Mr. Worldly Wiseman: he dwelt in the town of Carnal Policy ; a very great town, and also hard by from whence Christian came. This man, then, meeting with Christian, and having some inkling of him – for Christian’s setting forth from the city of Destruction was much noised abroad, not only in the town where he dwelt, but also it began to be the town talk in some other places – Master Worldly Wiseman, therefore, having some guess of him, by beholding his laborious going, by observing his sighs and groans and the like, began thus to enter into some talk with Christian. – John Bunyan, Pilgrim’s Progress

This well-dressed gentleman engages Christian in conversation and it doesn’t take long for his intentions to become evident. Seeing the burden Christian carries on his back, he offers to give his new-found friend “good counsel.”

I would advise thee, then, that thou with all speed get thyself rid of thy burden: for thou wilt never be settled in thy mind till then: nor canst thou enjoy the benefits of the blessing which God hath bestowed upon thee till then.

When Christian responds that he is on his way to the Celestial City in order to have his burden removed, Mr. Worldly Wiseman responds: “it has happened unto thee as to other weak men, who, meddling with things too high for them, do suddenly fall into thy distractions; which distractions do not only unman men (as thine I perceive has done thee), but they run them upon desperate ventures, to obtain they know not what.”

His solution is for Christian to seek aid in the nearby city of Morality where there lives a man named, Legality, “a very judicious man, and a man of a very good name, that has skill to help men off with such burdens as thine are from their shoulders.”

Mr. Worldly Wiseman assures Christian that his burden can be removed in the city of Morality with the help of Mr. Legality and his friend, Mr. Civility.

There, I say, thou mayest be eased of thy burden; and if thou art not minded to go back to thy former habitation, as indeed I would not wish thee, thou mayest send for thy wife and children to come to thee to this village, where there are houses now stand empty, one of which thou mayest have at reasonable rates: provision is there also cheap and good; and that which will make thy life the more happy is there to be sure, for thou shalt live by honest neighbours, in credit and good fashion.

In his own inimitable and timeless way, John Bunyan has painted a picture of the many dangers that face the believer as he makes his way through this life. As Paul told the believers in Philippi, “our citizenship is in heaven” (Philippians 3:20 ESV). We don’t belong to this world anymore. In fact, Peter describes us as “temporary residents and foreigners” and he urges us “to keep away from worldly desires that wage war against your very souls” (1 Peter 2:11 NLT). Paul tells to “set your sights on the realities of heaven” and to “think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth” (Colossians 3:1, 2 NLT).

Yet, like Christian, we find ourselves surrounded by those who want to distract our focus from the reality of heaven and deceive us into believing that our hope and help can be found in this world. But Mr. Worldly Wiseman, and all those like him, is deadly wrong when he counsels Christian to take his eyes off of the Celestial City. Paul had some strong words for the worldly wise of his day.

Where is the wise man? Where is the scribe? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since in the wisdom of God, the world through its wisdom did not know Him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe. – 1 Corinthians 1:20-21 BSB

Paul pulled no punches when he stated, “If any of you thinks he is wise in this age, he should become a fool, so that he may become wise. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness in God’s sight” (1 Corinthians 3:18-19 BSB).

Yet, the temptation to listen to the sage advice of this worldly wise is always there. If we’re not careful, we can easily find ourselves focusing our attention on the things of this earth, rather than the things of heaven. And, as a result, we end up living like the people of this world. We seek comfort and contentment from the things this world offers.

Mr. Worldly Wiseman attempted to get Christian to settle in the village of Morality “where there are houses now stand empty, one of which thou mayest have at reasonable rates: provision is there also cheap and good; and that which will make thy life the more happy.” He tempted him with comfortable accommodations, ample material goods to meet his needs, and a life of happiness. But his advice runs counter to that of Paul, who said, “set your sights on the realities of heaven” and “think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth.”

As the old hymn so aptly states:

This world is not my home I’m just a passing through
My treasures are laid up somewhere beyond the blue
The angels beckon me from heaven’s open door
And I can't feel at home in this world anymore.

(Songwriter: MARY REEVES DAVIS© Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC)

As citizens of heaven, we are to constantly remind ourselves that this world is not our home. It is a temporary assignment. We are strangers in an alien land. Like the Israelites wandering in the wilderness, we are to remember that our final destination is the Promised Land. The wilderness was not intended to be their home. And while God met all their needs while they were in the wilderness, He had far greater things in store for them on the other side of the Jordan River.

How easy it is to forget that what God has prepared for us is far better than what the world offers us. The things of this world are temporary and destined for the trash heap. They can’t hold a candle to the glorious future God has in mind. And the apostle John warns us to avoid a love affair with this world and all it offers. His advice stands in direct opposition to that of Mr. Worldly Wiseman.

Do not love this world nor the things it offers you, for when you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you. For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but are from this world. And this world is fading away, along with everything that people crave. But anyone who does what pleases God will live forever. – 1 John 2:15-17 NLT

This world is fading away, along with all the things it offers us that are nothing more than poor counterfeits to the glories awaiting us heaven. But the worldly wisemen of our day would have us believe something quite different. They want us to believe that by focusing our sights on this world, we will get the blessings of heaven in this life. But John Bunyan, speaking through his character, Evangelist, paints quite a different picture. Evangelist warned Christian about the dangers lying behind the message of Mr. Worldly Wiseman.

The man that met thee is one Worldly Wiseman: and rightly is he so called; partly because he savours only the doctrine of this world (therefore he always goes to the town of Morality to Church) and partly because he loves that doctrine best, for it saves him from the cross; and because he is of this carnal temper, therefore he seeks to pervert my ways, though right. Now there are three things in this man’s counsel that thou must utterly abhor:

1. His turning thee out of the way.

2. His labouring to render the cross odious to thee.

3. And his setting thy feet in that way that leads unto the administration of death.

As the psalmist wrote: “There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death” (Proverbs 14:12 ESV). By focusing all our attention on this world and demanding that the glories of heaven be experienced in this life, we take our eyes off the prize. We miss the point of our salvation. God didn’t save us so that we might enjoy our best life now, but so that we might experience the fully glorified, sin-free, and righteousness-filled life He has in store for us in the age to come.

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

The Message (MSG) Copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene H. Peterson

In the Meantime.

Romans 8:18-30

And we believers also groan, even though we have the Holy Spirit within us as a foretaste of future glory, for we long for our bodies to be released from sin and suffering. We, too, wait with eager hope for the day when God will give us our full rights as his adopted children, including the new bodies he has promised us. – Romans 8:23 NLT

As believers, we live in what Paul Tripp refers to as "The Gospel Gap." it's his simple, yet memorable way of referring to that somewhat mysterious and sometimes confusing period of time that began at the point of our salvation and will end with our future glorification, when we die or when Jesus comes to take us home. As believers, we tend to put a great deal of weight on those two ends of the spiritual spectrum – our salvation and glorification – while minimizing what is commonly referred to as our sanctification – the ongoing transformation of our lives into the image of Jesus Christ. We had nothing to do with our salvation and we will play no part in our future glorification. And the reality is, we have nothing to do with our growth in Christ-likeness – our sanctification. It is all a work of God. What happened in the past, at our salvation, was the gracious gift of God, provided by the death of Jesus Christ, His Son. What will happen in the future will also be an incredible gift from our heavenly Father, in fulfillment of His Son's promise to go and prepare a place for us. Eternal life is the ultimate outcome of our faith in Jesus Christ, and it awaits us in the future.

So Paul reminds us that "what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will reveal to us later" (Romans 8:18 NLT). In that one sentence, Paul sums up the reality of life as a believer. We suffer NOW. But there is something glorious that is coming LATER. There is a future day coming when "God will reveal who his children really are (Romans 8:19 NLT). What we look like, act like, feel like and think like NOW, is nothing compared to what we will truly be in the FUTURE. Our transformation or sanctification will one day be complete and we will be glorified. As God's children, we will experience "glorious freedom from death and decay" (Romans 8:21 NLT). Our bodies will "be released from sin and suffering" (Romans 8:23 NLT). So in the meantime, we "wait with eager hope for the day when God will give us our full rights as his adopted children, including the new bodies he has promised us" (Romans 8:23 NLT). This is the hope that was given to us at our salvation. There is a glorious future in store for us. But again, in the meantime, we groan. We suffer. We wait patiently and confidently. Or do we? Oh, most of us groan and suffer quite well. We have that part down. But it's the waiting patiently and confidently that throws most of us for a loop. We struggle with the here and now. We wrestle with the circumstances of life and wonder how in the world our faith in Christ can make a difference in this lifetime. Our salvation becomes a distant memory and, our future glorification, a nebulous, difficult-to-comprehend hope. When we read the well-known words of Paul in verse 28, we roll our eyes and shake our heads, questioning the validity and veracity of his statement. "And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them" (Romans 8:23 NLT). Really? EVERYTHING? For our good?

This verse reeks of the here-and-now. It is all about life in the Gospel Gap. It gives us a way of looking at life and interpreting the circumstances of life as we experience our ongoing conformity to the Son of God. God called us at salvation with a distinct purpose in mind. And it was NOT just to take us to heaven! If that had been His purpose, He would have done so at the point He saved us. But instead, He left us here. Why? Because His purpose was that we "become like His Son" (Romans 8:29 NLT). God had a plan for us, and that plan included our salvation, our future glorification, and our ongoing sanctification as we live out our lives on this planet in the meantime. But we need to know that God is using any and everything in our lives – the good, the bad, the ugly – to transform us into the likeness of Christ. He causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God – in other words, us. God can use our mistakes. God can use our hurts. God can use our darkest moments and brightest days to conform us into the image of His Son. He can use tragedies and victories, gains and losses, joy and sorrow, to achieve His ongoing purpose in our lives – our sanctification. He has given us His Spirit to assist us, comfort us, convict us and guide us. The Spirit intercedes for us, prays on behalf of us, and constantly seeks to motivate us toward our pursuit of God's purpose for us – our spiritual transformation into the image of His Son. If God plans on completing His work in our lives by someday glorifying us and establishing us as permanent residents in His heavenly Kingdom, then we have to trust that what He is doing here on this earth is part of His divine plan for us – regardless of how it looks or feels. Paul encouraged the believers in Philippi, "that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus" (Philippians 1:6 NLT). God finishes what He starts. He completes what He begins. Our time on this planet has a rhyme and reason behind it. There is method to God's seeming madness as we suffer and struggle our way through this life. He is at work in our life, just as much now as He was at our salvation. His purpose is just as clear now as it was when He saved us. He is constantly, faithfully, and lovingly making us more and more like His Son, with each passing day. And some day He will complete His work project in our lives. But in the meantime, we must learn to wait patiently and confidently.

Father, I want to learn to wait patiently and confidently. I lose hope far too often and easily. I run out of steam. I get confused by the circumstances of life and end up seeing them as setbacks, rather than as opportunities and the tools You are using to transform me into the likeness of Christ. Give me the perspective Paul had. Let Romans 8:28 become a verse that I cling to and hope in. Continue to show me the reality of the statement that You really do cause all things in my life to be instruments for good and opportunities for my ongoing transformation. Amen.