A word fitly spoken is like APPLES OF GOLD in a setting of silver – Proverbs 25v11
The Book of Psalms is full of wisdom which is as relevant today as when it was written three thousand years ago. Last week we looked at Psalm 1 and saw how we are blessed when we meditate and obey God’s Word. Psalm 2 reveals another blessing in the last verse – “Blessed are all who take refuge in Him”. That is why in verse 1 the Psalmist is mystified as to why the nations rage against the Lord and His anointed. We see militant atheism and even hostility to Christian values especially in the developed world. The reason for this hatred of God is found in verse 3: “Let us break their chains and throw off their shackles”. There is a misconception that the Lord and His anointed are bondage bringers, but they are in fact bondage breakers. But who is the person referred to as His anointed? It is clear from verse 7 that He is none other than the Lord Jesus Christ: “He said to me, ‘You are my son; today I have become your father”. In the Book of Hebrews chapter 1v5 this verse is quoted to prove the divinity of Jesus Christ and why He came to this earth which was to set us free from the bondage of sin. John 8v36 says “So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed”. In verse 12 of this Psalm, we read “Kiss his son”. Kissing in those days and culture was a demonstration of submission and affection. God wants us to have a loving relationship with His Son Jesus Christ and acknowledge Him as Lord and then we will experience what is written in John 3v16: “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life”. But the Psalm continues with a warning: “or he will be angry and your way will lead to your destruction, for his wrath can flare up in a moment”. Rejecting the king’s offer of hospitality and protection by refusing to kiss him meant you rejected his rule and were in rebellion against him which was seen as treason. But we just read in John 3v16 that God loves us – so how can He be angry if we don’t believe and own Him as Lord? The answer is found later in the same chapter in verse 36: “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on them”. It is a serious thing to reject the one who died to save us – so friend do the sensible thing and kiss God’s Son Jesus Christ and do what the Psalmist says in verse 10: “Serve the Lord with fear and celebrate his rule with trembling”. Because He cares for us, guides us and seeks the best for us, we can cast our burdens on Him and live a life free from anxiety experiencing what Jesus promised in John 10v10: “I have come that they may have life and have it to the full”.
God Bless
Graeme Greenwood