“How blessed are all who take refuge in Him.” Psalm 2:12b
From the Bible’s beginning in Genesis 1 and 2, we hear of
God’s plan for a Savior of humankind. David was familiar with this. He advanced
God’s plan for a Messiah - a King and the Son of God, in Psalm 2. For David,
the Messiah, presented in first and second person, is the bringer of judgment
and refuge. He exemplifies the other side of God’s righteousness – justice.
David experienced non-Hebrew nations’ rulers and kings’ conspiring
to usurp God’s decrees. These rulers felt His decrees were bondage and chains
and they stood against Him. God, from His throne, with this prophecy, declared
through David His contempt for them with laughter and scoffing. He told of His
anger and consuming fury terrifying the rebellious people.
God told David’s hearers and readers a greater King than earthly
kings reigns. He installed His King on Zion, then Jerusalem and His heavenly
home, the New Jerusalem upon Christ’s return. God gave as His King’s possession
the nations to the very ends of the earth. His anointed King has dominion over earthly
leaders. This King shall break with His strength the rebellious nations. He
will shatter them until they become dispersed among all the peoples of the
earth and have no nation to which to be a citizen. Just as the Father, Son, and
Spirit created humanity from the earth, the anointed King of God can smash and
shatter the earthenware, humanity made from earth.
David spoke to the rebellious kings and judges and to every
person of all time. He commanded:
·
Show discernment. (to the kings) – have insight
into who you are and Who God is and be prudent.
·
Take warning. (to the judges) – receive this
instruction and chastening from God.
·
Worship the Lord with reverence. (all people) Reverence
is mental and heart action. It comes from fear and respect of God due to His
great might and knowledge – Who He is – and because of His love of all people.
·
Rejoice with trembling. (all people) Trembling
is a physical reaction. It comes from fear and awe of God – Who He is, what He’s
done, and what He can do.
·
Do homage. (all people) Homage is an intentional
public physical action. It is bowing or kneeling before God. Homage gives
special honor and respect publicly.
Much better than these commands, David reveals the covenant
God has with His people who worship, praise, and honor Him. He cried out, “How
blessed (happy) are all who take refuge in Him!” The Messiah redeems the souls
of these people and saves them from condemnation – eternal separation from God
(Psalm 34:22).
What David proclaimed about God’s anger against the kings,
rulers, and judges who schemed to rebel against God, applies to each of us
today. Whenever we rebel against God and His truths, we become like those
rebellious leaders. God laughs in contempt at us for daring to think we could
overrule and overpower Him and His decrees. We are just earthen vessels, whereas
He is the Creator. God condemns rebels with His burning fury and wrath. He
destroys them. The LORD's provision of His Son as the sacrifice for our sins means we will
not receive eternal punishment and separation from Him. God made Him our refuge from eternal punishment,
and from temptation and sin. We can worship God with reverence and rejoice with
trembling when we have a relationship with Him that recognizes His greatness
and love and our finiteness and sin. When we come before the Lord with this kind
of relationship – as our Refuge, Savior, and King – then we understand and gladly
show homage to Him.
To which do you relate -
conspiring against God,
contempt
of God, or
the confidence of God as His child?
