Portrait Of The King

If you would, take your Bibles this morning and turn to the second psalm, Psalm 2. Let's pray together. God and our Father now we bow before you asking you to help us understand your word Lord this is more than an ancient text this is the living word of God breathed out by you given to us by your spirit fulfilled by Jesus we pray Lord that we would bow before this as your living word learn from it and have understanding that will help us to understand our Savior better.

Grant that, we pray, in Jesus' name. Amen. Now that it's the Christmas season, let's make no mistake about it, that always starts right after Halloween. We all are thinking along certain lines. certain Christmas facts are permanently fixed in our minds. They are fixed in our minds by the carols we sing and the nativity stories we read year after year in the Gospels.

One of those facts permanently fixed in our minds is the fact that Christ is the King. We sing, Joy to the world, the Lord is come. Let earth receive her King. in come thou long expected Jesus we sing born thy people to deliver born a child and yet what? a king hark the herald angels sing glory to the new born king in that wonderful little Christmas carol what child is this? it says this is what child is this? this is Christ the king when we read the gospel we read about the Magi coming and they're looking for a king.

That's permanently fixed in our mind. Why do we sing of Christ as king? Why do we do that Why do we sing of him as king Why were the wise men looking for a king Well because the Old Testament as it looked forward to this coming Savior described him as king The Jewish people, steeped in the Old Testament, were looking for a king. And one of those Old Testament passages is the second psalm.

In it, a descendant of David is described. Now, I understand that we haven't come to Thanksgiving yet. Next week, though, begins Advent, four Sundays where we celebrate the advent of Jesus. And we're going to spend those four Sundays in Psalm 2. But this week, I'd like to give us a run-up to those four Sundays. I'd like us to understand how this psalm fits into the big picture.

Now one of the things I always wrestle with as a pastor is, when I'm getting up in the pulpit, is this. Are you going to lecture or are you going to preach? Lecture is really easy for me. And as I come to the pulpit this week, in particular, I'm asking myself, is this a lecture or a sermon? Well, it's mostly a lecture. this week. But I think it's very, very, very important.

This is going to be almost like a survey class today. We are going to cover tons of ground today. And so this week we want to understand how Psalm 2 fits into the whole flow of redemptive history. All right. Now, you might not be excited about lectures. I can be.

Right. I love to learn. And I hope by God's grace that this lecture slash maybe sermon will help you understand some things and put some things together. So let's look at Psalm 2. You follow as I read this song. Why do the nations rage and the people's plot in vain? the kings of the earth set themselves and rulers take counsel together against the Lord and against his anointed saying let us burst their bonds apart and cast away their cords from us he who sits in the heavens laughs the Lord holds them in derision Then he will speak to them in his wrath and terrify them in his fury saying As for me I have set my king on Zion my holy hill.

I will tell of the decree. The Lord said to me, You are my son. Today I have begotten you. Ask of me and I will make the nations your heritage and the ends of the earth your possession. You shall break them with a rod of iron and dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel. Now therefore, O kings, be wise.

Be warned, O rulers of the earth. Serve the Lord with fear and rejoice with trembling. 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. Now, in our introduction today, we're going to see how this psalm describes Jesus or why it's considered that.

Why is it that? We want to establish some broad foundations, okay? So again, it's going to require lots of thinking and moving in your Bibles and trying to understand the whole flow. Now this psalm is a drama that unfolds in four scenes. Scene one, the nations on earth lift up their voices in rebellion against God and his anointed. That's verses one through three.

Scene two switches to the throne room of heaven where we see God laughing at this senseless rebellion. scene 3 is the Messiah speaking as he presents his credentials to rule and then lastly that's verses 7 through 9 and then lastly scene 4 the psalmist now concludes with a warning and a promise verses 10 through 12 so there are 4 separate scenes in this psalm ok The one describing the rebellion, scene 2, the throne room of heaven. Scene 3, the anointed one, the Messiah presenting his credentials. Scene 4 the warning to the rulers as a result of what they just seen Now how does this point to Christ Now we look at that and we are so steeped in our Bibles we know it points to Christ But why Because when they first read it they didn think the way we do How, then, does this point to Christ?

Well, first of all, this is what's often called a royal psalm. What's a royal psalm? It's one of those psalms that speaks concerning the king of Israel or the king of Judah. Quite possibly, we don't know for sure, but quite possibly this was sung or read or used in some fashion whenever a king was crowned in Judah. Look at verse 7. I will tell of the decree.

The Lord said to me, you are my son, today I have begotten you. This psalm reflects the covenant that God made with David near the end of his life. All right. It's it's an allusion to the covenant that God made with David. Now, we heard about that in our scripture reading this morning from Second Samuel, chapter seven. In this covenant, the special covenant that God made with David, God promises a special relationship with the king.

He will be my son. I will be his father. A special relationship. and he also promises that there will always be a ruler from David's line that's key there will always be a ruler from David's line so we see that when God makes that covenant with David near the end of his life you will not build my house I will build your house okay and that's a play on words you're not going to build me a temple but I'm going to build your dynasty I'm going to build your line.

I'm going to build your family. Now turn over to 1 Chronicles 22. 1 Chronicles 22. Again, remember that the order of the books of the Bible switch whenever you're preaching. So I usually be the last one. my God. But the word of the Lord came to me saying, you have shed much blood and have waged great wars.

You shall not build a house to my name because you have shed so much blood before me on the earth. Behold, a son shall be born to you who shall be a man of rest. I will give him rest from all his surrounding enemies for his name shall be Solomon. By the way, Solomon is a play, is a derivative of the Hebrew word for peace. shalom. Alright? In Hebrew it's shalom-o.

That's how you'd pronounce Solomon. For his name shall be Solomon, peace, and I will give peace and quiet to Israel in his days. He shall build a house for my name. He shall be my son, and I will be his father, and I will establish his royal throne in Israel forever. So as you look at this, David saw that promise of the covenant as referring to his son Solomon.

Right? God will be your father and you'll be his son. You'll be the man of peace. And so, this psalm reflects that covenant that God made with David. Look at verse 8. Ask of me and I will make the nations your heritage and the ends of the earth your possession.

This is a phenomenal promise to be made to the king of Judah. Now remember, if this was sung or used in some manner at the coronation ceremony, then that's what they're claiming for their king. He's going to have the rule of all the nations. And you see that reflected in Psalm 72. So I want you to turn there. Psalm 72.

Psalm 72. This is a psalm written by Solomon. Okay? and it's supposed to be about his rule. God was the great king, God was the great king, and Israel's king was supposed to be God's representative on earth. Okay? It was this representative who was to rule in righteousness and justice.

Here was a king who, of all the other kings, was supposed to rule in justice and righteousness, to execute God justice on earth That was the king job as God representative By the way you got to think this way He not just a king who you know serves God He is supposed to be God representative on the earth Okay? Now, let's look at verses 1 through 7. Give the king your justice, O God, and your righteousness to the royal son.

May he judge your people with righteousness and your poor with justice. Let the mountains bear prosperity for the people and the hills in righteousness. May he defend the cause of the poor of the people, give deliverance to the children of the needy, and crush the oppressed. May they fear you while the sun endures as long as the moon throughout all generations.

May he be like rain that falls on the mown grass, like showers that water the earth. In his days may the righteous flourish and peace abound till the moon be no more. Here's what the king is supposed to be like. He's supposed to rule in righteousness. Drop over to verses 12 through 14. For he delivers the needy when he calls the poor and him who has no helper.

He has pity on the weak and the needy. He saves the lives of the needy. From oppression and violence he redeems their life. And precious is their blood in his sight. And so we find here a king who's executing the justice of God. He is bringing the righteousness of God to bear in the land.

And as God's representative, he would extend the righteous rule of God over all the earth. Incredible claim here. Look at verses 8 through 11. May he have dominion from sea to sea and from the river to the ends of the earth. May desert tribes bow down before him and his enemies lick the dust. May the kings of Tarshish and of the coastlands render him tribute.

May the kings of Sheba and Sabah bring gifts. May all kings fall down before him. All nations serve him. Verse 17. May his name endure forever. His fame continue as long as the sun.

May people be blessed in him. All nations call him blessed. Right. Wow, that's an incredible claim to be made for the king of Israel. All this was wrapped up in the office of the king in the Old Testament. That is what was supposed to happen.

Okay? By the way you kind of maybe start wondering if And I wonder if the people then started wondering about that as for example, the kings would come to Jerusalem to see Solomon. The queen of Sheba, right, would come and bring gifts. And other kings would, it talks about Solomon being so wise that other kings would listen and send representatives and so forth.

So you start to wonder, well, did that start coming true? But then you see that Solomon disappointed everyone at the end of his life. He didn't fulfill it. It didn't happen with him. All right, back to Psalm 2. By the way, put your ribbon in Psalm 2, okay?

I had to do that, so I'd get back there quicker. All right? Psalm 2. Notice, the kings of the earth set themselves and the rulers take counsel together against the Lord and against his anointed. Here is the anointed one. This is the word from which we get Messiah.

Now, if you've been here long enough, you've heard this before. This is the Hebrew word Mashiach. Okay? Mashiach, which just kind of transliterated into English, comes out as Messiah. It meant the one who is anointed. So, for example, in 2 Kings, verses 11 and 12, where it talks about the coronation of Joash.

Remember the little boy that was hidden? And then when he was seven years old, was brought out and was made king? He was hidden away from Athaliah. And when they brought him out to make him king, it says this about him in 2 Kings 11-12. Then he brought out the king's son, that is Joash, and put the crown on him and gave him the testimony. And they proclaimed him king and anointed him.

And they clapped their hands and said, long live the king. Long live the king. So he was anointed. You remember when Samuel went to find David, he anointed David. Okay? He anointed David as king.

Anointing symbolized being set apart for a special task. And so whenever a king was crowned, he was anointed. In this case, the special task is ruling for God. And he was anointed to that end. so we see these things described about the king and what the king is supposed to be like what their kings were supposed to be like all right now let let turn to the New Testament Okay so we going to be in the New Testament now Acts chapter 4.

Acts chapter 4. You remember the story here. The apostles have been hauled before the Sanhedrin. They've been told not to preach in the name of God or in the name of Christ, I should say. They said, well, you decide whether we're supposed to obey God or man, but we're not going to quit preaching. and you remember Gamaliel said look if God's not behind them they're going to fail so just let them go so they let the apostles go they were rejoicing this is totally off the subject of this sermon what makes me just almost cringe in shame is the fact that they leave rejoicing that they have been counted worthy of suffering for Jesus that's just wow that's another sermon But so they get together with the church, and they have a prayer meeting.

And here's what we find. Verse 23. When they were released, that is the apostles, they went to their friends and reported what the chief priests and elders had said to them. And when they heard it, they lifted their voices together to God and said, Sovereign Lord, who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and everything in them, who through the mouth of our father David, your servant, said by the Holy Spirit, note why did the gentiles rage and the people's plot in vain the kings of the earth set themselves and their rulers were gathered together against the lord and against his anointed for truly in this city they were gathered together against your holy servant jesus whom you anointed both herod and pontius pilate along with the gentiles and the peoples of israel to do whatever your hand and your plan and predestined to take place wow what are they quoting there?

Psalm 2. And they're saying, see, it's true. Here's how it happens. So they clearly saw that this was pointing to Jesus. Turn over to chapter 18 now, Acts 18. I'm sorry I knew that didn't sound right to me chapter 13 Acts chapter 13 I verses 32 and 33.

And we bring you the good news. This is Paul preaching in the synagogue. And we bring you the good news that what God promised to the fathers, this He has fulfilled to us, their children, by raising Jesus, as also it is written in the second psalm, you are my son, today I have begotten you. All right? there again he says look we're telling you God raised up this Jesus not talking about the resurrection but raised up Jesus as as king he came as king so that he would fulfill what's written you are my son today I have begotten you here's the one the special relationship with God one more passage is Hebrews chapter 1 Hebrews chapter 1 again verse 5 for to which of the angels did God ever say you are my son today I have begotten you or again I will be to him a father and he shall be to me a son alright so you have Psalm 2 and then following the reference to the covenant with David so clearly the New Testament speaks looks at this psalm and says, look, it speaks of Jesus, the Messiah.

This is the one. This is the one that that psalm has always spoken about. Well, you know what the Jewish mind would say at that point? How can that be? How can that be? If this psalm spoke of Judah's kings and their responsibilities and privileges as God's anointed.

How can this be? Well, let's enter the Hebrew mind for a moment. at every coronation of every king of Judah those words rang in the people's ears the words of Psalm 2 but during the reign of those kings after Solomon Judah was an insignificant nation the kings never extended God's rule like it promised none of them did right it almost looked like David and Solomon could it almost looked like Hezekiah might pull it off they had great They were well rulers but they never extended God rule Its kings did not rule with justice They did not rule with justice We see David failing We see Solomon failing We see every king even the good ones failing And the kings of other nations never submitted to God's king. Not even Solomon fulfilled all that God intended.

What's that all about? If this is supposed to describe the king, then where is he? You see, You know, when I was a kid, and my folks never made a lot of money, but I remember my parents would buy us clothes that were like too big for us. Because they couldn't buy us clothes that would fit us right now, because they couldn't afford every stage. So what they would do, I can still remember them buying us shoes.

And I'd say, Mom, these shoes are too big. And you know what her response was? You'll grow into them. You'll grow into them. Right? that's what's happening here in this psalm. How does this point to Jesus?

Because for every king, they're looking for that king. They're looking for that king to fulfill it. And none of them do. It's as if God has this huge robe, right? And it doesn't fit anybody. It doesn't fit any king.

And so what do they do? It doesn't fit this king. What about the next king? It doesn't fit him. What about the next one? doesn't fit him. What happens then?

What do you think happens? They start, they keep looking. They keep looking. They keep looking. And so they started looking for one who would fulfill the role. And so, for example, the prophets would be looking.

As Isaiah in chapter 9. Okay? Isaiah chapter 9. So, again, remembering the prophets are preachers. Okay? They get direct word from God, but they're not just getting direct word from God.

They study the word of God. And they come to these conclusions. For example, Isaiah. Isaiah says in chapter 9, beginning in verse 2, very familiar. The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light. Those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shined.

You have multiplied the nation. You have increased its joy. they rejoice before you as with joy at the harvest as they are glad when they divide the spoil for the yoke of his burden and the staff for his shoulder the rod of his oppressor you have broken as on the day of Midian For every boot of the tramping warrior in battle tumult and every garment rolled in blood will be burned as fuel for the fire. For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, mighty God, everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end. On the throne of David and over his kingdom to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness, from this time forth and forevermore, the zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this. So they're looking. They keep looking for the king who fill out the robe. They just keep looking.

Jeremiah chapter 23, verses 5 and 6. Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will raise up for David a righteous branch. Remember, he's supposed to rule in righteousness and justice. He's going to raise up a righteous branch. And he shall reign as king and deal wisely and shall execute justice and righteousness in the land. In his days Judah will be saved and Israel will dwell securely.

And this is the name by which he will be called. The Lord is our righteousness. And so they keep looking and they keep looking, but something happens. Here's what happens. The Babylonians come along, finally. Finally, the Babylonians come along and wipe Judah off the map and the king off the throne.

There's no nation and there is no king. Now what do you do? See, here's the problem. no one is fulfilled no one's filled the robe and now there's no king and now there is no country what do you do with the promises of god then you know when we look at the babylonian invasion in the old testament it was a very significant event because at that time it looks like God's promise are empty words no king no land now what God had covenanted with David that his dynasty would possess the throne It doesn possess the throne And so they kept looking for a king who would meet the criteria.

They kept looking. They kept looking. At this point, Jesus enters and in every respect fulfills the portrait painted here in Psalm 2. Now, when we come to the New Testament, they're not shy about that at all. They just say, it's happened. It's happened.

It starts out right away in the book of Matthew. Matthew chapter 1. Matthew chapter 1. Now, lest you fear that I'm going to read the entire genealogy, I'm not. the genealogy just fills out what says in verse one the book of the genealogy of jesus christ the son of david the son of abraham now we could translate that jesus the christ listen i remember hearing someone say this when you see the name Jesus Christ, that's not like the full name so they know where to put the mail in the proper mailbox.

Like Tim Pasma, right? Deb Gantz, Butch Norris, Jesus Christ, right? It's not like his last name. It's saying something about him. Because Christ is the Greek word Christos, which is the translation of the Hebrew word Mashiach. So when it says Jesus, it's saying Jesus, the anointed one.

Jesus, the Messiah, is essentially what that means. Okay? And when the term Jesus and Christ are put together, that's not like first name, last name. It's this is Jesus, the one who was promised. You've got to understand that. Okay?

And so Matthew starts out right away by identifying first as the anointed one and what? The son of David. Now drop down to verse 16. And Jacob, the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary, of whom Jesus was born, who is called Christ. who is called the Messiah. Verse 17, so all the generations from Abraham to David were 14 generations, and from David to the deportation to Babylon, 14 generations, and from the deportation to Babylon to what?

To the Christ, the Anointed One, 14 generations. So here is Christ, the Anointed One. He's the Son of David in fulfillment of the Davidic covenant. Matthew says that right off the bat. How can he say that? Turn to chapter 3.

Chapter 3. Here's the story of Jesus' baptism, verses 16 and 17. And when Jesus was baptized, immediately he went up from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, coming to rest on him. And behold, a voice from heaven said, This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased. you ought to hear the echoes of Psalm 2 in the words that God says.

This is my beloved son. All right? To everyone standing there, it's just a rabbi. This is my beloved son. All right? And he is anointed here by the Holy Spirit.

This is his anointing. Now, that shouldn't surprise us. When it talks about David's anointing in 1 Samuel 16, verse 13, It says, then Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed David in the midst of his brothers, and the Spirit of the Lord rushed upon David from that day forward. So the Spirit is associated with the anointing. Here is Jesus anointed by the Holy Spirit, the direct anointing of the Spirit of God.

Here is God proclaiming him clearly as the anointed one and clearly as his son. just like it says in Psalm 2. He's also proclaimed the Anointed One and the Son by His resurrection. We heard it as Curtis read to us today from Romans chapter 1. Jesus descended from whom? What did Paul say in Romans 1? Descended from David, declared by the Spirit in His resurrection to be the Son of God Alright The resurrection from the dead was His coronation It His coronation This is where He is made King.

How do we know that? Because in Acts chapter 2, and again, you know what? As I look at Acts chapter 2, it's almost well worn in my Bible, because I think at least three times a year I go to Acts chapter 2. And that's because for me, it's a pivotal, pivotal, pivotal statement that Peter makes in this first sermon in the church age. Acts chapter 2, beginning in verse 32.

This Jesus God raised up, and of that we all are witnesses, being therefore exalted at the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured out this that you yourselves are seeing and hearing, for David did not ascend into the heavens but he himself says the Lord said to my Lord sit at my right hand until I make your enemies your footstool let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ this Jesus whom you crucified alright so he says this is the one now who's ruling in fulfillment of the promise that God had made and so Jesus fulfills that through his anointing through his identification as the son through his resurrection from the dead through his ascension to heaven someone objects yes but the other kings were anointed and crowned and they didn't conquer the nations it sure doesn't look like Jesus did either it doesn't look like Jesus did either without having to go into another half hour lecture. Remember that God's kingdom in the Old Testament, as God revealed it was not just to be a kingdom of a bunch of people, it was to be a kingdom of people who were righteous. And that did not happen.

But it is happening now. As the gospel goes out and brings people under the rule of this king and changes them into people who are righteous. But that's not the end of the story. Two more passages and then we're done. Revelation chapter 12. Revelation 12 verse 5.

You remember the dragon is coming after the woman who is pregnant. And it says, She gave birth to a male child, one who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron. But her child was caught up to God and to his throne. and so we see that the child speaking of Jesus is caught up to heaven and sits on the throne he sits on the throne he will rule as the second psalm describes but there's more when you come to the end of this book Revelation chapter 19 now watch what happens here this wonderful last portrait of one of the last portraits of Jesus Revelation chapter 19 beginning in verse 11.

Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war. His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on his head are many diadems. And he has a name written that no one knows but himself. He is clothed in a robe dipped in blood, and the name by which he is called is the Word of God.

And the arms, so obviously we know this is Jesus. And the armies of heaven, arrayed in fine linen, white and pure, were following him on white horses. Now watch. From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. And he will rule them with a rod of iron. He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty.

On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords. Do you notice that? From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, he will rule them with a rod of iron. A direct quotation from Psalm 2. Finally fulfilled in Jesus when he comes again. So why is this psalm included in the scripture? it to point us to the one who actually fulfills fills out the robe of what God always intended his king to do And as we will look at this psalm in the next four weeks of Advent, we're going to see clearly how God intended us to be looking for one who's just like Jesus.

It's to turn our eyes to the glories of Jesus, our Messiah and our king. He's not just a Jewish king. He's our king. He is our anointed one. He alone is the one who matches the portrait painted here. And having shown us Christ, as we see in this psalm, having shown us Christ, God calls us to find refuge in him.

And that is why the psalm is in the scriptures. It is to heighten our awareness. It is to drive us to. It is to give us a thirst for a king who will be the king that God always intended. May God help us to see Jesus that way in the ensuing weeks. May it help us love him and worship him in a much deeper way.

Not just that we have a great Christmas and a good set of sermons that will just set the mood. But will bring us to Jesus in a powerful way. Let's pray that God will do that. Father, thank you again for your wonderful word. We are so thankful for its power, for its descriptiveness, for everything that just ministers to our souls. Now, Father, as we embark on this, we pray that Jesus would become more precious to us, that Jesus would be truly seen as a king, ruler, lord, master, but Lord one in whom although we can fear his wrath find refuge from that wrath in him help us to see him that way we pray help us now in the ensuing weeks not just for our benefit but for your glory that your matchless glory and that of Jesus will be seen by us.

Thank you in Jesus' name. Amen.