WEBVTT 00:00:00.060 --> 00:00:06.560 Well, good morning, church. Turn with me, if you have a Bible, to Psalm chapter 1. 00:00:06.980 --> 00:00:10.099 We'll be looking at Psalms 1 and 2 this morning. 00:00:11.359 --> 00:00:19.140 We're starting a new sermon series in the book of Psalms, which we've entitled Songs of Hope in Uncertain Times. 00:00:19.240 --> 00:00:22.519 If you go to our website, there's a page called Current Sermon Series. 00:00:23.300 --> 00:00:27.080 You can see there which Psalms we'll be preaching from, from now through the end of the year, 00:00:27.079 --> 00:00:32.399 as well as a list of resources that can help you to dig deeper into this rich book. 00:00:32.960 --> 00:00:37.979 One of the resources I'm particularly enjoying is this book called Psalms by the Day. 00:00:38.579 --> 00:00:43.340 So it's the book of Psalms. It's Alec Mottier, M-O-T-Y-E-R. 00:00:43.519 --> 00:00:45.959 I'm not quite sure how to pronounce that, but that's his name. 00:00:46.299 --> 00:00:53.899 So he's translated the Psalms, and he has a column of sort of notes on particular words or concepts or poetic parts, 00:00:53.899 --> 00:00:58.239 and then he has sort of devotional reflections after each psalm or two. 00:00:58.699 --> 00:01:00.399 So you can sort of use it as a devotional. 00:01:01.079 --> 00:01:02.820 There's other devotionals on the Psalms. 00:01:02.920 --> 00:01:07.239 There's other books, scholarly books and just books that can help you dig deeper into the Psalms 00:01:07.239 --> 00:01:08.879 if you'd like to take this a step further. 00:01:09.379 --> 00:01:13.879 But we'll be preaching through Psalms for the next three months through the end of the year. 00:01:14.920 --> 00:01:19.319 The Psalms, if you're not familiar with them, they're a collection of songs and prayers 00:01:19.319 --> 00:01:24.159 that were written by many different authors over several hundred years and gradually gathered together, 00:01:24.299 --> 00:01:28.839 and they became sort of the song book or prayer book of the ancient Israelites. 00:01:29.179 --> 00:01:34.919 So they were used not only privately by individuals but also publicly in corporate worship. 00:01:37.319 --> 00:01:41.679 And because the Psalms are intended to be used within a worshiping community, 00:01:42.179 --> 00:01:45.859 I want to read Psalms 1 and 2 responsibly this morning. 00:01:45.859 --> 00:01:48.679 So I'm going to read the odd-numbered verses starting with verse 1, 00:01:48.799 --> 00:01:52.480 and then we all can read together the even-numbered verses starting with verse 2. 00:01:52.599 --> 00:01:54.560 If you're in the sanctuary, it'll be on the screen. 00:01:54.840 --> 00:01:57.120 Or if you're on the live stream, it'll be on the screen too. 00:01:57.739 --> 00:02:03.439 So let's read Psalm 1 and Psalm 2 together responsibly this morning. 00:02:06.680 --> 00:02:07.340 Psalm 1. 00:02:07.340 --> 00:02:17.819 Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers. 00:02:18.819 --> 00:02:27.060 But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night. 00:02:27.620 --> 00:02:33.860 He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, 00:02:33.860 --> 00:02:39.140 and its leaf does not wither, and all that he does he prospers. 00:02:40.160 --> 00:02:45.560 The wicked are not so, but are like chaff that the wind drives away. 00:02:46.640 --> 00:02:52.500 Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous. 00:02:53.380 --> 00:02:59.440 For the Lord knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish. 00:02:59.439 --> 00:03:04.960 Why do the nations rage, and the peoples plot in vain? 00:03:05.680 --> 00:03:15.400 The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together against the Lord and against his anointed, saying, 00:03:16.020 --> 00:03:20.800 Let us burst their bonds apart, and cast away their cords from us. 00:03:21.680 --> 00:03:24.340 He who sits in the heavens laughs. 00:03:25.000 --> 00:03:27.099 The Lord holds them in derision. 00:03:27.099 --> 00:03:33.620 Then he will speak to them in his wrath, and terrify them in his fury, saying, 00:03:34.359 --> 00:03:39.879 As for me, I have set my king on Zion, my holy hill. 00:03:40.599 --> 00:03:42.240 I will tell of the decree. 00:03:43.060 --> 00:03:44.379 The Lord said to me, 00:03:45.039 --> 00:03:46.359 You are my son. 00:03:46.919 --> 00:03:48.659 Today I have begotten you. 00:03:50.039 --> 00:03:53.599 Ask of me, and I will make the nations your heritage, 00:03:54.120 --> 00:03:56.219 and the ends of the earth your possession. 00:03:56.219 --> 00:04:02.159 You shall break them with a rod of iron, and dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel. 00:04:03.340 --> 00:04:06.240 Now, therefore, O kings, be wise. 00:04:06.860 --> 00:04:09.079 Be warned, O rulers of the earth. 00:04:09.939 --> 00:04:13.780 Serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice with trembling. 00:04:15.180 --> 00:04:19.660 Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and you perish in the way. 00:04:19.660 --> 00:04:22.600 For his wrath is quickly kindled. 00:04:23.200 --> 00:04:26.400 Blessed are all who take refuge in him. 00:04:27.400 --> 00:04:27.840 Amen. 00:04:27.839 --> 00:04:27.959 Amen. 00:04:29.159 --> 00:04:34.419 So, we're preaching through several of the Psalms this fall for a couple of reasons. 00:04:34.959 --> 00:04:38.419 One reason is we haven't preached through Psalms for quite a while at Trinity. 00:04:38.560 --> 00:04:42.379 The last time we did a series on Psalms was seven or eight years ago, and most of you weren't here then. 00:04:42.379 --> 00:04:53.540 So, we try to get around different parts of the Bible so we can be well-rounded by the different parts of Scripture that God has given us to shape and refine us. 00:04:54.040 --> 00:05:03.240 But another reason that we're looking at Psalms this fall is that we felt like the Psalms speak particularly to our present condition. 00:05:03.240 --> 00:05:07.600 You know, for many of us, 2020 has been a roller coaster. 00:05:08.460 --> 00:05:11.660 And I don't mean so much the fun, exciting, thrill ride. 00:05:12.460 --> 00:05:20.160 I mean more the traumatic, stomach-churning, how much longer will this last, why did I ever get on this ride kind of roller coaster. 00:05:20.879 --> 00:05:21.139 Right? 00:05:21.240 --> 00:05:29.560 On the national level, we started with impeachment, then coronavirus, then protests, then hurricanes and wildfires, now the election, and soon it'll be winter. 00:05:30.600 --> 00:05:32.100 Boy, it's been a year. 00:05:33.240 --> 00:05:43.519 And on a personal level, many of us have experienced turmoil in our plans, in our jobs, in our health, in our relationships, in all kinds of things. 00:05:44.220 --> 00:05:50.240 And many people, both within and outside the church, are feeling all kinds of strong emotions. 00:05:50.500 --> 00:05:54.960 Scared, hurting, worried, weary, frustrated, fed up. 00:05:55.579 --> 00:06:02.420 And you know, the Psalms speak to that kind of world and those kinds of emotions. 00:06:03.240 --> 00:06:10.100 You know, there's a wide variety of Psalms that are written out of a wide diversity of life experiences. 00:06:10.379 --> 00:06:13.660 There are Psalms of lament, where people are crying out to God in distress. 00:06:13.920 --> 00:06:17.660 There are Psalms of confession, where people are turning to God with their sin and failure. 00:06:17.800 --> 00:06:23.500 There are Psalms of trust, where the writer is resting quietly in God's presence. 00:06:23.639 --> 00:06:29.900 There are Psalms of history, reflecting back on both good experiences and hard experiences and what we can learn from them. 00:06:29.899 --> 00:06:36.139 There are Psalms of praise and thanksgiving that point us toward God's character and God's mercies. 00:06:36.139 --> 00:06:47.479 But the Psalms are written out of, the Psalms are written and speak to a world full of turmoil and upheaval. 00:06:47.560 --> 00:06:50.060 Even these two Psalms we just read, right? 00:06:50.379 --> 00:06:55.039 Psalm 2 talks about the nations raging, being in an uproar, in turmoil. 00:06:55.040 --> 00:07:04.080 People banding together to overthrow the boundaries that God has instituted, thinking that by throwing off all restraint, they will find freedom. 00:07:04.200 --> 00:07:07.040 But the result is only more chaos. 00:07:08.400 --> 00:07:08.560 Right? 00:07:08.660 --> 00:07:10.720 Psalm 1 begins by talking about the wicked. 00:07:12.180 --> 00:07:15.300 And in many Psalms, the psalmist sort of looks at the world and says, 00:07:15.300 --> 00:07:22.660 Man, there are people who are just completely disregarding God's ways and completely not loving their neighbor and they seem to be doing fine. 00:07:23.460 --> 00:07:28.340 And then people who are seeking to love God and love their neighbor seem to have it the worst sometimes in this world. 00:07:29.180 --> 00:07:29.420 Right? 00:07:29.460 --> 00:07:34.500 Many of the Psalms are written asking those kind of questions out of those kinds of situations. 00:07:34.500 --> 00:07:43.139 But in the midst of turmoil and uncertainty, the Psalms invite us into a life under God's blessing. 00:07:44.600 --> 00:07:52.339 That's the main theme we'll be looking at is what does a life under God's blessing look like in the midst of a world of turmoil and uncertainty? 00:07:52.540 --> 00:07:55.980 Did you notice that Psalm 1 begins with that word, blessed? 00:07:56.740 --> 00:08:01.959 Blessed is the man who abides in God's word. 00:08:01.959 --> 00:08:06.979 And then Psalm 2 ends with that same word, blessed are all who take refuge in him. 00:08:07.019 --> 00:08:08.759 What does that word blessed mean? 00:08:08.879 --> 00:08:13.399 Well, it means to be a recipient of God's favor and God's goodness. 00:08:14.180 --> 00:08:17.060 It means to be in line with God's purposes. 00:08:17.459 --> 00:08:23.839 And as a result, it means to have a kind of happiness and contentment that flows out of that. 00:08:25.879 --> 00:08:30.279 So this morning we'll see two main themes in these two Psalms. 00:08:30.279 --> 00:08:34.659 First, Psalm 1 teaches us to be rooted in God's word. 00:08:35.860 --> 00:08:41.179 That's a characteristic of a life under God's blessing is to be rooted in God's word. 00:08:41.319 --> 00:08:46.899 And in Psalm 2 we'll see that a life under God's blessing means to take refuge in God's son. 00:08:46.959 --> 00:08:49.579 To be rooted in God's word, to take refuge in God's son. 00:08:49.639 --> 00:08:52.419 Those are the two major themes we'll be looking at this morning. 00:08:53.199 --> 00:08:56.240 Now you might wonder, why am I putting these two Psalms together? 00:08:56.240 --> 00:09:01.159 Is it just because I couldn't decide which one to preach on so I decided to take both? 00:09:01.580 --> 00:09:02.500 And the answer is no. 00:09:03.139 --> 00:09:05.399 These Psalms are meant to be a package deal. 00:09:06.060 --> 00:09:09.100 Again, beginning and ending with that key word, blessed. 00:09:10.680 --> 00:09:15.600 And even in at least seven ancient Hebrew manuscripts of the Old Testament, 00:09:15.759 --> 00:09:20.639 these Psalms are not separated from one another at all. 00:09:20.639 --> 00:09:23.139 Psalm 1 and Psalm 2 are seen together. 00:09:23.319 --> 00:09:27.819 And so ancient Jewish writers often considered these two Psalms together 00:09:27.819 --> 00:09:32.460 as sort of framing the entrance to the rest of the book. 00:09:32.539 --> 00:09:40.779 Sort of like the arches over a doorway that is inviting us in to the rest of the book of Psalms. 00:09:41.879 --> 00:09:46.539 In fact, if you might notice that there's not a heading at the beginning of either Psalm. 00:09:46.539 --> 00:09:51.139 If you look at Psalm, starting at Psalm 3, there's a heading at the beginning of almost every Psalm 00:09:51.139 --> 00:09:53.839 that talks about who wrote it or the situation it was written in. 00:09:53.860 --> 00:09:56.219 But these two Psalms don't have a heading, right? 00:09:56.259 --> 00:09:59.620 Because they're placed here at the entrance to the book, 00:10:00.039 --> 00:10:04.379 introducing us and leading us into the rest of the book. 00:10:05.839 --> 00:10:11.079 So as we look at these two Psalms as a doorway into life under God's blessing 00:10:11.079 --> 00:10:14.719 in the midst of a world of turmoil and uncertainty. 00:10:14.720 --> 00:10:24.420 But let's delve into Psalm 1 first and look at the theme of being rooted in God's Word. 00:10:26.779 --> 00:10:31.320 Psalm 1 gives us a picture of the righteous person. 00:10:32.480 --> 00:10:35.519 Verse 1, we see some things that he avoids. 00:10:36.340 --> 00:10:40.759 He doesn't walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of scoffers. 00:10:40.759 --> 00:10:44.100 In the Bible, the wicked are people who do bad stuff. 00:10:44.200 --> 00:10:46.159 That is, who violate God's laws. 00:10:47.200 --> 00:10:52.620 The idea of sin in the Bible or a sinner is sort of an internal idea. 00:10:52.980 --> 00:10:57.279 It's sort of someone who's internally bent or inclined toward evil. 00:10:57.879 --> 00:11:03.580 But the third group, scoffers, are actually in some ways sort of the most spiritually dangerous. 00:11:04.080 --> 00:11:06.639 Because scoffers aren't just people who have done bad stuff. 00:11:06.639 --> 00:11:15.580 They're not just people who are inclined to do bad stuff, but scoffers are people who completely disregard the idea of right and wrong. 00:11:16.799 --> 00:11:22.740 Scoffers are people when somebody tries to challenge or correct them, they just don't even take it seriously. 00:11:23.679 --> 00:11:27.799 Brush it off, laugh it off, mock the idea. 00:11:27.799 --> 00:11:35.500 Now, verse 1 doesn't say that a righteous person will never have any normal human interactions with people like that. 00:11:35.579 --> 00:11:46.899 But it does say that a righteous person won't adopt their ways of thinking, their counsel, or their patterns of behavior, their way, or their sense of belonging, the seat. 00:11:48.000 --> 00:11:51.399 In fact, verse 1 is sort of a progression from bad to worse, right? 00:11:51.500 --> 00:11:53.899 From thinking to behavior to belonging. 00:11:53.899 --> 00:11:57.939 It sort of gets even more deeply rooted as you go along. 00:11:58.840 --> 00:12:03.379 But then in verse 2, we see, by contrast, what the righteous person engages in. 00:12:03.439 --> 00:12:05.600 Not just what he avoids, but what he engages in. 00:12:05.919 --> 00:12:12.100 What does shape his thinking and his behavior and his belonging, and that is the law of the Lord. 00:12:13.179 --> 00:12:19.000 Now, when we hear the word law, most of us think rules and regulations. 00:12:20.079 --> 00:12:23.539 There's a lot of rules and regulations these days, right? 00:12:23.899 --> 00:12:25.039 Some of us like them. 00:12:25.259 --> 00:12:26.399 Some of us don't like them. 00:12:26.620 --> 00:12:27.639 Some of us think they're justified. 00:12:27.799 --> 00:12:29.000 Some of us, you know, right? 00:12:29.259 --> 00:12:33.079 But when we think of law, we tend to think of a very narrow set of things. 00:12:34.360 --> 00:12:39.500 But this word, it's the Hebrew word Torah, is a much broader word. 00:12:40.179 --> 00:12:43.079 It can also be translated teaching or instruction. 00:12:43.080 --> 00:12:50.520 Sometimes Torah referred specifically to the first five books of the Bible, which are called the books of Moses. 00:12:51.960 --> 00:12:56.259 Sometimes it referred more generally to God's instruction in all of the Old Testament. 00:12:56.259 --> 00:13:06.840 But here in this verse, in this psalm, we're especially meant to see that God's teaching, God's Torah, God's law includes the book of Psalms. 00:13:08.039 --> 00:13:13.279 In fact, you might notice that the book of Psalms is divided into five books, five sub-books. 00:13:13.399 --> 00:13:14.799 The beginning of Psalms says book one. 00:13:15.319 --> 00:13:17.600 And then if you go to Psalm 42, it'll say book two. 00:13:18.179 --> 00:13:22.840 These are sort of five collections of Psalms that were gradually collected together over time. 00:13:22.840 --> 00:13:25.300 And you might think, why are there five books? 00:13:25.600 --> 00:13:28.379 Well, I think it's because there were five books of Moses, right? 00:13:28.580 --> 00:13:34.280 That was a complete collection of God's revelation, God's teaching, given to the people through Moses. 00:13:34.639 --> 00:13:37.280 In Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. 00:13:38.100 --> 00:13:45.840 And the Psalms are a complete collection of God's teaching, given in the form of songs and prayers, 00:13:46.440 --> 00:13:51.900 associated primarily with the person of David, but written by many people over time and gathered together over time. 00:13:51.899 --> 00:13:57.480 So the idea is this is a complete collection in this book of Psalms of God's wisdom, 00:13:57.819 --> 00:14:02.259 God's teaching for us in the form of poetry and prayer. 00:14:03.799 --> 00:14:08.500 So the Psalms are meant to be our companion along the way of life. 00:14:09.620 --> 00:14:12.980 And as we pray them, as we read them, as we internalize them, 00:14:13.019 --> 00:14:15.379 they're meant to shape our thinking and guide our behavior 00:14:15.379 --> 00:14:19.879 and give us a sense of who we belong to at the deepest level. 00:14:19.879 --> 00:14:24.939 So, verse 2 says that this, 00:14:26.120 --> 00:14:32.179 the righteous person delights in and meditates on the law of the Lord. 00:14:33.340 --> 00:14:35.519 So before we go further, let me just ask, 00:14:35.639 --> 00:14:38.460 have you experienced the Psalms in this way? 00:14:39.559 --> 00:14:43.799 Are the Psalms something that you delight in and meditate on? 00:14:44.480 --> 00:14:47.419 Think about what it means to delight in something. 00:14:47.419 --> 00:14:50.959 It means to savor it, right? 00:14:51.139 --> 00:14:52.199 Like a good meal. 00:14:52.839 --> 00:14:55.639 The other night, I was sitting around a bonfire with a few guys, 00:14:55.819 --> 00:14:58.059 and we were talking about all kinds of food that we like. 00:14:58.959 --> 00:15:02.319 Mexican food, Italian food, southern food, seafood. 00:15:02.819 --> 00:15:04.319 Somebody was talking about Hawaiian food, 00:15:04.399 --> 00:15:07.259 trying to explain to the rest of us what it was and how awesome it was. 00:15:07.259 --> 00:15:10.059 We probably talked for half an hour, you know? 00:15:10.179 --> 00:15:12.700 Nobody had to, about all kinds of food. 00:15:13.340 --> 00:15:16.200 Who cooked it, where we ate it, why it was so good, 00:15:16.399 --> 00:15:17.419 when we can get it again. 00:15:19.819 --> 00:15:23.000 God has given us the Bible in general, 00:15:23.139 --> 00:15:26.319 and the Psalms in particular, to be our spiritual food. 00:15:26.939 --> 00:15:29.299 To nourish us, to energize us, 00:15:29.340 --> 00:15:32.319 to satisfy our spiritual hunger and quench our spiritual thirst 00:15:32.319 --> 00:15:33.539 and leave us wanting more. 00:15:33.879 --> 00:15:35.659 Wanting to come back as soon as we can. 00:15:35.659 --> 00:15:38.759 And wanting to tell others why it's so good. 00:15:40.299 --> 00:15:42.839 And you know, the way we come to delight in God's word 00:15:42.839 --> 00:15:45.219 is by meditating on it. 00:15:45.659 --> 00:15:47.319 That is, chewing on it. 00:15:47.600 --> 00:15:48.399 Savoring it. 00:15:48.819 --> 00:15:49.980 Pondering it in our hearts. 00:15:50.179 --> 00:15:51.000 Thinking about it. 00:15:51.219 --> 00:15:54.899 Letting it, sort of, turning it over in our minds. 00:15:55.339 --> 00:15:58.559 Even repeating the words out loud in prayer. 00:15:59.299 --> 00:16:01.339 Letting them wash over us like a river. 00:16:01.340 --> 00:16:08.379 One of the resources you can find through the church website on that Psalms page 00:16:08.379 --> 00:16:12.120 is a letter by the early church father, Athanasius. 00:16:12.200 --> 00:16:16.540 He was an Egyptian church leader about 1,500 years ago, 00:16:16.580 --> 00:16:19.320 and he wrote this letter to his friend about the Psalms. 00:16:19.680 --> 00:16:23.720 And if you read this letter, you can see that he spent years, decades, 00:16:23.720 --> 00:16:27.360 delighting in and meditating on these Psalms. 00:16:28.360 --> 00:16:29.240 He wrote this, 00:16:29.240 --> 00:16:33.740 Within the book of Psalms are represented and portrayed in all their great variety 00:16:33.740 --> 00:16:35.620 the movements of the human soul. 00:16:36.379 --> 00:16:39.420 It is like a mirror in which you see yourself portrayed. 00:16:39.419 --> 00:16:42.959 Moreover, whatever your particular need or trouble, 00:16:43.059 --> 00:16:45.919 from this same book you can select a form of words to fit it. 00:16:46.419 --> 00:16:47.939 In other words, he's saying if you're angry, 00:16:48.779 --> 00:16:51.139 there are Psalms that can help you bring your anger to God. 00:16:51.839 --> 00:16:52.759 If you're troubled, 00:16:53.120 --> 00:16:55.379 there are Psalms that can help you cry out to God in trouble. 00:16:56.139 --> 00:16:57.319 If you've messed up, 00:16:57.740 --> 00:16:59.399 the Psalms can help you confess your sin 00:16:59.399 --> 00:17:01.599 and be assured of God's forgiveness. 00:17:02.240 --> 00:17:03.759 If you've experienced God's goodness, 00:17:03.919 --> 00:17:06.519 the Psalms can help you to praise and thank the Lord. 00:17:06.519 --> 00:17:10.440 You know, Athanasius had spent decades in the Psalms 00:17:10.440 --> 00:17:12.279 and so he could recommend particular Psalms 00:17:12.279 --> 00:17:14.920 for people in particular situations with particular needs. 00:17:16.639 --> 00:17:20.299 Now, let me say a word to you if you've never read the Psalms 00:17:20.299 --> 00:17:22.980 or if the Psalms are largely unfamiliar to you. 00:17:24.019 --> 00:17:29.480 It may take some time to appreciate the variety of the Psalms. 00:17:30.319 --> 00:17:33.139 It's sort of like if you've never eaten Korean food. 00:17:33.140 --> 00:17:36.740 Now, good Korean food, in my humble opinion, 00:17:36.860 --> 00:17:38.480 is one of the best things on the planet. 00:17:39.320 --> 00:17:40.880 But if you weren't raised with it, 00:17:41.560 --> 00:17:45.220 you may find that some of the flavors are initially unfamiliar. 00:17:46.540 --> 00:17:48.640 All right, some foods are really spicy. 00:17:49.940 --> 00:17:51.580 Others are strongly pickled. 00:17:52.740 --> 00:17:53.600 Others are sweet. 00:17:54.500 --> 00:17:56.800 They may not all immediately appeal to you 00:17:56.800 --> 00:17:58.840 the first time you eat them. 00:17:58.839 --> 00:18:02.199 And in the same way, when you start reading the Psalms, 00:18:02.259 --> 00:18:04.519 you might find that some of them hit the spot right away. 00:18:05.519 --> 00:18:08.319 And others feel like an unfamiliar taste, 00:18:08.959 --> 00:18:10.159 harder to relate to. 00:18:10.459 --> 00:18:10.879 And you know what? 00:18:10.919 --> 00:18:12.740 That's normal because the Psalms are written 00:18:12.740 --> 00:18:16.059 out of a great diversity of life experiences and situations. 00:18:16.659 --> 00:18:19.839 And maybe you haven't been through 00:18:19.839 --> 00:18:21.639 what the Psalmist was going through 00:18:21.639 --> 00:18:22.980 when he wrote that Psalm. 00:18:22.980 --> 00:18:26.660 You know, or maybe some of the ancient poetry is a little hard, 00:18:26.799 --> 00:18:28.720 you know, it takes time to sort of 00:18:28.720 --> 00:18:30.440 translate that into today 00:18:30.440 --> 00:18:31.779 and understand what it was meaning. 00:18:32.759 --> 00:18:34.799 You know, many people come to appreciate the Psalms 00:18:34.799 --> 00:18:36.599 more and more the older they get. 00:18:37.200 --> 00:18:38.200 I think that's partly 00:18:38.200 --> 00:18:41.360 because people go through a greater variety 00:18:41.360 --> 00:18:43.200 of life experiences as they get older. 00:18:43.559 --> 00:18:45.940 In fact, some Psalms talk about the experience of getting older 00:18:45.940 --> 00:18:48.380 and actually address that particularly. 00:18:48.380 --> 00:18:49.799 Psalm 71 is a good example. 00:18:49.799 --> 00:18:56.180 And also, the more you spend time in them, 00:18:56.619 --> 00:18:57.779 right, the more you appreciate them. 00:18:57.799 --> 00:18:59.539 It's a little bit like drinking coffee, right? 00:18:59.559 --> 00:19:01.059 The first time I drank a cup of coffee, 00:19:01.319 --> 00:19:03.240 I was like, why do people drink this? 00:19:03.279 --> 00:19:03.879 It's bitter. 00:19:04.119 --> 00:19:06.740 It's gross, right? 00:19:07.339 --> 00:19:09.379 Now I'm sort of a coffee snob a little bit. 00:19:09.460 --> 00:19:12.139 I mean, I can tell you what good coffee is, right? 00:19:12.279 --> 00:19:13.419 I appreciate it. 00:19:13.819 --> 00:19:14.899 I know how I like it. 00:19:14.899 --> 00:19:16.559 I know how I don't like it, right? 00:19:16.559 --> 00:19:17.000 Right? 00:19:17.899 --> 00:19:22.859 And so, you know, it's an acquired taste, as they say, right? 00:19:23.359 --> 00:19:26.079 And so, many of the Psalms are sort of like that. 00:19:26.139 --> 00:19:28.000 It's an acquired taste that you come to appreciate 00:19:28.000 --> 00:19:33.220 and savor and more and more over time. 00:19:33.299 --> 00:19:35.379 The invitation in the words of Psalm 34 is, 00:19:35.779 --> 00:19:38.000 taste and see that the Lord is good. 00:19:38.899 --> 00:19:40.259 Or in the words of Psalm 81, 00:19:41.500 --> 00:19:44.139 God says, open your mouth wide and I will fill it. 00:19:44.140 --> 00:19:48.000 So, that's the invitation to take in God's word, 00:19:48.080 --> 00:19:50.060 to delight in it and meditate on it. 00:19:51.420 --> 00:19:54.140 And verse 3 of Psalm 1 tells us that as we do that, 00:19:54.220 --> 00:19:56.420 it'll have an enduring effect on us. 00:19:57.480 --> 00:20:00.100 Just like streams of water make a tree to flourish 00:20:00.100 --> 00:20:04.120 and bear fruit, God's word will help us to be nourished 00:20:04.120 --> 00:20:08.100 and strengthened and energized and stabilized. 00:20:08.099 --> 00:20:12.339 There's a very similar verse to verse 3 00:20:12.339 --> 00:20:15.740 in Jeremiah chapter 17, verses 7 and 8, 00:20:16.399 --> 00:20:17.099 and where it says, 00:20:17.179 --> 00:20:19.379 blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, 00:20:19.459 --> 00:20:20.980 whose trust is the Lord. 00:20:21.399 --> 00:20:23.279 He is like a tree planted by water 00:20:23.279 --> 00:20:25.179 that sends out its roots by the stream 00:20:25.179 --> 00:20:27.719 and it doesn't fear when heat comes, 00:20:28.639 --> 00:20:30.119 for its leaves remain green. 00:20:31.179 --> 00:20:33.359 And it's not anxious in the year of drought, 00:20:33.480 --> 00:20:35.559 for it doesn't cease to bear fruit. 00:20:35.559 --> 00:20:37.819 In other words, even when we find ourselves 00:20:37.819 --> 00:20:41.960 in spiritually or physically oppressive circumstances 00:20:41.960 --> 00:20:45.200 or in spiritually or physically dry places, 00:20:45.720 --> 00:20:50.259 God's word is still a source of ongoing nourishment 00:20:50.259 --> 00:20:53.559 and sustenance for us. 00:20:55.519 --> 00:20:58.019 Now, verse 4 gives a contrasting image. 00:20:58.139 --> 00:20:58.240 It says, 00:20:58.359 --> 00:21:00.480 the wicked are like chaff that the wind blows away. 00:21:00.480 --> 00:21:03.279 Chaff was sort of like the dust, 00:21:04.039 --> 00:21:07.920 the worthless grass that was mixed in with the actual wheat. 00:21:08.819 --> 00:21:10.980 And when they'd sort of toss it up, 00:21:11.360 --> 00:21:12.240 the wheat would fall down, 00:21:12.319 --> 00:21:13.519 the chaff would blow away in the wind 00:21:13.519 --> 00:21:15.259 because it was weightless, it was rootless, 00:21:15.440 --> 00:21:17.559 it had no substance to it. 00:21:20.360 --> 00:21:21.400 You know, just this year, 00:21:21.480 --> 00:21:23.839 there are a lot of things that have dried up 00:21:23.839 --> 00:21:25.480 and blown away in the world. 00:21:27.079 --> 00:21:28.000 Businesses have closed, 00:21:28.339 --> 00:21:29.640 some of them are not coming back, 00:21:29.640 --> 00:21:33.480 many people's savings of economic prospects have dried up, 00:21:34.000 --> 00:21:35.620 relationships have come under stress, 00:21:35.740 --> 00:21:37.920 sometimes painful fractures have been exposed 00:21:37.920 --> 00:21:39.040 and brought to the surface. 00:21:42.000 --> 00:21:43.160 But brothers and sisters, 00:21:43.300 --> 00:21:45.380 whatever else in this world may decay 00:21:45.380 --> 00:21:47.340 or wither or change, 00:21:48.480 --> 00:21:51.540 God has promised that if we're planted in his word 00:21:51.540 --> 00:21:54.020 and drawing upon the nourishment of his word, 00:21:54.100 --> 00:21:55.940 our lives will become enduring 00:21:55.940 --> 00:21:57.940 and fruitful and stable 00:21:57.940 --> 00:22:01.640 and stable even through years and seasons of drought 00:22:01.640 --> 00:22:03.440 or hardship. 00:22:04.940 --> 00:22:08.460 And verse 6 reminds us that this isn't just our own doing. 00:22:09.900 --> 00:22:14.200 You know, verse 3 indicates 00:22:14.200 --> 00:22:17.400 the Lord has planted us in his garden. 00:22:17.400 --> 00:22:19.440 He's the master gardener 00:22:19.440 --> 00:22:20.960 and he knows our way. 00:22:20.960 --> 00:22:21.400 Verse 6, 00:22:21.460 --> 00:22:23.000 the Lord knows the way of the righteous. 00:22:23.800 --> 00:22:26.000 And that doesn't just mean God sees us from far away 00:22:26.000 --> 00:22:27.600 and knows about us from a distance, 00:22:27.600 --> 00:22:29.320 but it means he's committed to us. 00:22:29.480 --> 00:22:31.100 He knows us from the inside out 00:22:31.100 --> 00:22:32.900 and he's promised himself to us 00:22:32.900 --> 00:22:34.580 and he's going to walk with us 00:22:34.580 --> 00:22:36.080 every step along the way 00:22:36.080 --> 00:22:38.840 and continue to sustain and nourish us 00:22:38.840 --> 00:22:40.200 through his word and by his grace. 00:22:40.200 --> 00:22:42.720 So, brothers and sisters, 00:22:42.860 --> 00:22:47.380 let's keep our roots firmly planted in God's word. 00:22:47.519 --> 00:22:50.420 That's the first point from Psalm 1. 00:22:51.799 --> 00:22:54.259 But the second point from Psalm 2 00:22:54.259 --> 00:22:56.840 is not just to be rooted in God's word, 00:22:56.960 --> 00:22:58.960 it's to take refuge in God's Son. 00:22:59.740 --> 00:23:01.779 You know, if you think about the Old Testament as a whole, 00:23:01.880 --> 00:23:03.600 there are sort of two great gifts 00:23:03.600 --> 00:23:05.860 that God gives to his people Israel. 00:23:06.640 --> 00:23:10.000 The first gift is his word through Moses. 00:23:10.200 --> 00:23:11.500 on Mount Sinai. 00:23:12.140 --> 00:23:14.660 And the second gift is a king 00:23:14.660 --> 00:23:17.319 in the person of David on Mount Zion. 00:23:18.519 --> 00:23:20.420 And again, these two Psalms are highlighting 00:23:20.420 --> 00:23:23.299 these two great gifts that God gave to his people Israel, 00:23:23.380 --> 00:23:24.940 his word and his king. 00:23:25.740 --> 00:23:27.180 And when you turn to the New Testament, 00:23:27.279 --> 00:23:28.380 if you go to the book of Hebrews, 00:23:28.660 --> 00:23:29.779 Hebrews begins by saying, 00:23:29.880 --> 00:23:31.740 in the past God spoke to our forefathers 00:23:31.740 --> 00:23:33.680 in many times and in various ways, 00:23:33.799 --> 00:23:35.480 but now in these last days, 00:23:35.539 --> 00:23:39.059 he has spoken to us through the person of his son. 00:23:39.059 --> 00:23:41.379 God's word, God's son. 00:23:42.519 --> 00:23:45.299 We see these two great gifts in the Old and New Testaments 00:23:45.299 --> 00:23:47.259 encapsulated in these two Psalms. 00:23:48.319 --> 00:23:51.119 Now, if Psalm 1 begins by talking about wicked individuals, 00:23:51.359 --> 00:23:53.359 Psalm 2 begins by talking about wicked rulers. 00:23:54.399 --> 00:23:56.179 The nation's rage, the people's plot, 00:23:56.319 --> 00:23:58.279 and interestingly, that word plot 00:23:58.279 --> 00:24:00.740 is the same word that was translated meditate 00:24:00.740 --> 00:24:02.339 in chapter 1. 00:24:03.240 --> 00:24:05.380 Lots of connections between these two Psalms. 00:24:06.380 --> 00:24:08.960 But the wicked rulers aren't meditating 00:24:08.960 --> 00:24:10.359 on the word of the Lord. 00:24:10.720 --> 00:24:12.759 They're plotting emptiness, 00:24:13.440 --> 00:24:14.960 vanity, foolishness. 00:24:15.759 --> 00:24:17.859 Their vain hope is to get rid of the Lord 00:24:17.859 --> 00:24:19.819 and get rid of his anointed king. 00:24:19.940 --> 00:24:21.180 In verse 3, they say, 00:24:21.740 --> 00:24:22.880 serving God is slavery. 00:24:23.680 --> 00:24:24.900 Serving ourselves is freedom. 00:24:24.900 --> 00:24:28.519 Now, many rulers throughout history 00:24:28.519 --> 00:24:29.880 have said things like that. 00:24:31.160 --> 00:24:32.420 They've said things like, 00:24:32.720 --> 00:24:34.920 let's throw off the shackles of religion 00:24:34.920 --> 00:24:38.980 and usher in a new age of freedom and enlightenment. 00:24:40.940 --> 00:24:43.060 The French Revolution began that way 00:24:43.060 --> 00:24:47.480 with cries for liberty, equality, and brotherhood. 00:24:47.480 --> 00:24:50.940 But it ended in a bloody dictatorship. 00:24:53.180 --> 00:24:56.000 You know, the results have not always been liberating 00:24:56.000 --> 00:24:58.620 or life-giving when human beings set themselves up 00:24:58.620 --> 00:25:00.539 as an authority over others 00:25:00.539 --> 00:25:03.799 and then claim ourselves as the ultimate standard. 00:25:06.420 --> 00:25:08.299 You could look at Stalin's Russia, 00:25:08.720 --> 00:25:10.579 Mao's China, North Korea, 00:25:10.799 --> 00:25:12.240 or many other examples. 00:25:12.240 --> 00:25:18.440 You know, the United States has perhaps survived so long 00:25:18.440 --> 00:25:21.000 in part because we have a system of checks and balances 00:25:21.000 --> 00:25:24.299 that limits the power of any one individual 00:25:24.299 --> 00:25:25.460 or branch of government. 00:25:25.799 --> 00:25:27.019 And many of the American founders 00:25:27.019 --> 00:25:28.799 set up the system that way 00:25:28.799 --> 00:25:30.839 because they were keenly conscious 00:25:30.839 --> 00:25:32.579 of the fallibility, 00:25:32.740 --> 00:25:34.960 even the depravity of human beings. 00:25:35.259 --> 00:25:37.799 How easily power corrupts us. 00:25:39.279 --> 00:25:40.259 They weren't all Christians, 00:25:40.259 --> 00:25:44.059 but many of them understood some implications 00:25:44.059 --> 00:25:46.059 of the biblical teaching about human sinfulness 00:25:46.059 --> 00:25:50.079 and even built that into a system of government. 00:25:51.220 --> 00:25:52.379 You see, the paradox is 00:25:52.379 --> 00:25:55.220 it's only by accepting our creaturely limitations 00:25:55.220 --> 00:25:57.799 that we can truly enjoy the freedom 00:25:57.799 --> 00:26:00.039 that God has intended for us to enjoy. 00:26:02.299 --> 00:26:03.599 But in verses 4 to 6, 00:26:03.660 --> 00:26:04.839 we see that God is not threatened 00:26:04.839 --> 00:26:05.940 by these wicked rulers 00:26:05.940 --> 00:26:07.400 who are rising up against him 00:26:07.400 --> 00:26:09.259 and wanting to throw off all restraint. 00:26:09.259 --> 00:26:11.980 It says he who sits in the heavens laughs. 00:26:12.720 --> 00:26:15.319 The Lord holds them in derision. 00:26:17.400 --> 00:26:19.599 You know, imagine how you would respond 00:26:19.599 --> 00:26:24.140 if you saw an ant crawling around on the floor 00:26:24.140 --> 00:26:27.859 and the ant spoke to you and said, 00:26:28.099 --> 00:26:30.839 I am declaring a revolt against you 00:26:30.839 --> 00:26:32.200 and the entire human race. 00:26:32.259 --> 00:26:36.680 You would look at the ant and say, 00:26:36.680 --> 00:26:39.920 I can stomp on you anytime I want. 00:26:42.140 --> 00:26:42.580 Right? 00:26:43.320 --> 00:26:44.519 I don't even, I can't, 00:26:44.759 --> 00:26:45.240 I don't even, 00:26:45.519 --> 00:26:47.380 you are no obstacle to me. 00:26:48.940 --> 00:26:49.900 How ridiculous. 00:26:51.720 --> 00:26:53.220 And in a similar way, 00:26:53.360 --> 00:26:55.019 God says to these wicked rulers 00:26:55.019 --> 00:26:56.640 who are rising up against him, 00:26:56.900 --> 00:26:58.240 as for me, 00:26:58.740 --> 00:27:00.920 I've set my king on my holy hill, 00:27:01.019 --> 00:27:01.580 on Zion. 00:27:02.319 --> 00:27:03.019 In other words, 00:27:03.079 --> 00:27:03.559 God is saying, 00:27:03.619 --> 00:27:04.319 I don't need you 00:27:04.319 --> 00:27:06.059 to be on my side. 00:27:06.139 --> 00:27:07.299 I can accomplish my plans 00:27:07.299 --> 00:27:08.879 perfectly well with or without you. 00:27:09.859 --> 00:27:11.480 I'll do exactly what I want to do 00:27:11.480 --> 00:27:12.759 and you can't stop me. 00:27:13.039 --> 00:27:14.179 I mean, look at what God did 00:27:14.179 --> 00:27:15.039 for the people of Israel 00:27:15.039 --> 00:27:15.819 in the Old Testament. 00:27:15.980 --> 00:27:16.679 The people of Israel 00:27:16.679 --> 00:27:18.279 are enslaved in Egypt. 00:27:18.939 --> 00:27:19.819 They're threatened, 00:27:20.379 --> 00:27:20.679 right, 00:27:20.799 --> 00:27:22.879 that one of the most powerful rulers 00:27:22.879 --> 00:27:23.759 in the ancient world 00:27:23.759 --> 00:27:25.319 wants to exterminate them. 00:27:25.740 --> 00:27:26.819 And God says, 00:27:26.980 --> 00:27:28.399 I'm going to rescue you. 00:27:28.400 --> 00:27:31.480 I'm going to bring you out 00:27:31.480 --> 00:27:33.660 from under Pharaoh's nose. 00:27:34.900 --> 00:27:35.980 I'm going to take you 00:27:35.980 --> 00:27:36.900 under my wing, 00:27:37.280 --> 00:27:38.759 under my protection, 00:27:38.759 --> 00:27:40.700 and you'll be mine. 00:27:41.700 --> 00:27:43.600 And nothing Pharaoh says or does 00:27:43.600 --> 00:27:44.820 is going to get in the way 00:27:44.820 --> 00:27:46.980 of me rescuing you. 00:27:48.900 --> 00:27:49.900 So he brings them 00:27:49.900 --> 00:27:51.300 into their own land 00:27:51.300 --> 00:27:53.800 and plants them there 00:27:53.800 --> 00:27:55.180 and gives them a king 00:27:55.180 --> 00:27:56.040 to rule in Zion. 00:27:56.160 --> 00:27:56.960 Zion's just another name 00:27:56.960 --> 00:27:57.540 for Jerusalem. 00:27:58.400 --> 00:27:59.560 To rule over them 00:27:59.560 --> 00:28:00.120 with justice 00:28:00.120 --> 00:28:01.200 and defeat anyone 00:28:01.200 --> 00:28:02.519 who came against them. 00:28:05.900 --> 00:28:06.920 All right, God says, 00:28:07.160 --> 00:28:08.800 wicked rulers 00:28:08.800 --> 00:28:09.860 who rise up against me 00:28:09.860 --> 00:28:11.040 and band together against me, 00:28:11.580 --> 00:28:13.320 they're no threat 00:28:13.320 --> 00:28:14.440 to my ultimate purposes. 00:28:16.019 --> 00:28:16.940 They don't make me 00:28:16.940 --> 00:28:17.620 feel insecure. 00:28:22.980 --> 00:28:24.420 Some scholars have suggested 00:28:24.420 --> 00:28:25.280 that Psalm 2 00:28:25.280 --> 00:28:26.280 was originally written 00:28:26.280 --> 00:28:28.259 as a coronation psalm. 00:28:28.400 --> 00:28:30.720 to celebrate the installation 00:28:30.720 --> 00:28:31.480 of King David 00:28:31.480 --> 00:28:32.519 or one of his descendants. 00:28:33.480 --> 00:28:34.700 And there's a reference 00:28:34.700 --> 00:28:35.860 to that in verse 7. 00:28:36.860 --> 00:28:37.300 Likely, 00:28:37.400 --> 00:28:39.320 we hear God's word 00:28:39.320 --> 00:28:40.060 to the king. 00:28:41.120 --> 00:28:42.100 The Lord said to me, 00:28:42.140 --> 00:28:42.960 you are my son. 00:28:43.040 --> 00:28:44.380 Today I have begotten you. 00:28:44.560 --> 00:28:44.700 Now, 00:28:45.860 --> 00:28:48.200 that in the ancient context, 00:28:48.200 --> 00:28:50.519 that is adoption language. 00:28:50.519 --> 00:28:52.879 So, you know, 00:28:52.940 --> 00:28:53.639 in the book of Exodus, 00:28:53.759 --> 00:28:54.500 one of the first things 00:28:54.500 --> 00:28:55.440 God says to Pharaoh 00:28:55.440 --> 00:28:56.379 about the people of Israel 00:28:56.379 --> 00:28:56.900 is he says, 00:28:57.059 --> 00:28:58.900 Israel is my firstborn son. 00:28:59.019 --> 00:28:59.920 Let my son go 00:28:59.920 --> 00:29:01.019 that he may serve me. 00:29:01.420 --> 00:29:01.819 In other words, 00:29:01.859 --> 00:29:02.379 God's saying, 00:29:02.720 --> 00:29:03.680 I am adopting 00:29:03.680 --> 00:29:05.019 the nation of Israel 00:29:05.019 --> 00:29:06.680 as my own child. 00:29:07.240 --> 00:29:08.519 And I will protect them 00:29:08.519 --> 00:29:10.119 and I will care for them 00:29:10.119 --> 00:29:11.559 just as any good parent 00:29:11.559 --> 00:29:12.900 is utterly committed 00:29:12.900 --> 00:29:14.319 to caring for their own son 00:29:14.319 --> 00:29:14.700 or daughter. 00:29:15.440 --> 00:29:16.420 And then when God 00:29:16.420 --> 00:29:17.740 installs the king in Israel, 00:29:17.740 --> 00:29:18.819 he says to the king, 00:29:18.819 --> 00:29:19.639 in fact, 00:29:19.700 --> 00:29:20.240 you can read this 00:29:20.240 --> 00:29:21.460 in 2 Samuel 7.14, 00:29:21.579 --> 00:29:22.539 God promises to David, 00:29:22.740 --> 00:29:24.119 I will be a father to him 00:29:24.119 --> 00:29:25.579 and he will be my son. 00:29:26.500 --> 00:29:27.379 In other words, 00:29:27.619 --> 00:29:30.659 the king is sort of embodying, 00:29:31.079 --> 00:29:32.240 like all the fortunes 00:29:32.240 --> 00:29:33.000 of the people of Israel 00:29:33.000 --> 00:29:34.259 are wrapped up in the king. 00:29:34.859 --> 00:29:35.000 Right? 00:29:35.039 --> 00:29:35.720 The king is sort of 00:29:35.720 --> 00:29:36.299 the representative 00:29:36.299 --> 00:29:38.119 of the whole people 00:29:38.119 --> 00:29:42.539 as God's adopted son. 00:29:42.539 --> 00:29:49.359 But if you read Psalm 2 00:29:49.359 --> 00:29:49.779 as a whole, 00:29:49.819 --> 00:29:50.960 it doesn't actually sound 00:29:50.960 --> 00:29:51.779 like it was written 00:29:51.779 --> 00:29:54.579 simply for a coronation ceremony. 00:29:55.299 --> 00:29:56.680 It sounds more like 00:29:56.680 --> 00:29:57.279 it was written 00:29:57.279 --> 00:29:59.599 remembering a coronation ceremony 00:29:59.599 --> 00:30:01.279 but facing a crisis. 00:30:02.180 --> 00:30:02.440 Right? 00:30:02.539 --> 00:30:03.460 Why do the first three verses 00:30:03.460 --> 00:30:05.379 start with nations rising up? 00:30:05.399 --> 00:30:06.079 It's probably because 00:30:06.079 --> 00:30:07.000 it was written at a time 00:30:07.000 --> 00:30:07.799 when the nation of Israel 00:30:07.799 --> 00:30:08.480 is being attacked 00:30:08.480 --> 00:30:09.720 and threatened 00:30:09.720 --> 00:30:11.859 by some big superpowers 00:30:11.859 --> 00:30:12.419 of the day. 00:30:14.699 --> 00:30:16.719 But Psalm 2 reminded the king 00:30:16.719 --> 00:30:18.000 and reminded God's people 00:30:18.000 --> 00:30:19.599 of God's power 00:30:19.599 --> 00:30:21.179 and of God's promise. 00:30:22.859 --> 00:30:24.659 And even pointed ahead 00:30:24.659 --> 00:30:25.939 in verses 8 and 9 00:30:25.939 --> 00:30:27.059 to what God would do 00:30:27.059 --> 00:30:27.559 in the future 00:30:27.559 --> 00:30:29.279 when all the nations 00:30:29.279 --> 00:30:29.740 of the world 00:30:29.740 --> 00:30:30.559 to the ends of the earth 00:30:30.559 --> 00:30:31.959 would come under the rule 00:30:31.959 --> 00:30:35.240 of the king, 00:30:35.859 --> 00:30:37.319 of the Lord's appointed king. 00:30:39.319 --> 00:30:41.839 So the point is 00:30:41.839 --> 00:30:42.859 is Psalm 2 is written 00:30:42.859 --> 00:30:44.059 facing a crisis 00:30:44.059 --> 00:30:45.939 but remembering God's power 00:30:45.939 --> 00:30:46.919 and God's promise. 00:30:48.199 --> 00:30:50.480 Now, here is the fascinating thing 00:30:50.480 --> 00:30:51.480 about this. 00:30:52.439 --> 00:30:54.079 When you go to the New Testament, 00:30:54.779 --> 00:30:55.799 the early church 00:30:55.799 --> 00:30:57.519 reads Psalm 2 00:30:57.519 --> 00:30:59.539 and turns to Psalm 2 00:30:59.539 --> 00:31:01.279 when they are in the middle 00:31:01.279 --> 00:31:02.379 of crises 00:31:02.379 --> 00:31:04.139 and facing opposition 00:31:04.139 --> 00:31:05.099 and turmoil. 00:31:05.099 --> 00:31:07.919 So if you look at Acts chapter 4, 00:31:08.539 --> 00:31:09.699 the apostles Peter and John 00:31:09.699 --> 00:31:10.199 have been preaching 00:31:10.199 --> 00:31:10.759 about Jesus. 00:31:10.899 --> 00:31:11.659 They get arrested, 00:31:12.019 --> 00:31:12.659 thrown in jail, 00:31:13.419 --> 00:31:14.419 released the next day. 00:31:14.519 --> 00:31:15.119 They go back 00:31:15.119 --> 00:31:15.679 to the believers. 00:31:16.079 --> 00:31:16.719 They all say, 00:31:16.980 --> 00:31:17.659 we need to pray. 00:31:18.719 --> 00:31:20.199 And they begin their prayer 00:31:20.199 --> 00:31:21.819 by quoting verses 1 and 2 00:31:21.819 --> 00:31:22.579 of this psalm. 00:31:23.719 --> 00:31:25.079 Why did the Gentiles rage 00:31:25.079 --> 00:31:26.199 and the people's plot in vain? 00:31:26.259 --> 00:31:26.919 The kings of the earth 00:31:26.919 --> 00:31:27.819 set themselves 00:31:27.819 --> 00:31:28.399 and the rulers 00:31:28.399 --> 00:31:29.219 are gathered together 00:31:29.219 --> 00:31:29.799 against the Lord 00:31:29.799 --> 00:31:30.619 and against his anointed. 00:31:30.619 --> 00:31:31.719 And then they go on 00:31:31.719 --> 00:31:32.359 to explain, 00:31:33.399 --> 00:31:34.259 then listen to what 00:31:34.259 --> 00:31:35.000 they say next. 00:31:36.199 --> 00:31:37.839 For truly in this city, 00:31:38.479 --> 00:31:39.759 there in Jerusalem, 00:31:40.000 --> 00:31:40.579 they're speaking right 00:31:40.579 --> 00:31:41.199 there in Jerusalem, 00:31:41.739 --> 00:31:42.599 truly in this city 00:31:42.599 --> 00:31:43.759 there were gathered together 00:31:43.759 --> 00:31:45.639 against your holy servant 00:31:45.639 --> 00:31:46.239 Jesus, 00:31:46.799 --> 00:31:48.319 whom you anointed, 00:31:49.519 --> 00:31:51.139 both Herod and Pontius Pilate, 00:31:51.239 --> 00:31:52.239 along with the Gentiles 00:31:52.239 --> 00:31:54.479 and the people of Israel. 00:31:55.359 --> 00:31:57.279 Now, what are they saying? 00:31:58.699 --> 00:31:59.679 Here's the point. 00:31:59.680 --> 00:32:01.180 In verses 1 to 3 00:32:01.180 --> 00:32:01.960 of Psalm 2, 00:32:02.060 --> 00:32:02.779 the early church 00:32:02.779 --> 00:32:03.660 saw a picture 00:32:03.660 --> 00:32:05.299 of Jesus' crucifixion. 00:32:07.620 --> 00:32:08.180 You see, 00:32:08.240 --> 00:32:08.820 the early Christians 00:32:08.820 --> 00:32:10.220 were reading Psalm 2 00:32:10.220 --> 00:32:11.180 and they were Jewish Christians 00:32:11.180 --> 00:32:11.900 so they would have known 00:32:11.900 --> 00:32:13.279 this psalm very well already. 00:32:14.400 --> 00:32:15.180 And they said, 00:32:15.240 --> 00:32:15.600 you know what? 00:32:16.740 --> 00:32:17.920 That's describing something 00:32:17.920 --> 00:32:18.680 that happened way back 00:32:18.680 --> 00:32:19.440 in ancient Israel, 00:32:19.600 --> 00:32:20.920 but it's not only that, 00:32:21.460 --> 00:32:22.720 that's also describing 00:32:22.720 --> 00:32:24.400 exactly what we just saw 00:32:24.400 --> 00:32:25.240 happen to Jesus. 00:32:25.640 --> 00:32:26.580 What happened to Jesus? 00:32:26.900 --> 00:32:27.980 The rulers of the world 00:32:27.980 --> 00:32:29.200 all turned against him. 00:32:29.200 --> 00:32:29.720 Herod, 00:32:29.980 --> 00:32:30.640 Pontius Pilate, 00:32:30.819 --> 00:32:31.539 the Roman government, 00:32:31.799 --> 00:32:32.700 the Jewish authorities, 00:32:32.860 --> 00:32:34.059 they banded together 00:32:34.059 --> 00:32:36.259 to get rid of him. 00:32:36.920 --> 00:32:38.440 They condemned him to death 00:32:38.440 --> 00:32:39.880 and they hung him on a tree 00:32:39.880 --> 00:32:40.940 and nailed him there 00:32:40.940 --> 00:32:41.539 to die. 00:32:43.960 --> 00:32:44.819 Even though 00:32:44.819 --> 00:32:46.779 he was the anointed one of God. 00:32:46.860 --> 00:32:48.100 That word in verse 2, 00:32:48.180 --> 00:32:48.700 the anointed, 00:32:48.860 --> 00:32:49.860 is the word that's also 00:32:49.860 --> 00:32:50.980 translated Messiah. 00:32:52.019 --> 00:32:53.539 That's what Messiah means, 00:32:53.700 --> 00:32:54.819 anointed one of God. 00:32:54.819 --> 00:32:58.299 But it doesn't stop there. 00:32:59.259 --> 00:33:00.419 The early church kept on 00:33:00.419 --> 00:33:01.200 reading the psalm 00:33:01.200 --> 00:33:01.819 and they said, 00:33:02.000 --> 00:33:03.319 look at verses 4 through 7. 00:33:05.720 --> 00:33:06.879 That's what happened 00:33:06.879 --> 00:33:08.379 in the resurrection. 00:33:09.819 --> 00:33:11.539 God didn't leave Jesus 00:33:11.539 --> 00:33:12.819 dead in the grave. 00:33:13.139 --> 00:33:14.279 God raised him up. 00:33:15.279 --> 00:33:15.639 Right? 00:33:15.779 --> 00:33:16.859 God wasn't threatened 00:33:16.859 --> 00:33:18.559 by the rulers of the world 00:33:18.559 --> 00:33:19.919 and everybody who banded together 00:33:19.919 --> 00:33:21.019 and put Jesus to death. 00:33:21.019 --> 00:33:22.319 No, God was going to 00:33:22.319 --> 00:33:23.240 work out his plan 00:33:23.240 --> 00:33:24.960 despite and even through that. 00:33:26.240 --> 00:33:27.720 So in Acts 13, 33, 00:33:27.920 --> 00:33:29.200 Paul quotes verse 7 00:33:29.200 --> 00:33:30.119 of Psalm 2 00:33:30.119 --> 00:33:32.180 and he specifically refers it 00:33:32.180 --> 00:33:33.180 to Jesus' resurrection. 00:33:34.139 --> 00:33:34.440 He says, 00:33:34.559 --> 00:33:35.180 what God promised 00:33:35.180 --> 00:33:35.900 to our fathers, 00:33:36.059 --> 00:33:36.819 this he has fulfilled 00:33:36.819 --> 00:33:37.779 to us, their children, 00:33:38.059 --> 00:33:39.879 by raising Jesus. 00:33:41.240 --> 00:33:42.079 Resurrecting Jesus. 00:33:42.240 --> 00:33:43.740 As it is written 00:33:43.740 --> 00:33:45.119 in the second psalm, 00:33:45.400 --> 00:33:46.440 you are my son. 00:33:46.740 --> 00:33:48.879 Today I have begotten you. 00:33:48.880 --> 00:33:51.080 And in Romans chapter 1, 00:33:51.140 --> 00:33:51.540 verse 4, 00:33:51.660 --> 00:33:52.660 Paul wrote that Jesus 00:33:52.660 --> 00:33:53.920 was declared to be 00:33:53.920 --> 00:33:55.280 the son of God with power 00:33:55.280 --> 00:33:57.020 by his resurrection 00:33:57.020 --> 00:33:57.720 from the dead. 00:33:57.780 --> 00:33:58.220 In other words, 00:33:58.280 --> 00:33:59.460 when God raised Jesus 00:33:59.460 --> 00:34:00.180 from the dead, 00:34:00.340 --> 00:34:02.240 it was his public statement 00:34:02.240 --> 00:34:03.880 to the whole world 00:34:03.880 --> 00:34:07.920 that this is my son. 00:34:09.740 --> 00:34:12.340 He is and ever will be 00:34:12.340 --> 00:34:15.340 the true anointed one of God, 00:34:15.340 --> 00:34:18.940 the rightful king of glory. 00:34:21.039 --> 00:34:22.019 So the early church 00:34:22.019 --> 00:34:22.600 read this psalm 00:34:22.600 --> 00:34:24.140 and they saw Jesus' crucifixion, 00:34:24.360 --> 00:34:25.019 Jesus' resurrection, 00:34:25.280 --> 00:34:26.440 and it doesn't even stop there. 00:34:26.519 --> 00:34:27.680 They read verses 8 and 9 00:34:27.680 --> 00:34:30.240 and saw a prophecy 00:34:30.240 --> 00:34:32.380 of Jesus' return in glory. 00:34:34.260 --> 00:34:35.840 If you read the book of Revelation, 00:34:36.340 --> 00:34:38.660 three times Revelation quotes 00:34:38.660 --> 00:34:40.880 or alludes to verses 8 and 9 00:34:40.880 --> 00:34:41.740 of Psalm 2. 00:34:41.739 --> 00:34:45.539 And Revelation is written 00:34:45.539 --> 00:34:46.059 to Christians 00:34:46.059 --> 00:34:47.339 who are in the midst of crisis, 00:34:47.459 --> 00:34:48.679 facing all kinds of opposition 00:34:48.679 --> 00:34:49.839 and all kinds of turmoil 00:34:49.839 --> 00:34:50.819 in the world. 00:34:52.319 --> 00:34:53.439 And those verses, 00:34:53.579 --> 00:34:54.500 verses 8 and 9, 00:34:54.719 --> 00:34:55.679 they understand them 00:34:55.679 --> 00:34:56.739 as looking forward 00:34:56.739 --> 00:34:57.219 to the day 00:34:57.219 --> 00:34:58.799 when Jesus will return in glory 00:34:58.799 --> 00:35:00.559 and judge the world 00:35:00.559 --> 00:35:01.719 and all the nations 00:35:01.719 --> 00:35:02.959 will be gathered before him. 00:35:06.859 --> 00:35:08.279 So what's the point of all this? 00:35:08.280 --> 00:35:12.080 When the kings of ancient Israel 00:35:12.080 --> 00:35:13.380 were threatened by enemies, 00:35:14.380 --> 00:35:15.660 they turned to this psalm 00:35:15.660 --> 00:35:17.460 to remember God's power 00:35:17.460 --> 00:35:18.660 and to remember the promise 00:35:18.660 --> 00:35:19.860 that he had made to King David. 00:35:21.240 --> 00:35:22.660 When the early church 00:35:22.660 --> 00:35:25.900 faced opposition and turmoil, 00:35:26.200 --> 00:35:27.400 they turned to this psalm 00:35:27.400 --> 00:35:28.900 to remember God's power 00:35:28.900 --> 00:35:30.380 and remember God's promise 00:35:30.380 --> 00:35:32.100 and how it had been fulfilled 00:35:32.100 --> 00:35:32.860 in the death 00:35:32.860 --> 00:35:34.120 and resurrection 00:35:34.120 --> 00:35:35.300 of Jesus, 00:35:36.320 --> 00:35:36.920 the Messiah. 00:35:36.920 --> 00:35:39.760 And so we too, 00:35:41.260 --> 00:35:43.079 in times of national turmoil 00:35:43.079 --> 00:35:43.800 and upheaval, 00:35:43.960 --> 00:35:45.579 in times of personal turmoil 00:35:45.579 --> 00:35:46.380 and upheaval, 00:35:46.559 --> 00:35:49.320 can turn to this psalm 00:35:49.320 --> 00:35:51.639 and remember God's power 00:35:51.639 --> 00:35:54.000 and remember God's promise. 00:35:56.659 --> 00:35:59.400 You know, God is not fazed 00:35:59.400 --> 00:36:00.519 by all the turmoil 00:36:00.519 --> 00:36:01.639 in the world today. 00:36:01.780 --> 00:36:03.240 He is not wringing his hands 00:36:03.240 --> 00:36:04.559 and anxiously wondering, 00:36:04.720 --> 00:36:06.680 can I bring my plan to pass 00:36:06.679 --> 00:36:07.179 or not? 00:36:09.000 --> 00:36:11.059 No, he is still on his throne 00:36:11.059 --> 00:36:12.919 and he is working out 00:36:12.919 --> 00:36:13.559 his purposes 00:36:13.559 --> 00:36:14.819 and he promises 00:36:14.819 --> 00:36:17.379 that for those who love him, 00:36:17.440 --> 00:36:18.960 they will be for our ultimate good 00:36:18.960 --> 00:36:20.259 and for his ultimate glory. 00:36:23.440 --> 00:36:24.079 And you know, 00:36:24.119 --> 00:36:25.039 his promise to us 00:36:25.039 --> 00:36:26.039 still holds true. 00:36:27.139 --> 00:36:28.319 Just like God promised 00:36:28.319 --> 00:36:29.139 in the Old Testament, 00:36:29.659 --> 00:36:31.359 I, you are my son, 00:36:31.419 --> 00:36:32.879 I've taken you under my wing 00:36:32.879 --> 00:36:33.599 as my own. 00:36:33.719 --> 00:36:34.539 In the New Testament, 00:36:34.539 --> 00:36:36.000 we see that same promise 00:36:36.000 --> 00:36:39.219 that we are included 00:36:39.219 --> 00:36:40.699 as sons and daughters of God 00:36:40.699 --> 00:36:41.920 in Jesus, 00:36:42.840 --> 00:36:44.519 in the true son. 00:36:44.880 --> 00:36:46.300 We are now included 00:36:46.300 --> 00:36:47.539 in that promise. 00:36:48.320 --> 00:36:49.820 We are children of God 00:36:49.820 --> 00:36:50.960 through faith in Jesus 00:36:50.960 --> 00:36:53.579 and his promises to us as well. 00:36:53.579 --> 00:36:56.400 The psalm concludes, 00:36:56.920 --> 00:36:57.599 verse 10 to 12, 00:36:57.679 --> 00:36:58.920 with a warning and a promise, 00:36:59.019 --> 00:37:00.380 a warning to the wicked rulers. 00:37:01.199 --> 00:37:01.799 Wise up. 00:37:02.299 --> 00:37:03.340 Serve the Lord with fear. 00:37:03.480 --> 00:37:04.400 Rejoice with trembling. 00:37:05.059 --> 00:37:05.739 Kiss the son. 00:37:05.799 --> 00:37:06.699 Now that last phrase 00:37:06.699 --> 00:37:07.819 is a little awkward 00:37:07.819 --> 00:37:09.019 and hard to translate, 00:37:09.360 --> 00:37:10.559 but the meaning is very clear 00:37:10.559 --> 00:37:11.239 in the ancient world. 00:37:11.360 --> 00:37:12.579 You would kiss the feet 00:37:12.579 --> 00:37:13.099 of a king 00:37:13.099 --> 00:37:15.460 as a way of surrendering, 00:37:16.539 --> 00:37:17.699 expressing loyalty. 00:37:17.699 --> 00:37:20.879 The idea is very clear 00:37:20.879 --> 00:37:22.079 no matter how you translate it. 00:37:22.159 --> 00:37:23.960 Surrender to the rightful king. 00:37:25.839 --> 00:37:27.579 If you haven't yet surrendered 00:37:27.579 --> 00:37:28.299 to Jesus, 00:37:29.239 --> 00:37:30.480 let me ask you, 00:37:31.539 --> 00:37:32.939 what is holding you back 00:37:32.939 --> 00:37:33.759 from doing so? 00:37:35.419 --> 00:37:36.379 Consider that. 00:37:37.559 --> 00:37:38.960 What is holding you back 00:37:38.960 --> 00:37:40.619 from surrendering completely 00:37:40.619 --> 00:37:41.859 to him as your king? 00:37:41.860 --> 00:37:44.539 But the last word of the psalm 00:37:44.539 --> 00:37:45.240 is a promise. 00:37:45.920 --> 00:37:47.079 Blessed are all 00:37:47.079 --> 00:37:48.660 who take refuge in him. 00:37:50.559 --> 00:37:52.280 Have you found your refuge 00:37:52.280 --> 00:37:53.480 in him? 00:37:54.860 --> 00:37:55.840 Derek Kidner wrote, 00:37:55.940 --> 00:37:57.559 there is no refuge from him, 00:37:57.780 --> 00:37:59.980 but there is refuge in him. 00:38:02.680 --> 00:38:05.140 Jesus invites us to come to him 00:38:05.140 --> 00:38:07.240 and take refuge in him 00:38:07.240 --> 00:38:10.660 and hold to him. 00:38:11.860 --> 00:38:14.559 Brothers and sisters, 00:38:14.700 --> 00:38:16.079 plant your roots in God's word, 00:38:16.200 --> 00:38:17.800 find your refuge in God's son. 00:38:19.980 --> 00:38:22.260 That is what it means 00:38:22.260 --> 00:38:24.340 to live under God's blessing 00:38:24.340 --> 00:38:26.960 in a world of turmoil. 00:38:27.460 --> 00:38:28.000 Let's pray. 00:38:30.660 --> 00:38:31.340 Father God, 00:38:31.400 --> 00:38:31.980 we thank you 00:38:31.980 --> 00:38:33.320 for these psalms 00:38:33.320 --> 00:38:35.140 that were written so long ago. 00:38:36.900 --> 00:38:38.059 We thank you, Lord, 00:38:38.140 --> 00:38:39.019 for how they testify 00:38:39.019 --> 00:38:40.019 to your great gifts, 00:38:40.280 --> 00:38:41.059 the gift of your word, 00:38:41.059 --> 00:38:41.940 the gift of your word 00:38:41.940 --> 00:38:42.539 and the scriptures. 00:38:42.799 --> 00:38:43.619 We pray that we would 00:38:43.619 --> 00:38:46.539 be rooted in the scriptures 00:38:46.539 --> 00:38:48.039 and draw upon their truth 00:38:48.039 --> 00:38:49.360 and wisdom for our lives. 00:38:51.139 --> 00:38:52.659 And in the person of your son, 00:38:54.380 --> 00:38:55.219 our King Jesus, 00:38:55.360 --> 00:38:55.860 we pray, 00:38:57.019 --> 00:38:58.219 Lord, 00:38:58.299 --> 00:38:59.639 that we might take refuge in him, 00:38:59.699 --> 00:39:00.599 that we might know 00:39:00.599 --> 00:39:02.440 the blessing it is 00:39:02.440 --> 00:39:04.860 to belong to you. 00:39:04.860 --> 00:39:07.660 and that our thinking 00:39:07.660 --> 00:39:09.280 and our lives 00:39:09.280 --> 00:39:10.599 might be increasingly shaped 00:39:10.599 --> 00:39:12.019 by that reality, 00:39:12.420 --> 00:39:13.480 by our belonging to you. 00:39:14.880 --> 00:39:16.240 Pray this all in Jesus' name. 00:39:16.579 --> 00:39:16.880 Amen.