King Of Kings

King Of Kings Psalm 2 Emmanuel Christian Church 10.15.23 INTRODUCTION: King David, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, penned the words to Psalm 2 1,000 years before the birth of Christ! In 12 verses, we see the curtain pulled back on the conflict in the spirit realm as it is played out in the arenas of society and politics- both ancient and yet to be! Psalm 2 is much more than a song- it is prophecy and it is wise counsel all wrapped up in a three-point sermon! (How convenient for the preacher!) PROPOSITION: With the storm clouds of geopolitical conflict intensifying over modern Israel, and the larger region of the Middle East, God’s Word is going to give us both insight and perspective on what’s going on right now. TRANSITION: Before we look at Psalm 2, I want to direct your attention to the two places in the New Testament where it is quoted directly. The purpose for doing so is to allow Scripture to explain Scripture, and to demonstrate how God’s Book is unlike any other- connected over 1,000 years time and relevant right up to the events taking place today! That’s a tall order, but if you pay attention this morning- you’ll make the connection. In reference to the supremacy of Christ, the New Testament book of Hebrews quotes Psalm 2: Hebrews 1:5 For to which of the angels did God ever say, “You are my Son; today I have become your Father”? Or again, “I will be his Father, and he will be my Son”? In Acts 4, we see the early Church quoting Psalm 2 in explanation of the political persecution of Christians: Acts 4:18 Then (the Sanhedrin) called them in again and commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. 19 But Peter and John replied, “Judge for yourselves whether it is right in God’s sight to obey you rather than God. 20 For we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard.” Acts 4:21 After further threats they let them go. They could not decide how to punish them, because all the people were praising God for what had happened. 22 For the man who was miraculously healed was over forty years old. Acts 4:23 On their release, Peter and John went back to their own people and reported all that the chief priests and elders had said to them. 24 When they heard this, they raised their voices together in prayer to God. “Sovereign Lord,” they said, “you made the heaven and the earth and the sea, and everything in them. 25 You spoke by the Holy Spirit through the mouth of your servant, our father David: “‘Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain? 26 The kings of the earth take their stand and the rulers gather together against the Lord and against his Anointed One.’ 27 Indeed Herod and Pontius Pilate met together with the Gentiles and the people of Israel in this city to conspire against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed. 28 They did what your power and will had decided beforehand should happen. 29 Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness. 30 Stretch out your hand to heal and perform miraculous signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus.” Now, Psalm 2. See if you can connect the the verses we just read with the inspired words of King David… Psalms 2:1Why do the nations conspire and the peoples plot in vain? 2 The kings of the earth take their stand and the rulers gather together against the LORD and against his Anointed One. 3 “Let us break their chains,” they say, “and throw off their fetters.” 4 The One enthroned in heaven laughs; the Lord scoffs at them. 5 Then he rebukes them in his anger and terrifies them in his wrath, saying, 6 “I have installed my King on Zion, my holy hill.” Psalms 2:7 I will proclaim the decree of the LORD: He said to me, “You are my Son; today I have become your Father. 8 Ask of me, and I will make the nations your inheritance, the ends of the earth your possession. 9 You will rule them with an iron scepter; you will dash them to pieces like pottery.” 10 Therefore, you kings, be wise; be warned, you rulers of the earth. 11 Serve the LORD with fear and rejoice with trembling. 12 Kiss the Son, lest he be angry and you be destroyed in your way, for his wrath can flare up in a moment. Blessed are all who take refuge in him.

TRANSITION: Three clear points spring out of Psalm 2: a CONSPIRACY to be UNDERSTOOD, a PROPHECY with which to be COMFORTED, and COUNSEL to be HEEDED. The Conspiracy (vs. 1-3) Simple question: “Why?” Why do nations, peoples, kings and rulers stand against the LORD? Simple answer: There is a universal flaw in humankind that has infected us all since the FALL of our parents Adam and Eve. That flaw is a spirit of REBELLION!

  • We don’t like being told what to do!
  • It is evidenced by one of the first words learned by every infant: “NO!”
  • What a shock to the first-time parents who witness the defiance and rebellion from their “sweet, little bundle of joy”!
  • By the time said child makes it to the teen years, the spirit of rebellion is deeply integrated, unless confronted by parents and transformed by that child’s adoption into the family of God.
  • If that transformation NEVER takes place, children grow up to be ugly, defiant, rebellious adults! And those adults become the nations, peoples, kings and rulers that STAND AGAINST THE LORD.
  • So, if broken humanity doesn’t like being told what to do- just what DOES it want?
  • ‘FREEDOM” Release from “chains” and “fetters”. Freedom from the rules of decent society, the laws of man, and more than anything else- the Law of God!
  • Not just any kind of “freedom”, but INDIVIDUAL freedom! Freedom without regard to how its exercise might affect, or even harm, anyone else- INCLUDING THEMSELVES!
  • 400 years after David penned the words of Psalm 2, God’s people had so given themselves over to “freedom” from His Law that they had become totally corrupt and subject to both God’s judgment and the consequences of their own actions. Speaking through the prophet Jeremiah, God said: Jeremiah 34:17 “Therefore, this is what the LORD says: You have not obeyed me; you have not proclaimed freedom for your fellow countrymen. So I now proclaim ‘freedom’ for you, declares the LORD — ‘freedom’ to fall by the sword, plague and famine. I will make you abhorrent to all the kingdoms of the earth.

APPLICATION: Freedom from law of God only results in slavery to sin and death! God’s Word speaks directly to the foolishness of freedom form God:Romans 6:19 I put this in human terms because you are weak in your natural selves. Just as you used to offer the parts of your body in slavery to impurity and to ever-increasing wickedness, so now offer them in slavery to righteousness leading to holiness. 20 When you were slaves to sin, you were free from the control of righteousness. 21 What benefit did you reap at that time from the things you are now ashamed of? Those things result in death! 22 But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves to God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life. 23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

  • This is a glimpse into the spirit realm- beyond our dimensions of time and space. This is where God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit dwells! The Prophecy (vs. 4-9)

  • It is an eyewitness account of God’s reaction to the REBELLION of man: - God the Father LAUGHS:

  • Why? Because the pride of nations, peoples, kings and rulers has led them to think that they can somehow get in the way of His will!

  • There is coming a day when the pride of man will vaporize as the wrath of God is revealed!

  • When God’s patience is finally exhausted, you’d better be on his side! On that day, there will be NO ROOM FOR EXCUSES: Romans 1:18 The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness, 19 since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. 20 For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities — his eternal power and divine nature — have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.

  • God the Father, PROCLAIMS:

  • “I have installed MY King on Zion, MY holy hill.”

  • His name is King Jesus! King of Kings and Lord of Lords!

  • His throne is Zion, the New Jerusalem!

  • His kingdom is the “ends of the earth”!

  • His rule will be as with an “iron scepter”- an advanced warning to His enemies that the times of “Mr. Nice Guy” have fully expired! APPLICATION: Those who have chosen to reject and rebel against God, should be terrified at what I have just said! Their wicked days will come at a terrible cost- of this we can be sure. For those who have made the wise choice to bend the knee to the King of Kings, these words bring great comfort! We know that the kindness of our Lord to those who love Him is as profound as His wrath toward those who reject Him. 1 Corinthians 2:9 However, as it is written: “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him” — With such clear vision of what lies ahead for all of mankind, King David prophetically speaks of our need to embrace Christ as our Savior- a thousand years before His birth! The Counsel (vs.10-12) - “Serve the LORD”.

  • The word LORD is the most holy, exalted, covenant name of God. - The direction to “serve” Him is the most important lesson David’s son Solomon learned- a lesson that took him his entire life to figure out (READ Ecclesiates)! Ecclesiastes 12:13 Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole [duty] of man. 14 For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil. APPLICATION: Our service to God is to be accomplished with “fear” and “rejoicing”. These are NOT opposites- they are two attitudes of worship that fit perfectly together. “Fear” is reverence and awe for God’s GREATNESS, “rejoicing” is overwhelming gladness for His GRACE!

  • “Kiss the SON”.

  • Who is the SON? None other than Jesus, God the SON!

  • What does it mean to “kiss” the “king of kings”? Our answer to that is found in the words of Jesus Himself recorded in the pages of the New Testament! Luke 7:36 Now one of the Pharisees invited Jesus to have dinner with him, so he went to the Pharisee’s house and reclined at the table. 37 When a woman who had lived a sinful life in that town learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee’s house, she brought an alabaster jar of perfume, 38 and as she stood behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them and poured perfume on them. Luke 7:39 When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would know who is touching him and what kind of woman she is — that she is a sinner.” Luke 7:40 Jesus answered him, “Simon, I have something to tell you.” “Tell me, teacher,” he said. Luke 7:41 “Two men owed money to a certain moneylender. One owed him five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. 42 Neither of them had the money to pay him back, so he canceled the debts of both. Now which of them will love him more?” Luke 7:43 Simon replied, “I suppose the one who had the bigger debt canceled.” “You have judged correctly,” Jesus said. Luke 7:44 Then he turned toward the woman and said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I came into your house. You did not give me any water for my feet, but she wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. 45 You did not give me a kiss, but this woman, from the time I entered, has not stopped kissing my feet. 46 You did not put oil on my head, but she has poured perfume on my feet. 47 Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven — for she loved much. But he who has been forgiven little loves little.” CONCLUSION: Like that woman, when we realize how much we’ve been forgiven, kneeling at the feet of Jesus is NOT an act of forced submission, but one of devoted worship!