Psalm 2:7-12 (my translation)
I will recall the statutes of the Lord. He said to me: "You are my son. Today I am begetting you. Ask from me and I shall give the nations as your inheritance and as your possession: the ends of the earth. You will shatter them by the rod of iron. As a potter's vessel, you will break them to pieces. And now kings will have insight and correctly be judges of the earth." Serve the LORD in fear and worship with trembling. Kiss the son lest he will be angry and you will perish on the way because you will burn as pieces of kindling in his anger. Happy are those who seek refuge in him.
Here is a picture of the trust the Father places in the work and authority of His Son. This is by no means a gentle picture of God but this imagery serves both as a warning and as a comfort. Under the protection of the Son's perfect leadership and authority, is safety and refuge. Without it, our sin demands justice, judgment and utter destruction. This psalm serves as a call out to leaders but also to anyone under authority. The picture of kissing the son, worshiping and bowing down before Him as the LORD of all, provides us with an image of authority and service. We are His or we are not His. This psalm does not leave us any room for middle ground.
Find rest my soul, in Christ alone.
Saturday, July 21, 2012
Monday, July 16, 2012
Leadership and Lordship
Psalm 2:1-6 (again not an official but rather a rough beginner's translation)
Why are the nations and peoples restless? They plot in vain. They will be resisted, the kings of the earth and the rulers. They sit together united against the LORD and His Anointed One. "Let us tear apart their bond and let us cast from us their cords." Sitting in the heavens, we will laugh mockingly at them. Then He will speak to them in His anger and in His rage, he will act quickly. "And I, I will set apart my King upon Zion, my holy mountain."
What a contrast in leadership! One is marked with unity and bond, the other is jealous with division and scheming. But even amidst the plans for God's rule to be thwarted, He responds both quickly and strongly. This psalm gives me great comfort as I survey the landscape of our current political, economic and national structures. There is plotting. There is power-playing. There is perversion. But there sits, very confidently and very attentively, the One and only God who establishes His Son as the perfect ruler over all of His creation. I look forward to the day when the King, who established His throne through service, humility and sacrifice, comes to take His rightful and righteous place here on earth once again. To serve Him under His authority is pure joy and perfect peace.
Why are the nations and peoples restless? They plot in vain. They will be resisted, the kings of the earth and the rulers. They sit together united against the LORD and His Anointed One. "Let us tear apart their bond and let us cast from us their cords." Sitting in the heavens, we will laugh mockingly at them. Then He will speak to them in His anger and in His rage, he will act quickly. "And I, I will set apart my King upon Zion, my holy mountain."
What a contrast in leadership! One is marked with unity and bond, the other is jealous with division and scheming. But even amidst the plans for God's rule to be thwarted, He responds both quickly and strongly. This psalm gives me great comfort as I survey the landscape of our current political, economic and national structures. There is plotting. There is power-playing. There is perversion. But there sits, very confidently and very attentively, the One and only God who establishes His Son as the perfect ruler over all of His creation. I look forward to the day when the King, who established His throne through service, humility and sacrifice, comes to take His rightful and righteous place here on earth once again. To serve Him under His authority is pure joy and perfect peace.
Wednesday, July 11, 2012
Resting in the Psalms
I'm thankful to have, over the next several weeks, a break from the demands of school. A clearing of the head. And hopefully a cleansing of the heart. I've decided to refresh a bit on my Hebrew studies and am spending some time in the Psalms. Thought I would devote a few posts to writing out my rough translations and even rougher reflections.
Psalm 1:1-6 (a rough beginner's translation)
Happy is the man who does not live life according to the advice of the wicked ones, or does not stand in the way of sinners and in the seat of scorners, he does not sit. Because in the law of the LORD is his delight and in his law he will pour out his energy in the daytime and at night. And he will be like a tree which is transplanted next to a stream of waters in which its fruit will produce in its time and its leaf will not wither and all which he will do will be made to thrive. Not so with the wicked, for like the chaff, they will be scattered to the wind. So then they will not stand, the wicked in the judgment and the sinners in the gathering of the just because the LORD is the one who knows the way of the righteous and the way of the sinners will perish.
I am struck with the necessity of Christ in this passage. For without His perfection, we would all be walking, sitting and standing in the way of death and perishing. Christ's perfect demonstration of obedience to the Father, found in his loving and keeping of the law, day in and day out, becomes the stream by which we are all transplanted. His living water gives us life and allows us to bear fruit and not wither and find eternal prosperity. The pattern of living, the model for loving the Law of God, is found in the perfection of Christ and his obedience to His Father. The prayer, LORD, is that I would find my sustenance, my livelihood and my nourishment in the stream of Christ rather than in the empty signposts of foolish council, desert roads of sinful pursuits or temporary seats of cynical power. May I drink deeply of the grace found in Christ.
Psalm 1:1-6 (a rough beginner's translation)
Happy is the man who does not live life according to the advice of the wicked ones, or does not stand in the way of sinners and in the seat of scorners, he does not sit. Because in the law of the LORD is his delight and in his law he will pour out his energy in the daytime and at night. And he will be like a tree which is transplanted next to a stream of waters in which its fruit will produce in its time and its leaf will not wither and all which he will do will be made to thrive. Not so with the wicked, for like the chaff, they will be scattered to the wind. So then they will not stand, the wicked in the judgment and the sinners in the gathering of the just because the LORD is the one who knows the way of the righteous and the way of the sinners will perish.
I am struck with the necessity of Christ in this passage. For without His perfection, we would all be walking, sitting and standing in the way of death and perishing. Christ's perfect demonstration of obedience to the Father, found in his loving and keeping of the law, day in and day out, becomes the stream by which we are all transplanted. His living water gives us life and allows us to bear fruit and not wither and find eternal prosperity. The pattern of living, the model for loving the Law of God, is found in the perfection of Christ and his obedience to His Father. The prayer, LORD, is that I would find my sustenance, my livelihood and my nourishment in the stream of Christ rather than in the empty signposts of foolish council, desert roads of sinful pursuits or temporary seats of cynical power. May I drink deeply of the grace found in Christ.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)