Superior To Angels (part 3) - [Hebrews 1:4]

What's in a name? What's in a name? Shakespeare of course wrote what's in a name that which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet If I was on the radio, maybe

I talked about the name game and the song written by Shirley Ellis What's in a name?

I have three questions at the very beginning before we get into our passage about angels and names

Three quick questions number one Do any angels in the Bible have names?

Well two that I know of Michael the Archangel translated who is like God and who's the other one

Gabriel right a strong mighty God is my strength angel

Question two. What does tradition say about some of the names for angels?

What what other names do angels have not in the Bible, but just according to tradition well, this is fascinating Jaffa L means beauty of God.

This is the angel that expelled Adam and Eve from the Garden of Eden Holding the flaming sword according to tradition

Raphael which is Translated it is God who heals is

God's healing force angel According to tradition Uriel God is my light that is the angel according to tradition that leads us to our destiny

Samuel S a m a e l Venom of God that's how you translate that wonder what he does

According to tradition. He is the angel of death and then lastly

Sandal fun means bringing together and he brings mankind together according to tradition found in the

Jewish encyclopedia Question three. Is there a name that God never gave the angels?

And the answer is found in Hebrews 1 Please open your Bible the name that God will never give a single angel

Upright or fallen and that is the name son the name

Son, we're in the book of Hebrews that talks about the superiority of Jesus Christ If you're here for a

Mother's Day sermon, you've picked the wrong Church But if you're here on the Lord's Day, and I know you are to hear about the

Lord This is one of those great books that talks all about Jesus if Jesus is enough

You'll love the sermon because everything in this book just highlights It's like you have a yellow highlighter.

You have font that just gets bolder are larger to say Jesus is great.

And this is very very important for us, especially If we're sinners

Why? Because we need someone who's great to focus on to rely on to trust in because frankly

We're not great there's a big difference between faith and Faithfulness, is there not we conflate the two?

Faithful is how we respond to God and his mercies and his grace and and there's a spot for faithfulness in the

Bible Obviously, there's a spot for faithfulness in Hebrews But first what the writer is trying to impress upon these persecuted

Christians is they need to have faith That is in the right object faith is not meritorious faith is recognizing who

Jesus is and now the writer of Hebrews is building the foundation and and Constructing a good view a proper view of the object of their faith.

There's a difference between faith I'm trusting in someone the Lord Jesus Christ and there's a difference in in faith between faith and faithfulness

And so what I love about Hebrews It doesn't tell me really what to do very often.

It just tells me here's how you think about the object of your faith Recently there was a visitor here one of you brought a visitor and I was glad for that and one of you said to that Visitor after the service, what'd you think of the message?

It was in Hebrews and they said I didn't get anything out of it. Well, that's interesting.

What does that mean? We live in a day and age where we're so affected by Rome so affected by Pragmatism that we want to do we're doing people and friends.

The just shall live by what? Faithfulness No, the just shall live by faith.

And so everything in the Bible is pointing this towards You know what? We have to have the right object of our faith.

And that's what I love about Hebrews If nothing else happens today, except you say, you know, Jesus really is great

I was glad to be reminded that Jesus is not only greater than the prophets, but Jesus is greater than the angels

That should be Transforming your life because we're walking by faith and not by sight and faith does nothing

It just realizes the object of the faith the Lord Jesus Christ. So that's why I love the book of Hebrews It's about Jesus and it makes me you know what?

Let's just do it right now Galatians chapter 2 as we're just setting the the proverbial table before we're into the book of Hebrews Galatians chapter 2 you probably know this verse you probably memorize this verse and as Paul is attacking

Anything that's added to the perfect work of Christ here circumcision. It could be baptism in our day

It says in Galatians chapter 2 verse 20. I Have been crucified with Christ It is no longer

I who live and you could probably repeat to me without even looking at your Bible, but Christ who lives in me

Now here's the interesting part now think Hebrews for a second think faith and faithfulness

And is there a difference? I've been crucified with Christ. It is no longer

I who live but Christ who lives within me and The life I now live

Paul said in the flesh I live by faith in The Son of God who loved me and gave myself for me

Christian do you think it's fair to ask the question should you live by faith? The answer is yes, you should and so this book

Hebrews Let's go back there is going to make sure we have the right object of our faith Maybe I could put the final touches on it this way

Faith and faithfulness. What's the difference? Faithfulness is our response to the gospel and there are many different things that we do as Christians that are faithful But faith says

I'm looking to Jesus the God -man who died on the cross who was raised from the dead and I'm trusting not

In my faithfulness to stand before God, but I'm having faith in Christ Faithfulness, did you get that you need somebody who's going to be faithful because the paradigm of the world is do this and live

Keep God's Commandments the doers of the law shall be justified and when we think about our own faithfulness

Did you pray enough this week? Did you read the Bible enough this week? Of course, we want to read our

Bibles and pray But we're trusting not in what we do but in Christ faithfulness got it that's why

Hebrews is so important because I now see the object of my faith and Jesus is Great and greater

Hebrews chapter 1 It says in the first few verses that Jesus is greater than the prophets and now we're into a major section from chapter 1 verse 4 all the way through chapter 1 all the way through chapter 2

Jesus is superior to angels. This is the object of your faith Verse 4

Having become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs

It's kind of interesting that he doesn't say Anything except having become having become

Wasn't Jesus always great wasn't he always the eternal God didn't he always have the nature of God?

Yes, so how does Jesus become greater? But the text clearly says he has become better than the angels

Well, the context will always help us. What did we learn in verse 3? He made purification for sins.

He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high comma Having become as much superior to angels while Jesus was eternally

God eternally great Eternally better than angels Once he cloaked himself with humanity lived the perfect life died on the cross made purification.

It was raised from the dead He has become greater because remember he was made a little lower than the angels

Hebrews 2 now He's mission accomplished it before God the

Father and so he has become More excellent and he's inherited a more excellent name than they

Some people think that word become Means make and then they try to get into that Jesus wasn't eternal, but the word is to become again.

Oh my He was lower than the angels in his incarnation He's now perfectly obeyed.

He now is inherited a greater name and The name that he's inherited is not

Yahweh. It is son Chapter 1 verse 2 verse 5 twice verse 8

Everything about this passage is son son son. And of course when you look at the text and see as the name he has inherited

When we think of the word name, it's just maybe a moniker or what I call myself But back in those days it meant something about my character.

It meant something about my life It meant something about my person and that's why even in Acts chapter 4 their salvation and no other

Name under heaven. It's talking about all that God is and all that he does and Jesus is therefore better than the angels

Angels don't get the name son individually and think about it for a second. What would you do if you ever saw an angel?

You know the dumb moot that I've never saw it Maybe it's not dumb, but it seemed to be dumb to me in retrospect touched by an angel

If you ever saw an angel, what would happen to you? I mean an angel Revelation 22

I John I'm the one who heard and saw these things and when I heard and saw them I fell down to worship at the feet of an angel who showed them to me

Angels are impressive But Jesus is greater. That's the point regarding his atoning work

God the Father sought as so wonderful so complete so finished that he gets this great name son

Now if you look at Hebrews chapter 2

Remember the context that we saw three Sundays ago We had

Don green then pastor Steve preach and now we're back again if you look at chapter 2 verse 1

Therefore we must pay attention much closer attention to what we have heard lest we drift away from it

For since the message declared by angels proved to be reliable and every transgression or disobedience received a just Retribution, how should we escape if we neglect such a great salvation?

Notice their message declared by angels Acts 7 we saw

Galatians 3 we saw Deuteronomy 33 we saw where the angels were the mediators of Mosaic law

X's 19 doesn't talk about it, but acts Galatians Deuteronomy and Hebrew says the angels were the mediators of the law.

So does it not make sense? Jesus is better than the prophets. He's also better than the entities that delivered the

Mosaic law That's the writers logic and now we move to the section

It says in verse 5 for to the which of the angels did ever did God ever say we move to?

seven Sections of the Old Testament that all scream Jesus is

God Jesus is better than the angels Now I have an ESV a

Single column reference Bible and it's easy for me to see all the white spaces to show me that these are quotes from the

Old Testament The writer of Hebrews is writing to Hebrews using now the

Hebrew Bible to convince the Hebrews That Jesus is the greatest Hebrew simple and to stop being

Old Covenant Hebrews There's seven there's five six seven eight nine ten eleven twelve thirteen

There are seven total Passages from the Old Testament that shout out like with a megaphone

Jesus is better than the angels Did not

Jesus even say in Luke 24 These are my words which I spoke to you while I was still with you that everything written about me in the law of Moses And the prophets and the

Psalms must be fulfilled Here's Jesus talked about in the

Old Testament seven different passages from the Old Testament And so we're going to look at the first one right now passage 1 verse 5

Hebrews 1 Jesus is greater. Why passage 1 says because he's the

Son Jesus is the Son verse 5 for to which of the angels did he ever say?

By the way that starts the section and in verse 13 The same thing is said that kind of closes a section to which of the angels has he ever said meaning?

He never said this not to one of them not to good angels bad angels Michael Gabriel or any other named angel

You are my son Today I have begotten you

Where's that come from? What passage in the Old Testament does that come from now if you had an

Old Testament you were Jewish and you would read through? the Psalms You would enjoy those

Psalms just like we enjoy those Psalms and you would have certain Psalms memorized certain Psalms Highlighted.

I don't how do you highlight papyrus or things written on deerskin? I'm not exactly sure

I think you could probably Take your finger and scratch underneath the line on the deerskin to try to make a mark there

You could probably do that. What I do know is this Every Jew would go

Psalm 2 I understand Psalm 2 I get because it's the messianic

Psalm If you were a Jew and you'd go all the way back to Genesis chapters 1 2 & 3

Here's what you wouldn't do Primarily you wouldn't say This is regarding fossils archaeologies dinosaurs on the ark 24 -hour days

I'm with you on all that stuff. I understand Genesis 1 2 & 3, but what would you do if you were a

Jew? You would say to yourself There's sin in the world and God in chapter 3 verse 15 gives the first gospel the good news that says

See to the woman's gonna come and it's gonna crush Satan's head Even though the

Messiah's heel will be crushed. You'd be thinking about eschatology at the very beginning

Everything you would read Eve has a child. Maybe that's the Messiah everything in the future would point to There's got to be the one who's going to come to make the wrongs right and to forgive us our sins and to be the king

That David could never be that Solomon could never be And you're back here in Genesis 3 verse 15.

There's a Messiah that's going to come So wouldn't you if you were Jewish and you would read something like Psalm 110?

That's the that's the Galatians Galatians, that's the Genesis 3 15 passage.

It's point. It's pointing back and You would also when it comes to Psalm 2

You are my son today. I have begotten you this messianic Psalm. You would underline you would love

You are my son an angel never heard that from God never ever

But true or false Angels are called sons of God collectively

The answer is true Job 1 6 now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the

Lord and Satan also came among them Collectively yes, but individually no not one single son was ever angel was ever called son

True or false the word son was applied to Israel as a nation true

Hosea when Israel was a child, I loved him and out of Egypt I called my son, but no person in Israel No angel was ever selectively pulled out of the

I want to say collective But then it's gonna make you think of the Borg or something It's okay to talk about the

Borg once in a while, isn't it? You will be assimilated. That is the effectual call

Rabbis in the Old Testament maybe said well, maybe Aaron was a son or David was a son or Solomon was a son

But we know what they ended up doing This Jesus is called son

Individually like a father calls a son son. We'll talk about God as a father next time

Yes, it's true That regularly Jesus is called the Son of the New Testament He will be great and will be called the

Son of the Most High Gabriel The angel said to Mary and the Lord God will give him the throne of his father

David and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever and his kingdom will have no end The Holy Spirit will come upon you and the power of the

Most High will overshadow you and for that reason the Holy offspring shall be called the

Son of God It is true at the baptism of Jesus. You are my beloved son in whom

I'm well -pleased It is true at the transfiguration This is my son my chosen one

But my question this morning is when the text says do you see the text there today?

I have begotten you When was that? When is today?

What's the today mean the answer is found in Acts 13, why don't you turn there

Acts chapter 13? Jesus is called son as the pre -existent

Second person of the Trinity in these last days. He spoken to us by his son

Jesus is the exalted one. He's inherited the name son. It's more excellent than angels

Although he was a son he he learned obedience through what he suffered during the incarnation But Psalm 2 is coronation language.

Psalm 2 is the language of what do you say when you install a king? now we have certain things that we say during wedding ceremonies and we say things about for better for worse and will you take this man and We have certain languages for certain pomp and circumstance moments

This is the pomp and circumstance moment where you you say well, what's the manual say for how do we get a new

King? What do we say when we have a new King? This is the language of a new King and Paul knew that Acts 13 verse 28 he knew it was enthronement and Though they found in him

Acts 13 28 no guilt worthy of death they asked

Pilate to have him executed and When they had carried out all that was written of him, they took him down from the tree and laid him in the tomb

But God raised him from the dead and for many days he appeared to those who had come up with him from Galilee to Jerusalem who are now his witnesses to the people 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 That's important by raising Jesus as also it is written in the second

Psalm You are my son today Raising Jesus today.

I have begotten you Raising Jesus today. I begotten you and as for the fact that he raised him from the dead no more to return to corruption

He has spoken in this way. I will give you the holy and sure blessings of David when is this today?

You can go back to Hebrews if you like. This is enthronement language. This is Coronation language

Jesus has suffered. He'd been completely obedient He's now raised to the father's right hand and upon the resurrection

Paul knew it. He got it, right Today, you're my son My son what's different Jesus now has a glorified body.

He's done the work. The father has sent him to do He's rescued of the elect the bride and now the father says you're the king of all kings.

I Declare you to be son in the resurrection. I Vindicate your work as Messiah and raise you from the dead

Johnson said quote so in a specific sense a specific particular sense

The Lord God would say at the resurrection of Christ You are my son the glorification of the

Son of God in the fullest sense today I have begotten you one of the most marvelous things in the world is the fact that he's going to say

When we have a glorified body you're my son, but it's much different here This is the language of the

King the crowning event, I think you'll hear an echo of it in Romans 1

Jesus who was born a descendant of David according to the flesh who was declared the Son of God with power by the resurrection from the dead

So when you think of today This isn't when he was born This language is when

Jesus becomes the king at the installation service. He's been given a New glorified resurrected body and he's installed by God the

Father as the eternal King This is coronation literal liturgy

Language Jesus is greater than the angels because he reigns as a messianic

King This has nothing to do with is he? By nature the

Son yes, but by action he is also the Son I'd like you to turn to Psalm 2 so we can get a little picture of what it says

I've got good news and bad news, and they're both the same. I didn't start my watch when I started preaching so Happy Mother's Day.

I think I've told you the story the longest sermon. I've ever preached on a Sunday morning was 92 minutes So it's proper pastoral etiquette when you're a guest preacher speaker you always say to the

The leadership or the pastor well how long you normally preach, and they'll say oh 45 minutes. I'll think okay. I'll preach that or less

Sometimes I go to a very liberal churches, and they'll say you have 20 minutes 20 minutes

So I always have a standard line If I can keep their attention could I go a little longer?

But I was preaching in South Central LA, and they said well our pastor preaches 92 minutes

Okay, as my kids would say random 92 minutes why preach 92 minutes

I know I've told you the story said because at 46 minutes you look at the guy in the back He flips over the 90 -minute cassette which is technically 92 -minute cassette and start preaching again, so here we go

Here's what's so wonderful about studying the book of Mormon Hebrews It's gonna make us get to know the

Old Testament better Because everything is teaching us from the Old Testament about the excellencies of Jesus And so when you say

Psalm 2 verse 7 You think I got to go back there to see what the psalm says

This is such a critical psalm such an important psalm Then let's make sure we walk through it and just get an idea because the writer of the book of Hebrews Didn't just pluck this out by accident

He knew this psalm and this psalm has majesty and power

The exaltation of Jesus and here's the other thing This psalm along with 110 the two most quoted psalms in the

New Testament So when you get these psalms down I mean you understand them it makes the

New Testament much easier to understand Psalm 2 it is a royal psalm a

Royal psalm that will help you say do you know what? The world is chaotic the world hates

Jesus the world is wrong side up and It's happening fast and faster

Psalm 2 not only is it a royal psalm not it only is it a an installation psalm of a king

It is a psalm that says You can look at world events through the lens of Psalm 2 and sleep well at night

The first thing I thought last year when they said the Supreme Court gay marriage.

I thought Psalm 2 The target issue is happening with bathrooms. You think

Psalm 2 something else goes haywire and The wrong president is chosen

You think Psalm 2 the Supreme Court does the next thing wrong you think

Psalm 2 Because tucked in the middle of Psalm 2 is going to be God has installed the king

The real king is installed Despite Circumstances despite what you think you see you need to think

Psalm 2 This is why it is important to walk by faith, which has an object and not by sight

In Psalm 2 there are four scenes four scenes four speakers

And it goes by pretty quickly Four stanzas if you will three verses each in English No title

No words up front because it's so obvious You don't need one

Hebrew scholar Derek Kidner wrote of this psalm. It is unsurpassed for its buoyant

Fierce delight in God's dominion and his promise to his king I'm not a prophet nor a son of a prophet, but you're gonna need this psalm in the days to come

The first three verses talk about the Kings raging against the king Small K large

K the Kings raging against the king Why are the nation's in an uproar?

Why do the nation's rage and the people's plot in vain are they devise a vain thing?

That's a rhetorical question. And here's the rhetorical part You've got to be kidding me

This is stupid. This is absurd. It's not going to work This is like Gulliver's Travels kind of thing on steroids all these little little fusions, is that what they're called again?

I knew that They're rejecting God people

God For what purpose to what end it's not even really astonishment.

It's it's it's horror. I Mean this is this is a question that you might ask

Nebuchadnezzar. Are you sure all those things that you built you did? These aren't people running around in the jungle peasants slaves

These are the elite these are the Kings these are the top dogs And they have nothing in common except we've got to get rid of God.

We hate God The mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God. They rage they riot they with their antagonism

Run run run they devise a vain thing and interesting like good

Hebrew poetry Synonymous in its parallelism. Why do the nation's rage and it says the same thing a different way and what people's plot in vain?

They're devising Their plotting is the exact same Hebrew word we see in chapter 1 verse 2

Meditates day and night the the the believer the the righteous Meditates day and night on the law of God and these people meditate in vain

Their plans not going to come to fruition The Kings verse 2 of Psalm 2 of the earth set themselves.

They take their stand and The rulers take counsel together

Against the Lord Yahweh and against his anointed Saying let us burst their bonds apart and cast away their cords from us

They're marshalling together for battle. They're accumulating in their defiance. It reminds me of Jeremiah 46

Harness the horses mount the steeds take your stand with helmets on Polish the spears put on scale armor

I mean, let's consult together. Let's let's get a union together Let's get a Confederation together and in almost like a

Tower of Babel type of defiance. We've got to kill God and his anointed one Let's deliberate in the war room

Let's have a UN resolution. I mean who wants

God's laws they cramp our style but to God Might I say they're just like spit wads or pea shooters verse 3

When they say let us burst their bonds apart and cast away their cords from us Does it do anything?

When they say God your your ways are repressive You have no right to tell us what to do.

We want to express ourselves Get that yoke off of our neck. That's what the word fetters our cords is

You put something on an animal to control it a horse has reins

Oxen has fetters and you want it to go the way you want it to go and keep it under control God, we don't want any of those cords on us.

We will not have you rule over us And by the way, how wrong could they be about God's reins in God's?

cords and yokes Hosea 11 I led them with cords of a man with bonds of love and I came to them as one who lifts the yoke

From their jaws and I bent down and fed them How much more wrong could they be the

Lord? Jesus said in Matthew 11 take my yoke upon you and learn from me for I'm Gentle and humble in heart and you shall find rest for your souls

For my yoke is easy and my burden. Our load is light Leopold said the world

Screams out defiance before God What's God doing in the midst of all this we come to seen to?

We've seen the earthly perspective now, what's God doing in heaven? Kind of a quick change here.

The the camera goes from earth to heaven The mood changes as well It's like we we peel back the clouds of heaven as it were and see behind the scenes

What's God thinking when the world is going crazy and what will we find behind the curtain?

Maybe God is Impotent he can't do anything. Maybe he's just the deist God. He has to just let it go

He wound it up after all and maybe he's not powerful enough. Maybe maybe he's nervous Maybe we'll find him wringing his hands but you know what you're going to see in the next few verses a

Mighty fortress is our God. That's what you're gonna see Now think of the current events.

We're going through chaos craziness You think okay, it's like Psalm 73, but when

I look at things from your perspective God, it's well with my soul He verse 4 who sits in the heavens laughs

What great poetry he's calm he sits The Lord scoffs at them

Psalm 37 the wicked plots against the righteous and gnashes at his at him with his teeth

The Lord laughs at him for he sees his day is coming We should talk like that when we were kids.

There's a day coming There's a payday one day The one being enthroned is the literal

Hebrew enthroned in majesty. And what does he do? Does he shake does he shiver?

Is he perturbed? Is he scared? Is he taking Xanax tranquil wise and take tranquilizers?

It says he sits Unmoved undisturbed. I'm still and I know

I am God kind of thing sovereign

Majestic untouchable unsaleable He doesn't say I'm scared. He's laughing.

He's scoffing All your rage all your malice all your fervent defiance

When we were kids, we'd always go somebody say something we go. Ooh scared Scared I saw my kids this the other day.

We had a code system set up in in Elementary school and if you wanted to fight a kid after school you could do it just with code language and so you'd look across the

The rows of chairs and you'd look at the guy that bugged you and you would just go like this with your pinky

This means I choose you to fight me afterwards choose And we also had other things if you didn't want to fight the guy you just paid attention to your

English grammar Diagrammatical analysis diagram in your sentence, but if you wanted to accept you put your finger up I accept you choose

Accept I didn't get in a lot of fights when I was kid Too cowardly and this isn't like the world chooses and God says

I accept God looks at him and laughs Friends if you're not going to be thinking about the middle of the psalm where the where the

Sun is installed as the king Everything you do when it comes to life as things get worse and worse and worse

You're gonna think wrongly about Supreme Court presidents and everything else in between The world is chaotic and it's going like a roller coaster faster

And you've got to think rightly and that's why this psalm is so important. I wonder what God thinks about this

It's laughing Like this could actually stop his plan verse 5 then he will speak to them in his wrath

From laughter to bone -chilling word and terrify them in his fury For those who think you know, why doesn't

God intervene he will one day then he'll say something he will intervene no more deus talk

Patient but won't strive forever Isaiah 10 says behold the

Lord the God of hosts will lop off the bows with a terrible crash. Oh, yeah

God's indifferent. You can hear the the second Peter 3 language. Oh, he's never gonna come back.

Is he? But when he does it's gonna be scary. He will speak to them in his anger literally in his heat

He's gonna speak to them in his burning. He's gonna blister them and the central truth of the psalm is now found verse 6

Notice the peace notice the serenity Notice the but I emphatic is the word

I in the Hebrew as I read this in English but as for me, I Have installed my king upon Zion my holy

Mountain or my holy hill as for me. I've set my king on Zion This King I've appointed this

King. I've installed this King. I've coronated I've spoken and that's enough

There's a Davidic King That's better than David assurance calm

Calvin said let them exalt themselves as they may They shall never be able to reach to heaven they resemble so many grasshoppers and the

Lord meanwhile Undisturbed holds from on high their effatuated evolutions and Now we come to what the writer of Hebrews Knew separated

Jesus from every other person and entity in the world verse 7. I Will surely tell of the decree

The Lord said to me you are my son today. I have begotten you perfect control perfect sovereignty no person

Empire Union Nation can thwart God. I have confirmed it.

You have my legal right The word decree means to engrave It's final

God has a fixed plan a holy purpose and the coronation, right? Of course, we know from Acts 13 was when

Jesus was raised from the dead verse 8

Ask of me and I will surely give the nations as thine inheritance Or as the ESV says ask of me and I will make the nation's your heritage

Is there anything the father wouldn't give to the son and the ends of the earth your possession? Ask of me anointed one ask of me son

What father wouldn't give the son anything the son asked for? Especially after that son has perfectly obeyed the son has become obedient to the point of death even death on a cross

You can even hear it inherit. Can't you this is what they did back in those days Ask anything

Or they'd sometimes say ask anything up to half my kingdom and I'll do it for you Give me John the

Baptist head on a platter Customary to ask Kings for thing and and the king here the father says the son you asked me anything you want

I'll give it to you. How could I say no to you? I Willingly give you everything verse 9

You shall break them with the rod of iron You shall shatter them like earthenware dash them into pieces like a potter's vessel all opposition smashed the scepter with a rule back in Egypt sometimes what they would do is they would get a a

Bowl or a piece of pottery and then they would write a name of the nation on their Syria Lebanon Canaanite Canaan whatever it was and then the king would pick up his mace and then

Symbolically to show that he was greater than all these other nations Smash that vase smash that bowl smash that piece of pottery.

I am greater than you Dash it into pieces And this is what

God the Son has been doing To his enemies for many years and will in the end plumber recounts of 30

Roman Emperors governors of provinces and others high in office who distinguished themselves by their bitterness in persecuting

Christians One became speedily deranged after some atrocious cruelty

Atrocious cruelty one was slain by his own son One became blind the eyes of one started out of his head one was drowned one was strangled one died in miserable

Captivity one fell dead in a manner that will not bear recital One died of so lonesome a disease that several of his physicians were put to death because they could not abide the stents that filled him

To committed suicide a third attempted it but had to call for help to finish the work

Five were assassinated by their own people or servants five others died the most miserable and excruciating deaths

Several of them having an untold complication of diseases and eight were killed in battle or after being taken prisoner

So what's the response? We come to the final stanza verses 10 through 12

Kings must be submitted to and we are thankful as Christian people that God has granted us

Repentance and saving faith and we have been able to do this by the grace of God But if there's someone here who's not a

Christian not believing in the King that the Son is The father has installed him as the

King the resurrected Savior the eternal Son if you're not born again Maybe you've grown up in the church and you're little maybe you're older now

Teenager, this is the response to the good news that Jesus Christ Eternally loved sinners and was sent to go rescue sinners like you

This is the response to that five commands in Hebrew.

We don't technically share the gospel. We proclaim it You don't let

Jesus save you these are the commands there's an intro first verse 10 now therefore

O Kings be wise I Could say the fear of the

Lord is beginning of wisdom be warned. Oh rulers of the earth What's the first word in verse 10?

Now there's a time element not tomorrow not the next day not not later on and Now you've heard about the

Sun's authority. You've heard that there's no way you can ever do anything against the Sun and succeed

It's folly to oppose God You have no sense if you oppose

God, so how do you respond to the

God -man who seeks and saves sinners that are lost? number one the first command

Serve the Lord with fear Serve the Lord with fear, or do you know what I could even back up a little bit and say

Show discernment. Let's start there verse 10 be wise That's the first technical command in the

Hebrew be wise be prudent pay attention consider and He gives another command in Hebrew Take warning be warned.

The first is be wise be warned Thirdly found in verse 11 serve the

Lord. It means to worship. It means to serve It means to get yourself down low and pay homage with sincere willing

Prostration to stand in awe of this God he gives another command

Be wise be warned serve the Lord with fear and here's the next one rejoice with trembling rejoice with trembling and then number five kiss the

Sun Profess loyalty to him give allegiance to him

New Testament term would be believe him Have faith in him trust him

You can almost get the language instead of kissing the gods of Baal instead of kissing

Money power Sports Family whatever you might worship give the

Sun true homage first Kings 1918 yet I will leave 7 ,000 in Israel all the knees that have not bound to bail not bowed to bail and every mouth that has not kissed him

They say of them let the men who sacrifice kiss the calves It's much better to respond with the

Lord Jesus like the lady did who broke the alabaster vial of perfume

Standing at his feet weeping Luke 7 says she began to wet his feet with her tears and kept wiping them with the hair of her head and kissing his feet and anointing them with perfume

Instead of revolting against the Sun instead of defying the Sun and setting the hat saying what they said earlier devising vain things and plotting taking counsel submit

Down on your face you go and you kiss the Sun's feet with belief Because you're going to be bowing one day that at the name of Jesus every knee should what?

bow of those who are in heaven and on earth and under earth and every tongue shall confess that Jesus Christ is

Lord to the glory of God the Father you really think that God who says this is my king

Saul tried and failed David tried and failed Solomon tried and failed there can't be a Davidic King and now

Jesus is the Davidic King I honor him. I love him. Whatever he asked I will give him give for him and now what

I've done for him is honor him, but you don't get to Know you don't get to honor him, but I will that is insane

So I have honored him the father says now you honor him and here's how you honor him kiss his feet

Submit to him believe on him No wonder first Corinthians 16 says if anyone does not love the

Lord Let him be accursed The right view of Jesus is the father's view of Jesus and that's what we've been given as believers.

We see Jesus for who he is That's why faith has to be a gift how can you on your own just say

I now believe Jesus is the eternal God man He's the king and he died on the cross and a lot of other people died on the cross

But he was the one who has the resurrection body. I have to believe in him I've never even seen him, but I'll believe in him

No wonder there has to be a gift because you could never come up with that on your own Times running out his wrath soon may be kindled.

Do you notice that his wrath is very quickly kindled and then finally in verse 12

Verse 1 of chapter 1 says blessed is the man and now we have another blessing here The God of grace the

God of mercy Who can stand before his indignation who can endure the burning of his anger?

His wrath is poured out like fire, but you know what how blessed are all who take refuge in him in Him not in others not in yourselves not in brains and bucks and brawn

But in the prophet priest and King Jesus Christ no refuge from him Kidner said only in him

There's a name that saves because that name has been given by the father to the resurrected son and That son says

I've got a request from you father I've redeemed the elect and here they are back to you.

I give them and the father will not say no Everything in the book of Hebrews and in this psalm also help us be reminded that we have an object of our faith there's a difference between faith and faithfulness because faith says

I Don't bring anything to God I'm trusting in the son's faithfulness and that is why on that day

When you stand before God Christian What will he say to you based on your life the last week the last month

What will he say to you Will he say to you? Well done

Good and faithful servant Allah Matthew 25 Enter into the joy of your master now.

I know I want him to say that But think about your life for a second. Will he really say that well done good and faithful servant

Great job. You're good and you're faithful enter into the joy of your master. Don't you want to hear those words?

I want to hear those words What is the

Marine Corps motto? anybody Semper Fidelis that did not start until 1883 when

Colonel Charles McCauley Who was the 8th commandment of the Marine Corps said let's have that prior to that We had with courage by sea by land to the shores of Tripoli even as a motto

Always faithful Semper fi, okay Christian to hear well done and good for good and faithful servant

I think you're gonna probably have to hear always faithful where you always faithful Semper fi you get to heaven you stand before the gates of heaven

God asked you why should I let you in and you say? Semper fi. I don't think so.

I Take that back Jesus Christ Hebrews says

It's superior in every way shape and form and at the baptism the father says well done good and faithful servant at the

Transfiguration God the father says well done good and faithful servant at the resurrection God the father says well done good and faithful servant and Christian you never have to worry about hearing the words.

Well done good and faithful servant because it's already been said of Jesus and You are in Christ Jesus if you're a

Christian, and it's not your faithfulness that will bring you to heaven it is your your trust your your your your

Hope your belief that Jesus was the faithful one at the resurrection the father essentially said

Well done good and faithful servant enter into the joy of your master sit on the throne

You're the king of kings and the Lord of Lord. You are my son. What's in a name?

Father I thank you for this passage today. How great it is to be absorbed in the work and person of the

Lord Jesus Christ as Luther said faith is simply an empty hand which receives what

Christ has done for us Faith is not Meritorious we didn't earn anything.

We just take you at your word father that your son is exalted high holy prophet priest and King Who has the name son?

I pray father that since you have called him son That everyone in this room when they walk out will have with saving faith with belief

Call him son The son of God who comes to ransom many