The Lord and His Anointed: Part 1

The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and the Last Days

Our great God, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, the God of Jacob, God who at sundry times in divers' manners spake in time past unto our fathers by the prophets. Lord, you have in these last days, last days, spoken unto us by your Son, whom you have appointed heir of all things, by whom you also made the worlds.

Father, we thank you. Lord, help us to look unto Jesus, the author and the finisher of our faith. Oh, that we would see Jesus, and that's our prayer today, Father. Jesus Christ and Him crucified. May we go away here saying it's been good, not because we've heard a sermon, but, Father, that we have met with you and your presence.

We ask these things, oh Lord. Be with your people, Lord, throughout this world. Meet with them, Lord, and encourage them in the faith. We pray, oh God, may your blessed Holy Spirit comfort them as they fear you and as they walk in rejoicing in the Holy Ghost.

We ask these things in Jesus' name. Amen and amen. I'd like to speak to you this morning about the Lord and His anointed, the Lord and His anointed. With all that is happening, of course, it's already mentioned, especially in Europe at this very moment, as we are meeting together in this time of history with the invasion of Ukraine by the Russian militants, and they're plowing their way through to the capital.

Who knows what's going to happen? There's been a threat by Putin of nuclear weapons. There's a lot of high alertness right now with the military. America is weak at the moment. I'm a patriotic American, believe me.

But if you look around us, we are weak. A lot of people may ask, is God blessing this nation? You'd like to say yes, but if you look around us again, the evidence is very true that the judgment of God is upon us.

A Nation Under Judgment and Romans 1

Now, I may sound like a prophet of gloom, but that's reality, isn't it? All you have to do is turn to Romans 1. Look at what's happening to this nation. And it breaks my heart. I weep over it. We're not the nation what we used to be.

There was a time people feared God, and when war broke out, and you look back in time and history, especially World War II, people flocked to the churches, even the unbelievers, to seek God's face. As I was coming to church this morning, I saw one person after another with boats, and I was thinking, that's the spirit of America.

Eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow we die. God help us. God spare us. And folks, I'm telling you, this is not my word. You read it in Scripture. I believe it's Psalm 9, I want to say, but it speaks about the nations.

The nations that forget God shall be turned into hell. That's God's Word. Ask yourself, has this nation forgotten God? Has this nation forgotten God? Yes. Well, as things are breaking out at the moment, so we're going to take a little break for a couple of weeks from our study in the epistle of 1 Peter.

I'm led to go to this wonderful psalm. We're going to be looking at Psalm 2. And what the Lord has to say to us during this time in which we face that is so critical. There is an urgency. It's a red alert that we need to be sober.

And all that's been taking place in our country and the United States abroad within the past few years, not only what's happening here recently with Europe, but in the several years of the panic. My heart and my mind has been magnetically drawn to this wonderful psalm for great comfort.

And I'd like to encourage you this morning in the Lord. Now, let me mention something that on a more personal note before we look into the text. On my milk route just the other day I deliver to this particular stop.

I won't name it, but they take quite a bit of milk. As I was delivering milk I had an interesting conversation with this lady who was checking me in at the time and I wanted more time with her, of course.

But I'm timed each time I stop and I have just a small window to say something. Usually I don't speak out first but she spoke first this time and I said, what a glorious opportunity. This particular lady started speaking and sharing her heart and as she was speaking she was speaking of all that's been going on with the pandemic and so forth and I won't go into details she didn't say a whole lot about that and she says, now we're going into a tragic war in Europe and who knows what's going to happen this could be the beginning of World War III and she says to me in a state of panic and you could tell she's fearful and she was saying you know, speaking about the young people that work there at this particular restaurant she said, you know this generation has no idea of all that has taken place in the world speaking of the younger generation she said they're on their iPhones all the time and they're in their own world and I had to agree with her she's very realistic and then she started really sharing a lot more and she opened up to me.

And.

She was sharing she said, well just the other night I couldn't go to sleep, I was in a state of panic of all that was happening. And she actually said last night I could not sleep at all. I was literally panicking and alarmed of all that is going on in this nation and what's going on in the world.

She said I don't know how to handle it and what to handle and what to do. And then I was hearing this. I could not remain silent. Of course as a Christian, I'm a milkman I usually don't start conversations like this unless someone starts the conversation.

The door, God opened up the door of opportunity to give the gospel. So I just said you know miss, I don't even know her name, I see her all the time. But you know, you get a chance to get to know people.

But sometimes you're in such a hurry you know, milkman she's the lady or the guy the managers that check you in. But I could not remain silent. I could not remain silent.

Because.

That would be a sin for me to remain silent. I wish I was really on my own personal time at the moment. I could really set her aside. But she had a job and a duty to do as well. But there's a window of opportunity.

You have to redeem the time, don't you. Because the days are evil and take the opportunity. But anyway, as she was telling me about all this I thought, what a wonderful, glorious opportunity to give her the gospel in a nutshell.

And I told her, you know God and God's providence. I graciously shared with her. I said, we need to rely on the great comfort and the sovereignty of God in times like this. Rest your head on the pillow of God's sovereignty.

And she looked at me like what is that? She didn't say it but I could tell on her face. She didn't know what I was talking about. And I said, you know it's a great comfort to know that God is in control of everything that's taking place and as R .C. Sproul said there's not one maverick molecule in the face of this planet and this whole entire universe that's out of control.

Out of God's eyes. God controls everything and He upholds everything by the word of His power.

And I spoke to her.

And I said, you know miss God is in control no matter how bad things get and how terrible it is.

She replied.

And said, you know that may be good for you but that's not good for me and I said, oh hold on, it's good for you too.

Now.

I was doing my best to be respectful and not forceful and be gracious.

And patient.

But I could tell she was a lost soul.

And then I thought.

You know and I brought up you know I believe in the Bible from cover to cover man's fallen in a terrible state of depravity. And I said, but you know if you go all the way that speaks in Genesis and you go to Revelation, we know how the story ends we know what the future says we know who wins Jesus wins.

And she looked at me and she said.

That I didn't think.

That she said some question about.

Revelation being even.

Questionable as a but she said, who wrote that book and I said the Apostle John one of the Apostles, Apostle wrote it, he walked and talked with the Lord, he saw the Lord and he saw the resurrection of Christ and God revealed all this to him and he didn't understand it, in a vision in the Spirit on the Lord's day in the Spirit of God.

But we know in the Revelation in chapter 19 Christ and I spoke to her about this, I said, Jesus Christ comes back as King of Kings and Lord of Lords but he's not coming back to die on a cross he's coming back in all power and great glory.

And he's going.

To win. And by the way.

He's going to speak by the word of his power and he's going to.

Waste nations.

Wow, she looked at me like I got a problem with that and I said, what do you mean? She said, I got a problem with a God that is love that's going to come back and slaughter and kill.

And I thought to myself.

And Brother Keith reminded me this morning as R .C. Sproul mentioned, we have no concept of who God is and who we are in our sin, we are dust and who? We have defied the living God and I almost wanted to say yeah, what's wrong with you people?

What's wrong? But this is a lost blinded soul. R .C. was speaking about people asking questions like God's why was God's punishments too severe? Oh my goodness. But this lady, here she is lost and she said, I got a problem with a God that loves and that's going to come and kill.

And I said.

May I tell you, I said that is the problem with the state of the church. I brought the church in. She said, I don't go to church no more. I gave that up a long time ago. I said, I'm bringing the church to you.

She said, no thank you. I said, I'm going to bring it to you anyway because you opened up this door of opportunity. But I want to tell you graciously I said, the problem with the church is we don't know what the whole counsel of God is.

People is pick and choose they pick and choose what they want to hear from God's word God's promises, a good yes God's goodness, oh my goodness it leads to repentance, yes. But do we really know the goodness of God.

It's a far cry to hear anything today about God's wrath and God's justice. We don't hear this no more. We don't hear anything of the holiness of God, back in the dark ages the time when the reformers and the reformation took place it was a time of darkness and they heard too much of the holiness of God.

In a sense the pendulum swing was way over here and it was almost like people had a dread of God and they didn't understand the goodness of God's love and His infinite love. And that was a time, but now the pendulum has swung over this direction and now we don't even hear, we hear too much.

Of the love of God.

Kind of in a Mr. Rogers type of neighborhood.

Weak Jesus.

But not the infinite holy love that is brought about in scripture or the horribleness of our sin that God came in flesh in the second person of the Godhead and He took upon Himself and became sin.

Oh beloved.

What.

Has happened what has happened. There is such a decline a great tragedy that has taken place and just about everywhere you go.

People don't have.

Any concept of the justice of God.

Do they.

It's all in scripture of the righteousness and the justice of God. It's all through the scriptures.

Psalm 2: David's Answer to Rebellion

Now.

I want us to look through Psalm 2.

Turn with me there.

And.

This wonderful chapter does not give a title. But speaking of justice and God's wrath this is a book that brings about much it says much about. We're not going to be able to get this whole chapter in today.

There's twelve verses we're going to look at six verses break this up into two parts. But this psalm has no title nor does it tell of it's author but we do know that it is if you read in Acts chapter 4.

Luke.

That recorded Acts gives us a recording and he wrote this down from the early apostolic church.

That as they were.

Praying the church applied it's language to godless in their generation in the early church in the new testament.

The godless.

The godless wicked rulers of their day. So you can actually apply Psalm 2 to every generation in a sense.

But Acts.

Chapter 4 let me read it to you. Verse 24 -26. And while they were praying by the way they were praying verse 24 says. And when they heard that they lifted up their voice to God in prayer with one accord and said Lord thou art God thou art God which has made heaven and earth and the sea and all that is in them.

And here they begin to quote the word of God in prayer. So can you quote God's word in prayer. Absolutely it's biblical. And then he says this by the mouth of thy servant David has said.

Now.

Notice what they said.

Thy servant David. So they are telling us Psalm 2 why did the heathen rage and the people imagine vain things.

They're quoting this.

The kings of the earth stood up and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord and against his Christ the anointed his Christ. So we by this verse in the book of Acts now we know from that it gives to us the Psalms author so we know it's David thy servant David who by the mouth of thy servant David.

If you look at Psalm 1 it begins with a blessed and Psalm 2 ends with a blessed.

Are they.

That put their trust in him. So it's a possibility that Psalm 1 and 2 is kind of intertwined.

Together.

That's something to look into. But now as we look into this as I was reviewing this Psalm as a whole we find that David is declaring by the Holy Spirit bans furious yet futile hostility toward God. It's always toward God isn't it.

If you see it.

Toward man it's always toward God. First there are four stanzas of three verses each from the Psalm. I'll give credits to Herbert Lockyer a great Scottish preacher in the past of this outline. I wish I could come up with an outline like this but I'm borrowing it from Herbert Lockyer.

Ok first of all we will see. In the first three verses verse 1 -3 we see rage and rebellion.

Second.

We see derision and decision that is in verse 4 -6. And then third we see in verses 7 -9 Jesus in judgment Jesus in judgment. And fourth and final we see the instruction and invitation in verse 10 -12 instruction and invitation.

We will only look at the first two points today. Rage and rebellion and derision and decision. So this Psalm is incredibly loaded with majesty and dignity. God is enthroned and you see that he is enthroned and he is on the throne in quite majestic dignity.

He sits in the heavens and he rules. Heaven is his throne. Earth is his footstool. Scripture says. God is not disturbed. God is not worrying. God is not panicking over all that is taking place from man's rebellion.

C .H. Spurgeon says this in the introduction of this from the treasury of David and I will be having a few quotes from him today but I think it is very rich. He says. This Psalm describes the people's agitation against the Lord's anointed God's determined purpose to exalt his Son and the Son's ultimate reign.

He said read it with the eye of faith. Watch the final triumph of our Lord Jesus Christ over all his enemies. End quote. So let's look at first the rage and rebellion. The rage and rebellion verse 1 through 3.

And we will go through one verse. At a time we see the kings of the earth here against the king of heaven. The kings of the earth against the king of heaven in verse 1 the Psalm begins with a question.

The question sets the tone for the whole chapter.

Why.

Do the heathen.

Rage.

And the people imagine a vain thing why do the heathen or the Gentiles.

Rage.

The nations some translation says the people imagine a vain thing why do they rage.

Why do they.

Why do the people imagine a vain thing. It is a tremendous question isn't it.

A lot of people.

Cannot answer that but God's people can answer this because the word of God tells us plainly of man's depravity.

Doesn't it.

The Psalm plunges actually it's almost like David by the Holy Ghost plunges right straight into the theme of this chapter and the initial theme and why. The why sets the tone of it's approach and that is one of the astonishment of the senseless rejection and rebellion of man against God.

It's senseless the rebellion. Rebellion is the sin of witchcraft scripture tells us. Right it's satanic. It originates with Satan because it's rebellion and disobedience against God. The nations the Gentiles they rage they uproar.

That word rage is interesting isn't it. Rage can also mean tumult they assemble in tumult. And the people imagine. The word imagine can also mean meditate meditate. They meditate.

They think.

On a vain thing. Genesis chapter 11 came to my mind when I was studying this about this word. Imagine a vain thing. Go to Genesis chapter 11 and we see the story of the building of the tower of Babel the tower of Babel.

And we see this. That this is a serious rebellion. Really it's a serious rebellion against God. That's what it is. It's a rebellion against God and the God of Heaven. It's more than just building a tower.

It's the attitude behind building the tower. It was idolatry. It was rebellion. It was against the Lord. And keep in mind at this time Nimrod was a one world leader. There was a one language one language one world.

Isn't this where the people of the world wants to go. You see I was thinking of this even old sci-fi pictures I've seen the day the earth stood still. It's a classic sci-fi picture considerably. And actually it's about all nations of the world uniting together.

And today we have the united nations.

Right.

You see.

A one world leader rises up.

There's nothing new under the sun.

But let's see what happens in this time period. Let me read the text to you in chapter 11 verse 1 through 6.

And the whole.

Earth was one language one language and of one speech and it came to pass as they journeyed from the east that they found a plain in the land of Shinar and they dwelt there and they said to one another go to let us make brick and burn them thoroughly that they had brick for stone and slime had day for mortar mortar and they said go to let us build us a city and a tower you know city builders it's going to make them great right.

It's man's arrogance here it's against the Lord.

Okay and.

And they said whose top may reach unto heaven. It almost sounds like they want to be God but there's that's really. They're exalting themselves up against the most high God.

Abroad.

And then it says whose top may reach into heaven. And let us make a notice. God let us like assemble together let us make a name lest we be scattered abroad the face of the whole earth. In other words make a name for themselves forget about the name of.

God.

They forgot God.

But notice the next verse and the Lord came down now see he's in the heavens and he's on his throne but in a metaphorical way it says he already knows what's going on but it's kind of tells us that he like he comes down like the eyes of the Lord roam to and fro about the whole earth.

But he came down to see the city and the tower which the children of men built and the Lord said now we know what God says behold the people is one and they have all one language and this they begin to do and now nothing will be restrained for them which they have imagined to do.

Notice that word imagined same Hebrew word there in Psalm 2 imagine meaning to plan. They planned this they in a bad sense they considered it they devised.

It they plotted it they plot.

A vain thing they the purpose they were thinking evil imagine a vain thing. Human rebellion reminds me of Genesis 6 5 before God destroyed the whole earth with a flood and God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth and that every.

Imagination.

Think of this and look about us today every imagination of the thoughts of his.

Heart his heart.

You know the problem we have in the world and America and globally it's not a political problem.

It's a heart problem.

And what did he say. The thoughts of his heart was only what evil.

Continually.

It was all the time.

And here this refers to the whole imagination the whole person.

The depravity.

The Hebrew word signifies not only the imagination but also.

The purposes his desires.

His mind his desires his very intent.

Is evil.

Continually do we see this today. Any wonder that violence is spreading like cancer.

It's because of the evil and people.

And their hearts continually. And that's why the gospel is the only hope that we have for a depraved nation. Yes we should do everything we can politically and brother Joe knows what I'm talking about but he knows is this as well.

He's the person and you got to be the person to make a difference for the Lord's sake.

Jesus said you're the salt.

Of the earth you're the light of the world. But the problem is man's heart. This kind of rebellion rages the evil before the Lord against the Lord in Psalm 2. Also to note this in Genesis 11 that the building of the tower.

Josephus the Jewish historian said this he places Bible in the days of Nimrod which is a one world leader at that time period. It's interesting that it seems like the leaders even in our nation and even other nations they desire this one nation thing this united nations.

Bible was.

A.

Pointed rejection of God's instruction. Actually in Genesis 9 1 to replenish the earth they were in rebellion against God's command so they wanted to make a name for themselves. They gathered together against the Lord and speaking of the tower to reach heaven.

I'm just going to briefly mention this but you could go to the end in Revelation. In Babylon the great the whore in Revelation is brought down and Jesus judges her so we know where that's going right.

Little man doesn't win with his towers and making a name for himself even though they come together and counsel together against the Lord. Jesus comes back and strikes.

Them down.

But that's another road and that's another sermon right. But the Gentiles the heathen that was raging imagine a vain thing. I couldn't help. But think also 2 Corinthians 4 4 of the question that David gives why do the heathens rage.

Here's another reason that the heathens rage. The apostle Paul said it under the Holy Spirit in whom the God of this world which is Satan hath blinded the minds of them which believe not least the light of the glorious gospel of Christ who is in the image of God should.

Shine unto them.

Isn't that the problem. We wrestle not against flesh and blood but against what. Notice the word against. I want you to notice how many times in Ephesians 6 12 Paul says for we wrestle not. That's in prayer.

We wrestle not against flesh and blood but against principalities against powers against the rulers of darkness of this world against spiritual wickedness in high places. Five times the Holy Spirit has allowed that word.

Against against against against against. Paul tells us. Well if you go back to Psalm 2 the kings of the earth set themselves and the rulers take counsel together against the Lord and against His anointed nations.

Rage roaring like the sea right almost gives a picture like a sea the ocean and toss to and fro restless waves like the ocean and the storm. And it reminds me of Psalm 46 6.

The heathen.

Raged the heathen.

Raged the kingdoms were moved. He uttered his voice.

And the earth.

Melted. Keep in mind that all this commotion of rage and rebellion is not only caused by the people but by their leaders. Wicked leaders. John Calvin said this. He said when God gives us wicked leaders that's a judgment.

And the most horrendous judgment is the hardness of men's hearts. A Puritan said that and they knew the Bible. Well believe me. And all you got to do is read the Bible and you see this. But there's hope.

There's hope.

The gospel is the only hope we have. The kings of the earth set themselves rebellion they set themselves notice that that is a premeditated purpose and a desire.

They plot.

Rebellion outright. Rebellion against just not God's people against the Lord. That's the reason they do it. Spurgeon says this. They oppose God with a determined malice. This is not a temporary rage but a deep seated hate.

They set themselves to withstand the prince of peace. End quote. So this passage can refer to any human depravity right. Any human depraved leader. And this passage can refer to keep in mind. And also let me say this in context though it is literal it is also allegorical and what I mean by that is David is speaking of by the Holy Spirit of himself in that present situation.

But it's allegorical of King Jesus because thus it is a. It's an imprecatory psalm. It's a psalm that's messianic and we see that Christ is in it. Christ the rulers take counsel against the Lord and against his anointed.

Now I.

Kind of wrestled with this I used to think that this whole psalm was a speaking of a prophecy of the second advent of Jesus Christ but also.

If you look at it.

The first half of it can speak of the first advent of Christ and let me show you from scripture what I mean. In Matthew chapter 12 verse 14 it says this. Then the Pharisees this is the religious leaders of Jesus day.

Of course we know what kind of people the Pharisees were. They went out and they held a counsel against him.

Against Jesus.

This is scripture and how that they might destroy him. They wanted to destroy him. And by the way in context if you read Matthew chapter 12 this is right after Jesus did wonderful marvelous miracles. You think the Pharisees cared about that.

They didn't care because they saw that the kingdom of God has come and God through the Holy Spirit was working greatly through Jesus the king was here and the kingdom.

Jesus was.

Basically saying repent for the kingdom of God is at hand. He's the king that was his proclamation and miracles followed him to make men whole. Pharisees didn't care about that they wanted to destroy him.

Matthew 26 3 and 4 says this. Then assembled together the chief priests and the scribes and the elders of the people into the palace of the high priest who is called Caiaphas and consulted that they might take Jesus by subtlety and kill him.

You see that. Remember the word. Imagine the plot. They plotted a vain thing against the lord against the anointed against the lord and his anointed Christ. So the kings of the earth set themselves. The rulers took counsel together against.

God.

And against the anointed one Jesus Christ like Pharaoh of old they cry out come let us deal shrewdly with them. Spurgeon says if I only.

If only.

We were half as careful to serve God as wisely as his enemies are to attack his kingdom so craftily. Sinners have their wits about them yet saints are dull saints are dull. Sadly. Verse 3 says let us they say this let us break their bands asunder let us break their bands asunder and cast away their cords from us.

Notice the two words here. Let us let us again. Almost the same words as the Tower of Babel same two words that we read again.

There.

In essence rebelling against the lord they went apostate.

To worship.

An idol at Babel. And here we see blind. It's literally a blind reaction to God's easy yoke of love bonds. God is so.

Gracious he's got.

Bonds of love. His yoke is easy right? Hosea 11 4a says I drew them with cords of a man with bonds of.

Love.

And then the the wicked people of the earth looks at it as yoke bonds. In Jeremiah 5 5 it says I will get me unto the great men and will speak unto them for they have not known the way of the lord and the judgment of their God.

But these have all together broken the yoke and burst the bonds. You see that they are against the lord and they're fighting up against the greatest one the one that loves them the most. So sad isn't it?

That they are that blind. But I love the questions that Spurgeon gives on this text. Questions like this. Kings oh kings do you think you're Samson. Are the bands of omnipotence like fresh bows with strong strength not yet dried.

Do you dream that you will snap God's mandates to pieces and destroy the decrees of the most high as if they were threads.

Do you say.

Let us cast away the cords from us. Yes rulers have said this and there are still rebels on the thrones. Let me pause there for a second amen. Don't we still see the rebels even in leadership on their little thrones trying to revolt against the lord.

And then he says this the revolt against God. However mad the resolution has continued since creation. The glorious reign of Jesus Christ in the latter day will not be consummated until a terrible struggle.