The Light of New Jerusalem

The following is adapted from the book  Apocalypse: Lectures on the book of Revelation by J.A Seiss.

That shining is not from any material combustion, - not from any consumption of fuel that needs to be replaced as one supply burns out; for it is the uncreated light of Him who is light, dispensed by and through the Lamb as the everlasting lamp, to the home, and hearts, and understandings, of His glorified saints. When Paul and Silas lay wounded and bound in the inner dungeon of the prison of Philippi, they still had the sacred light which enabled them to beguile the nightwatches with happy songs. When Paul was on his way to Damascus, a light brighter than the sun at noon shone round about him, irradiating his whole being with new sights and understanding, and making his soul and body ever afterward light in the Lord. When Moses came down from the mount of his communion with God, his face was so luminous that his brethren could not endure to look upon it. He was in such close fellowship with light that he became informed with light, and came to the camp as a very lamp of God, glowing with the glory of God.

        On the Mount of Transfiguration, that same light streamed forth from all the body and raiment of the blessed Jesus. And with reference to the very time when this city comes into being and place, Isaiah says, "The moon shall be ashamed and the sun confounded," - ashamed because of the out beaming glory which then shall appear in the New Jerusalem, leaving no more need for them to shine in it, since the glory of God lights it, and the Lamb is the light thereof.

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Paul Washer - The Gospel: The most terrifying truth of Scripture

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The LORD is in His Holy Temple (Psalm 11)

Today, we are going to consider another psalm written by David. This short psalm of seven verses, is David's reply to a confused saint of his day who doubted the survival of the righteous. Then, as it is today many had reasoned that since most of society was going astray from God and true religion, the righteous would soon have to follow suit to avoid becoming completely irrelevant in society. David confronts this argument with a succinct reminder of who God is and the extent of his power and influence.

Verses 1-3
In the LORD I take refuge, how can you say to my soul, "Flee like a bird to your mountain, for behold, the wicked bend the bow; they have fitted their arrow to the string to shoot in the dark at the upright in heart; if the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do?"

In these two opening verses, we have a question and answer presented but not in that order. The question is, what can the righteous do when all the foundations, that is things taken for granted or existing from ages before start crumbling around them. These foundations may be customs that are rooted in scripture. For instance, the institution of marriage is from the Bible and can be considered as the foundation of society. Yet, today we are witnessing a heavy attack on marriage as described and ordained in the bible. This can be seen as a crumbling or destruction of foundations.

The answer David provides for the question is however simple -- Trust in God and find refuge in Him. We can be sure that in spite of all the conspiracies of man to overthrow God and the Bible, in the end His words shall never pass away even when the earth and the heavens pass away.  We can also be sure that even if all the evil forces of this world join forces to persecute Christians, there will be a remnant that will be saved and that remnant will be made up of those who trusted in God for salvation even in difficult times.

Verse 4
The LORD is in His holy temple; the LORD's throne is in heaven; his eyes see, his eyelids test the children of man.

David knows that God is a witness to whatever happens in this world and that without him allowing something to happen, it would never happen. This is the basis of the confidence of a saint.

Verse 5
The LORD tests the righteous, but his soul hates the wicked and the one who loves violence.

Testing and temptation are two different things. God does not tempt his children to sin, but he does test them by allowing seasons of suffering and calamity in their lives. This is to teach them to trust in Him more and to grow spiritually. The goal of testing is to bring victory, while the goal of temptation is to destroy and make one captive to sin.

Verse 6
A graphic portrayal of David's desire to see the wicked punished for their deeds.

Verse 7
For the LORD is righteous, he loves righteous deeds; the upright shall behold his face.

God is the perfection of righteousness and He loves to see his character reflected in the lives of his children just like a earthly father would.

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Why Do You Hide Yourself? (Psalm 10)

As one can see from the title of this Psalm, it is written out of a great desire to see God act swiftly in the Psalmist's life. At the time of writing, the Psalmist feels like God has intentionally hidden Himself, and the only question that pops up in the mind of the psalmist is "Why"? This is a familiar feeling for most Christians if not all, we all go through periods of dryness where we cannot experience God, or we feel like God has abandoned us. Some have called this experience, the dark night of the soul. This period, however is used by God to increase our trust in Him and strengthen our faith.

Verse 1

Why O Lord, do you stand far away, Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble?

These two questions stem from the inability of the Psalmist too see God's hand at work or feel his presence during the time of writing. 

Verses 2-4

The Psalmist's description of the poor brings out three important features of the wicked and the ungodly:

1. They "hotly pursue" the poor, that is they are eager to take advantage of the poor and the defenseless for their own selfish gain.

2. They do not seek God - The wicked do not seek God, because they are too proud to do so. Their thoughts are "There is no God." The root of all atheism is pride.

3. They are greedy for gain and in their attempt to gain more for themselves they see God as an enemy and curse and renounce God.

Verse 5

This verse introduces the paradox that troubles many to this day. In spite of all this, the wicked seem to be visibly prospering. This baffles the psalmist and this is one of the reasons he believes that God has hidden Himself.

Verses 7-11

Description of the wicked continues with more graphic language. The wicked are exposed to being  deceitful, oppressive and rapacious.

Verses 12- 13

The Psalmist's plea to God to arise in retaliation against the deeds of the wicked so that justice will be done.

Verses 14

Although, the Psalmist cannot empirically see God's hand at work he reacts in the best way possible. First of all, he cries out to God to act so that he can once again see God at work and give praise unto Him. Secondly, he reiterates his faith which is not based on sight and declares God to be the helper of the helpless.

Verse 15

A call for destruction of the wicked to break their arms so that they won't be able to afflict the poor anymore. 

Verses 16 - 19

The Psalmist's exaltation of God as the merciful King who hears the cries of the fatherless and the oppressed and does justice for their sake.

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I Will Recount Your Wonderful Deeds (Psalm 9)

This Psalm is another of David's many Praise psalms where he is either himself praising God or calling out the people to give praise to God. This particular psalm launches with four "I will" statements showing David's conscious decision to give praise to God for two reasons. Firstly, David expresses gratitude to God for the things God has done in his life. Secondly, David praises God and worships Him for who God is. What God is, and what God does for His people are closely related. The Psalm reveals God as a righteous judge and a savior of the oppressed. David experienced both of these attributes of God in a deeply personal way. However, intertwined with the praises are David's cries for help from those who afflict them. This shows that some of his enemies remained at large and ready to strike. This is a picture of Christian life, we will always have spiritual enemies who repeatedly taunt and attack us. In all this, we are to find refuge in God who is the Savior of the oppressed. For our battle is not against flesh and blood but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in heavenly places. (Eph 6:12)

Verses 1-2

David's decision to give praise and thanks to God for his wonderful deeds. Sometimes, praise comes spontaneously, at other times we have to consciously remove our eyes from everything else and praise God on purpose.

Verses 3-6

The fall of David's enemies before God's righteous judgement. This was a fall from which they could not get back up. Verse 5 says, that their names were blotted out forever, indicating complete destruction.

Verses 7-9

David's declaration of God as the eternal righteous judge and the stronghold for the oppressed. God is not simply obsessed with justice just for the sake of justice alone, but he seeks justice because of who He is and because of his care for the suffering.

Verse 10

"And those who know your name put their trust in you, for You, O LORD, have not forsaken those who seek you."

This shows the necessity of making God's name known. Men can put their trust in God, only if they first know who God is. This knowledge comes from the Word of God being preached faithfully in season and out of season.

Verses 11-12

David urges the reader to Sing out praises to God and tell of his mighty deeds among the peoples. As we saw earlier, God's deeds and His nature are inextricably tied together. So, making his deeds known would inevitably lead to a better knowledge of God among the people, which in turn will result in some of them putting their trust in God to save them from their oppressors.

Verses 13-14

David's cry for help in the midst of praises is an indication that there still remained some enemies who hated him.

Verses 15-16

"The nations have sunk in the pit that they made; in the net that they hid, their own foot has been caught."
This is what scholars call as the "Boomerang" principle of exact retribution. It is a fact that sometimes, the wicked get caught in their own wicked deeds and experience judgement on this side of eternity. Now, this is not Karma or anything like that. God, in His mercy prolongs judgement on the wicked to the afterlife. Not a single deed of the wicked will go unanswered and unpaid when they stand before the throne of God. We can be sure of that.

Verses 17-20

The climax of a great hymn from David, asking for God's intervention in the judgement of the wicked and the salvation of the poor and needy.

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How Majestic Is Your Name (Psalm 8)

This Psalm is a Praise psalm and is unlike some of the Psalms we have considered before. Evidently, David is writing this during a good season in his life because he doesn't make any mention of his troubles. The Psalm can be divided into two parts. In the first part, David attempts to glorify the name of God by describing Him and his works. In the second part, David ponders on the position of mankind in God's created universe.


1. O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory above the heavens.

David uses the word "Lord" in two different ways here in the opening verse. The first time he uses it, he refers to the revealed name of God, Yahweh. The second time he uses the word, it is to show God's ownership of his life and that of Israel.

2. Out of the mouth of babies and infants, you have established strength because of your foes, to still the enemy and the avenger.

David ponders on how God has used the weak and the defenseless to make them strong and then wage war against much larger and stronger enemies.

3,4. When I look at your heavens, the works of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him?

This verse is the heart of the Psalm and possibly the initial thought that made David pen this Psalm. David starts by first acknowledging that the heavens were made by God, but note the words he uses to bring out God's glory in the fullest possible manner. He maintains that the "fingers" of God were involved in the making of the moon and the stars. This is not a contradiction with the Genesis account, but a poetic way of making the Creator larger than the creation. If the fingers of God made the moon and the stars, he wants the reader to understand that the Creator is infinitely larger than creation and that God exists outside of its limitations.

The second part of the verse is a rhetorical question that magnifies God and diminishes mankind. David looks at the heavens in all its glory and then thinks to himself what man is worth in all of creation. He comes to the rather logical assumption that mankind is not worth a mention compared to the vastness of the universe. All pride must be laid down, before one can witness the greatness of God. This is what David tries to do here.

Verses 5-8

In spite of the smallness of man, God has made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned man with glory and honor. Not only that, God also gave man dominion over all the animals that he created. We learn this truth from the creation account in Genesis.This is where the agnostic and the Christian part ways. The agnostic would come to the same conclusion that David came to in the previous verse concerning the insignificance of mankind. In this sense, the agnostics are more honorable that atheists,  as in they at least see their weak nature! However, they refuse to believe that the God or the being that is supposedly responsible for the creation of the universe would have anything to do with mankind. However, they come to this conclusion because they look at the whole scenario through fallen eyes. In their eyes, rulers, creators, bosses and the like are all entitled individuals who don't care a bit about the common man. Then, they project the same character onto God who they think would be worse than the proudest of earthly bosses. This is a wrong conclusion, since God is not a man. God is love, and he loves his creation, especially the human race who he has placed as the crown of creation.

This position that God has given us and the news that we are treasured and loved even to the point that God gave His own Son for us, is the gospel. It is good news, that asks all men to repent and follow this God in this life and the life to come.

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In You Do I Take Refuge (Psalm 7)

The seventh Psalm in the book of psalms, is termed as a Shiggaion. A Shiggaion is defined as an "erratic melody betokening excitement and agitation." So we see that Psalm is again straight from David's heart and he is not concerned about the melody and the aesthetics of the psalm. He simply wants to pour out his heart through this song to God and his hearers.

As one proceeds through this psalm, it is easy to see that David progresses through many stages. In the first stage, David is pleading for divine intervention to deliver him from his enemies. In stage two, he argues his innocence before God, the divine judge and in the last stage he waits patiently for God to act decisively over his enemies.

Verses 1-2
A plea for God to help him, so that his enemies might not destroy him like a lion tears its prey into pieces.

Verses 3-5
David establishes his innocence by boldly saying that he will gladly accept ruin if what his accusers are saying can be proved to be true. The accusation against David was that he repaid evil towards his friends, and plundered his enemies without cause. David, who is absolutely sure of his innocence in this matter asks God to settle the case once and for all to see.

Verses 6-7
A battle cry from David to see his God arise against his many foes.

Verses 8-11
A description of God's attributes. God is a righteous judge, and he judges not by what human eyes can see but by testing the minds and hearts of men. No human court can judge minds and intentions, because they lack the perception to see the deep things of the mind.

Verses 12-16

The result of God's judgement on the wicked is described in very serious language. Verse 12 says, "If a man does not repent, God will whet his sword; he has bent and readied his bow." How dreadful it is to fall into the hands of the living God. Sometimes, the wicked judge themselves by their own unrighteous acts. This is shown in verse 15 and 16, " He makes a pit digging it out, and falls into the hole that he has made. His mischief returns upon his own head, and on his own skull his violence descends."

Verse 17
David's declaration and decision to give thanks to the Lord and sing praises to His matchless Name.

The principles of judgement found in this Psalm, might sound like wishful thinking on David's part, but we who live in this generation have undeniable proof that it is the truth. Over the last decade, we have witnessed in the news many oppressive leaders being overthrown in the middle east by the people and by this these leaders received the same violent treatment that they dished out on their people. This is true throughout history.

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O Lord, Deliver My Life (Psalm 6)

This Psalm paints a picture out of David's personal struggles and desperation. It is a very intense psalm written from the heart of a man who seems to be crushed from all sides. However, as we have seen time and time again hope springs eternal in David' heart and by the end of the Psalm he is once again in a defiant mood.

1. O LORD, rebuke me not in your anger, nor discipline me in your wrath.

David seems to have made a habit out of starting most of his Psalms with a direct plea to God. This time his plea is for mercy from God. He fears God's rebuke and discipline that come out of His wrath.

2. Be gracious to me, O LORD for I am languishing; heal me, O LORD, for my bones are troubled.

David's condition is expressed in these words. He is completely worn out both physically and emotionally. Even his bones are troubled, which is a way of expressing deep seated grief. We are not given the exact cause of these emotions, but evidently it was caused by men who were David's enemies.

3. My soul also is greatly troubled. But you, O LORD --- how long?

In the midst of his trials, David is growing weak and tired of waiting for God's intervention. But, even in the midst of this he continues to hold on to his hope that God will come through in the end.

4. Turn, O LORD, deliver my life, save me for the sake of your steadfast love.

David implores God to deliver him from his troubles for the sake of his steadfast love. David reasons with himself that if God doesn't deliver him that would be against God's essential quality of love.

5. For in death there is no remembrance of you; in Sheol who will give you praise?

David sort of argues with God saying that if he dies now and goes to Sheol (grave), he wont be able to praise God anymore through Psalms or any other means.

6. I am weary with my moaning every night I flood my bed with tears; I drench my couch with my weeping.

Its been a sleepless season for David where he found himself crying throughout the night. This goes to show the extent of darkness he was experiencing on a day to day basis.

7. My eye wastes away because of grief; it grows weak because of all my foes.

His eyes are weary because of the lack of sleep caused by intense grief.

Verses 8-10

Depart from me, all you workers of evil, for the LORD has heard the sound of my weeping. The LORD has heard my plea, the LORD accepts my prayer. All my enemies shall be ashamed and greatly troubled; they shall turn back and be put to shame in a moment.

This is a sudden change in attitude from David. He goes from pitying himself and his condition to a mood of defiance in a flash. He his completely certain that God has heard his prayer and weeping and will act soon in his defense. He expects God to act and bring trouble on his enemies in a moment, that is to say quickly.

In this Psalm, we can once again not miss David's undying hope in God even in the midst of the most difficult trials. This is a lesson for all of us, to keep hoping and trusting in God in our darkest days. Let us remember that weeping may last for a night, but joy comes in the morning. Whatever you are going through today, be confident that it too shall pass.

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You are Not Your Body

I just wanted to quickly share this anecdote I read just now. The time is now 11:13 pm and it is time for me to sleep, but I felt like I have to type this up before I sleep so here it goes.

One day in his 80th year... John Quincy Adams was approached by a friend who said, "And how is John Quincy Adams today?"

The former President of the United States replied graciously, "Thank You, John Quincy Adams is well, sir quite well, I thank you. But the house in which he lives at present is becoming dilapidated. It is tottering upon its foundations. Time and the seasons have nearly destroyed it. Its roof is pretty well worn out, its walls are much shattered, and it trembles with every wind. The old tenement is becoming almost uninhabitable, and I think John Quincy Adams will have to move out of it soon; but he himself is quite well, sir quite well." And with this the venerable statesman, leaning heavily upon his cane, moved slowly down the street. (From the Glory of Heaven, by John MacArthur)

The cares of this world have been especially strong these days in my life and I have been feeling rather unwell spiritually. Although I churned out posts each day, it has been a rather tough period in my life. But I was sent this book through the mail and I have been reading it bit by bit and the thoughts of heaven has given me such endurance and relief. Let us set our affection on things above and remember that life on this planet is temporary. Our eternal abode is in Heaven.

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Lead Me in Your Righteousness (Psalm 5)

1. Give ear to my words, O LORD; consider my groaning.

Like in the earlier psalms we have considered, David is again crying out to his God for help. His heart is groaning which signifies extreme distress. We all have times like this, it is an inevitable part of human life, but what we do during those times of suffering is what counts.

2. Give attention to the sound of my cry, my King and my God for to you do I pray.

David's plea continues here in verse 2. From a human standpoint we have a tendency to doubt whether God really hears our prayers and groaning. In the midst of this doubt, David cries out to God that He would hear his cry.

3. O LORD, in the morning you hear my voice, in the morning I prepare a sacrifice for you and watch.

It is typical for David to contrast his emotions with his faith. In the previous verse he was crying out to God to pay attention to his cries and pleas for help. In this verse, he expresses his confidence that God does hear his voice every morning. This is the triumph of faith over emotions. Faith is above feelings and man's reasoning.

4. For you are not a God who delights in wickedness; evil may not dwell with you.

God does not delight in wickedness. David knew that innately he was a sinner and that he needed a sacrifice to dwell with God. This is why he says "I prepare a sacrifice for you in the morning." For a New Testament believer the sacrifice is already done through Jesus Christ our Lord. We have solid ground to stand upon, however we must take the utmost care to keep ourselves from sin each day.

5. The boastful shall not stand before your eyes; you hate all evildoers.

The one who is boastful about his achievements or self righteousness cannot stand before God.

6. You destroy those who speak lies, the LORD abhors the bloodthirsty and deceitful men.

David expounds on the fact that God hates all evildoers. Can God hate his own creation? It seems like he does from this verse.

7. But I, through the abundance of your steadfast love, will enter your house. I will bow down toward your holy temple in the fear of you.

Here David contrasts himself with his enemies. They are boastful and full of pride while he is humble. However, note how David trusts in God's abundant and steadfast love to enter the House of God. What an apt description of God's love! Abundant and steadfast (unwavering).

8. Lead me, O Lord in your righteousness because of my enemies make your way straight before me.

David showcases the true mentality of a disciple, that is a desire to continue walking in the way of righteousness. He wants to know more of the way he should go, this is what it means when he says make your way straight. The straighter a road, the farther you can see and the more you can prepare for the journey. It does not mean, the way will be easy it only means that you have an idea of what is on the way.

9. For there is no truth in their mouth; their innermost self is destruction, their throat is an open grave they flatter with their tongue.

David's enemies were evidently liars and lusted for destruction and violence.

10. Make them bear their guilt, O God, let them fall by their own counsels;  because of the abundance of their transgressions cast them out, for they have rebelled against you.

David makes no secret of his desire to see his enemies suffer. But was he right in doing so? In the new testament, Jesus teaches us to pray for our enemies and provide for them when they are hungry.

11. But let all who take refuge in you rejoice; let them ever sing for joy, and spread your protection over them, that those who love your name may exult in you.

David wants to see justice done. This is no different from most people, when they see injustice being done on themselves and other innocent people. In this world, justice might not be complete, but it will be in the next age. Each man will have to stand before the throne of God and give an account of his life. Justice will prevail in the end. This is a scary thought, but we who trust in Jesus and his sacrifice have nothing to fear. We have been declared righteous. Amen.

12. For you bless the righteous, O Lord; you cover him with favor as with a shield.

The righteous man is protected with God's favor.

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Answer Me When I Call (Psalm 4)

Today we are going to look at another psalm of David. Like Psalm 3 this one is also written by David in the midst of trying circumstances and again we see that David trusts and hopes in His God.

1. Answer me when I call, O God of my righteousness! You have given me relief when I was in distress. Be gracious to me and hear my prayer.

A plea of David for God to respond like he did in the past and give him relief in the midst of distress.

2. O men, how long shall my honor be turned into shame? How long will you love vain words and seek after lies?

Now the focus changes onto David's enemies who are out to get him. They want to turn David's honor into shame that is to bring him down or destroy him in every way possible. This is comparable to what the Devil, the ultimate enemy of God's people wants to do to them.

3. But know that the Lord has set apart the godly for himself, the Lord hears when I call him.

David addresses his enemies and lets them know that no matter what they do he belongs to the Lord. Being set apart or being godly refers to separation and holiness. David also reaffirms his faith that his God will answer him even in this present circumstance.

4. Be angry and do not sin; ponder in your hearts on your beds, and be silent.

Paul quotes this admonition in his epistle to the Ephesians thereby shedding light on what the verse actually means. Paul writes that anger must not be cherished and that it must be resolved before the sun goes down. This means that anger must be short lived, not something that we hold on to because in the end anger can lead to sin and rebellion. Also, righteous anger will always be directed at sin and will be mingled with sorrow at the presence of sin. This is the way Jesus experienced anger in his earthly life and is a model for us on how to deal with this emotion.

5. Offer right sacrifices and put your trust in the Lord.

This could be a reference to Cain, who scripture says was angry at Abel because his sacrifices were rejected while Abel's were received. 

6. There are many who say, Who will show us some good? Lift up the light of your face upon us, O Lord.

The skeptics who do not trust in God are running around to see something that satisfies, something that is good. Alas, all their searching is in vain, because they lack the joy of the Lord

7. You have put more joy in my heart than they have when their grain and wine abound.

David has more joy than his enemies, even in his difficult condition.

8. In peace I will both lie down and sleep, for you alone, O Lord make me dwell in safety.

Not only does he have joy, he also has peace. This peace finds its origin in his faith in God and his realization that God will keep him safe from his enemies.

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Save Me, O My God (Psalm 3)

This is the first of 73 psalms that are attributed to David in the Bible. The superscription tells us that this psalm was penned by David when he fled from Absalom, his son. The words of the psalm are indicative of the struggles that David had to face at the time of its writing. However, it also shows the great hope and peace that David had because he put his complete trust in His God.

1. O Lord, how many are my foes! Many are rising against me;

David was in the peculiar position of having his son as his enemy. Under these circumstances, defeating his "enemy" would in reality be a defeat to David at the same time. This is what happened in the end when Absalom was slain by David's men. David did not celebrate his victory rather he cried out aloud in anguish over the son that he lost.

2. Many are saying of my soul, there is no salvation for him in God.

People have a tendency to find some kind of happiness in seeing others suffer. This is the nature of sinful human beings and this is why people laugh when others trip and fall or some accident takes place. Because of this nature, people also find joy in being naysayers when bad things happen to people especially to important people. This is what David was going through at the writing of this psalm.

3. But you, O LORD are a shield about me, my glory and the lifter of my head.

David acknowledges that in spite of his circumstances, God was his shield that is to say his protection, his glory (greatness) and the lifter of his head (helper). This is in stark contrast to what the people where saying about him. Every christian can learn a great lesson from this and the lesson is not to pay attention to the words of men rather to hearken unto the voice of God who cannot lie.

4. I cried aloud to the LORD, and he answered from his holy hill.

David finds strength by remembering how God saved him in the past in answer to his prayers.

5. I lay down and slept, I woke again for the LORD sustained me.

Even in the most difficult circumstances, David had enough peace from God to relax and sleep.

6. I will not be afraid of many thousands of people who have set themselves against me all around.

Faith in God always confronts and erases fear. But this is a conscious decision by David to not be afraid of people. Fear is a decision and so is faith. You can either focus on the problem and be afraid of it, or you can focus on God and confront the problem. David chose the latter.

7. Arise, O LORD! Save me, O my God! For you strike all my enemies on the cheek; you break the teeth of the wicked.

This is the prayer of David. Now that he has put his trust in God, he urges God to act in his defense and save him one more time from those who seek to destroy him.

8. Salvation belongs to the LORD, your blessing be on your people.

Not only does David pray for his deliverance but also that God's blessing might rest on all his people. David also recognizes that salvation belongs to God, whether it be from temporary earthly death or permanent eternal death.

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The Reign of the LORD'S anointed (Psalm 2)

Psalm 2 is a Messianic psalm and in a way expands on the idea of the previous psalm. The author of the psalm is not mentioned in the text, however scholars feel that the style of the psalm shows that it was written by David. Where Psalm 1 talked about being blessed in an individual sense, psalm 2 takes the same idea to a broader scale talking about nations and not individuals.

1. Why do the nations rage and the people plot in vain?

This is a rhetorical question meaning that people plotting against God is useless as it will ultimately end only in failure.

2,3. The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord and against his Anointed, saying, let us burst their bonds apart and cast their cords from us.

This is an apt description of what is going on in the world today. The leaders or kings of the earth are coming together to change the way people look at morality. Biblical morality is seen as a yoke that no can bear and they want to cast it off, not knowing that these are borders put in place by God for human well being. The use of the word anointed refers to David in the more immediate sense, but ultimately it refers to the Messiah.

4. He who sits in heaven laughs, the Lord holds them in derision.

This silly rebellion by weak men is not a threat to God or His Kingdom, in fact it only makes God laugh at the foolishness of men who think they are wise.

5,6. Then he will speak to them in his wrath, and terrify them in his fury saying, "As for me, I have set my King on Zion, my holy hill"

After witnessing the rebellion by men, God has proclaimed that whatever they do they cannot stop Him from setting His King on Zion, Jerusalem's most prominent hill. The word King here again refers to David and the Messiah at the same time. In the end, the Lord's anointed one, Israel's true King will reign and every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that He is Lord. This is final, no amount of conspiracy or planning can change this decree.

7. I will tell of the decree: The LORD said to me, "You are my Son; today I have begotten you.

Also read 2 Samuel 7:8-16

The reference above is about the covenant that God made with David. If you read it carefully, you will see that the covenant is an unconditional covenant and was ultimately meant to bring the Messiah to the scene. The Son referred to in the verse is undoubtedly Jesus Christ, but it was told to David. This might be confusing, but when you think of it David was only an image of the greater David who is Jesus Christ.

8. Ask of me, and I will make the nations your heritage, and the ends of the earth your possession.

Matthew Henry's commentary on this verse sheds light on its true meaning.

The Son must ask. This supposes his putting himself voluntarily into a state of inferiority to the Father, by taking upon him the human nature; for, as God, he was equal in power and glory with the Father and had nothing to ask,

9. You shall break them with a rod of iron and dash them in pieces like a potters vessel.

Again this is a continuation of the divine decree. The imagery here shows the impending judgement that is to come on the entire world even on the rulers of the world.

10,11. Now therefore, O kings, be wise, be warned, O rulers of the earth. Serve the Lord with fear and rejoice with trembling.

This is the ideal reaction that must come from the rulers of the earth that conspire against God after realizing that God's decree is final. They are asked to be wise, that is to see their folly and turn from it. They are also given the privilege to serve the Lord with fear and rejoicing.

12. Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and you perish in the way, for his wrath is quickly kindled. Blessed are all who take refuge in Him.

Kissing the Son, means pledging alliance to Jesus the King. Those who do not pledge alliance to the King of kings will surely perish in the way of History. Those who on the other hand do swear allegiance to the King are blessed as they have taken refuge in Him. These He will make part of His church, the body of Christ on earth.

Psalm 3 tomorrow :)

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The Way of the Righteous and the Wicked (Psalm 1)

We are about to begin an exciting journey into the world of Psalms. As I type this, I am excited as well as anxious. I am excited because I am sure that studying these Psalms like never before will have a great effect on my spiritual life. At the same time, I am anxious because this is a very long book and going through it and internalizing it will be very challenging and will require a lot of dedication and discipline from my part. But as our Lord said, each day has its own worry. So, I am not going to look forward too much. I am going to relax, take it in slowly and trust in the Lord. I hope you do the same.

PSALM 1

This particular psalm has only 6 verses, but it covers a broad spectrum. The idea of the psalm is to compare and contrast between the righteous and the wicked. There are only two kinds of people in the world, the righteous and the wicked. People who do not have the righteousness of Christ imputed to them are innately wicked. We know this since scripture teaches us that all men have fallen short of the glory of God. In essence, the whole Bible is about God in His sovereign grace redeeming wicked sinners and making him them righteous by imputing to them a righteousness that is not their own.

1. Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of the sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers.

Have you ever wondered what the word "blessed" means? The word is used very frequently among Christian circles, but many don't know the true definition of this word. After doing a bit of study on the word myself, this is what I felt was the best definition. Being blessed means having a deep seated joy and contentment in God. When I say deep seated, I mean that it is not affected by anything, except when it comes to sin. The blessed man remains joyful and content irrespective of the circumstances that he encounters. Do you have such joy and contentment or are you substituting true joy with entertainment and other worldly things? Ponder on this. 

The Psalm tells us that the blessed man does not walk, stand or sit with scoffers. Note that it does not mention anything about complete avoidance. As we live in this world, contact with wicked people is inevitable or like Paul said we might have to leave this world. However, we decide whether or not we walk with them, take advice from them and sit with them. Friendship with the world is enmity with God. When we walk in the counsel of the ungodly or wicked we reject the counsel of the Lord. Walking leads to standing and then sitting, that is being completely absorbed in the things of the world. It is a downward spiral, and the blessed man avoids this by not getting too comfortable and cozy in this world.

2. But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night.

The blessed man delights or finds joy in the laws or ways of the Lord. The Bible tells us the way to live life, it doesn't tell you who to marry or what profession you must have. It doesn't tell you how many children to have, or where to live. This means that no matter who you marry, or what you do in life, or how many children you decide to have, God is only concerned with how you play these roles in life. The blessed man meditates on God's Word continually for direction and insight. This keeps him from not having to delight in the way of sinners.

3. He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season and its leaf does not wither.

A healthy tree is an apt symbol for a blessed man especially in the harsh terrain of Israel. In our study of the word blessed, we said that the blessed man has a deep seated joy and contentment with God. This is the individual or inner side of being blessed. However, out of the inner state of being blessed flows the outer signs of being blessed. The man blessed by God will be fruitful, and will prosper in all that he does because he only does what his Lord wants him to do. 

4. The wicked are not so, but are like the chaff that the wind drives away.

So far, we have been talking about the blessed man or the righteous man. But as we saw in the introduction to this psalm, there is a second type of man - the wicked. While the blessed man is planted, signifying security and permanence, the wicked is like chaff that blows away in the wind. He is affected by circumstances, though he looks beautiful now he will not be able to withstand the wind that is to come. The chaff is also a symbol of worthlessness.

5. Therefore, the wicked will not stand in the judgement, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.

God's judgement on the wicked will be strong and final. It will be an irreversible judgement that finally once and for all divides the wicked and the righteous. Everything will be exposed, here on earth we have difficulty separating the tares and the wheat. But, on judgement day the separation will be complete and final. It will be a dreadful day for the wicked, but for the righteous it will the most glorious day. 

6. for the Lord knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish.

Broad is the way that leads to destruction and many go through it. The way of the wicked is the world's way.  It is a way where gratification of sinful desires is glorified and God is shunned as old, superstitious and unwanted. But the Lord knows the way of the righteous, this means that God is personally involved in the lives of his saints. He is not just sitting on his throne and giving his recognition to the righteous but his intimately involved in everything that they do and go through.

I hope that you enjoyed reading through this post. Maybe you just stumbled across this blog accidentally, but it would mean the world to me if you would comment and suggest anything that would make the blog better and more edifying for our Lord's church.

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CRAZY LOVE Chapter 1 - Stop Praying

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Study of Psalms Coming up

Let me cut right to the chase. I will be beginning a new series on the Psalms tomorrow. The vacation in the north east is done and I am back in Texas again. I had a wonderful two weeks with my cousins and their family during which I was recharged and redirected regarding my future. but now that I am back and the lawn is mowed, I am looking forward to beginning the study on the longest book in scripture. Its going to be a wonderful experience and I welcome you to join me in the journey.

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