The Response of the LORD. (Psalms 2:4-6)(4) He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the Lord shall have them in derision.
(5) Then shall he speak unto them in his wrath, and vex them in his sore displeasure.
(6) Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion.
The LORD doesn’t beg. He isn’t a victim. He isn’t fearful of their rejection. He mocks those who reject Him. His laughter doesn’t stem from humor rather it is sarcasm or ridicule. As the famous saying goes, it is He who gets the last laugh. What does God do to the scorner? He scoffs at them. Verse 4 may seem unusual, but it speaks of God’s mighty and unchanging power. The LORD God is no puppet king. He is almighty.
He also expresses righteous and holy anger. Anger is one of those emotions that automatically get’s a bad rap. We are so prone to assume that when a person is angry that they have lost all control. A temporary insanity if you will. But God’s anger is not like that of man. God’s anger is regulated by His holiness and faithfulness. The language of God’s wrath in verse 5 is extreme. The theme of God’s wrath has largely disappeared in modern evangelism. The idea of a “lovey-dovey” God is rampant throughout professing Christianity. Many have imagined a god that is soft and non-intrusive. The Bible knows no such God. The God of the Bible is just and holy, and He is angry with the wicked everyday (Psalms 7:11). It is incumbent upon us as believers to warn people of God’s wrath. The Lord Jesus warned sinners about the wrath of God (Jn. 3:36). Let us follow His example, let us not shy away from the responsibility of talking to lost sinners about their true condition. Away with the salesman tactics, the non-confrontational presentation, we are ambassadors of Christ (2 Cor.5:20), not volunteers merely conducting religious surveys. Let us compassionately warn people to flee from wrath to come, and get to the proclaiming the gospel in a God honoring way.
The language of v.5 is intense for it speaks of God’s attitude towards those who reject Him. Dr. John Gill (a prolific Baptist commentator) renders an alternative reading for “vex them in His sore displeasure” which is essentially similar and insightful: “in the heat of His anger.” God’s wrath is intense. We must remember that God’s anger is not out of control. His anger is constitutional; it works in conjunction with His righteous character and always against sin.
Although God’s wrath is just and right, thankfully He doesn’t leave us without hope. In verse 6, God provides a way by which His wrath can be extinguished. God presents to us His anointed King, the Lord Jesus. Praise God for providing the way of Salvation. Christ is the King spoken of in this verse, and the holy hill of Zion refers to Jerusalem. When Christ first came to the earth, He did not find a throne upon the holy hill - He wasn’t looking for a throne, at least not yet. He did find a cross. He set his face like a flint towards that cross in order to secure the Salvation of lost sinners (Lk. 9:51). One day King Jesus will literally rule in Jerusalem.
(5) Then shall he speak unto them in his wrath, and vex them in his sore displeasure.
(6) Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion.
The LORD doesn’t beg. He isn’t a victim. He isn’t fearful of their rejection. He mocks those who reject Him. His laughter doesn’t stem from humor rather it is sarcasm or ridicule. As the famous saying goes, it is He who gets the last laugh. What does God do to the scorner? He scoffs at them. Verse 4 may seem unusual, but it speaks of God’s mighty and unchanging power. The LORD God is no puppet king. He is almighty.
He also expresses righteous and holy anger. Anger is one of those emotions that automatically get’s a bad rap. We are so prone to assume that when a person is angry that they have lost all control. A temporary insanity if you will. But God’s anger is not like that of man. God’s anger is regulated by His holiness and faithfulness. The language of God’s wrath in verse 5 is extreme. The theme of God’s wrath has largely disappeared in modern evangelism. The idea of a “lovey-dovey” God is rampant throughout professing Christianity. Many have imagined a god that is soft and non-intrusive. The Bible knows no such God. The God of the Bible is just and holy, and He is angry with the wicked everyday (Psalms 7:11). It is incumbent upon us as believers to warn people of God’s wrath. The Lord Jesus warned sinners about the wrath of God (Jn. 3:36). Let us follow His example, let us not shy away from the responsibility of talking to lost sinners about their true condition. Away with the salesman tactics, the non-confrontational presentation, we are ambassadors of Christ (2 Cor.5:20), not volunteers merely conducting religious surveys. Let us compassionately warn people to flee from wrath to come, and get to the proclaiming the gospel in a God honoring way.
The language of v.5 is intense for it speaks of God’s attitude towards those who reject Him. Dr. John Gill (a prolific Baptist commentator) renders an alternative reading for “vex them in His sore displeasure” which is essentially similar and insightful: “in the heat of His anger.” God’s wrath is intense. We must remember that God’s anger is not out of control. His anger is constitutional; it works in conjunction with His righteous character and always against sin.
Although God’s wrath is just and right, thankfully He doesn’t leave us without hope. In verse 6, God provides a way by which His wrath can be extinguished. God presents to us His anointed King, the Lord Jesus. Praise God for providing the way of Salvation. Christ is the King spoken of in this verse, and the holy hill of Zion refers to Jerusalem. When Christ first came to the earth, He did not find a throne upon the holy hill - He wasn’t looking for a throne, at least not yet. He did find a cross. He set his face like a flint towards that cross in order to secure the Salvation of lost sinners (Lk. 9:51). One day King Jesus will literally rule in Jerusalem.
No comments:
Post a Comment