Psalms 1 and 2
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Psalms 1
Psalms 1
Have you ever thought Why do we sing songs in Church? There are these moments in worship where we here the worship leader say, “Sing your own song to the Lord.” Why don’t we do that the whole time? We certainly can.
But we have songs, because these songs give us the words that we would not think to express, it helps us focus and convey clear thoughts and words of praise. What a beautiful name allows us to express declarations of praise. Oceans help us to convey intimate thoughts of trust. These songs are just tools in that regard, to give the people the words to sing.
But what about prayer? Do we have tools like this in prayer. Are tools that give us the words to pray bad? We designed prayer models out of tradition.
When I was a child, I was thought to pray a certain way. Here is the formula. God bless me. Bless my dad. Bless my mom. Bless my grandpa and grandma. Keep us safe. Give us food. Amen. That was a model taught to us out of tradition. It’s not necceasrily a bad prayer. It would suck if you just stayed there. But thank God for the Psalms, because they can inspire different models of prayer from different phases. Are you going through frustration there is a psalm that can help you model that prayer. How about sorrow and Joy? Yes.
Well no, because Jesus himself gave us a template that we can follow. The Lord’s Prayer! In fact, God gives us an entire prayerbook and songbook as a guide. These songs give us the sentiments and feelings that could go into prayer and worship, some of these are expressed as Psalms. So as we read the Psalms, I want you to think this question. How does this Psalm model the way I worship and pray?
Let’s look Psalm 1 and Psalm 2. They are the intro Psalms if you will.
Blessed is the person who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, Nor stand in the path of sinners, Nor sit in the seat of scoffers!
Blessed is the person who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked.. The benefit with song lyrics or pre-made prayers, is that it encourages us to acknowledge or meditate on the meaning of the lines.
So let us look at the first line.
We got a whole lot of voices these days. There are 3 things that we primarily listen to…
Philosophies - Scientific Materialism and Individualism. The belief that all there is in the world is matter. There is nothing beyond the natural. We just have the universe and it’s law and that’s it. The optimal condition is your perfect mental harmony.
Other People - Some of us. We are listening to all the wrong people for advise. We hang on the words of other people. You walk long enough, you trust long enough, you begin to look a little different.
Ourselves - Some of us. The Heart is deceitful above all else. The only reason we will listen to, is ourselves. We are the only people we would listen to. We are arrogant because we think people are dumber than us.
Recognize that we do this, and choose to say. No, I can not dedicate myself to walking in the counsel of wicked ideas and people. We listen to The Word of God. Ask yourself, does this person want me to be closer to Jesus as he truly is? I am going to listen to Him/Her.
Stand in the path of Sinners
This is pretty straightforward. I like it doesn’t say stand with sinners but it says stand in the path or “way” of Sinners. That means you are going where they are going! You are in all the places that they are. You talk like them, you act like them. And then we have our excuses, “Jesus ate and drank with sinners” but He was never in the path of sinners. He never went in their direction. How do I know I went too far?
Is the path I am on directly and ultimately leading into these areas… Galatians 5:19-21
Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: sexual immorality, impurity, indecent behavior,
idolatry, witchcraft, hostilities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions,
envy, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
The deeds of the flesh are OBVIOUS. Sometimes we like to play this game. Well Shervin everything is going to lead to sin. So we might as well avoid everything. Drinking wine in general will lead. Drinking in certain places, at certain times, in certain places, with certain people. will lead to drunknesses.
Avoid the certain places, certain times, certain places, with certain people that will definitely result in compromise. Loving people does not lead to compromise of sin. We never compromise on sin.
Sit in the Seat of Scoffers
this distinctive is an interesting one. Think of a group of people.. Just hurling insults and making fun of someone. You not only listened to their advise, or walk alongside them, now you are sitting with them joining the ridicule of someone else.
Did you know Christians can do this as well? Let’s first define that word Scoffer. And let’s use The Bible to define it.
The Scoffer is the source of the Quarelling. The source of contention. Sometimes I watch christian apologetic content. And some people, they really do not know how to wield the knowledge that they have. Sometimes, I struggle with this too. Youtube example. Those are a seat of scoffers, people who just want to ridicule.
Listen, you, personally, know what the truth is. Don’t spend too much time focusing on false teaching.. Philippians 4:8 “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, think about these things.”
But his delight is in the Law of the Lord, And on His Law he meditates day and night.
He will be like a tree planted by streams of water, Which yields its fruit in its season, And its leaf does not wither; And in whatever he does, he prospers.
What is it not? They didn’t love the scrolls. They didn’t love just the Bible. It is not just loving the information of The Bible either. That’s the first step but it doesn’t stop there.
The Law back in the day was how someone knew what was Sin. In fact, for us it is someone who is just consumed with wanting to please God. In the morning they wake up, and they are thinking about How can I honor God? How can I honor Him in my career? In my decisions? God is the way I parent, honoring to you? Change it, I want to honor you?
In every aspect of my life, from when the sun sets to when it goes down, my desire is to honor God. What is the trajectory of your life. What exactly is it that you find pleasure in? It is simple. For a christian, our pleasure is in honoring God.
But you need to recognize this. You can’t do it alone. You need the Holy Spirit. The power and the means. Some of you are like, man that is not me. I think about Jesus “0” but The Holy Spirit can change that. Tell Him you are willing, Tell Him you want your heart to be changed. Tell Him, you want your thoughts to be consumed with how to please him in every facet and avenue of your life.
Despite the seasons! It stands firm. It’s there. Cause guess what, my eyes are fixed on a greater hope.
When The Holy Spirit is involved, that is when you bear fruit. But most people don’t like this message. Holiness. They don’t want to hear about it. But being a mature christian is realizing that “holiness” is the best way to live. Its the most optimal way to live. That’s why Holy people propser.
The wicked are not so, But they are like chaff which the wind blows away.
Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, Nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous.
The wicked are the exact opposite. They are fickle, their hope is fixed on temporal things.
Let us pray that we are not counted among the wicked, but among the righteous
For the Lord knows the way of the righteous, But the way of the wicked will perish.
“Watches over the way of the wicked”
His eyes are on that path. His acknowledgement is on that path.
Psalm 2 “Why are the nations restless And the peoples plotting in vain? The kings of the earth take their stand And the rulers conspire together Against the Lord and against His Anointed, saying, “Let’s tear their shackles apart And throw their ropes away from us!” He who sits in the heavens laughs, The Lord scoffs at them. Then He will speak to them in His anger And terrify them in His fury, saying, “But as for Me, I have installed My King Upon Zion, My holy mountain.” “I will announce the decree of the Lord: He said to Me, ‘You are My Son, Today I have fathered You. ‘Ask it of Me, and I will certainly give the nations as Your inheritance, And the ends of the earth as Your possession. ‘You shall break them with a rod of iron, You shall shatter them like earthenware.’ ” Now then, you kings, use insight; Let yourselves be instructed, you judges of the earth. Serve the Lord with reverence And rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son, that He not be angry and you perish on the way, For His wrath may b…”
Let us move to Psalm 2:
This Psalm is about the messiah that God promised to David. In fact there are a couple of verses from this passage that are referenced in the New Testament. And when they are referenced in the New Testament they are talking about Jesus.
But to really contextualize this Psalm it may be helpful to think of yourself as the “King” or “ruler” in this passage.
Why are the nations restless And the peoples plotting in vain?
The kings of the earth take their stand And the rulers conspire together Against the Lord and against His Anointed, saying,
“Let’s tear their shackles apart And throw their ropes away from us!”
We live in a culture that is in rebellion to God. I was amazed at the amount of times I have come across people that purport to not believe in a God, but are actually just bitter. They are angry. For some reason or another they can not acknowledge God. “Why would God make a place like this?” …. “Why would God do what He did in the Old Testament” …. “You know what, He might be real. But I want nothing to do with Him”
“This God is evil”
But Just because someone does not like him, does not make him any less the sovereign ruler of the Universe. He does not need my permission or the affirmation of man, to be the only judge of the universe.
We think just because we don’t like Him, we can escape His judgement. We live in His world, you cannot escape it.
In fact, we use God’s own rulebook to judge Him. I only know what evil is because he downloaded his law into my heart.
Abin Chach example… I am in Abin Chach’s house. And I can say well I hate Abin Chach. I hate the way he set that picture frame or put this TV over here. He should have put the TV over there. I obviously know better, and now I think less of him. But just because I might have a poor opinion of Abin Chach, that does not make him any less real.” So this idea, I want a life apart from God. It just is not a thing, where can I go? If I make my bed in sheol even then he is there.
We are living in God’s world. We can’t help but live in God’s world. Will you acknowledge that is the question. We talk a lot about God’s glory… This is it. The judge and ruler of the cosmos.
That’s why its futile… its vain… it makes no sense… to be in a world that is not under God’s ultimate authority. That’s why God laughs in verse 4.
Psalms 2:4-5
He who sits in the heavens laughs, The Lord scoffs at them.
Then He will speak to them in His anger And terrify them in His fury, saying,
“But as for Me, I have installed My King Upon Zion, My holy mountain.”
He laughs cause, it does not matter whether we acknowledge it or not. He is King.
It’s like one of my students sitting in my class and telling me, “you’re not my teacher” That’s a nice opinion. But it doesnt change the fact that I am your teacher.
Presidential election. But Here is what The Lord does, He sets up a King. The King who is the King of Kings and this is how to rest of the Psalm goes.
“I will announce the decree of the Lord: He said to Me, ‘You are My Son, Today I have fathered You.
‘Ask it of Me, and I will certainly give the nations as Your inheritance, And the ends of the earth as Your possession.
‘You shall break them with a rod of iron, You shall shatter them like earthenware.’ ”
This King, This Son is Jesus. This Psalm is prophetic. Why do I believe that? because the Bible believes that.
that God has fulfilled this promise to those of us who are the descendants by raising Jesus, as it is also written in the second Psalm: ‘You are my son; today I have fathered You.’
For to which of the angels did He ever say, “You are My Son Today I have fathered You”? And again, “I will be a Father to Him And He will be a Son to Me”?
‘Ask it of Me, and I will certainly give the nations as Your inheritance, And the ends of the earth as Your possession.
‘You shall break them with a rod of iron, You shall shatter them like earthenware.’ ”
This is the King who has the nations as his inheritance. It belongs to Him. He is the ruler and The Judge. Therefore, what is our response?
Now then, you kings, use insight; Let yourselves be instructed, you judges of the earth.
Serve the Lord with reverence And rejoice with trembling.
Kiss the Son, that He not be angry and you perish on the way, For His wrath may be kindled quickly. How blessed are all who take refuge in Him!
Here is the thing. We can escape judgement. Kiss the Son. Kiss the feat of the Son. How can a God of wrath harmonize with a God of love. Listen to me, you can not be wrathful unless you have deep intense love. Therefore, we have to let ourselves be instructed. Recognize the sovereignty of God in your life. And Submit to the Son of God. The gospel message is here. Right in Psalms 2. Jesus came to rescue you from judgement, He came to rescue us from this present age. Will we yield to Him?
What are some characteristics of God in this passage?
What is the relationship between the nations and God?