Latest / Reformed Thinking / Why Do the Nations Rage? The Reign of God’s Anointed King (Psalm 2) | John Calvin

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Why Do the Nations Rage? The Reign of God’s Anointed King (Psalm 2) | John Calvin · Reformed Thinking

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Welcome to Reform Thinking. Think about the feeling you get
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when you scroll through your news feed on any given Tuesday
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morning. Oh, that immediate knot in your
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stomach. Right you see footage of global
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summits, massive military exercises on disputed borders,
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and talking heads debating the absolute collapse of societal
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order. It is a lot to take in.
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It is there is this visceral physical sensation of anxiety
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that starts in your chest. I mean, it feels like the entire
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globe is caught in this frantic, chaotic frenzy, you know?
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And everyone is shouting at the top of their lungs trying to
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grab the steering wheel of history.
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Yeah, that is a great way to put it.
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You get the distinct impression that human beings, particularly
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those with a lot of authority, are desperately trying to
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orchestrate and escape from any kind of higher accountability.
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That anxiety is a very natural human reaction to observing
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massive geopolitical or cultural shifts.
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I mean, when you were standing on the ground watching the dusk
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get kicked up by the marching of armies or the shifting of
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cultural tides, your horizon is entirely dominated by the noise.
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You lose the big picture. You really do.
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You lose any sense of a broader horizon.
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You are caught in the immediate terror of the moment.
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And that ground level terror is, well, it's our starting point
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today. So for this deep dive, we're
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looking at John Calvin's classic commentary on Psalm 2A.
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Fantastic text. We're looking at a text that
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details the unstoppable sovereignty of God's appointed
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king amidst a massive global rebellion.
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It addresses that specific modern anxiety we just talked
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about, but it was written centuries ago about an ancient
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text. Yeah, the premise of the
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commentary is that the world seems to be an absolute chaos,
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but it invites us to fundamentally shift our vantage
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point. So let's jump into the very
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first verses. Yeah, Why are the nations so
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furious? And what are they actually
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trying to achieve? Well, the commentary opens by
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analyzing the immediate historical situation.
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So Psalm 2 paints a picture of a world in absolute upheaval.
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Nations and leaders are not just disagreeing, they are actively
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conspiring. To understand the gravity of
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this, we need to look at the author of the song King David
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and the reality he was living in.
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He was facing a vast multitude of enemies.
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Yeah, let's unpack that historical context first,
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because it sets the stage for everything else.
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When we hear the word tumultuous, we might just think
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of a rowdy protest. A riot or something?
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But David was dealing with an existential threat to his life
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and his throne from day one. I mean, he was anointed by the
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prophet Samuel when he was just a shepherd boy and nobody, and
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from that moment on his life was marked by people trying to kill
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him or depose him. Yes, the historical reality was
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incredibly violent and unstable. First you had the domestic
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enemies. The House of Saul, the previous
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king, waged a long, bitter civil war against David.
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That lasted for years. It did.
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And even after David was established, he faced rebellions
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from within his own family, like the devastating uprising led by
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his son Absalom. The hearts of the men of Israel
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were literally stolen away from him.
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He had to flee his own capital city, weeping.
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And if the internal strife wasn't enough, he had the
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foreign threats right on his doorstep.
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Spot on. The surrounding nations, the
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Philistines, the Moabites, the Ammonites, the Edomites, they
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all saw this new king as a threat.
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They didn't want him there. Not at all.
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As soon as David settled the internal disturbances, the
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neighboring states became hostile.
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They formed coalitions. They were confederated.
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It was organized. Very organized.
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The text uses words like assembled together.
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This was a coordinated international effort to
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violently remove him from the throne he had just secured.
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I mean, if I am David and I am looking at this massive
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multinational coalition breathing down my neck, and then
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I look at my own Kingdom which keeps fracturing into civil war,
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I would be terrified. Oh, absolutely.
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If I judge this situation according to basic military
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strategy and human reason, I have every reason to be full of
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apprehension. I would probably assume I made a
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mistake and should just go back to watching sheep.
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Any rational person would think that Calvin acknowledges that
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David had an incredibly sore battle to fight.
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But the analytical pivot here is how David frames this conflict
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in his own mind. How so?
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He does not view this as a standard political dispute over
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border territories or trade roads.
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He recognizes A fundamental truth about his kingship.
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He did not seize the throne out of ambition.
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Right, He wasn't a political opportunist.
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Far from it. He did not have a depraved
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desire to overthrow the government.
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He was perfectly content in the pastures.
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He only followed the call of God.
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OK, that makes sense. He knew with absolute certainty
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that he was made King by divine appointment.
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Therefore his logical conclusion is that the attack is not really
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against him. By attacking the King God
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appointed, they are assailing God himself.
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Let me make sure I follow the logic here.
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Because the Creator built the throne and placed the king on
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it. Anyone trying to tear down that
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specific throne is declaring war on the builder.
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That is the core argument. But to understand the commentary
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fully, we have to grasp a massive theological principle
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that governs how Calvin reads the Old Testament.
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Let's hear it. David's physical Kingdom, his
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literal throne in Jerusalem, was a type or shatter.
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OK, I need to pause right there. Those are heavy theological
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terms. Type and shadow break that down
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for me. If someone is listening to this
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wall commuting, how do they visualize a historical Kingdom
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being a shadow? Sure.
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Think of it like an architectural blueprint versus
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the actual building. A blueprint is a real, tangible
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thing. You can roll it out on a table,
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look at the lines and understand the dimensions of a house.
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Right, it has real value. It does, but nobody tries to
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live inside a blueprint. It exists to point forward to
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the physical structure that will eventually be constructed.
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I see where you're going with this.
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In Reformed theology, David's temporal Kingdom was the
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blueprint. It was an earnest A tangible
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historical down payment given to the ancient Israelites to assure
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them of the eternal spiritual Kingdom that would eventually be
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established in the person of Christ.
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So David was made king not just for the sake of ancient Israel's
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political stability, but to act as a living, breathing prophecy
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of the Redeemer. Precisely.
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Calvin makes a forceful argument that we must hold this
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principle. The things David declares
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concerning his own struggles and his own throne are truly
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predicted concerning Christ. It is all connected.
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It is. It would be absurd to stare at
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the blueprint and ignore the massive skyscraper being built
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right next to it. The apostles themselves
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understood this method of reading the Psalms.
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Yeah, they quoted it a lot. They did in the book of Acts,
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when the early Christian Church faced violent persecution from
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the religious and political leaders of their day.
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They did not pray for a better political strategy.
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They quoted Psalm 2. They recognized that the entire
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world, both Roman Gentiles and religious Jews, had entered into
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a common conspiracy to destroy Christ just as the ancient
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nations raged against. Yeah, that reframes the entire
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discussion. The conspiracies against the
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Shepherd King were a micro level foreshadowing of the macro level
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cosmic conspiracy against the Son of God.
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Spot on. When these earthly leaders
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gather their armies and hold their summits to overthrow this
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divinely appointed authority, they are participating in a
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rebellion that stretches back to the beginning of time.
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That is the reality. They hold their little
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conferences, they draft their declarations of independence
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from the Creator, and they March out with absolute confidence.
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And their confidence is staggering.
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The text quotes the rebels saying.
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Let us break their bands asunder and castaway their cords from
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us. That is bold language.
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It reveals the psychological state of the rebellion.
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They've used submission to God's appointed king not as a source
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of peace, but as a slavish, shameful yoke.
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Let's talk about those bands and chords in a modern context.
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We see this attitude everywhere. The idea of submitting to an
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external moral authority, especially a divine one, is
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viewed as the ultimate oppression.
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Oh, without a doubt. Our culture prizes absolute
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autonomy. We want to define our own truth,
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our own morality, our own existence.
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Any law that says you must do this or you must not do that is
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treated like a chain that needs to be broken so human beings can
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achieve their full potential. That is a very accurate read of
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the human condition. The ungodly perceive the rule of
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Christ as a degrading subjection.
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They feel restricted. They want to be free.
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But Calvin points out a fascinating contradiction.
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In their rebellion, the enemies resolutely deny having any
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intention of attacking God. Wait.
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If they are saying let us break their bands, how can they deny
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they are fighting God? Are they totally ignorant of who
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they are opposing? They do not openly avow
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themselves as rebels against heaven.
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Very few people wake up in the morning and say I'm going to
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wage war against the creator of the universe today.
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Right, that sounds like a cartoon villain.
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Exactly. Instead, they cover their
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rebellion under various pretexts.
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They might claim they are fighting for freedom, for
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progress, for human rights or for national security.
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Using good words to cover bad, yes.
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Calvin even notes that they often presumptuously boast of
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having God on their side. They convince themselves that
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their actions are righteous and justified.
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That is terrifying. They're completely self
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deceived. They view themselves as the
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heroes fighting against an oppressive system, completely
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blind to the fact that the system they are trying to
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dismantle is the very order established by the Creator.
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They are blind to it, but Calvin argues that their verbal
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professions do not matter. The sum of their consultation,
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the actual result of their actions, is the attempted
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overthrow of the Kingdom God set up.
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The actions speak louder than the slogans.
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Way louder because they seek to undermine that specific Kingdom.
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They blindly and ferociously wage war against heaven.
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He makes a logical progression here.
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OK, let's hear the logic. If resisting ordinary earthly
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authorities is a form of rebellion against the order God
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permits, how much more severe is the rebellion against the sacred
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spiritual Kingdom established by his special privilege?
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Oh, that is a heavy thought. Since God chose to rule humanity
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by the hand of His own Son, refusing to obey Christ is a
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direct denial of the authority of God.
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You cannot bypass the King to get to the Emperor.
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There is an inseparable connection.
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He that honors not the son honors not the father.
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That is the biblical standard. The Father will not be
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worshipped except in the person of the Son.
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So no matter how a culture tries to spin it, no matter what noble
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sounding language they use to justify throwing off Christian
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morality or the authority of Scripture, it is an act of war
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against heaven. That is the sober reality the
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text presents, but knowing this reality is meant to lead to
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immense comfort for the listener.
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Comfort. How so?
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Calvin outlines 2 specific consolations to draw from this
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passage when we are faced with a world that seems to be tearing
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itself apart in its hatred for divine authority.
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I think anyone paying attention to the world right now needs
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some consolation. What is the first one?
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The first comfort is understanding that the chaos is
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actually a fulfilment of prophecy.
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When we see the world raging to disturb the prosperity of
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Christ's Kingdom, we should not be greatly disquieted by the
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upheavals. OK?
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Calvin points out that it is not at all unusual for the world to
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begin to rage as soon as a throne is erected for Christ.
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Let me push back on that slightly.
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If Christ brings a Kingdom of peace, why does his arrival
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cause so much chaos? Shouldn't a message of salvation
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calm the waters? In theory, yes, the Kingdom of
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Christ is inherently peaceable. But because of the malice and
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pride of human nature, that peaceable Kingdom never rises
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into open view without exciting massive disturbances.
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Because people hate giving up control.
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Yeah, human pride violently resists being humbled.
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So the resistance is not a flaw in the Kingdom, it is a reaction
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of the disease to the cure. That is a great analogy.
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Therefore, when you see the chaos, you are actually seeing
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the script being followed perfectly.
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The rebellion was predicted. It means God is not caught off
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guard. That changes the angle entirely.
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The chaos on the ground is actually proof of the design.
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It's like seeing the storm clouds gather exactly when the
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meteorologist said they would. That is right.
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You might not like the rain, but you are comforted by the fact
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that the system is understood and predicted.
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So what is the second consolation?
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The second consolation relies on the identity of the one being
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attacked. When the ungodly muster their
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forces, relying on their vast numbers, their infinite riches,
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their cultural influence, and their military might, we may
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safely laugh them to scorn. Laugh at them.
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Why? Because the one they are
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assailing is the God who is in heaven.
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When we see the Church or the truth of Christ seemingly
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overwhelmed by the strength of its enemies, we must remember
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who the enemies are actually fighting.
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It's not a fair fight. Not at all.
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Their attempts, no matter how sophisticated or powerful they
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seem, will come to absolutely nothing.
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If the earth is raging in a frenzy and down here it looks
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terrifying, it forces us to ask, well, what is the reaction from
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heaven? That is the big question.
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If I am an earthly monarch and I receive intelligence that a
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massive multinational army is amassing on my border with the
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express intent of destroying me, my reaction is immediate panic.
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Naturally, I am drafting soldiers.
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I am rationing food. I am building walls.
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I am sending frantic diplomatic cables.
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How does the Creator react to this global conspiracy?
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This contrast is the most stunning part of the text.
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David places the frantic preparation, the secret
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councils, the swelling pride and the vast resources of his
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enemies on one side of the scale and on the other side.
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On the other side he places the authority of God alone.
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And the text says he who sits in the heavens will laugh at them.
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The Lord will have them in derision.
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I always spend some time on that word laughs.
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It is such a specific, almost shocking detail.
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We often do attribute emotions to the divine.
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We talk about divine wrath, divine love, divine jealousy,
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but laughter. It does seem unusual.
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A laughing God in the face of human rebellion feels almost
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dismissive. If I am a Christian suffering
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under a tyrannical government, a God who sits back and laughs
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doesn't immediately sound comforting.
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Why does Calvin say the text attributes laughter to the
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Creator? Calvin provides 2 incredibly
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deep theological reasons for this laughter.
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First, the laughter teaches us about the disparity of strength.
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God does not stand in need of massive armies to repress the
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rebellion of wicked men. He doesn't need to draft troops.
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No, he does not view this global conspiracy as an arduous or
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difficult military campaign. By giving God the lofty title He
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who sits in the heavens, David is stressing that God's
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authority remains completely intact and unimpaired regardless
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of what men attempt on earth. The phrase sits in the heavens
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is a posture of total repose. He is not pacing the floors of
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heaven, he is seated. Exactly.
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Let the kings exalt themselves as high as they want, they shall
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never reach heaven while they think they possess the might to
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confound heaven and earth together.
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Calvin writes that to God they resemble so many grasshoppers.
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Grasshoppers. Wow.
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Dealing with this rebellion is effortless for him.
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He could crush it with the most perfect ease as often as he
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pleases. The laughter is the natural
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reaction of infinite strength observing finite arrogance.
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A grasshopper jumping in the dirt, threatening to pull down
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the sun. That puts it into perspective.
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The highest, most terrifying earthly authority with a
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dictator, with nuclear launch codes.
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The cultural icon with millions of followers from the vantage
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point of heaven is an insect. It is a humbling thought.
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But you mentioned a second reason for the laughter and you
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said it addresses the suffering aspect.
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Yes. The second reason for the
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laughter helps us understand divine timing, which is crucial
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for those who are suffering. OK, break that down.
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When God permits the reign of His Son to be troubled, he does
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not cease from interfering because he is busy elsewhere, or
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because he is unable to afford assistance, or because he is
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neglectful. He purposely delays the
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inflictions of His wrath to the proper time.
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So the delay is a strategy. It is a deliberate choice.
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He waits until he is expose their infatuated rage to general
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derision. Calvin points out that God does
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not connive at the wickedness of his enemies out of indolence.
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He isn't just ignoring them. No, he confronts their insolence
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with quiet contempt for a season.
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He allows them to overextend themselves, to boast, to lay out
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all their plans so that when their defeat comes, it is
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absolute and undeniable. This reminds me of a chess
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grandmaster playing against a boastful novice.
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The novice is moving pieces aggressively, talking trash
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across the table, fully convinced they have the
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Grandmaster on the ropes. Yeah, that is a perfect picture.
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The Grandmaster sees the board clearly.
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He could end the game in three moves, but instead he just leans
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back and watches. He lets the novice overextend.
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He lets them expose all their weaknesses.
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He lets them think they're winning for 10 more moves.
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Just letting them dig their own grave.
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Yeah, he delays the victory to make the novices eventual defeat
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not just a loss, but a total humiliating display of their own
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foolishness. He exposes their strategy to
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general derision before ending it with a single sudden
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checkmate. That analogy captures the
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essence of Calvin's point beautifully.
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If God does not immediately stretch forth His hand against
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the ungodly, it is his time of laughter, and Calvin offers a
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pastoral word here. What is it?
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Although we might weep in the meantime, seeing the trouble
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around us, we must assuage the bitterness of our grief with
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this reflection. God is simply waiting for the
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fit time to exercise judgement because the text then introduces
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a sharp pivot. The tone shifts.
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It does by using the adverb. Then it points to a sudden
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change in course. The laughter stops.
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Verse 5 says, Then will he speak to them in his wrath, and vex
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them in his sore displeasure? Speak to them in His wrath.
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Let's analyze that phrase. When I hear speak, I assume
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verbal communication. Is God sending a prophet to give
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these kings a final verbal warning?
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Is He issuing A vocal decree from the clouds?
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No, and this is an amazing insight from the commentary.
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This speech is not for the purpose of instructing his
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enemies. The term speak here means a
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manifestation of God's wrath, which the ungodly do not
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perceive until they actually feel it.
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So it's not words. God speaks through actions and
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history. Action is speech.
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Yes, think back to David's enemies.
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They thought it would be the easiest thing in the world to
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destroy a young man who came from a mean shepherd's cot.
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They thought the prophecy and the anointing of Samuel were
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ridiculous empty pretenses. Just a silly ritual.
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Right. But when God finally overthrew
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their armies and settled David firmly on the throne of Mount
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Zion, he spoke. He didn't speak with his tongue,
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He spoke with his hand. He spoke by altering the
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political reality of the ancient Near East.
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He makes himself perfectly understood without uttering a
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single syllable. The event itself is the
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vocabulary. Calvin writes that whenever God
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defends the Kingdom of his Son by the tokens and inflictions of
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his wrath, although he does not speak a single word, he speaks
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loudly enough to make himself understood.
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You can't miss the message. The wicked may conduct
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themselves as wickedly as they please, ignoring every written
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warning, but they shall at length feel what it is to make
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war against heaven. The action of God establishing
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his King is the ultimate, undeniable statement.
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So if Heaven's response to this massive political anxiety is
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essentially to ignore the armies, laugh at the arrogance,
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and then establish a king through decisive action, it
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forces us to ask a question of legitimacy.
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What gives this specific king the right to rule?
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Why should the earthly authorities care?
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We look to verse 7 where the king himself steps forward and
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announces, I will declare the decree.
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The Lord have said unto me, Thou art my son.
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This day have I begotten thee. The decree is the foundational
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proof of a lawful calling. Let's look at it from David's
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perspective. First, David published this
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decree to take away all pretense of ignorance from his enemies.
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To make it public. Yeah, he wanted to prove
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publicly that he did not usurk the throne through a military
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coup. He brought with him the explicit
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command of God. He had the receipts, so to
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speak. But for Christ, this decree is
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fulfilled in an infinitely greater way.
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How? So.
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Christ proved himself to be endued with lawful authority
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from God the Father, not only by the miracles he performed, but
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by the ongoing preaching of the gospel.
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Let me stop you there, because that connection is fascinating.
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The decree of the Son's authority is declared through
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the preaching of the gospel. You are suggesting that when a
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pastor or a teacher stands up and preaches from the Bible,
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that act of speaking is the ongoing declaration of this
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divine decree. It is more than just a
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historical recitation. Calvin makes a point here that
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elevates the act of preaching to a staggering height.
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The apostles first, and after them pastors and teachers, bear
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testimony that Christ was made king by God the Father.
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OK, but because these human ministers act as ambassadors in
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Christ's stead, Christ rightly claims to himself whatever is
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done by them. So the authority of the message
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isn't based on the eloquence or the holiness of the guy in the
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pulpit. Not at all.
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The authority of the gospel is established because, although it
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is published by human beings with all their flaws and
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limitations, it does not cease to be the gospel of Christ.
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Crucial distinction. Calvin argues that as often as
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we hear the gospel preached by men, we ought to consider that
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it is not so much the men who speak as Christ himself who
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speaks by them. It is a singular advantage that
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Christ lovingly allures us to Himself by his own voice through
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this earthly preaching. That drastically changes how a
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person should listen to a sermon.
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You aren't just critiquing a lecture on ancient Near Eastern
21:38
literature. You were hearing the voice of
21:41
the king declaring his own decree over your life.
21:43
That is exactly the point. But I want to dig into a
21:46
theological debate hidden in this verse.
21:49
The key announces Thou art my son this day.
21:52
Have I begotten thee? If we are applying this to
21:54
Christ, we run into a chronological issue.
21:56
Yes, we do. In orthodox Christian theology,
21:58
Christ is the eternal Son of God.
22:00
He existed before time began. He was not created, so how can
22:04
the Father say this day? Have I begotten thee?
22:06
This day implies a specific moment in time.
22:09
Begotten sounds like a starting point.
22:11
This sounds like he had a birthday.
22:12
You have just touched on one of the most critical theological
22:15
debates of the early church, and Calvin uses his commentary to
22:19
provide a very sharp clarification.
22:21
This phrase has been historically misunderstood to
22:24
talk about the eternal origins of the Son.
22:27
Right, which leads to a lot of confusion.
22:29
But Calvin argues that this day have I begotten thee does not
22:34
mean Christ began to be the Son of God on that specific Tuesday.
22:38
It is not about his origins or his eternal generation within
22:41
the Trinity. If it is not about his creation,
22:43
what is it about? It refers to human understanding
22:47
and knowledge. It denotes the time of
22:49
manifestation. Manifestation.
22:50
OK, explain the difference between between creation and
22:52
manifestation. Think about an undercover king.
22:55
He is the true king, born to the royal family, possessing all the
22:59
rights and authority of the throne.
23:01
But for a time he dresses as a commoner.
23:04
He walks among the people, and nobody knows who he.
23:06
Is he blends right in? He is still the king, but his
23:09
identity is hidden. Then one day he steps into the
23:12
public square, takes off the disguise, puts on the royal
23:15
robes, and the Rogal Heralds blow the trumpets, declaring his
23:18
identity to the city. Oh, I see.
23:20
That day is the day of his manifestation.
23:23
He didn't become king that day, his kingship was simply made
23:26
obvious to everyone else. That makes perfect sense.
23:30
So when the choice of David to be king was clearly manifested
23:33
to the people of Israel after years of hiding in caves, he
23:36
came forth as one lately begotten of God.
23:39
Since such immense honor could not belong to a private person,
23:44
the public anointing was the day of manifestation.
23:47
And the exact same logic applies to Christ.
23:50
Calvin notes that Christ had been hidden from the beginning
23:52
in the sacred bosom of the Father.
23:55
His full glory was obscured under the types and shadows of
23:58
the Old Testament law. Even during his life on Earth,
24:01
really. Yeah, even during his earthly
24:02
ministry, His Majesty was largely veiled in human
24:05
weakness. But the phrase to be begotten
24:08
signifies that he came forth with authentic and evident marks
24:11
of divine sonship. And Calvin specifically ties
24:14
this day to a historical event. Which event?
24:17
The day of his resurrection. The resurrection is the day the
24:19
disguise comes off completely. Yes, the Apostle Paul does the
24:23
same thing in the book of Romans, saying Christ was
24:25
declared to be the Son of God with might by the resurrection
24:28
from the dead. The resurrection was the day his
24:31
glorious identity was declared with undeniable force to the
24:35
world. It left no room for doubt.
24:36
It was the solemn and proper time of His manifestation.
24:40
The decree was permanently ratified in an empty tomb.
24:43
So with the King's identity officially manifested to the
24:46
globe through the resurrection, the next logical step in the
24:49
commentary is to examine the sheer size and scope of his
24:53
territory. Let's look at that.
24:54
We look at verses 8 and 9, where the Father tells the Son, Ask of
24:58
me, and I will give thee the heathen for thine inheritance,
25:01
and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession, that
25:04
shall break them with a rod of iron, and dash them in pieces
25:07
like a Potter's vessel. The sheer staggering scope of
25:10
this promise proves beyond a shadow of a doubt that we are
25:13
looking past David to Christ. If you compare David's
25:16
historical Kingdom with other great empires of antiquity, the
25:20
Egyptians, the Assyrians, the Romans, David's territory was
25:24
confined within very narrow boundaries.
25:27
It was a pretty small strip of land.
25:28
Yes, he had tributary nations and he expanded the borders of
25:31
Israel, but it was a geographically limited space in
25:35
the Middle East. It certainly wasn't the
25:37
uttermost parts of the Earth. Right, but Christ's minion
25:40
embraces all lands and all nations.
25:44
The Father promises to deny nothing to his Son relating to
25:47
the extension of his Kingdom. The calling of the Gentiles,
25:51
meaning the inclusion of non Jewish nations into the
25:53
covenant, is explicitly foretold here.
25:56
So it's a global vision. Calvin points this out to
25:58
prevent anyone from imagining that the Redeemer was appointed
26:01
to be the king of only one specific ethnic group or one
26:05
geographic location. His inheritance is global.
26:08
But let's look at the actual state of the world right now.
26:10
It doesn't look like a unified global Kingdom submitting to
26:13
Christ. It looks fractured.
26:15
It looks secular. It definitely looks messy.
26:17
The church itself often looks divided, diminished, and pushed
26:20
to the margins of culture. How does Calvin address the gap
26:23
between this massive promise of global dominion and the messy
26:27
reality of history? Calvin is very realistic about
26:30
this tension. He acknowledges that we might
26:33
look around and see the Kingdom seemingly divided, diminished
26:36
and broken down due to the wickedness of men.
26:38
It feels like it's losing ground sometimes.
26:41
The sheer ingratitude and rebellion of humanity constantly
26:44
hinder the visible prosperity of the Kingdom.
26:47
It often looks like a ruin, but Calvin argues that this visual
26:51
brokenness does not render the father's prediction ineffective.
26:54
But the promise is still active even if the progress looks
26:58
invisible. The progress is highly active.
27:00
Christ is continually collecting the dispersed remnants of his
27:04
people from all quarters of the globe.
27:06
Even in the midst of wretched cultural desolation, he keeps
27:09
his people joined together by the sacred, invisible bond of
27:13
faith. That is a comforting thought.
27:15
So that not just one corner of the globe, but the whole world
27:18
is progressively subjected to his authority.
27:21
The gathering is happening, even if it doesn't make the Evening
27:23
News. This introduces another massive
27:25
tension in the text, though. We are talking about collecting
27:28
people, gathering sheep into a fold.
27:31
We usually associate the Redeemer with meekness, mercy,
27:34
and gentleness. We think of the loving Shepherd
27:36
carrying the lamb on his shoulders.
27:38
You write the classic image. Yet here in verse 9, he is
27:42
described as rigorous, austere, and carrying an iron rod to dash
27:46
enemies in pieces like a Potter's vessel.
27:49
That is incredibly violent imagery.
27:51
How do we reconcile the gentle shepherd who heals the broken
27:54
hearted with the severe judge wielding an iron Mace to shatter
27:58
nations? It appears to be a stark
28:00
contradiction at first glance. How can the one who was sent to
28:03
cheer the poor with tidings of salvation, to heal the sick, and
28:07
to bring the sorrowful into the light of life, also be armed
28:10
with an iron scepter designed to destroy?
28:12
It's hard to hold both those ideas in your head at once.
28:15
Calvin synthesizes his tension beautifully by explaining the
28:18
dual nature of his rule. First, the severe sovereignty is
28:21
set before us to strike alarm into his enemies.
28:24
And if you think about it, this is entirely consistent with how
28:27
a truly loving Shepherd must operate.
28:30
Explain that how is an iron rod an instrument of a shepherd?
28:34
A shepherd who tenderly cherishes his gentle sheep must
28:38
treat the wild beasts with a severe degree of force.
28:41
You cannot protect a vulnerable flock without being willing to
28:44
fiercely drive away or destroy the wolves.
28:46
Oh wow, I see. If a shepherd is gentle to the
28:49
wolf, he hates the sheep. So Christ assumes a severe
28:53
character to beat down the obduracy of those who provoke
28:56
his wrath and threaten his people.
28:58
That makes a profound practical sense.
29:00
I mean, to be truly gentle to the vulnerable, you must be
29:03
formidable against the predator. You have to be capable of
29:06
violence to protect the peaceful.
29:08
But what exactly is this iron scepter?
29:11
Is Calvin suggesting the church should take up literal swords
29:14
and Spears to conquer nations? No, and this is where Calvin's
29:17
interpretation becomes so dense with theological meaning.
29:20
He is vehemently against the idea of advancing the Kingdom
29:23
through physical warfare. The iron scepter is not a
29:26
literal weapon of metal. What is it then?
29:28
It is the breath of his mouth. It is the doctrine of the Gospel
29:31
itself. The gospel is the iron rod.
29:33
The message of grace and repentance is the thing
29:35
shattering nations. Yes, Calvin notes that Christ
29:39
does not need a sword or a spear to conquer.
29:42
He smites the ungodly by the breath of his mouth alone.
29:46
The ministers of Christ are furnished with spiritual weapons
29:48
to cast down every high thing that exalts itself against the
29:52
knowledge of God. That is a brilliant concept.
29:54
Let's think about the physics, that analogy.
29:56
You take an iron rod and you strike a clay pot.
30:00
Potter's vessel. It shatters.
30:02
The earthly kings, the arrogant cultures, the nation's raging in
30:06
rebellion. They seem harder than stone in
30:09
their obstinacy. They build massive monuments to
30:11
themselves. They control the global economy.
30:13
They seem permanent and invincible.
30:15
They look untouchable. But when they are struck by the
30:18
truth of the gospel, when they collide with the reality of
30:21
divine justice and grace, they are exposed as incredibly
30:25
fragile. They shatter like cheap pottery.
30:27
The iron rod of truth breaks the clay vessel of human pride.
30:31
They are more fragile than earthen vessels.
30:33
The psalmist exposes their foolish pride by showing that
30:35
they will be broken in pieces by various methods till they become
30:39
his footstool. So their pride is just an
30:41
illusion. Yeah, human empires rise and
30:44
fall, shattered by the March of time in the Providence of God.
30:47
But the word of the Lord remains.
30:50
However, Calvin highlights another layer to this iron rod
30:53
that is incredibly convicting. It doesn't just apply to the
30:56
wicked nations. Wait, there's more.
30:58
This iron rod is also used to train disciples to repentance.
31:01
Wait, so the iron rod is used on the sheep too?
31:03
The shepherd hits the sheep with the iron Mace.
31:06
In a spiritual sense, yes. Cousin argues that the faithful
31:10
themselves must be humbled in the dust before Christ stretches
31:13
forth his hand to save them. We all have pride.
31:16
We sure do. We all have clay vessels of self
31:19
righteousness that need to be broken.
31:21
The iron rod of the Law in the Gospel breaks our natural pride,
31:25
but Christ trains his disciples in such a way as not to appear
31:28
terrible to them. By showing them His Shepherd's
31:31
rod, He quickly turns their sorrow into joy.
31:34
He breaks our self-reliance so that he can heal us.
31:36
He shatters our illusion that we can save ourselves so that we
31:40
will rest under the shadow of His hand.
31:42
Spot on when the text speaks of bruising and dashing to pieces
31:46
as a final destructive act. That ultimate destruction only
31:50
applies to the rebellious and the unbelieving who refused to
31:53
submit out of repentance and are eventually overwhelmed with
31:56
despair. But for the believer.
31:59
For the believer, the breaking is redemptive.
32:01
So if the king wheels an instrument capable of shattering
32:05
the pride of nations, and the gospel is this unstoppable force
32:08
that exposes the fragility of human empires, the earthly
32:12
rulers introduced at the beginning of the text
32:15
desperately need a warning. They really do.
32:17
They are standing on the tracks, the freight train is coming, and
32:20
they need someone to blow the horn before they are destroyed.
32:23
And that is exactly what we see is the text pivots to verses 10
32:26
and 11. And now, O ye kings, be wise,
32:29
and the judges of the earth be instructed, Serve the Lord with
32:32
fear, and rejoice with trembling.
32:34
The deep dive moves here from description to explicit
32:37
exhortation. David, acting as a prophet and a
32:40
teacher, addresses the kings and rulers directly by name.
32:44
And Calvin asks a good question. What's that?
32:46
Why single out the kings? Why not just say, listen all you
32:49
people? Because kings and judges are the
32:52
ones who are least likely to listen.
32:54
They are not very easily brought to a submissive state of mind.
32:57
Because they are used to giving the orders, not receiving them.
33:00
Right rulers are often puffed up with a foolish conceit of their
33:04
own wisdom. By trusting their elevated
33:06
station, their wealth, and their sycophants, they flatter
33:10
themselves into thinking they are loosed from the laws which
33:12
bind the rest of mankind. The rules don't apply to them.
33:15
Their pride greatly blinds them, making them think it is beneath
33:19
them to submit even to God. They feel untouchable.
33:23
We see that constantly throughout human history and,
33:25
and we see it today, People acquire a little bit of
33:28
authority, a little bit of wealth or a little bit of fame
33:30
and suddenly they feel exempt from the ordinary rules of
33:33
morality. It is a universal human flaw.
33:36
They insulate themselves. So David issues a command.
33:39
Be wise. But what is the text definition
33:42
of true wisdom here? Because an earthly king usually
33:46
thinks he is the wisest person in the room by default.
33:48
The text definition of true wisdom is the exact opposite of
33:52
the world's definition. The world thinks wisdom is the
33:55
ability to outmaneuver your opponents, to accumulate
33:58
influence, to secure your own legacy.
34:00
Being shrewd, yeah. But Calvin notes at the
34:03
beginning of true wisdom is when a man lays aside his pride and
34:06
submits himself to the authority of Christ.
34:09
No matter how good an opinion the Princess the world may have
34:12
of their own political freudeness, Calvin bluntly
34:15
states they are errant fools until they become humble
34:18
scholars at the feet of Christ. To be wise is to be humble, to
34:23
recognize your actual position in the universe as a created
34:26
being, not the creator. Until you realize you are a
34:29
gravhopper, you are an absolute fool.
34:31
That is the essence of it. But then we hit another phrase
34:34
in verse 11 that creates a massive emotional tension.
34:37
The text commands them to rejoice with trembling.
34:40
Can you unpack the psychology of that?
34:42
How can those two distinct emotions coexist?
34:44
Rejoicing feels light, free, and happy.
34:47
Trembling feels fearful, restrictive, and anxious.
34:50
It is a brilliant psychological insight, and Calvin contrasts it
34:54
with the way the wicked experience life.
34:56
The ungodly sport with their own destruction.
34:59
Through vain pleasures they enjoy an unbridled insolence.
35:04
Just living for the moment. They are intoxicated with the
35:06
gratification of their lusts, imagining themselves happy while
35:09
they are actually making themselves enemies of God.
35:12
Their joy is careless. It is oblivious, but true
35:15
gladness, the kind of joy that actually lasts and sustains a
35:18
soul, requires an immense reverence.
35:21
So it is not a flippant, carefree joy.
35:24
It isn't the joy of a party. Right.
35:25
There is a massive difference between the cheerful state of a
35:28
peaceful conscience that knows it enjoys God's favor and the
35:31
reckless abandoned of the proud. The cheerful state of a peaceful
35:35
conscience never loses its awe of the Creator.
35:38
It is a joyful submission. It's balance.
35:40
The fear prevents the joy from devolving into wantonness and
35:43
arrogance, and the joy prevents the fear from turning into
35:46
paralyzing terror. You are resting securely in His
35:49
favor, which brings deep joy, but you are acutely aware of His
35:53
infinite majesty and justice, which brings a wholly trembling.
35:56
I think of it like the joy of being near a massive roaring
36:00
bonfire on a freezing winter night.
36:03
You are out in the cold, you are freezing to death and you find
36:06
this huge fire. Oh, that's good.
36:08
You are so intensely glad for the warmth.
36:11
It is saving your life, and you rejoice in it.
36:14
You spread your hands out to it, but you also tremble because you
36:17
know the sheer intensity and force of that fire could consume
36:20
you in seconds if you disrespect it.
36:22
You don't mess around with it. You don't play carelessly in the
36:25
flames. You don't treat it like a toy.
36:27
You rejoice in the heat, but with a healthy, respectful
36:30
trembling for the nature of the fire.
36:32
That is a superb illustration of the concept.
36:35
The warmth is grace, the heat is holiness.
36:37
You must respect both, and understanding this awe, this
36:40
careful balance of joy and reverence, leads directly to the
36:44
final, incredibly urgent command given to every single person
36:47
listening. The climax of the Psalm.
36:49
We reached the climax in verse 12.
36:51
Kiss the sun, lest he be angry, and ye perish from the way when
36:55
his wrath is kindled in a moment.
36:57
O blessed are all who put their trust in Him.
36:59
Let's start with the physical action commanded here.
37:02
Kiss the sun. That might sound unusual or
37:05
overly intimate to modern Western ears.
37:07
We shake hands or we salute. What is the cultural weight of
37:11
this command? In the ancient Near East,
37:13
kissing was a solemn token of honor yielded by subjects to
37:16
their sovereigns. It was a physical act of showing
37:19
absolute allegiance, fealty and submission.
37:22
Like kissing a ring. You would kiss the King's hand
37:25
or his signet ring, since it is the declared will of the Father
37:28
to reign over the earth by the hand of His Son.
37:30
The proper proof of our obedience to God is to
37:33
reverently embrace Christ. Calvin makes a stark,
37:38
uncompromising point here, which is if God is not honored in
37:41
Christ, God is defrauded of His honor.
37:43
You cannot claim to Revere the creator while despising or
37:46
ignoring the specific king he appointed to rule you.
37:49
It is a package deal. Exactly.
37:51
But there is a severe warning attached to this command.
37:54
The text warns of the anger of the son.
37:56
And I am struck by the terrifying suddenness of the
38:00
wrath described in this verse. It says when his wrath is
38:04
kindled in a moment, and it warns that they will perish from
38:07
the way. I want to look closely at that
38:10
preposition. It doesn't say they will perish
38:12
at the end of the road after they have lived a full life and
38:15
accomplished all their goals. It says they will perish from
38:18
the way right in the middle of it.
38:20
That is a very astute observation of the text, and
38:22
Calvin zeroes in on that phrasing.
38:24
He points out a common psychological trap.
38:27
The despisers of God are accustomed to flattering
38:30
themselves during times of prosperity.
38:32
When things are easy. When things are going well, when
38:35
the economy is strong, when they have their health, when their
38:38
political influence is secure, they run to great excess.
38:42
They live life exactly how they want, ignoring any divine laws.
38:46
And because the judgement of God does not fall on them
38:49
immediately. Remember the laughter and the
38:51
delayed timing we discussed earlier?
38:53
They think they're completely safe.
38:55
They mistake God's patience for God's approval.
38:57
They think, well, I haven't been struck by lightning yet, so I
38:59
must be doing fine. That is the delusion.
39:02
They reckon themselves at a great distance from their end.
39:05
They tell themselves they are just in the middle of their
39:07
race. They have plenty of time to
39:09
figure out the spiritual stuff later, maybe when they are old
39:12
and retired. That is the exact deception.
39:14
They say to themselves, peace and safety.
39:17
But the Prophet threatens that they will be cut off by a sudden
39:21
destruction. When his wrath is kindled, even
39:24
in a moment, they perish from the way.
39:26
Just cut short. They do not get to finish their
39:28
grand architectural plans. They do not get to write the
39:31
final chapter of their memoirs. They are stopped abruptly mid
39:35
stride. Calvin warns that it is a fatal
39:38
mistake to abuse the patience of God by growing more
39:40
presumptuous. The wicked deceive themselves
39:43
with the false hope of a length and delay, only to be swept away
39:46
in an instant. So we have this culminating
39:48
picture of sudden fiery wrath. We have a king who shatters
39:52
massive nations with an iron rod, who cuts off the proud and
39:55
the arrogant right in the middle of their path.
39:57
If the Psalm stop right there, it would leave a person feeling
40:00
overwhelmed with absolute terror.
40:01
It would be devastating. It would feed feel like standing
40:04
in front of a firing squad. But the text doesn't end on the
40:08
note of wrath. The very final sentence changes
40:11
the emotional tone of the entire piece completely.
40:14
Oh, blessed are all who put their trust in Him.
40:17
Calvin calls this concluding sentence a sanctuary of hope,
40:21
and he argues that it is absolutely necessary for the
40:23
text to end this way. Why is that?
40:26
Because the earlier descriptions of the iron rod, the dashing of
40:29
pottery, and the sudden kindled wrath could strike terror into
40:33
anyone without distinction. The Thomas knows that even
40:37
faithful, humble believers might read about this severe
40:40
judgement, apply it to themselves due to their own
40:42
awareness of sin, and be crushed by the weight of it.
40:45
The sheep might get terrified by the rod meant for the wolves.
40:48
Exactly so. The author intentionally opens a
40:51
refuge. He shows that the sweetness of
40:53
His grace is fully available to all who flee to him.
40:56
After summoning the ungodly to the awful judgment seat, which
40:59
is a terrible prospect for mortal men, the text immediately
41:03
provides the comfort. It gives them a way out.
41:05
It encourages faithful and devout servants to entertain
41:08
Good Hope. And notice the pronoun the text
41:11
says Put their trust in him that refers to Christ.
41:13
That is the core paradox of the text.
41:15
The very same king who will break the rebellious with an
41:18
iron rod is the exact same king who provides a blessed,
41:21
impenetrable sanctuary for all who put their trust in him.
41:25
What is a? Stunning contrast.
41:26
It is like the eye of a hurricane.
41:28
Outside the wall of the eye there are 150 mile per hour
41:31
winds tearing houses apart. But if you step into the center,
41:34
the air is still, the sky is clear, and you are completely
41:37
safe even while the storm rages around you.
41:40
It is a dynamic, shifting posture.
41:42
To the rebellious. To the proud who refused to bow,
41:45
he is an immovable wall of justice that will shatter them.
41:49
To the humble who recognize their poverty spirit and kiss
41:51
the sun in submission, he is an impenetrable fortress of grace.
41:55
The entire commentary systematically strips away every
41:58
single illusion of human autonomy.
42:00
It really does. It starts by showing the
42:02
absolute fertility of human rebellion.
42:05
All the shouting, the summits, the plotting.
42:07
It moves to the effortless, quiet sovereignty of heaven,
42:11
laughing at the arrogance of dust.
42:13
It establishes the unquestionable historical
42:16
credentials of the King manifested in the resurrection.
42:19
It displays the unstoppable force of His Word, the Gospel,
42:24
breaking human pride like clay. And finally, it offers a clear
42:28
binary choice to every single person.
42:31
Continue in foolish rebellion and be shattered in the middle
42:34
of your path, or submit with joyful trembling and find true
42:37
sanctuary. The logic of Calvin's reading is
42:40
airtight. It addresses the political
42:42
realities of the world, the hidden psychological motivations
42:45
of the rebels who think they are fighting for freedom, and the
42:48
theological certainty of God's redemptive plan.
42:51
We have covered massive theological and historical
42:54
ground in this deep dive. Let's do a quick recap to pull
42:57
the threads together before we close.
42:58
That sounds like a good idea. We started down on the dirt,
43:01
looking at the feudal conspiracies of David's enemies,
43:04
realizing they were just a blueprint for the world's hatred
43:06
of Christ. We saw how the enemies of God
43:09
cover their rebellion with noble sounding pretext, but are
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ultimately fighting a losing battle against the Creator.
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Then we shifted our view upward, witnessing the majestic,
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confident laughter of a God who doesn't panic but acts
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decisively in history to establish his King.
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We examined the decree of the Son whose identity was declared
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to the world of the resurrection and whose treached gospel acts
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as a shattering iron scepter against human self
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righteousness. The.
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Iron. Rock.
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And finally, we heard the call to true wisdom, the command to
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abandon our pride, to kiss the son in reverend submission, and
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to find a sanctuary of hope in the midst of global chaos.
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It is a comprehensive worldview in 12 short verses.
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Before we wrap up, I want to leave you, the listener, with a
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final thought to chew on as you go about your week.
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We spent a lot, a lot of time today talking about macro level
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events. We talked about kings, judges,
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nations, and massive cultural shifts throwing off the bonds of
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God. The big picture.
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It is very easy to point the finger out there at the
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politicians or the cultural elite, but consider the borders
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of your own life. Where are the places in your own
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daily routine, your ambitions, your finances or your private
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thoughts where you were secretly holding your own little summits?
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Oh, that is a piercing question. Where are you attempting to cast
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off the cords of the king to maintain your own autonomy?
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Because if the iron scepter of the Gospel is designed to
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shatter the pride of massive empires, it will certainly
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shatter our own personal internal illusions of control.
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No one is exempt from that. Rebellion isn't just happening
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in the capitals of the world. The instinct to rebel is in our
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own chests. That is the quiet, terrifying
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truth we all have to confront. The demand to kiss the sun is
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deeply personal before it is ever political.
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Let that question do its work. Thank you for joining us on this
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deep dive into Psalm 2. We hope it clarified the text,
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challenged your perspective on the world, and offered you a
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solid sanctuary of hope. We will catch you on the next
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one.