“Then he will speak to them in his wrath, and terrify them in his fury, saying, ‘As for me, I have set my King on Zion, my holy hill.’” Psalm 2:5-6
Devotion:
It is a laughable thing to think that we can set up a kingdom against God’s. It is a joke to believe that we could cast off His bonds. However, in verse 5, the laughter turns to fury. Sin is foolish, but it is also offensive. Rebellion against God is humorous since it has no chance, but it is insulting as it mutinies against our Maker. To be in rebellion against God is to find ourselves under the wrath of God. At times, God pulls His wrath back, giving us the impression that we are in charge and doing okay. But then, when God brings His wrath into the foreground, none can stand. We all fall down in fear at God’s fury.
The establishment of God’s kingdom has a dual effect. For those who trust in God and have placed their hope in Him, this is a picture of great comfort. But for those who have set themselves against God, this is a sign of certain doom. It is as if the God who rules over all comes down to manifest His rule in our midst. He has always been the ruler and governor over all, but at a particular moment, He pulls back the curtain and presses His reign forward in a way that we can see.
Jesus Christ is God’s King. When Jesus rose from the dead, all authority in heaven and on earth was given to Him. Jesus now sits at the right hand of God in heaven. And this reality has the same dual effect. Everyone everywhere will have to answer to King Jesus. But those who turn to Him for mercy and cast down their own kingdoms for His find life and peace in His name.
Prayer:
Great God of Justice, if it weren’t for Your mercy, we would be doomed. Thank You for revealing Your wrath to us that we might see the severity of our rebellion against You. Sin deceives us into believing that our turning away from You is what is best for us. But we acknowledge that we have been foolish, selfish, and arrogant.
The way You have set Jesus as King over all is amazing. That He entered our world and then conquered our world brings us to our knees. Help us to look up to King Jesus in order to see both Your kindness and Your severity. We believe that His kingdom will never be shaken. We find great comfort in this fact.
Fix our eyes upon Jesus, that we might cast down any surviving idea of rebellion. We want Jesus as our King. Life is found in Him. In Jesus’ name, we worship and pray.
Amen.
