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Psalm 2:10-12 – Now therefore, O kings, be wise; be warned, O rulers of the earth. Serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son, lest He be angry, and you perish in the way, for His wrath is quickly kindled. Blessed are all who take refuge in Him.
When you think of Jesus, how do you picture Him? An image of Jesus, the gentle Shepherd, may come to mind. You may think of Him healing the sick or stilling the storm on the Sea of Galilee. Perhaps you picture the Savior praying in Gethsemane or hanging in helpless weakness on the cross. In the book of Revelation, the apostle John describes Jesus in a very different way. When John sees Jesus, the Savior’s eyes are like fire and His feet are like polished bronze. His face shines like the sun and His voice thunders like a waterfall. The risen Lord appears in exalted glory and there is nothing weak or helpless about Him. He is the conquering King, the Lord of all nations, and John falls to the ground at the Savior’s feet.
Our verses are from Psalm 2, a psalm that foretells the coming of the Savior, the Lord’s Anointed. In this psalm, the Messiah is not described as weak or gentle, but as a Lord of might and conquering power. He is the Lord of all nations seen by John so many centuries later. Earthly kings and rulers plotted the destruction of the Lord’s Anointed, but the Lord scorned their evil plans. Even though the plot to destroy the Messiah was successful and Jesus was betrayed, arrested, and crucified, everything was done according to the plan of God, who rules over kings and raging nations. God announced, “As for Me, I have set My King on Zion, My holy hill” (Psalm 2:6). The King, the Lord’s Anointed, was lifted up to die on a cross and raised to life in exalted glory. The Messiah reigns as King of kings and Lord of lords. This was God’s plan all along.
The psalmist issues a warning to the raging nations, to all kings and rulers: “Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son, lest He be angry, and you perish in the way, for His wrath is quickly kindled.” The word goes out to everyone, to kings and subjects, to rulers and people of every nation: Repent! Confess your faith in the Son of God, who is Lord of all. Declare your allegiance to the King of kings. Why? The blessings of God’s forgiveness and peace and the gift of eternal life are given to all who trust in Jesus. The psalmist reminds us of God’s promise to all who confess their faith in His mighty Son: “Blessed are all who take refuge in Him.”
WE PRAY: Jesus, Lord of all nations, You bless all who take refuge in You. Grant to our troubled world the peace that You alone can bring. Amen.
This Daily Devotion was written by Dr. Carol Geisler.
Reflection Questions:
- What is your favorite image of Jesus? Why?
- How did Jesus’ betrayal, arrest, and crucifixion, in the end, accomplish the plans of God on our behalf?
- What does this say about the way God often works?
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