(2)
Scripture Reading: Psa. 2:1-12; John 1:41; Matt. 3:16-17; Luke 4:18-19; Heb. 1:9; Acts 10:38; Dan. 9:26a; Acts 13:33; Heb. 1:5-6; Acts 2:36; 5:31; Rev. 1:5a; 2:26-27; Acts 4:25-29a; Rev. 6:15-17; Acts 17:30; John 3:16; 21:15a
In the previous message, we saw the truth concerning the law in its position, its nature, its content, its function, and its weakness. Psalm 1 is according to the human concept of uplifting and treasuring the law, whereas Psalm 2 is according to the divine concept of exalting Christ as God's central stress.
Perhaps we can receive further help by considering stanza 3 of Hymns, #541:
No philosophy, element, or religion can conform us to Christ. The law of Moses cannot conform us to Christ. Only Christ can conform us to Himself, and nothing else. Some may be bothered that we are belittling religion. They may say, "We are Christians; shouldn't we love Christianity?" But we need to be those who love Christ, not any "anity." Nothing can or should replace Christ.
Christ conforms us to Himself so that we can be His complement. To be Christ's complement means that we are a part of Him. This is like Eve being a complement to Adam. Only Christ can make us a part of Him as His complement. The law cannot make us members of Christ. Only Christ can make us His members in resurrection.
We need to see Psalm 1 in the light of the economy of God. This psalm says that those who meditate in the law will be like a tree absorbing the water from the streams, but according to the New Testament revelation this is not very high. Eventually, the New Testament tells us that the river of living water gets into us (John 7:38; 4:14). Do we want to be a tree by the side of a river or do we want to have the river flowing within us? Which is better and which is higher? The thought of a river flowing within us is the ultimate concept of the Bible (Rev. 22:1). To be a tree planted by the river to absorb its supply of water is good, but it is not the best. Paul said that he planted and Apollos watered (1 Cor. 3:6). The thought here is the same as that of a tree absorbing water, but this is not as high as the thought of the river of water of life flowing within us. This is God's ultimate thought.
In my youth I was taught that when we study the Bible, we have to get the secret of the Bible. Later, Brother Nee told us that we have to know the spirit of the Bible. The Bible, the written Word, has a spirit. The Lord Jesus said, "The words which I have spoken to you are spirit and are life" (John 6:63). This shows us that the Word is the Spirit (Eph. 6:17). Not only is the Spirit in the Word, but also the Word itself is the Spirit. Furthermore, John 1:1 says, "In the beginning was the Word...and the Word was God." The Word is God, and the Word is the Spirit. Thus, God, the Word, and the Spirit are one.
When we come to the Bible, we should not think that we are coming to an ordinary book. We should not read it as we would a magazine or a newspaper. We have to realize that the Bible is God's Word, and the Word is God's embodiment, Christ. Christ is the Word of God. Also, whatever He as the Word of God utters, whatever is spoken out of His mouth, is the Spirit. Psalm 1 is the Word of God. Paul told us that all Scripture is God-breathed (2 Tim. 3:16a). If we take this position when we read Psalm 1, we will receive the Spirit, we will see the secret, and we will also see the spirit of the Bible.
Does the spirit of the Bible reveal to us the law of Moses, exalting the law given at Mount Sinai? On the mount of transfiguration, Peter put Moses and Elijah on the same level as Christ (Matt. 17:1-13). When Moses and Elijah appeared with Christ, Peter became excited. He said, "Lord, it is good for us to be here; if You are willing, I will make three tents here, one for You and one for Moses and one for Elijah" (v. 4). Then God said, "This is My Son, the Beloved, in whom I have found My delight. Hear Him!" (v. 5). In God's New Testament economy, we should no longer hear Moses (the law) or Elijah (the prophets). The Bible does not exalt the law or the prophets. The spirit of the Bible exalts only one person — Christ.
We must understand why Psalms 1 and 2 were sovereignly arranged in this way. Psalm 1 is concerning the keeping of the law. Immediately after Psalm 1, Christ is in Psalm 2 as the exalted One. The spirit of the Bible, from Genesis 1 through Revelation 22, reveals only Christ as the prominent One, as the first One, as God's centrality and universality. Eventually, the Bible concludes with a new city. The new city, the New Jerusalem, will be a complement of Christ and a complement to Christ. The spirit of the Bible does not exalt anything or anyone other than Christ.
Paul, in his fourteen Epistles, fought a battle to put down everything other than Christ. In his Epistle to the Galatians, Paul put down the law, circumcision, tradition, and religion. To him all things other than Christ were refuse (Phil. 3:8). He exalted only Christ.
In Paul's last visit to Jerusalem, he went to the elders, and the leading elder at that time was James. James told him, "You observe, brother, how many thousands there are among the Jews who have believed; and all are zealous for the law" (Acts 21:20). James exalted the law. I believe that he exalted the law higher than David did in Psalm 1. James declared that there were thousands of Jewish Christians who were enthusiastic for the law. The Greek word for thousands means myriads or tens of thousands. Tens of thousands of Jewish brothers were all burning for the law. James was concerned that these ones would dispute with Paul, since they had heard that Paul put down the law. History tells us that James was a man of prayer, a pious, godly, and devoted man. In his Epistle he taught the practical virtues of Christian perfection. But we need to see that James, the elders in Jerusalem, and many thousands of Jewish believers were still in a mixture of the Christian faith and the Mosaic law.
In this message, I want us to check with ourselves. Is our spirit for the law or for Christ? We may say that we are for Christ, but we are also for the law. Our being for Christ is mostly in theory, but our being for the law is very practical. We act mostly according to the law, according to yes and no, right and wrong, and not according to Christ. We even educate and teach our children according to right and wrong. A parent may say to his child, "That is not right; you shouldn't do it." But have we ever said, "That is not Christ; you shouldn't do it"? Who ever tells someone not to do something because that is not Christ? This should help us to realize that we are for Christ in theory, but actually we practice the law. Do we practice Christ or the law? To practice Christ is to get out of the realm of yes and no, right and wrong, good and evil. This means that we get out of the realm of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. We may say that our spirit is for Christ, but in practice we live according to the law, according to what is right and wrong, good and evil.
The book of Psalms shows us the contrast between the law and Christ. The first psalm is concerning keeping the law, and the second psalm tells us to kiss Christ. Which is higher? I am not asking which one is right or wrong, but which one is higher. Surely, kissing the Son is higher than keeping the law.
I think that David's devotion to the law in Psalm 1 was higher than our devotion to Christ. This is because he said that he meditated in the law day and night. Do we meditate on Christ day and night? If we meditate on Christ for a short time, we think this is wonderful, but David meditated in the law day and night.
I am sharing this to show us that we secretly, unconsciously, and subconsciously hold our natural concept in coming to the Bible. This is why we do not receive the revelation from the Bible into us. Instead, we insert our concept into the Bible. We should not exalt the keeping of the law, because the book of Psalms itself does not go along with this. If we are exalting the keeping of the law in Psalm 1, we are then confronted with Psalm 2. Psalm 2 is God's speaking, God's declaration, concerning Christ as the center of His economy. He declares, "I have installed My King/Upon Zion, My holy mountain" (v. 6). This is not ordinary speaking, but a declaration and a proclamation.
God proclaimed to all His people that He had installed His King upon Mount Zion, not Mount Sinai. These two mountains — Mount Zion and Mount Sinai — are very significant. Hebrews 12 says that we have not come to Mount Sinai but to Mount Zion (vv. 18-22). Mount Sinai was the place where the law was given, and Mount Zion is the place where Christ is today in the heavens in His ascension.
Paul speaks of these mountains in Galatians 4. Mount Sinai produces children of slavery, but our mother, the Jerusalem above, is in the heavens, at Mount Zion (vv. 25-26). Revelation 14:1 tells us that there are a hundred and forty-four thousand standing with the Lamb on Mount Zion. These hundred and forty-four thousand are not praising God for the law given at Mount Sinai. Mount Zion is not a place to show us the law, the commandments. It is a place to show us Christ — only Christ. Mount Sinai is in the Bible, but the spirit of the Bible does not exalt it. Instead, the Bible puts Mount Sinai down to a lower place. The spirit of the Bible exalts only Christ.
The sad thing is that many of God's chosen people forget about Christ. They believe in Christ, but they do not know Christ or care for Christ. Instead, they care for the law. Paul said, "For to me, to live is Christ" (Phil. 1:21a). We might say, "For to me to live is yes and no, good and evil, right and wrong." What mountain are we on today? Nearly all of us are on Mount Sinai. We are not disciples of Moses but disciples of Christ. However, we are on the wrong mountain. Christ is on Mount Zion. He is not on Mount Sinai, but we still linger there. Many of us dare not say good-bye to the law. Instead, we want to stay with the law as a follower of David, meditating in the law day and night.
We need to see that the entire revelation of the Bible is progressive. The revelation in the holy Word proceeds higher and higher from Genesis to its peak in Revelation. Genesis 1 speaks of God's creation, but Revelation 22 speaks of the New Jerusalem. God's creation is somewhat easy to understand, but the sign of the New Jerusalem is a great mystery. The revelation of the New Jerusalem is high and profound to the uttermost.
The five books of the Psalms were arranged in the same progressive way as the entire Bible was arranged. From the first book of the Psalms to the fifth book, the revelation proceeds higher and higher. The fifth book is full of the psalmists' praising of God. God is embodied in Christ, Christ is in His Body, and His Body is God's house and God's city for God's kingdom. This is all for God's economy. The central thought of the book of Psalms is Christ and the church as the house of God and the city of God for His kingdom.
We need to see the revelation concerning Christ in God's economy versus the law in man's appreciation in the Psalms. In the previous message, we saw the truth concerning the law in man's appreciation. Now we need to see the divine revelation of Christ in God's economy in Psalm 2 (vv. 2, 6-9, 12).
Psalm 2 is a declaration of God according to His divine concept. Psalm 1, however, is according to the natural, human concept. David thought that the one who meditated in the law day and night would prosper in everything. This is according to the human concept of doing something for one's personal benefit and gain. There is no consideration in Psalm 1 for God's economy.
Psalm 2 exalts Christ as the center of the economy of God. Although the word economy is not in Psalm 2, the revelation and reality of God's economy are there. In this psalm God declared that He had installed His King (v. 6). For God to have a King is for the fulfilling of His economy. Then God said, "I will give the nations as Your inheritance / And the limits of the earth as Your possession" (v. 8). This is for a kingdom. Of course, the King needs a kingdom, and this kingdom is not small. It is a great kingdom of all the nations, covering the limits of the entire earth. This will be the biggest kingdom in human history. Christ will possess all the continents. His kingdom will be everywhere to include everyone. The King and the kingdom in Psalm 2 show us the economy of God.
Psalm 2 reveals Christ, the Anointed One (v. 2). Among the Brethren, there was a debate concerning when Christ was anointed. Daniel 9:26 says that Messiah would be cut off, crucified. Messiah is a Hebrew word, and the Greek equivalent is Christ. They both mean the Anointed One. Daniel 9:26 shows that before Christ was incarnated and crucified, He was already the Anointed One. Therefore, Christ was anointed in His divinity in eternity by God to be the Messiah — Christ — the Anointed One. This is also based upon John 1:41, where the Lord's disciple Andrew told Simon, his brother, that he had found the Messiah, the Anointed One. This indicates that Christ was anointed in eternity in His divinity before His incarnation.
He came as the Anointed One to accomplish God's eternal plan. He became a man and He was anointed again in His humanity in time at the time of His baptism (Matt. 3:16-17; Luke 4:18-19; Heb. 1:9; Acts 10:38).
After passing through thirty-three and a half years of human living, Christ was cut off (Dan. 9:26). That means He was crucified.
After being cut off, crucified, Christ was resurrected to be begotten as the firstborn Son of God (Psa. 2:7; Acts 13:33; Heb. 1:5-6). Psalm 2 shows us Christ's resurrection. The word resurrection is not there, but the fact is there. Verse 7 says, "I will recount the decree of Jehovah;/He said to Me: You are My Son;/Today I have begotten You." "Today" is the day of Christ's resurrection. In Acts 13:33 Paul quoted Psalm 2:7, telling us that this refers to Christ's resurrection. In His resurrection, Christ was begotten. Since He was already the Son of God, why did He need to be begotten as the Son of God in resurrection? Christ was the only begotten Son of God in His divinity (John 3:16), but when He became incarnated, He put humanity upon Him. This humanity had nothing to do with the sonship of God, but through His death and resurrection, His humanity was "sonized" to also be the Son of God. By resurrection Christ brought His humanity into the divine sonship and was designated the Son of God with His humanity (Rom. 1:4). Now the Son of God has the divine nature with the human nature. When Christ was merely the only begotten Son of God, He was God's Son only in the divine nature. Now as the firstborn Son of God, He possesses both the divine nature and the human nature.
Christ is the firstborn Son of God, and we are the many sons of God. We believers in Christ are regenerated sons of God, having God's life and God's nature, but we also have our human nature. Our human nature is still in the process of being begotten. We have been regenerated in our spirit, but we still have not been transfigured in our body. When our body is transfigured, redeemed, glorified, our body will also be "sonized." Our sonship will be completed by that time (Rom. 8:23). The sonship began with the regeneration of our spirit, is continuing with the transformation of our soul, and will be consummated with the redemption of our body. The process of our sonship passes through our regeneration and transformation to our glorification.
In Psalm 2 we can see God's economy with God's kingdom and the resurrection of Christ, in which He was begotten to be God's firstborn Son. The day of resurrection was a great day. Not only was Christ born on that day, but we also were born on that day. First Peter 1:3 says that through Christ's resurrection, God regenerated us. When Christ was born as the firstborn Son of God, we were all born with Him to be His many brothers, the many sons of God (Rom. 8:29). Christ's resurrection was a big delivery, a big birth, of Himself as the firstborn Son of God with His many brothers, the many sons of God.
Psalm 2 also reveals that Christ was installed as God's King in the heavens in His ascension (v. 6; Acts 2:36; 5:31; Rev. 1:5a). In verse 6, God declared, "I have installed My King/Upon Zion, My holy mountain." This was in Christ's ascension. In His ascension He was made the King in the heavens for God's kingdom.
According to Psalm 2:8, Christ has been given the nations as His inheritance and the limits of the earth as His possession for His kingdom. When the Lord came back to the disciples in His resurrection, He told them, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth" (Matt. 28:18). The Lord's word here covers what is mentioned in Psalm 2:8. God has given all the nations on this earth to Christ as His inheritance. Furthermore, God has given the limits of the earth to Christ as His possession. Today if you own even a small portion of land in Taiwan, you are a rich man. But the entire earth will be possessed by Christ. This is His land. How rich He is! We cannot see such wonderful things about Christ in Psalm 1. Psalm 1 says, according to the human concept, that the man who meditates in the law will prosper in everything, but Psalm 2 reveals, according to the divine concept, that God has given the limits of the earth to Christ.
Eventually, Christ will rule the nations in His kingdom with an iron rod (Psa. 2:9; Rev. 2:26-27). There is a marvelous sequence in Psalm 2 revealing the steps of Christ in God's economy beginning from His being anointed in eternity in His divinity. We may wonder where Christ's death is spoken of in Psalm 2, but we need to realize that Christ's resurrection implies His death. Without death, how could there be resurrection? Thus, in Psalm 2 we see His being anointed in His divinity and humanity, His death, His resurrection, and His ascension with His enthronement. God installed Him as King, enthroning Him to give Him all the nations with the limits of the earth. This is to set up a universal kingdom for Christ. Then Christ will rule the nations with an iron rod.
Psalm 2 says that Christ is opposed by the rulers of the world. Verses 1-3 say, "Why are the nations in an uproar, / And why do the peoples contemplate a vain thing? / The kings of the earth take their stand, / And the rulers take counsel together, / Against Jehovah and against His Anointed: / Let us break apart their bonds / And cast their ropes away from us." Soon after Christ's ascension, on the earth at Peter's time, Herod and Pilate took their stand against Christ. Acts 4:25-29a records the prayer of the early church, in which they quote from Psalm 2. Acts 4:27 says, "For truly in this city there were gathered together against Your holy Servant Jesus, whom You anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel." They all were opposing Christ.
Psalm 2 also gives a warning to the world (vv. 10-12).
First, God and His Christ will be in wrath to the world (v. 12b; Rev. 6:15-17). Men should not think that there is no God in this universe or that Christ is just a name in religion. The Bible tells us clearly that Christ is waiting for the opportunity to come to execute His judgment in His anger, in His wrath.
The book of Joel speaks of this judgment. The subject of Joel is the day of the Lord (1:15; 2:11, 31; 3:14), but few Christians understand what the day of the Lord is. Paul gave us the definition in 1 Corinthians 4:3-5. In verse 3 he said, "It is a very small thing that I should be examined by you or by man's day." Before the Lord comes, it is man's day, in which man judges. Today is man's day. In man's day, everything is judged by man. But after man's day, there will be a day which will be called the day of the Lord. This day will last about one thousand three and a half years. The day on which the great tribulation begins will be the beginning of the day of the Lord. From that day, the Lord's wrath will be expressed. The day of the Lord is the day of His judgment.
It may seem today that the Lord does not care for the world situation. If people want to settle their problems, they have to go to the police station. Then the police station will transfer them to the law court, where they will be judged and ruled according to the law of man. When people have disputes and grievances today, they do not go to Christ. But when the great tribulation begins, that will be the beginning of the day of the Lord. Christ will come to interfere with the world situation.
Joel reveals that after the three and a half years of the great tribulation, the Lord will judge the living Gentiles (3:12). Matthew 25 tells us that He will separate them, the sheep from the goats, in His judgment (vv. 32-46). Afterward, He will set up the thousand-year kingdom. In the thousand-year kingdom, He will judge, rule, and control the entire earth. At the end of that thousand years, there will be a rebellion, which He will also judge (Rev. 20:8-9). Then He will have the final judgment on the great white throne to judge the dead unbelievers (vv. 11-15). That will be the end of the day of the Lord. Thus, the day of the Lord will last one thousand three and a half years. After this day, the heavens and the earth will be burned to become the new heavens and new earth. Then the New Jerusalem will come in, and righteousness will fill the new heavens and new earth (2 Pet. 3:13). Everything will be right. There will be no more need for any kind of judgment.
Since God and His Christ will be in wrath to the world, man must repent (Psa. 2:11; Acts 17:30). This is the New Testament gospel.
Psalm 2:12b says, "Blessed are all those who take refuge in Him." To take refuge in the Son equals to believe into the Son, Christ (John 3:16). Many of us probably have never considered that to believe into Christ is to take refuge in Him. We can see this with the type of Noah's ark. When all the people trusted, or believed in, that ark, they all entered into that ark, to take the ark as their refuge, protection, and hiding place. Today our Christ is our refuge, our protection. We are hiding ourselves in Him.
After getting into bed, I usually pray, "Lord, cover us, our building, and our yard with Your prevailing blood against all the enemy's attack." The next morning I thank the Lord for being our security. Every time I take a trip, I ask the Lord to be my protection. I ask the Lord to cover the car which I will take to the airport and to cover the plane in which I will fly. Even, of course, I take the Lord as my refuge under God's eternal judgment. These are experiences of taking refuge in Christ.
Psalm 2:12a says that we need to kiss the Son. The New Testament tells us that we need faith and love. Paul said in 1 Timothy 1:14, "And the grace of our Lord superabounded with faith and love in Christ Jesus." The Lord's grace visited Paul and superabounded in him with faith and love in Christ. One day he received mercy and grace from the Lord, not only to believe in Him but also to love Him. We have been given faith to believe into Christ, taking Him as our refuge. Also, we have been given God's love to love the Lord Jesus.
In the Gospel of John, we are taught that we need to believe into Christ, the Son (1:12), and to love Him (14:23). In the last chapter of John, chapter twenty-one, the very Christ who is our refuge came back to Peter to restore Peter's love toward Him. The Lord asked Peter three times, "Do you love Me?" (vv. 15-17).
Peter failed utterly in denying the Lord three times (18:17, 25, 27), so the Lord came back to ask him three times — "Do you love Me?" I think that this threefold asking reminded Peter of his being defeated three times. This is why Peter responded by saying, "Lord, You know." Peter said, "Lord, You know that I love You" (21:15b, 16b). A young believer may be strong to boldly tell the Lord that he loves Him and will never deny Him. But when he is defeated, his natural confidence in his love toward the Lord will be dealt with. Then he will learn to follow the Lord and to love the Lord without any confidence in his natural strength.
To believe in the Lord is to receive Him; to love the Lord is to enjoy Him. The Gospel of John presents these as the two requirements for us to participate in the Lord. The Lord is within us to be our faith and to be our love. To love Him, according to Psalm 2:12a, is to kiss Him. We should not uplift and treasure the law. Instead, we should kiss Christ, love Christ, day by day.
I read a portion of John Nelson Darby's writings which inspired me to love the Lord. One day when he was over eighty years old, he was traveling and he stayed overnight in a hotel. Before going to sleep, he said to the Lord, "Lord Jesus, I still love You." That inspired me to the uttermost. After many years, he could still speak such a word to the Lord. We need to ask the Lord to keep us loving Him all the time.
Psalm 2 is concerning the accomplishment of the economy of God, whereas Psalm 1 is concerning the personal benefit of the saints (vv. 1-3). The human concept of Psalm 1 is that the man who delights in the law of God prospers in everything. But according to the New Testament revelation, the law is over and Christ is here (Rom. 10:4a). Christ is the centrality and universality of God's economy. The entire book of Psalms takes these two lines: the law and Christ. Eventually, by the end of the Psalms, the law is over, and we see Christ with His complement, which is His Body, His church, the house and the kingdom of God in God's economy to fulfill God's eternal purpose.
Thus, we have to see that Psalms 1 and 2 show us a comparison of the human concept in exalting the law with its keeper as the one blessed by God in man's interest and the divine revelation in proclaiming Christ as the One anointed of God in God's economy.
