The Kingdom Is Coming!

Berean Baptist on July 13, 2015

Then did I beat them small as the dust before the wind: I did cast them out as the dirt in the streets.  [43]  Thou hast delivered me from the strivings of the people; and thou hast made me the head of the heathen: a people whom I have not known shall serve me. (Psalms 18:42-43)

 

In the 18th Psalm, the Holy Spirit widened the application of David’s words to give us a picture of the resurrection of Christ. The language is that of a soldier, a commander that was a man of war and had seen his fair share of conflicts with the enemy. The Holy Spirit used David’s experience to depict a cosmic battle that took place as God beat back the forces of evil that would have prevented the resurrection of Jesus from the dead.

However, the Psalmist does not stop with the resurrection. David could not have known the extent of his prophecy, or perhaps that he was even writing prophecy, yet his words fit with the great prophets Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Daniel who speak of the Second Coming and the glorious kingdom that Christ will establish on earth.

In reviewing this Psalm, I was particularly impressed with the latter half that speaks of the defeat of all Christ’s enemies and the complete subjugation of all nations beneath His authority. Verses 42 and 43 are explicit: “Then did I beat them small as the dust before the wind: I did cast them out as the dirt in the streets. Thou hast delivered me from the strivings of the people; and thou hast made me the head of the heathen: a people whom I have not known shall serve me.” The New Testament reiterates this theme in passages such as Philippians 2:9-11 and 1 Corinthians 15:24-25.

There is much evidence in scripture about the coming kingdom, simply too much for us to allegorize the texts in order to explain them away. When God created the world, He reigned supreme and all creatures were under His dominion. When Adam sinned, he attempted to throw off the yoke of God, and the punishment for disobedience was a curse put on the earth. God did not intend for the curse to last forever. He determined it would be lifted in such a way that He would receive the highest exaltation and His greatest glory. His ability to restore this fallen world to its pre-fallen state will cause none to mistake His sovereign power again. Christ will be glorified forever.

It is most interesting that the promise of future restoration always flows through David. If this promise is not literal, David looks like a fool for his unfounded faith and apparent wild expectations. And yet, there are more spiritual gymnastics performed to cut out the literal restoration of the Davidic throne than there are to destroy any other doctrine of scripture. It seems to me we would as well dismiss a literal heaven as to deny the reestablishment of David’s throne.

I believe we should look for a kingdom and a temple and a throne where Jesus will rule all nations with a rod of iron. “Thou hast made me the head of the heathen: a people whom I have not known shall serve me.” Present conditions seem to belie this future reality. But as surely as God with fury and vengeance overcame the powers of darkness to raise Jesus from the dead, He will subdue all enemies under His feet. Let God be true and every man a liar (Romans 3:3-4). King Jesus shall reign!

Pastor V. Mark Smith

Grace to Help in Time of Need

Berean Baptist on April 21, 2015

As for me, I will behold thy face in righteousness: I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with thy likeness. (Psalms 17:15)

Most of us are very well acquainted with King David who is one of the Bible’s most prominent characters. Throughout the Old Testament, there are multiple prophecies that speak of a coming kingdom in which the great Messiah will sit on the throne of David to rule in perfect righteousness. The New Testament reveals Jesus as this great king who came from the household and lineage of David. We are well familiar with these prophecies as we have spoken of them often while studying the Gospel of Matthew.

Perhaps we may be somewhat perplexed by David because we also know of David’s great struggles with sin. In many sermons I mention the terrible sin that David committed with Bathsheba and then the subsequent cover-up in which David had her husband Uriah murdered. How is it possible these terrible sins could mesh with the promise that God would establish David’s throne forever? The answer lies in God’s grace. God graciously forgives the repentant sinner. No matter what you have done, if you humbly kneel before God and confess your sins and repent of them, God will forgive you.

In Psalm 17, we do not see David’s sins. Instead, we see David maintaining his integrity before God, insisting he loved the Lord and depended upon Him for protection. Even though David knew he was often guilty of sin, this was a time when he was aware of forgiveness and could claim the comfort of renewed fellowship. Psalm 17 is just a remarkable piece of poetry that shows David’s complete confidence in God and his hope that when this life is over he would meet the Lord face to face.

There are several verses in this Psalm that are particularly impressive. Among these are verses 3, 8, and 15. David said in verse 3: “Thou hast proved mine heart; thou hast visited me in the night; thou hast tried me, and shalt find nothing; I am purposed that my mouth shall not transgress.” This was a time that David was determined that sin should not reign in him. He invited the Lord to examine him and search for any fault that could be found. He was confident there was no sin that could be discovered. This makes me wonder how many of us would do the same. Many of us have open sins and many more have secret sins. Could we make the same claim as David with confidence and be sure the Lord would find nothing but righteousness?

In verse 8, he said: “Keep me as the apple of the eye, hide me under the shadow of thy wings.”  This shows David knew his relationship with the Lord. God’s love for him surpassed all human love. Describing it required the sweetest prose that could be written.

Verse 15 says: “As for me, I will behold thy face in righteousness: I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with thy likeness.” How often this theme is repeated in scripture. The hope of the Christian is that one day we shall see God. From Job, one of the most ancient of Bible characters who said, “And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God” to John the last living apostle who wrote, “Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is,” this has been the hope of all believers that fully trust in Jehovah God. Notice the correlation of David’s words with John’s. David: “I shall be satisfied when I awake with thy likeness.” John: “We shall be like him; for we shall see him as is.”

I encourage you to read the 17th Psalm carefully with serious contemplation. When you are faced with trying circumstances, pray that you will see God as David saw Him. Whenever your heart is right as David’s was, you can come boldly to the throne of grace and find grace to help in time of need (Heb. 4:16).

 

Pastor V. Mark Smith