Sermon(Ps 2:1-12): The king God appointed
The original Korean text: https://blog.naver.com/stevision/50025221691
Scripture reading:
1 Why do the nations conspire, and the peoples plot in vain? 2 The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord and his anointed, saying, 3 “Let us burst their bonds asunder, and cast their cords from us.” 4 He who sits in the heavens laughs; the Lord has them in derision. 5 Then he will speak to them in his wrath, and terrify them in his fury, saying, 6 “I have set my king on Zion, my holy hill.” 7 I will tell of the decree of the Lord: He said to me, “You are my son, today I have begotten you. 8 Ask of me, and I will make the nations your heritage, and the ends of the earth your possession.”
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This words of the Ps 2 seems to be a formulary that the priest used when he blessed a new king at the coronation ceremony in the ancient Israel. In the past, the king of Israel was considered to be the son of God, the representative of God. You can see that the above text is a ceremonial document used on the day of the king's coronation, from the verse 7, "You (the king) are my (God's) son, today I have begotten you." In verse 2, "his (Lord's) anointed' is the new king who was anointed by the priest when he became a king. This anointed king is called a messiah. The priest announces by this formula that God will bless the new king and give him power that will reach to the neighboring countries and subdue them all. The priest issued a stern warning to the congratulatory envoys from the neighboring countries, saying, "If the kings of the neighboring country are against the king of Israel, the son of God, especially if they conspire against him, they will be severely punished." The priest blesses the king that God will give the king all nations for inheritance and that his land will be extended to the end of the earth.
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The text, of course, came from such a historical situation, but after all it prophesies the rule of Jesus Christ, the true Son of God and the King of all kings. When Jesus was incarnated and would establish his kingdom in this world and extend it, the kings and officials of the world, including the king of Judea and the governor of Rome, confronted him and crucified him. Jesus defeated them with the most powerful weapon - the Resurrection! With the most terrifying weapon in the world can a man at most kill people just once. The atomic bomb is indeed powerful, but you can not kill a person twice by it. Jesus made useless all the weapons the kings of the world possessed, by his resurrection at once. Now those who follow Jesus are not afraid of the swords and spears of the kings of the world. As the kingdom of Jesus prospers, the kings and officials of the world begin to kill his disciples. But the disciples already possessed the weapon of resurrection and eternal life, so that their bodies on the earth were dead but they became eternal victors. So the world finally succumbed to the reign of Jesus. The kingdom of Jesus will continue to extend, eventually to the ends of the earth. We, followers of Jesus, must not be afraid of North Korea's atomic bombs or the guns of bad countries, but must do hard the works that God alloted to us so that our reward may be multiplied in heaven. What we must fear is not the atomic bombs of the neighboring countries, but the demonic elements in our country, especially in our church. The Devil comes into the church, infiltrates the pure gospel of life with evil ideas, sets the Devil's men in the divine offices, so that malignant tumors grow in the head and inside of the church. Doesn't it make you shudder to see that the abominable homosexuals in the U.S. are ordained pastors? Such rotten denominations of Christianity were cursed long ago. There is no hope with the U.S. if the religious groups with the sign >The Good Christianity< are so rotting and stinking. When adultery, homosexuality, and paganism prevail, the country will be without hope, but will have to wait for only the day of punishment.
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In the biblical text today, we can see God's politics. Not only humans but also the God enters into politics. God does politics, too. Unusually, God has the absolute sovereignty. So he makes any one a king as he likes. God does not justify a man or give him eternal life according to his good works. God elects those who will be given eternal life, based on his (God's) free choice. Likewise, God appoints kings according to his free will. If there is one principle here, it is as follows: God usually does not appoint a king based on the moral character of an individual, but on the usefulness by which he (the God) governs the world easily. For example, when Israel fell into idolatry, God made Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon a king and destroyed Israel thoroughly. So Christians should not protest to God, saying, "Why do you make such an evil man a king?" Otherwise God will ask you a question, "Is it due to your good works that I give you the eternal life?" Therefore, Christians must bear this in mind that it was God who made a man a king because he was useful for him, whether he is a good king or not now. Apostle Paul says, "Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. (Rom 13:1)"
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Therefore, if you don't think you have been punished enough to offset your sins, you must not complain of your king, whether he is a good king or not. If you think you are a righteous man, and if your wicked king does not do you harm, just think that God is using the wicked king according to his plan, then you need not complain. If you have no sins, and if the bad king persecutes you without reason, just think that God is using him to train you, then you'll have no complaint.
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Some people would oppose the above argument, saying, "Christianity is the opium of the masses and the supporter of tyrants." But Christianity has never advocated tyranny. Of course, there were some foolish clergymen who tried to live comfortably under the protection of powerful politicians, but Christianity itself was never a tyrants' supporter. Rather, it was Christianity that cried justice against tyrants. Wherever Christianity entered, despotism gradually disappeared, democracy was established, and human rights were enhanced. However, Christianity was reluctant to oust by force a tyrant from the power because it believed in Jesus Christ, the King of all kings, who is much higher than the tyrant. Those in Jesus are not afraid of the cruelties of tyrants at all. They do not fear the tyrants, and leave the punishment of the tyrants to Jesus. They rather leave the politics to the great politician Jesus and devote themselves to the salvation of the souls than join a dirty political battle while trying to remove the tyrants. Today, some strange servants of God are trying to take part in the battle in the muddy politics, ignoring the dying souls. If your clothes get dirty, you can't enter the holy place. You are in the wrong way.
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Opium! How can you compare Christianity to opium? Christianity is more than opium. Have you ever known a man who got an opium shot and became voluntarily lion's prey? Opium a little relieves the pain, but Christianity removes even the fear of death. Neither Devil nor Emperor Nero nor the richest man nor the most beautiful woman can conquer a genuine Christian. The people of Jesus are so strong. They are strong even when they have no hydrogen bomb, no strong body, no wisdom, and no wealth. Because Jesus, the King of kings, is their King. What will they fear if they can come to life again and obtain eternal life after they die? To use a common word, Christians act as if they lost their sight after seeing the glory of heaven. (Would a blind man be afraid of a horrible sight?) So the demons today, to hinder Christians from becoming glorious martyrs, are somehow promoting peace and infusing Christianity wih dirty secular thoughts so that naturally many Christians become failures as Christians in a peaceful atmosphere.
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Whether a secular king recognizes it or not, God appoints the king who is most suitable for him to rule the world. Paul speaks of God's purpose of establishing a government: "Rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of him who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval, for he is God's servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain; he is the servant of God to execute his wrath on the wrongdoer. (Rom 13:3-4)" In order to reward good and punish evil, God establishes a government and appoints a suitable man king. Therefore, Christians must admit the rule of a government that knows good and evil and rules well, and must not reject the government. It is beyond your authority and is a rebellious act against God to reject the man God makes a good use of and to launch a campaign to remove him. Sometimes God gives a people a good king (or a good president) because he loves the people, and makes the nation flourish through the good king. So it is also a rebellion against the gracious God to slander the king for no reason. Why do clerics react nervously when government officials try to interfere in the internal affairs of Christianity, while they themselves like to give unjust bitter words to the officials of the legitimate government? God laughs at them. "You are so selfish and self-centered!"
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Of course, there are tyrants who reversely understand good and evil and show anti-Christian attitudes and abuse the people. They must be driven out. But people must follow legal procedures. Because the people are responsible for having chosen legally evil men if they have became tyrants. In this case, it might be better to have a tyrant than for the country to go into anarchy. Those who took power are always under God's absolute sovereignty, so God can remove them any time he wants. There are many useful means for him, such as coup, revolution, accident, disease, impeachment, etc. Sometimes an evil ruler overcomes all the resistance of the people and rules with an iron fist. In this case the sins of the people were so great that God appointed a beast-like ruler. 'You don't want to be willingly obedient to me, so you must be forced to obey an evil leader!' No matter how gently you may teach him with the gospel, you'll fail to change him. At this time, if Christians take a coup d'etat with a sense of justice, they may suffer severe retaliation. God is still using him as an evil tool, therefore, it is presumptuous to attempt to take it from his hand. There are no side effects when even good works are done under God's permission. Jesus also, seeing the day when Israel would be devastated by the Roman army, advised people: "Flee to the mountains (when that day comes). (Mk 13:14)" It is surely God who fixes the day of tribulation menacing to human life. And he gives his beloved ones a way to escape then.
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Today's biblical text is the words for those in power. Those who come to power must listen to the warning that they will surely perish completely if they oppose the kingdom of God. You know that the atheist Nietzsche lived a thoroughly cursed life. And you know how severely the communism, which made atheism the national religion, has been punished (by God). Especially, if a man, because he has power in hand, persecutes the servants of God, he must receive the curse that he and his descendants from generation to generation be punished with downfall. on the contrary, he who acknowledges the absolute sovereignty of Jesus, the King of kings, and tries to rule the people according to his words, will be honored to be called a son of God, and will be blessed with the benediction that the territory of his country extend outward more and more and that his name become great. All the neighboring countries that oppose this good king will perish.
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Chong Tack Kim
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