When a Common Girl Marries the King (W.o.W. Rewind)

Listen, daughter, and pay careful attention: Forget your people and your father’s house. Let the king be enthralled by your beauty; honor him, for he is your lord.

Psalm 45:10-11

Have you ever known anyone who got married but then kept living with mommy and daddy? It normally doesn't work out well, because that isn't how marriage was designed to work. "That is why a man leaves his father and mother and is united to his wife, and they become one flesh" (Genesis 2:24). This is God's design for marriage. The passage above reminds us that it is also His design for Christians (the bride of Christ) as we commit ourselves to Him.

Psalm 45 presents the Davidic King as a magnificent, just, and prosperous man (Psalm 45:2-9). He is the ideal man, really. From a New Testament perspective we look back and know that Jesus fits this bill better than anyone else. In fact, even though this psalm was almost certainly written for one of David's descendants around the time of his wedding, it appears to point intentionally forward to Jesus when it says, "God, your God, has set you above your companions by anointing you with the oil of joy" (Psalm 45:7).

Since this is true, then Psalm 45:10-11 gives us insight into our spiritual life as well. Many times in the Bible the church is called the bride of Christ. Christ has committed Himself to and given Himself for the church. Thus, when believers accept Christ they are not merely receiving a gift from Him, but are confessing Him as Lord, committing themselves to Him as a bride to her husband. We must "forget our people and our father’s house." Grabbing hold of Christ requires a forsaking of all else. 

Let's return to the metaphor in Psalm 45. When a common girl marries the King, she must move off the farm and into the palace. It simply will not do to have her slopping the pigs in the morning and dining with the King in the evening. She must live in the palace, be dressed in fine clothing, undergo beauty treatments, and learn how to dine with the King. So it is with us. We are common people, sinners, who have been redeemed by a great King and married to Him. It will not do for us to continue wallowing in the mud of our sin day after day and then show up to church on Sunday to dine with the King partaking in the Lord's Supper. To do so is shameful and it belittles our King. 

Committing oneself to Christ requires that we move out of our old trappings, our old way of living life, and yes, even some of our old relationships. We must forsake the relationships and patterns of living that drew us into sin and begin to live with the King, daily dining on His Word and learning how to walk in His steps. You can still be a witness to these people, but the way you relate to them must change. Jesus comes first now, everyone and everything else comes under Him. 

So what do you need to forsake for Jesus? Who do you need to leave behind? 

For further reading...

• Psalm 45- Read the entire psalm.
• Luke 14:26-27- Jesus said to be his disciple you must hate your father and mother.
• Matthew 10:34-36- Jesus said "I have come to turn a man against his father, a daughter against her mother..."

Fearless

God is our refuge and strength,

    an ever-present help in trouble.

Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way

    and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea,

though its waters roar and foam

    and the mountains quake with their surging.

Psalm 46:1-3

Christians ought to be the most fearless of all people in the world. By that I don't mean that we should make reckless decisions or carelessly enter into dangerous situations. Rather, I mean that no situation that arises in our lives rightly ought to cause us to fear. Now, that's a rather bold statement when you really think about it, but I believe Scripture supports it. 

In the passage above the psalmist says that even if all of creation itself began to shake and come undone, that he would not fear. Why? Because God is his refuge even in the midst of great chaos. God is in control, God is all-powerful, and God is good. These three truths are all you need to know to stop fear dead in its tracks for if all three of these are true, then believers have no reason to fear anything or anyone other than God.

Think about it. Any person or circumstance that enters your life to do harm, is under God's control. He allowed it. He can stop it. Ultimately, your fate is in His hands. So even if someone holds you up at gun point, you can trust God. When you are diagnosed with cancer, you can face it without fear knowing that your life is in His hands. Don't get me wrong. Christians are still human. I know that we will still fear at times. Even Paul was afraid when his life was in danger (2 Corinthians 7:5). But at the end of the day, there is no reason for us to live in fear of anything or anyone.

Scripture commands us over and over again to fear God, but it never commands us to fear anyone or anything other than God. (The only possible exceptions to this rule are Proverbs 24:21-22 and Ephesians 6:5, but I believe both speak of fearing human authority as extensions of God's authority.) 

Still not convinced? David takes up this same theme in several other psalms. He promises not to fear even when tens of thousands attack him on every side (Psalm 3:5-7), or when he walks through the valley of the shadow of death (Psalm 23:4), or even if an entire army should declare war and besiege him (Psalm 27:1-3). The sons of Korah dare to ask why they should fear anyone but God? (Psalm 49:5). Another psalmist still comes right out and says "surely the righteous...will have no fear" (Psalm 112:6-8). Why all this fearlessness? Because faith is the antithesis of fear. Their fear of God and their faith in God is so strong that it drives out all other fear.

Heavenly Father, fill me with a holy fear of You and a bold faith in You that I might not fear anyone or anything else. For if You be for me then what can man do to me? And if You be against me, then who can protect me? Only let me be right with You, Lord.

For further reading...

• Luke 12:4-5- Don't fear people who can kill you. Fear God.
• Psalm 91:4-8- Another psalm that promotes fearlessness.

The Big Story of Scripture

The Bible isn’t just a collection of individual stories. It is the story of God’s dealings with humanity. It is the one story that makes sense of all our stories and of all human history. And at every stop in this story God reveals things to us about Jesus and ourselves. 

It can be very difficult to reduce the whole of Scripture down to the main developments in this one overarching story, but I did just that in a sermon this past Sunday and I thought it might be helpful to reproduce it for you here. I pray this helps you understand how all the individual stories from Scripture fit into the Big Story and why all these stories matter. 

1. Creation & Fall
After Adam and Eve fell into sin, God gave them the first hint of the gospel promising them that one of Eve's descendants would crush that serpent the Devil.

And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel. (Genesis 3:15)

• What it reveals about Jesus: Jesus was God’s Great Rescue Plan from the very beginning.
• What it reveals about us: We’re sinners just like Adam & Eve. We rebel, God pursues.

2. God chooses His People (Abraham)

The Lord had said to Abram, “Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you. I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you...and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.” (Genesis 12:1-3)

Galatians 3:7-9 tells us that this promise to Abraham was fulfilled in Jesus.

Understand, then, that those who have faith [in Jesus] are children of Abraham. Scripture foresaw that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, and announced the gospel in advance to Abraham: “All nations will be blessed through you.” So those who rely on faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith. (Galatians 3:7-9)

• What it reveals about Jesus: Jesus is A Blessing for All Nations.
• What it reveals about us: Like Abraham, God wants us to step out of our comfort zones and follow Him on an adventure to bless all peoples with the gospel.

3. God Redeems His People (Moses)

Moses promised that God would raise up another prophet like him for God's people.

The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your fellow Israelites. You must listen to him... I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their fellow Israelites, and I will put my words in his mouth. He will tell them everything I command him. I myself will call to account anyone who does not listen to my words that the prophet speaks in my name. (Deuteronomy 18:15, 18-19)

Acts 3:22 tells us that this prophet was Jesus.

...that he may send the Messiah, who has been appointed for you—even Jesus... For Moses said, ‘The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your own people; you must listen to everything he tells you. (Acts 3:20 & 22)

• What it reveals about Jesus: Jesus is God’s Great Redeemer. In the same way that Moses redeemed God's people from slavery to Egypt and led them into the Promised Land, Jesus redeems God's people from slavery to sin and leads us into Heaven. 
• What it reveals about us: God sets us free from sin to serve Him. Sin has no power over us.

4. God Chooses His King (David)
God promises David that one of his descendants will be like a son to God and will reign forever.

"When your days are over and you rest with your ancestors, I will raise up your offspring to succeed you, your own flesh and blood, and I will establish his kingdom...I will be his father, and he will be my son...Your house and your kingdom will endure forever before me; your throne will be established forever." (2 Samuel 7:12, 14, 16)

In Luke 1:31-33, the angel Gabriel tells Mary that this forever king, this son of David will be her son, Jesus.

"You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.” (Luke 1:31-33)

• What it reveals about Jesus: Jesus is God’s Forever King.
• What it reveals about us: God wants us to bow the knee in obedience to King Jesus.

5. God’s Kingdom Conquered (Daniel)

While in captivity in Babylon, Daniel had a vision of a human with divine like attributes who would reign forever in Heaven and be worshiped by all peoples.

"In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence. He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all nations and peoples of every language worshiped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed. (Daniel 7:13-14)

In Mark 14:62 Jesus quotes this passage and says that He is Daniel's son of man. 

“I am,” said Jesus. “And you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven.” (Mark 14:62)

• What it reveals about Jesus: Jesus is Daniel’s “Son of Man.”
• What it reveals about us: Jesus was the ideal man. God wants us to live like He lived. 

6. Redemption

And he said, “The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life.” Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it. (Luke 9:22-24)

• What it reveals about Jesus: Jesus is a Suffering Savior.
• What it reveals about us: God wants us to take up our crosses and share in Jesus' suffering. Whoever shares in His suffering will also share in His glory.

7. The Very Good Ending
In the end, the Big Story of Scripture comes full circle. It ends in a place very similar to where it began. God's people will be back in God's presence dwelling in God's place, a garden-like paradise called Heaven, and enjoying perfect relationship with Him forever. Only this time, sin will not intrude.

Submitting to Authority

Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. Consequently, whoever rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves.

Romans 13:1-2

I don't think Scripture gives us any clearer theology of authority than what these two verses offer. This passage commands believers to submit to governmental authorities at a time when Christians were sometimes persecuted and targeted for their faith. It challenges us to honor and obey them, even when they are wicked. We are to submit to them as far as we can without disobeying the Bible. What an important reminder at a time when politics are getting more and more radicalized.

Here are three truths this passage forces us to face:

• Anyone in authority has been placed there by God. 
• Thus, rebellion against someone in authority is rebellion against God.
• This kind of rebellion will bring judgment.

Allow me to suggest one practical application. Stop badmouthing people in authority! I don’t care if it’s Donald Trump, Alexandra Occasio Cortez, Nancy Pelosi, or Mitch McConnell. The way many believers talk about the people God has placed in positions of authority in our country is embarrassing and shameful. I’ve heard Christians on both sides of the political aisle make fun of their appearance, openly wish terrible things would happen to them, call them stupid, and exaggerate their faults. And oftentimes we do it all over Facebook for the whole world to see. Stop it! This kind of behavior isn’t fitting for believers.

I’m not saying you have to agree with every politician. And I’m not saying you can’t speak up about the issues where they are wrong. But our respect for human authority is based on our respect for divine authority. So even if I disagree with those in positions of authority in my country- and there are many I disagree with- I will treat them with honor and respect. And I will do this whether they are in my district, in my state, or not.

This goes way beyond politics though. What about your boss? How do you talk about him or her behind their back? Or what about your pastor? How do you speak about him over Sunday lunch? Don't think God will overlook your rebellion. Sure, we are all tempted to badmouth some authority in our lives. But this passage reminds us that when we refuse to submit to human authority we bring God's judgment on our lives.