PSALM 2 Bible Study
I’m
taking advantage of being on my sickbed by moving forward with my
outline for the Bible study I am teaching at a 55+ community. As we look
into the second psalm, some thoughts came to mind that I thought I’d
pass along on the internet. If you are in my Bible study, consider this a preview
of what we will talk about when I am feeling better.
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“Why
are the nations in an uproar and the peoples devising a vain thing? 2
The kings of the earth take their stand and the rulers take counsel
together against the LORD and against His Anointed, saying, 3 “Let us
tear their fetters apart and cast away their cords from us!”
a. What does Scripture tell us of how God often responds to such ongoing and persistent arrogance? It is not pretty. For example, see Matthew 13:13-15 –“Therefore I speak to them in parables . . . 15 For the heart of this people has become dull, With their ears they scarcely hear, and they have closed their eyes, otherwise they would see with their eyes, hear with their ears, and understand with their heart and return, and I would heal them.’
(Note: They closed their own eyes and ears and hearts, so much so that God will not heal them).
Note also this text in Jeremiah 6:16-17 “Thus says the LORD, “Stand by the ways and see and ask for the ancient paths, where the good way is, and walk in it; And you will find rest for your souls. But they said, ‘We will not walk in it.’ 17 “And I set watchmen over you, saying, ‘Listen to the sound of the trumpet!’ But they said, ‘We will not listen.’
(Note they CHOSE to not walk with Him or listen to Him. The context of this text in Jeremiah goes on to speak of His judgement against them.)
Is there any application to us reading this?
Now see the follow-on verses of this psalm: (verse 4) He who sits in the heavens laughs, the Lord scoffs at them.”
There is good reason God tells us through the writer of Hebrews: “It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.” (Hebrews 10:31) There is good reason the apostle Paul warned the Galatian Christians: “God is not mocked.” (Galatians 6:7)
Consider now this (what ought to be a frightening text in) Proverbs 1:22-33 “How long, O naive ones, will you love being simple-minded? And scoffers delight themselves in scoffing and fools hate knowledge? . . . 24 “Because I called and you refused, I stretched out my hand and no one paid attention; 25 And you neglected all my counsel and did not want my reproof; 26 I will also laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your dread comes . . . 28 “Then they will call on me, but I will not answer; They will seek me diligently, but they will not find me, 29 Because they hated knowledge and did not choose the fear of the LORD. 30 “They would not accept my counsel, they spurned all my reproof. 31 “So they shall eat of the fruit of their own way and be satiated with their own devices . . . 33 “But he who listens to me shall live securely and will be at ease from the dread of evil.”
And along this line of Biblical counsel, now consider the last known words of a few infamous mockers of God. Listen to the death-bed words of atheist Voltaire: “I have swallowed nothing but smoke. I have intoxicated myself with the incense that turned my head. I am abandoned by God and man. I shall die and go to hell!”
Afterward, his nurse said this: “For all the money in Europe I wouldn’t want to see another unbeliever die! All night long he cried for forgiveness.”
Or these by Sir Francis Newport, the one-time head of an English Atheist club, who said to those gathered around his deathbed: “You need not tell me there is no God, for I know there is one, and that I am in his presence! You need not tell me there is no hell. I feel myself already slipping. Wretches, cease your idle talk about there being hope for me! I know I am lost forever! Oh, that fire! Oh, the insufferable pangs of hell! . . . Oh, eternity, eternity forever and forever! Oh, the insufferable pangs of Hell!”
BUT, on the other hand, here are the last words of men and women who died in the strong embrace of their Savior, Jesus: For example,
Elizabeth Catez, known as St. Elizabeth of the Trinity, died at the age of 26. It is said that as she went to her Lord, she died murmuring a soft chant: “I am going to the light, to love, to life!’”
Christian pastor John Inskip, as he lay on his deathbed, pulled his wife close, took her hands in his and raised them up together. His last words were these: "Victory! Triumph! Triumph."
St. Teresa of Ávila’s last words were these: “My Lord, it is time to move on. Well then, may Your will be done. O my Lord and my Spouse, the hour that I have longed for has come. It is time for us to meet one another.”
Dwight L. Moody, founder of the Moody Bible Institute, said on his deathbed: “Can this be death? Why it is better than living! Earth is receding, heaven is opening. This is my coronation day.”
-
St Catherine of Sienna died with these words on her lips: “Blood! Blood! Father, into Thy hands I commend my spirit.”
a. What does Scripture tell us of how God often responds to such ongoing and persistent arrogance? It is not pretty. For example, see Matthew 13:13-15 –“Therefore I speak to them in parables . . . 15 For the heart of this people has become dull, With their ears they scarcely hear, and they have closed their eyes, otherwise they would see with their eyes, hear with their ears, and understand with their heart and return, and I would heal them.’
(Note: They closed their own eyes and ears and hearts, so much so that God will not heal them).
Note also this text in Jeremiah 6:16-17 “Thus says the LORD, “Stand by the ways and see and ask for the ancient paths, where the good way is, and walk in it; And you will find rest for your souls. But they said, ‘We will not walk in it.’ 17 “And I set watchmen over you, saying, ‘Listen to the sound of the trumpet!’ But they said, ‘We will not listen.’
(Note they CHOSE to not walk with Him or listen to Him. The context of this text in Jeremiah goes on to speak of His judgement against them.)
Is there any application to us reading this?
Now see the follow-on verses of this psalm: (verse 4) He who sits in the heavens laughs, the Lord scoffs at them.”
There is good reason God tells us through the writer of Hebrews: “It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.” (Hebrews 10:31) There is good reason the apostle Paul warned the Galatian Christians: “God is not mocked.” (Galatians 6:7)
Consider now this (what ought to be a frightening text in) Proverbs 1:22-33 “How long, O naive ones, will you love being simple-minded? And scoffers delight themselves in scoffing and fools hate knowledge? . . . 24 “Because I called and you refused, I stretched out my hand and no one paid attention; 25 And you neglected all my counsel and did not want my reproof; 26 I will also laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your dread comes . . . 28 “Then they will call on me, but I will not answer; They will seek me diligently, but they will not find me, 29 Because they hated knowledge and did not choose the fear of the LORD. 30 “They would not accept my counsel, they spurned all my reproof. 31 “So they shall eat of the fruit of their own way and be satiated with their own devices . . . 33 “But he who listens to me shall live securely and will be at ease from the dread of evil.”
And along this line of Biblical counsel, now consider the last known words of a few infamous mockers of God. Listen to the death-bed words of atheist Voltaire: “I have swallowed nothing but smoke. I have intoxicated myself with the incense that turned my head. I am abandoned by God and man. I shall die and go to hell!”
Afterward, his nurse said this: “For all the money in Europe I wouldn’t want to see another unbeliever die! All night long he cried for forgiveness.”
Or these by Sir Francis Newport, the one-time head of an English Atheist club, who said to those gathered around his deathbed: “You need not tell me there is no God, for I know there is one, and that I am in his presence! You need not tell me there is no hell. I feel myself already slipping. Wretches, cease your idle talk about there being hope for me! I know I am lost forever! Oh, that fire! Oh, the insufferable pangs of hell! . . . Oh, eternity, eternity forever and forever! Oh, the insufferable pangs of Hell!”
BUT, on the other hand, here are the last words of men and women who died in the strong embrace of their Savior, Jesus: For example,
Elizabeth Catez, known as St. Elizabeth of the Trinity, died at the age of 26. It is said that as she went to her Lord, she died murmuring a soft chant: “I am going to the light, to love, to life!’”
Christian pastor John Inskip, as he lay on his deathbed, pulled his wife close, took her hands in his and raised them up together. His last words were these: "Victory! Triumph! Triumph."
St. Teresa of Ávila’s last words were these: “My Lord, it is time to move on. Well then, may Your will be done. O my Lord and my Spouse, the hour that I have longed for has come. It is time for us to meet one another.”
Dwight L. Moody, founder of the Moody Bible Institute, said on his deathbed: “Can this be death? Why it is better than living! Earth is receding, heaven is opening. This is my coronation day.”
-
St Catherine of Sienna died with these words on her lips: “Blood! Blood! Father, into Thy hands I commend my spirit.”
f. Return for a moment to Galatians 6:7. Here again is that verse, along with the next: “Do
not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he
will also reap. 8 For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the
flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the
Spirit reap eternal life.”
And again, time for application. How then ought we to live today in light of eternity –and eternity which, for any of us, might begin before the sun sets today.
Rich Maffeo
maffeo.richard@outlook.com
maffeo.richard@outlook.com
Blog:
www.inhimonly.blogspot.com
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