November 27: The First Sunday of Advent
Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord and against his Anointed, saying, “Let us burst their bonds apart and cast away their cords from us.” He who sits in the heavens laughs; the Lord holds them in derision. Then he will speak to them in his wrath, and terrify them in his fury, saying, “As for me, I have set my King on Zion, my holy hill.”—Psalm 2:1-6
It seems like there are only gatherings. The church is a gathering which is the flock of saved sheep. Sheep separated from the flock are in more danger than they know. Jesus’ action in salvation in ingathering, not checking to make sure the lone sheep who have “asked Jesus into their heart” are okay out there by themselves. He brings them into the fold, which should arrest those who smugly claim, “You don’t have to go to church to be a Christian.” Hebrews 10:25 speaks specifically on this.
But that is one kind of gathering, and this Psalm speaks of another kind. This is a tower of Babel kind of gathering where people “take counsel together” and rage and plot as nations and people. Their claim is freedom from the oppression of God’s law and truth. They are shockingly diverse yet utterly unified against the Lord and his Anointed.
When you think of God, do you ever think of him laughing? We sometimes like to think that he laughs with us or lovingly at the goofy things we do, but the Psalm says he laughs at them in derision. God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble, and this is the laughter of opposition. It is insulting and completely right. Imagine the horror: God laughs at you!
But take heart, Believers, he will speak to that great assembly in his wrath and terrify them in his fury with something. What is it? What terrifying thing does he tell them? Oh, the gospel. Yes, he tells them that He has set his King on Zion to reign. The Apostle Paul says in Romans 1 that the gospel “was promised beforehand through his prophets in the holy Scriptures, concerning his Son, who was descended from David according to the flesh and was declared to be the Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness by his resurrection from the dead.”
And that’s the gospel! Come hear it preached and enacted in the supper with Jesus this Sunday.
The related hymns we’ll sing are:
We Gather Together
Let All Things Now Living
Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus
SUNDAY SCHOOL
Sunday school for children (in Joshua) and adults (in 1 Peter) continues. Coffee and other treats are served at 9:15, teaching begins at 9:30, and we break to get ready for worship at 10:15.
Visitors are always welcome!