The Prefatory Psalms
Psalms 1:1-6, Psalms 2:1-12, and Psalms 3:1-8
INTRODUCTORY WORDS
The first chapter of the Psalm is its preface. You may call it, if you wish, the prefatory Psalm. It gives you the key that unlocks the whole Book. Let us enter into this Psalm by the way of the 24th of Luke; there it says that "all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the Law of Moses, and in the Prophets, and in the Psalms, concerning Me." These words tell us that the chief personage of the Psalms is not David, but Christ.
The newspapers carry big, black type headlines, the sub-headlines follow in a finer print, and then there is given the main body of the article. God often puts the striking headlines first; then He gives you, perhaps, the second headline; and then the great body of His message. The newspapers sum up the whole article at the top of the column. Of course, if you are interested in the details, in the intricacies, you go on down through the whole reading. When you open your Bible the first thing you see is, "In the beginning God." There is your striking headline for the whole Bible. When you come over into the New Testament, it begins: "The Book of the generation of Jesus Christ." There is your headline for the second division of the Bible.
The Book of Romans, the opening Book of the Epistles, begins: "Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an Apostle, separated unto the Gospel of God, concerning His Son Jesus Christ."
Now, let us approach the Book of the Psalms. The first chapter opens up like this: "Blessed is the man." These words convey the big black type headlines for the Psalms. If the Book of Psalms, according to Luke 24:44, is a Book written about one man, the Lord Jesus Christ, then the "blessed man" of the first verse is none other than He. The Holy Spirit is not talking primarily about David or about saints in general. When you consider that the Book of Psalms, like all the rest of the Bible, centers in Jesus Christ, you cannot miss the personnel of the opening verse; this is especially vivid when you remember that the 1st Psalm is the preface to the Book as a whole.
Now, what is the second headline, the sub-topic of the Book? Here it is: "The ungodly are not so." This expression "The ungodly" or its equivalent, runs through the whole Book. Two chief characters offset each other: "Blessed is the man" "The ungodly are not so." These are the two outstanding men of the Psalms The "blessed man" is the Lord Jesus Christ, and in Him all His saints; the "ungodly one" is the antichrist and with him all of those who follow him.
I. THE BLESSEDNESS OF GOD'S BLESSED MAN (Psalms 1:1-3)
First, His character is described. It is negatively stated and then positively stated.
Negatively three things are said: "Blessed is the man who walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly who standeth not in the way of sinners who sitteth not in the seat of the scornful." We need not now enlarge on these three constructive and consecutive statements; we merely wish to emphasize that they can be truly said of the Lord Jesus Christ alone. Where else is the man who walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly? Where else is the man who standeth not in the way of sinners? Perhaps you might say the lineage, or the line, or the descent of sinners. In either case, Jesus Christ is the answer to the query. He never sprang from the loins of sinners, nor did He ever walk in their pathway. The Christian who has ceased to walk in the counsel of the ungodly, and to stand in the way of sinners, can claim such a distinction only because he is in the blessed Man, empowered by the One who knew no sin. Christ never was a sinner. Of Him it was said: "That Holy Thing that shall be born of thee." There is none other who could encompass his whole life and say, "I am the blessed man, who walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly nor standeth in the way of sinners."
Now, what about sitting in the seat of the scornful. Jesus Christ was "separate from sinners"; He never was part or parcel with those who defamed His God.
Saints may go outside the camp with Him, bearing His reproach; they may never have fellowship in a church or a denomination where men scorn the Lord; they may never sit in the seat of those who defame the Word of God; they may refuse to darken the door of apostate churches, or to support the ministry of those who blaspheme the Son of God: yet, such an attitude is a victory of grace. "Blessed-ness" belongs inherently only to the One who was never found in the seat of the scornful. The next chapter tells us the fuller meaning of what this "scorning" includes.
Now, positively stated. "But his delight is in the Law of the Lord; and in His Law doth he meditate day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper."
Every word just quoted was fulfilled in the Lord Jesus Christ. He delighted in the Word and He was the Word; He was like a tree planted by the rivers of water and all of the rivers of water sprang from Him; all He did prospered even though He died upon the Cross in shame and spitting and in seeming defeat.
The Lord Jesus shall yet vindicate every word spoken of Him by the Psalmist. He was a victor on the Cross, for there He despoiled principalities and powers. He is, even now, a victor, for He sits exalted far above principalities and powers. When He comes again He will be a victor over every foe, for He will cast down every power that lifts itself up against Him "Whatsoever He doeth shall prosper."
II. THE BANE OF THE UNGODLY (Psalms 1:4-6)
"The ungodly are not so." How quickly the scene changes "The ungodly are not so, but are like the chaff which the wind driveth away." The Lord will destroy the antichrist with the breath of His mouth. Like the chaff will He blow him away. When Christ sends forth judgment unto victory the ungodly one will be "like" a reed shaken of the wind and tossed; like a smoking flax that is quenched. "Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment."
Thus, the prefatory Psalm not only presents Christ and the antichrist facing one another, but it also presents the prosperity of the former and the overthrow of the latter. This is the same story that runs through the Psalms as a whole; you will find it everywhere. The time is coming when only Christ and those who are in Him shall stand; while the antichrist and those with him shall be swept away.
III. CHRIST VERSUS THE ANTICHRIST (Psalms 2:2-4)
The second Psalm brings the conflict between Christ and the antichrist to a climax. We must turn our faces toward a far distant vista. This second Psalm has never met its fulfillment during the thirty centuries since David wrote.
"Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord, and against His Anointed." The scene is one of the nations raging; of the peoples imagining a vain thing. Against whom are they raging? Against the Lord. Against whom are the kings of earth setting themselves? Against the Lord. What is the vain thing the people imagine? Why do "the kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together against the Lord, and against His Anointed"?
It is because Armageddon has come. As the age draws to its close and the antichrist is revealed, the world will vainly strive to throw off all show of allegiance to Christ.
What is the language of the kings of the earth, the rulers and the peoples? They say: "Let us break their bands asunder and cast away their cords from us." The nations fret under the constraints of Christianity and of Christ. Against Christ, and against everything that names His Name or bears His impress they will arise saying: "Let us break away their bands from us." The antichrist will come as a religionist, but denying the Lord Jesus Christ, and everything that takes its color from Christ. For this cause the apostate nations and apostate Christendom will the more quickly rally to his standards.
What is the next scene? "He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh." The rapture of the saints (the Body of Christ) has evidently taken place. On the earth the tribulation rages, and the antichrist has been made manifest. The man of sin is heading the nations, and gathering them together against the Lord. The Lord, sitting in the heavens, laughs. He holds them in derision. What cares He though ten thousands are gathered against Him. He knows His power. He laughs at the madness of those who oppose Him. He holds their attempts in derision. He knows His strength.
That will be an imposing spectacle when the antichrist, clothed with Satan's power, gathers together the armies of the earth. The world will tremble and be afraid, but He who sits in the heavens will laugh. He will cry: "Come on to the battle." He will deride them.
IV. CHRIST CROWNED KING (Psalms 2:6)
In spite of the fact that the nations have gathered to dethrone the Son and to cast Him out, the Father declares: "Yet have I set My Son upon the holy hill of Zion." And addressing the Son, the Father says: "Ask of Me, and I will give Thee the nations for Thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for Thy possession" (A.S.V). No power on earth or in hell can keep the Lord from His rightful throne. He will come and He will reign. The Father will say to the Son, "I will declare the decree, * * Thou art My SON; this day have I begotten Thee." Your mind goes back to the immaculate conception, "Therefore that holy thing that shall be born of thee, shall be called the Son of God." Your mind goes back to the baptism, "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." Your mind goes back to the transfiguration, "This is My Son, My chosen, hear HIM."
Thus, in the hour of tribulation, God thunders to the gathered hosts, His decree: "Thou art My Son." Then, to the Son He saith: "Ask of Me and I will give Thee the nations for Thine inheritance." No wonder that Christ, sitting at the right hand of the Father, holds the flaunting threats of the gathered nations in derision. He will vex them in His sore displeasure. God will yet set His King upon the holy hill of Zion.
Let us go a little deeper into the Father's words: "Thou art My Son; this day have I begotten Thee." Here we have the Father's vindication of both the Virgin Birth and the Resurrection.
In the expression "I will give Thee the nations for Thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for Thy possession," we have the far-flung vision of what will be brought about after Christ has vexed the nations and cast out the antichrist like chaff before the summer threshing-floor. It is then that God puts His King on the holy hill of Zion. The Kingdom of the Lord Jesus Christ will be established after the antichrist is overwhelmed and never before. So let us not anticipate it ahead of time; neither let us join in worldly movements to establish the Kingdom. The mission of the Church is to take out of the nations a people for His Name. It is not to bring in the Messianic Kingdom. The Second Psalm tells how the Kingdom is to be brought in. Christ does not send forth His Church to carry His evangel to the uttermost part of the earth in order to establish the Kingdom. The Scripture is plain: "Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron"; and, "Thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel." Thus will the nations learn righteousness.
This is, briefly, the message of the Second Psalm.
V. A STRIKING ILLUSTRATION (2 Samuel 14:25; 2 Samuel 15:4; 2 Samuel 15:10)
"And in all Israel there was none to be so much praised as Absalom." The antichrist will outshine all the great men of the world; he will be universally wondered after; there will be none like him on all the earth.
"And Absalom prepared him chariots and horses, and fifty men to run before him." This demonstrates Absalom's pride. The antichrist will lift himself up above all that is called God, or that is worshiped.
"And Absalom said, moreover, Oh, that I were made judge in the land." When the antichrist comes, he will lay deep the plot and the strategy against the Son of God. He will seek to take Christ's heirship unto himself, and to make himself king.
And Absalom said unto his father, "Let me go and pay my vow which I vowed to the Lord in Hebron." The antichrist will enter world scenes as a religionist. There are ecclesiastics all over this land who are even now prepared to receive the antichrist. There are ecclesiastics prominent in Church circles, who know nothing of the Gospel of the Son of God, they know nothing of the vital fellowship of saints; they preach another gospel, which is not the Gospel, and they proffer a fellowship builded on a program, or, on a ministration, and not on the "unity of the faith."
When the antichrist comes, many of the supposed theological "far-i-sees" will bid him royal welcome. He will not at the first say, "I am God"; he will undoubtedly come with flattering and elegant phrases, posing as a great religionist. The antichrist will make a league with all apostasy, now existing in the world. He, like Absalom, will come under pretense of a fervent piety.
Now, let us observe the outcome of Absalom's perfidy. The story of David's flight is told as follows: "All the people wept with a loud voice; and all the people passed over; the king also himself passed over the brook Kidron." How remarkable it is that David went over the very brook, which the Lord passed en route to His Gethsemane. What next: "And David went up by the ascent of the Mount of Olives." The Lord Jesus left this earth by way of the same Mount of Olives, and went up into Heaven an exile from His Davidic throne. During His absence the antichrist will come into power as a usurper.
VI. THE PRAYER OF DAVID AS HE FLED FROM ABSALOM (Psalms 3:1-8)
We now study the prayer which David offered as he fled from Absalom, after he had passed over Kidron, and had gone up by the Mount of Olives. While his followers, men and women, rested and slept, David slipped away and prayed. I want you to read his prayer in Psalms 3:1-8
When Zadok came out to follow David in his exile with the ark (2 Samuel 15:24-29), David said, "Carry back the ark of God into the city: if I shall find favour in the eyes of the Lord, He will bring me again, and shew me both it, and His habitation: but if He thus say, I have no delight in thee; behold here am I, let Him do to me as seemeth good unto Him."
Let us leave David out of our thought, for a moment, and apply this prayer to Christ. Imagine the Lord Jesus Christ praying on the Cross and saying, "Lord, how are they increased that trouble Me, many there be that rise up against Me. Many there be which say of My soul, There is no help for Him in God." How those words remind us of the cry of the mob that surrounded the Cross! They said: "He trusteth in God; let Him deliver Him now, if He will have Him": for He said, "I am the Son of God." Christ never wavered, He never doubted, He said: "But Thou, O Lord, art a shield for Me and My glory, and the lifter up of My head."
David said, I wakened for the Lord sustained me. I will not be afraid of ten thousands that beset themselves against me around about.
Thus, did Christ awaken: He came forth from His tomb and from Hades a Victor, able to laugh at any onslaught that Satan or his antichrist might bring.
There is, however, another vision of the maledictions voiced in the third Psalm.
Not only did the enemy malign Christ during His earth-life, and as He hung upon the Cross, but after the antichrist in seeming victory, has, Absalom-like, swept everything before him, then the enemies of Christ will the more cry out against Him.
The whole world will marvel after the "beast"; his sway will be wonderful. Then will many rise up against Christ and say:
"Away with Christ, He was an impostor and untrue; every claim He ever made was false; even God repulsed Him and refused Him aid and He died in shame, the helpless victim of those who hated Him."
With many words will they defame His Holy Name. Yet, even as they cry, the Lord will be seated in the heavens with the Father, receiving from Him the promise: "I will give Thee the nations for Thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for Thy possession.