7 February,
2017
The kings of the earth take their stand and
the rulers gather together against the LORD
and against his Anointed One. (Psalm 2:2)
ANOINTED ONE
When
people suggested to David that he take advantage of the opportunity to kill
Saul (who was, after all, trying to kill him) David rejected the idea, saying
that Saul was the Lord's anointed. In fact, when someone who didn't kill King
Saul told David that he had, David had him executed for his crime. The kings of
Israel and later Judah were called "anointed." This royal psalm is
one the texts of the Old Testament that is most often quoted in the New,
including this passage being used in Acts 4 as Peter explained to the Jews
about Jesus. The kings of the earth were considered to be Rome and Herod, and
the rulers, the priests, Pharisees and Sadducees.
It should be no surprise that passage is still true today. The kings and rulers, the nations and people rise up against the Anointed One and against His Word. We need to be careful not to ally ourselves with those who take their stand against the Anointed One. I know that there are wolves in sheep's clothing out there, but there are also wolves who no longer pretend to be anything other than wolves. They boo God, and openly attack Christianity and Judaism. I believe we need wisdom to discern which are wolves in sheep's clothing, but there are people who claim to be Christians who stand with undisguised wolves and join them in attacking the Anointed One and His bride and in rejecting Scripture.
We are to love our neighbors as ourselves (Matthew 5:43.) In fact, we're supposed to go beyond that to loving our enemies and praying for those who hate us (Matthew 5:44.) We are also told "Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For everything in the world—the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does—comes not from the Father but from the world." (I John 2:15-16) There's more: "You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world is hatred toward God? Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God." (James 4:4) This is an area in which we need to pray for wisdom and to watch with vigilance.
It should be no surprise that passage is still true today. The kings and rulers, the nations and people rise up against the Anointed One and against His Word. We need to be careful not to ally ourselves with those who take their stand against the Anointed One. I know that there are wolves in sheep's clothing out there, but there are also wolves who no longer pretend to be anything other than wolves. They boo God, and openly attack Christianity and Judaism. I believe we need wisdom to discern which are wolves in sheep's clothing, but there are people who claim to be Christians who stand with undisguised wolves and join them in attacking the Anointed One and His bride and in rejecting Scripture.
We are to love our neighbors as ourselves (Matthew 5:43.) In fact, we're supposed to go beyond that to loving our enemies and praying for those who hate us (Matthew 5:44.) We are also told "Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For everything in the world—the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does—comes not from the Father but from the world." (I John 2:15-16) There's more: "You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world is hatred toward God? Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God." (James 4:4) This is an area in which we need to pray for wisdom and to watch with vigilance.
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