Reggie Weems’ Blog

Text: Psalm 2
Title of Christ: the “Anointed…Son” of God

v 7-8 - “I will tell of the decree: The Lord said to me, “You are my Son; today I have begotten you. 8 Ask of me, and I will make the nations your heritage, and the ends of the earth your possession.”

The Psalms are Israel’s hymnbook. Of the 283 direct quotes from the Old Testament into the New Testament, 116 (41%) are from the Psalms. Jesus Himself alluded to the Psalms more than fifty times (Luke 24:44). David and the various writers of the Psalms learned their theology in the harsh reality of adversity. They lived with the yet-fulfilled promises of God in their hearts.

Psalm 2 is the first Messianic Psalm in the book of Psalms. It recites a poetic version of the Davidic covenant (2 Samuel 7:14 - Psalm 2:8). The term Messiah is derived from a Hebrew word which means “to paint, smear, daub or anoint.” The concept of an ideal Messiah or King is rooted in God’s promise of an eternal throne to David’s heir (2 Samuel 7). This messianic expectation of such a king is fulfilled in Jesus Christ, David’s greater/est Son. But how can this be, since Jesus did not rule but suffered and died?

The Psalms and much of Old Testament history possess a “now” and “not yet” eschatology. Jesus was “now” in His incarnation as the Messiah/Redeemer but there was also a “not yet” aspect to His reign. This is because “I AM” means, “He was, He is and will be.” For this reason, there can be no end to Christ’s reign. Not even death could halt God’s great plan to eternally exalt His Son. Because of Who God is, His promises about the future, made in the past, are as good as fulfilled in the present.

(Tell the children that God always keeps His word, He is always ‘on time,’ He never fails…but…until He does, we wait in well-grounded hope.)

This Psalm begins with the interrogative, “Why?” It’s a good question. God’s response to any attempt to thwart Revelation 5:9 & 7:9 is simply to “laugh” (v 4). Why would anybody even try? This certainty of what eternity will look like hasn’t kept humans from trying but the end result is always the same. God wins. Humans fail.

God answers in the past tense. “I have set my King on Zion, my holy hill” (v 6)…”the Lord said to me…” (v 7). This is because God has “decreed” (v 7) that the nations reverence His Son (Isaiah 42:6). All of this happened in time past but the birth of Christ brought God’s plan into time present. Here we are in time future still waiting for God to fulfill His purposes. But the birth of Christ guarantees that the God Who made and kept the promise of a Messiah/Redeemer will also keep His promise concerning a Messiah/King.

And so we wait, expectantly, even triumphantly. Because even though we are still waiting for the future promises to come to pass, we do so with a hope that is grounded in the past faithfulness of God. The anointed Son of God was born. He fulfilled the Father’s word and will perfectly. He will not fail to fulfill the Father’s Word in the future.

Christmas is only a few days away but we wait with hope in what God has done in the past. There was a Christmas day last year because of Christ’s birth 2000 years ago. Just as assuredly as Christmas day will arrive this year, so the Messiah/King will return.

Text:  2 Samuel 7:1-17
Title of Christ:  Son of David

“He shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.”

2 Samuel 7 is arguably one of the most important chapters in the entire Bible.  This is because the Davidic Covenant is discovered inside the context of its twenty-nine verses.  Imagine that.  Twenty-nine verses that give direction to forever.  Of course, God often changes everything in one verse but these twenty-nine verses are unfathomable.  Of course, that doesn’t keep one from trying.  After all, Jesus is the Alpha and Omega and we will never know all we can about Him within the confines of that A&O and even less, outside of that context, yet eternal life is found in knowing Him (John 17:3).  But I digress.

One of the most important aspects to the Davidic covenant is the circumstance in which God extended it to David.  You’ll be blessed to read the chapter and I hope you will.  It begins with David’s desire to build a house for God.  God’s presence had dwelt among the Israelites in the Tabernacle for many years.  David felt guilty about living in a palace while God dwelt in a tent.  So, he decided to build God a house…the Temple in Jerusalem.  But God sent the prophet Nathan to remind David that He, the omnipresent God could not live in a house and that He had never asked David to build Him a house.  In fact, quite the opposite was true.  Instead of David building a house for God, God was going to build a house for David.  

Now this is important…extremely important.  Between verses 8-17 count the number of times God refers to Himself using the pronoun, “I.”  Once you’ve finished that, make a list of all the things “I” did or “I will” do.  Isn’t it amazing?  The basis for our relationship with God is not what we do for God but what God has done, is doing and will do for us.  Remember, this is how the Ten Commandments begin also; not with what God demands of Israel but what God has done for Israel.  “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery” (Exodus 20:2)  After what God had done, why would Israel have any other God before Him (v 3).

In the Davidic covenant, God promises to build David a house whose throne will exist forever (v 13 & 16).  If you read beyond verse 17 you realize that David fully understood Gods’ amazing grace in this matter.  He wasn’t worthy.  Who is?  God had miraculously chosen him as the least of his father’s household, equipped him, protected him and exalted him.  The only reason God was good to him was because of God’s goodness. 

Matthew begins his biography of Jesus calling Him, the Son of David.  Jesus is the direct descendent of the shepherd King David and the Inheritor of the eternal throne and kingdom.  Born humbly as his distant ancestor, the babe in Bethlehem was eternally destined for an eternal throne.  And in David’s greatest Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, just as David did before Him, we inherit the blessing of being related to the King.  His kingdom is ours by grace through faith in Jesus Christ.

This Christmas season, my cell phone rings with the immortal words of Handel’s Messiah, drawn from Revelation 11:15, “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he shall reign forever and ever.” Why is this true?  Because our covenant making God is a covenant keeping God.  Just as He made and kept His covenant with Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, David, Israel and (first and ultimately) with His Son, Jesus Christ, so He keeps His Word to you and me and thus…..a baby born in Bethlehem. 

Tell the children, Christmas is a celebration of a God Who always keeps His Word (Micah 5:2).  I’ll say more about that on Sunday from Luke 1:5-25.   

Text: Deuteronomy 18:14-22
Title of Christ: A Prophet like Moses

“The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your brothers – it is to him you shall listen” (Deuteronomy 18:15).

This is the only passage in the Torah in which Moses, the meekest man who ever lived, identified himself as a prophet. When Philip encountered Nathaniel he excitedly proclaimed, “We have found him of whom Moses in the Law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph” (John 1:45). Speaking of Jesus, Stephen declared that Jesus was the Messiah of Whom Moses spoke (Acts 7:37-38). Jesus was not only the fulfillment of Moses’ predictions but all the Old Testament promised. It’s true that Christ was “the end” (Romans 10:4) of many things but even more, He was the beginning of many more things.

Whatever has been lost, Christ will find. Whatever has been hurt, Christ will heal. Whatever has gone wrong, Christ will make right. Whatever has died, Christ will make alive. According to Peter, Jesus has the words of eternal life (John 6:60). No wonder we should “listen” to Him.

It’s interesting to hear babies begin to talk. I wonder what Olen and Hannah’s voices will be like. Imagine Mary listening to the baby Jesus coo. And then imagine her listening to Him cry, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do” (Luke 23:34). After all, the man dying on the cross was Mary’s baby boy and at the same time “a prophet like Moses.”

Remind yourself and tell your children that what Jesus says are the most important words in the world. Read His word daily. Read the word with your family daily. Take the “John Newton Challenge.” Watch the video and download the reading plan offered by Mike Richards @ Heritage and spend 2009 listening to Jesus!

Text: Numbers 23:18-24; 24:3-9, 15, 17
Title of Christ: Star of Jacob

I see him, but not now;
I behold him, but not near:
a star shall come out of Jacob,
and a scepter shall rise out of Israel;
Numbers 24:17

One of the Psalms Israel sang as they ascended to Jerusalem (hence, Psalms of Ascent) was Psalm 130.  There, the nation joined its voices in the chorus of one mournful, song of longing for the Messiah’s appearance and victory.  The Psalmist cried, “my soul waits for the Lord more than watchmen for the morning” (v 6).  Speaking of salvation for the Gentiles, Matthew wrote, “the people dwelling in darkness have seen a great light, and for those dwelling in the region and shadow of death, on them a light has dawned” (Matthew 4:16).  How different from Jeremiah’s lament that “the harvest is past, the summer has ended and we are not saved” (Jeremiah 8:20).

But we are saved because the Star of Jacob has appeared on the world’s horizon and sin’s darkness has evaporated. Ask your children what light does. Light does at least two things. It has a positive aspect in that it illumines (lights up a room) but it also has a negative effect in that it dispels darkness. Christ has not only forgiven our sins (dispelled darkness) but He has also made us right with Him (illuminated our lives with His face). God is the lifter of our heads (Psalm 3:3). He has erased our guilt and shame and replaced it with a garment of praise (Isaiah 61:3).

Just before dusk step outside with your children. Together, look for the first star of the night and remember what Moses wrote in Numbers 24. We know the stars will be in the sky where we are looking…”but not now…” And then when the stars do appear remember that Moses wrote, “I behold him, but not near.” Tonight when the stars are visible in the sky, remember that Christ is the Star of Jacob. But this star has come near; near enough to be seen and heard and touched (1 John 1:3). Near enough for us to watch him be born, live, die and be resurrected. We see it in the Scriptures but we will soon see Him face to face.

“Narnia was never right unless a son of Adam sat on the throne.”  And so He will!

“It isn’t what I thought, but it’s alright.”  And so it is!

Last year I mentioned The Jesus Storybook Bible to our congregation and many people purchased it for use with their children.  During this Advent season is the perfect time to read to your children from this book.  Click on the title, order it from Amazon and you can have it by the weekend.  The subtitle says it all:  “Every story whispers His name.” 

Text:  Genesis 48:15-16; 49:8-10
Title of Christ:  Lion of Judah

Tell your children that as Israel marched through the wilderness, the tribe of Judah went first (Numbers 10:14).  What courage!  Judah also had the largest population according to Moses’ census (Numbers 1:27, 26:22).  How strong Judah was!  How bountiful!  As Israel marched through the wilderness, the strength of Judah’s numbers intimidated any would-be enemies.  And then to think that out of that strong number would come a Lion!  Oh my!  Oh yes!  Jesus is the Lion of that Tribe of Judah!

Can anyone say Aslan? (I’m sorry…Lewis just leaks out of me.  Don’t forget, The Chronicles of Narnia:  Prince Caspian comes out on DVD today.  Lord willing, I will watch it with Teana tonight!)

Genesis 49 records the Judgment Seat of Jacob.  There, just as at the future Bema when Christ will judge His people and offer them eternal reward, so in that day, Jacob judged His sons and justly rewarded them.  Just as every judgment Jesus renders at the future Bema will ring true, so every judgment that Jacob offered eventually came true concerning His Sons…and none more prophetically blessed than Judah, Jacob’s 4^th son by Leah, the woman Jacob did not love but whom God richly blessed.  How just of God!  How poetic of God!  Isn’t that just like Him?  “But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong” (1 Corinthians 1:27).

Someone once said about the Bible that good men could not (have written it) if they would and bad men would not (have written it) if they could.  The Scripture is amazing.  It’s Author is amazing.  God is certainly a faithful Creator and that title rings truest when we look at what God begins and always finishes in the Scripture.  There are no prophetic loose ends.  Whatever God promises, He provides.  What He prophesies comes to pass.  He is the Alpha and Omega.

Proof?

Go from Genesis 49:8-10 (the beginning) to Revelation 5:5 (the end).  God has not forgotten His Word.  Who is worthy to judge the earth?  The elder informs a weeping John, “behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has conquered…”  And how much more could be said about the Elder of Revelation 5 seeing a Lion and John seeing a Lamb?  Oh, “the unsearchable riches of Christ” (Ephesians 3:8).   What did Jacob prophesy?  “The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, until tribute comes to him; and to him shall be the obedience of the peoples” (Genesis 49:10)  Christ is that Lion of the tribe of Judah to whom the scepter and ruler’s staff will forever belong.

Remember, this prophecy was given while Israel was in Egyptian bondage.  Then Israel was almost destroyed in the wilderness.  They endured two gargantuan deportations.  In Palestine, the nation was continually tyrannized by foreign powers.  For four hundred years the nation languished with no word from God.  But then… Who could have ever dreamt that an old man’s prophesy concerning a nation comprised of about seventy people when he offered it, would ever come true in such fashion?  But then again, we are dealing with the only true God.

If this Advent season teaches us anything it is that God can be trusted and His Word is always true and always come true.  God alone defines reality.  Tell your children that Christmas teaches them to always side with God.  Nothing could have prevented that birth.  Israel’s disobedience did not thwart God’s plan.  The world empires of Egypt, Babylon, Assyria, the Medes, Persians, Greeks and Romans all passed away but God’s faithfulness to Israel remained.  And then, “when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son” (Galatians 4:4).  Children, be on God’s side!

When Paul considered God’s invincible, long-range salvation plan as displayed throughout the millenniums of human history, he cried, “What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?” (Romans 8:31).  Answer:  No thing and no one.  Why not?  Because, the Lion of the tribe of Judah is and He is our Sovereign. He does not fail.  He cannot be defeated.  And we are promised, “…to Him shall be the obedience of the peoples.”  What a missions mandate!  Victory is His and we are His, so victory is ours in Him.  No wonder death could not hold him down.  No wonder it will not hold us down.

On that cold Palestinian morning, Mary heard a baby’s cry but by the time that sound reached heaven, angels heard a roar!  Thank God for Christmas and the Lion born in Bethlehem!