“A Nation Under God: The Way God Rules”
Jer. 9:23-24; Ps. 2
A little Scottish boy wouldn’t eat his prunes, so his mother sent him off to bed saying, “God is angry at you.” Soon after the boy went to his room a violent storm broke out. Amidst flashes of lightning and peals of thunder, the mother looked into the boy’s room, worried that he would be terrified. When she opened the door, she found him looking out the window muttering, “My, such a fuss to make over a few prunes.” (1) Cute – but is this the way God rules?
In late December 1908 the unspeakably wicked and irreligious condition of some of the inhabitants of Messina, Italy was expressed in a series of violent resolutions that were passed against all objections. This followed the journal Il Telefono, printed in Messina, which published in its Christmas 1908 issue an abominable parody, daring the Almighty to make himself known in an earthquake. In the early morning of December 28, just a few hours after the resolutions, an earthquake struck killing 84,000 people. Interesting – but is this the way God rules?
In the first two weeks of this series we have reaffirmed that God rules the world and that He exalts people and nations who live by His righteousness, according to His standards. Yet looking at our nation and society begs the question of just how it is that God rules. It appears that either He is ineffective and has lost control or that He is resting from ruling, because surely the world we live in is not a world pleasing to Him. If God is ruling, why is our world and our nation in the shape they are in? Just how does God rule? From Jeremiah and the Psalmist we learn four dynamics.
First, we discover that there are those who have a PROBLEM WITH GOD. Ps. 2:1-2 – “Why do the nations conspire and the peoples plot in vain? The kings of the earth take their stand and the rulers gather together against the LORD and against his Anointed One. There is MASS, ORGANIZED REBELLION AGAINST GOD AND HIS FOLLOWERS. The word ‘plot’ is the same word used in Psalm 1 to describe how the blessed person ‘meditates’ on God’s law; it means, at its root, ‘imagination.’ The godly nations use imagination to meditate on the Word of God, while the godless nations use imagination to find ways to rid humankind of God. Their anti-God actions are premeditated. Even archenemies band together to fight against God. Who was it that crucified Jesus? The Roman and Jewish leaders - archenemies. Acts 4:27, Peter and John, after quoting Ps. 2, prayed “Indeed Herod and Pontius Pilate met together with the Gentiles and the people of Israel in this city to conspire against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed.”
Such conspiring, pre-meditation is on the rise throughout the world today. Muslim extremists, communist regimes, godless armies seek to stamp out God by persecuting and outlawing Christians. Such conspiring occurs in the nations of Viet Nam, China, Sudan, Morocco, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Nigeria, Colombia and many, many others. And America is not exempt. The American Association for the Advancement of Atheism operates under charter in the state of New York. In a publication they stated their purpose: “We undertake to abolish public chaplaincies, to tax church property, to repeal Sunday legislation, to abrogate all laws enforcing Christian morals, to stoop bootlegging of religion into schools, to prevent the issuing of religious proclamations by government officials, to erase superstitious inscriptions which deface our coinage, for there is no god, and our supreme effort will be to free mankind from the fear of a nonentity.” (2) Additionally the ACLU has worked diligently to push religion – especially the Christian religion – to the outskirts of culture and the political arena. Its founder, Roger Baldwin, shared his philosophy: “I am for socialism, disarmament, and ultimately for abolishing the state itself as an instrument of violence and compulsion. I seek social ownership of property, the abolition of the propertied class, and sole control by those who produce wealth. Communism is the goal.” (3)
The Psalmist says the reason for such conspiring, is that PEOPLE WANT NO CONSTRAINTS – THEY THINK THEY WANT TO BE FREE. Verse 3: “Let us break their chains,” they say, “and throw off their fetters.” People, and therefore nations, desire to do what they want, when they want, with no interference. Therefore the boundaries God sets are repugnant to them. They do not want to be bound by sanctity of marriage, sexual purity, respect for parents or for those in authority, or with the requirements of stewardship of talents, gifts, and wealth, or by respect for life from conception to the grave. They “reject the notion that God gives life and resent the notion that God controls death. So they make matters of life and death issues of personal choice.” (4) Is it any wonder Jeremiah said (9:23), “This is what the Lord says: ‘Let not the wise man boast of his wisdom or the strong man boast of his strength or the rich man boast of his riches…”?
In contrast to those who have a problem with God we point to THE POSTURE OF GOD. Jeremiah, as usual, is very blunt (9:24) – “…But let him who boasts boast about this: that he understands and knows me…” Push God away if you want, but deal with the reality of God. The Psalmist paints a picture (verse 4): “The One enthroned in heaven laughs; the Lord scoffs at them.” GOD LAUGHS. It’s not that God is happy His enemies reject Him; He’s not overjoyed that His people face opposition. His laughter is that of amusement at the pride of humans who think they can do away with Him. It’s the quiet laughter we experience when someone purporting to be serious and knowledgeable, makes some outlandish but false claim. We chuckle when people who ought to know better say such things and ignore obvious reality. Picture it this way. A skateboarding champion does a demonstration of jumps and twists, to the delight of a crowd. Then some man hollers out that there’s really nothing to it, that anyone can do those things. So the skateboarder invites the man to come up and do it. The man proudly accepts the challenge and, of course, falls flat on his face. We chuckle – not that he fell and perhaps hurt himself, but that he ignored the obvious reality. So God laughs at those who rebel against Him.
But God does more than laugh. He rebukes His enemies by reminding them HE HAS INSTALLED A RULER. (Ps. 2:5-6) “Then he rebukes them in his anger and terrifies them in his wrath, saying, ‘I have installed my King on Zion, my holy hill.’” The important reality for us is that God still rules today through His appointed ruler, Jesus Christ. As Paul wrote (Rom. 1: 3-4) “…who as to his human nature was a descendant of David, and who through the Spirit of holiness was declared with power to be the Son of God by his resurrection from the dead: Jesus Christ our Lord.” His appointment is not a human appointment; his appointment does not come through popular vote or election. Whether one chooses to believe it or not, whether one approves or not, the reality is that Jesus Christ is seated on the throne and rules on behalf of God.
Samuel Huntington – a signer of our Declaration of Independence, president of Congress, and judge and governor of Connecticut – wrote on March 9, 1791: “It becomes a people publicly to acknowledge the over-ruling hand of Divine Providence and their dependence upon the Supreme Being as their Creator and Merciful Preserver...and with becoming humility and sincere repentance to supplicate the pardon that we may obtain forgiveness through the merits and mediation of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” The seat of the worlds’ power is not in Iran, Iraq, China, Korea, or even in Washington D.C.; it’s a throne in the heavens occupied by Jesus Christ. God rules through Jesus.
In addition to the posture of God, Jeremiah and the Psalmist show us THE PROCLAMATION BY GOD. Jer. 9:24 – “…’But let him who boasts boast about this: that he understands and knows me, that I am the Lord, who exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on earth, for in these I delight’ declare the Lord.” GOD WILL RESPOND WITH JUDGMENT. According to the Psalmist God said to Jesus (2:8-9) “…I will make the nations your inheritance, the ends of the earth your possession. You will rule them with an iron scepter; you will dash them to pieces like pottery.” Easter morning ushered in a new day, a new chapter in God’s ongoing history. Following His resurrection Jesus said (Mt. 28:18) “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.” In Revelation we learn that Jesus is the only one worthy, and with authority, to open the seals; at His instruction, on His commands judgment will commence and God’s history will move forward. Jesus judges the world not by democracy but by divine decree, not by pollsters but by divine plan.
And God, through Jesus, JUDGES WITH JUSTICE AND RIGHTEOUSNESS. God judges with justice – Jer. 19:3-4: “I am going to bring a disaster on this place that will make the ears of everyone who hears it tingle. For they have forsaken me and made this a place of foreign gods…” God judges with righteousness – Jer. 33:15-16: “In those days and at that time I will make a righteous Branch sprout from David’s line; he will do what is just and right in the land. In those days Judah will be saved and Jerusalem will live in safety. This is the name by which it will be called: The Lord is our Righteousness.”
Still today God rules through justice and righteousness. Paul, in Romans 1:18ff wrote “The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness, since what may be known about God is plain to them…Therefore God gave them over…Because of this, God gave them over…Furthermore…God gave them over…” Paul continues by stressing that in judgment God shows no partiality – He plays no favorites (2:4-11). “Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, tolerance and patience, not realizing that God's kindness leads you toward repentance? But because of your stubbornness and your unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of God's wrath, when his righteous judgment will be revealed. God "will give to each person according to what he has done." To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality, he will give eternal life. But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger. There will be trouble and distress for every human being who does evil: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile; but glory, honor and peace for everyone who does good: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. For God does not show favoritism.” Indeed history has shown that the powers that have been have all become the powers that were.
The reality is that THE WORLD HAS NOT SEEN THE LAST OF JESUS. He came the first time to seek and save the lost; when He comes the second time it will be to judge the rebellious. He came the first time in great humility; when he comes the second time it will be in great glory. He came the first time as a lowly Nazarene; He will come again as King of kings and Lord of lords. He came the first time wearing a crown of thorns; He will come again wearing a crown of victory. He came the first time to be despised and rejected; He will come again and before Him every knee shall bow and every tongue confess the He is Lord. He came the first time riding a colt; He will come again riding a great white horse. (5) As Charles Spurgeon once said, “Gods anointed is appointed and will not be disappointed.” (6)
So the Psalmist ends by calling us to take A POSITION FOR GOD. (10-11) “Therefore, you kings, be wise; be warned, you rulers of the earth. Serve the Lord with fear and rejoice with trembling.” Jeremiah said that God not only rules with justice and righteousness but also with kindness. SO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE TIME. God takes no pleasure in judgment. In fact, Peter wrote (2Pt. 3:9), “The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” God is withholding judgment to give more time for people and nations to repent. The thought of judgment should inspire awe and trust as well as terror and fear. Morris Inch wrote, “Christianity is good news. God stands not only over the world in judgment, but in the world through grace. His Christ is man’s Savior. Eternity has touched time with healing.” (7)
We respond to this healing, we take advantage of the time as we SUBMIT TO THE RULER. Ps. 2:12 – “Kiss the Son, lest he be angry with you and you be destroyed in your way, for his wrath can flare up in a moment.” A nation can only be under God if her people are under God. It starts by coming home. A small boy decided to run away from home. “I do not like this nasty house.” He was, like us, rebelling against the boundaries of creaturehood. His mother told him that she was sorry for his desire but that she would help him pack. The plucky little lad left, barely able to lift the luggage. But where to go? When he reached the sidewalk, he sat there on the step between the garden path and the sidewalk. Where can we go, where shall we go, when we try to leave our boundaries for greater freedom? His parents watched from behind window curtains. Soon he returned, saving face cheerfully: “I’ve been away a long time.” They agreed: “Was it a nice journey?” But, oh, the joy of the homecoming for them – and for him! (8) “Even so, I tell you, there is joy before the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”
A nation under God is one where people are free to come home and kiss our Savior Jesus Christ and submit to Him. A nation under God is a nation where people are encouraged and invited to do so. For, as the Psalmist concludes (2:12), “Blessed are all who take refuge in him.”
(1) From ‘Illustrations for Biblical Preaching’, Edited by Michael P. Green, Baker Book House, Grand Rapids, MI, © 1989, #529
(2) From ‘The Bible Speaks to Our Times: The Christian’s Victory in Christ’, Alan Redpath, Fleming H. Revell/Baker Book House, Grand Rapids, MI, © 1968, p. 116
(3) From ‘The ACLU Vs. America’, Alan Sears & Craig Osten, Broadman & Holman Publishers, Nashville, TN, © 2005 Alliance Defense Fund, Alan Sears, Craig Osten, p.7
(4) Rabbi Daniel Lapin, ‘America’s Real War’, Multnomah Publishers, Inc. © 1999 Rabbi Daniel Lapin, p. 61
(5) From ‘The Bible Speaks to Our Times: The Christian’s Victory in Christ’, Alan Redpath, Fleming H. Revell/Baker Book House, Grand Rapids, MI, © 1968, p. 118
(6) Charles Spurgeon, ‘The Treasury of David’ – Vol. 1, Guardian Press, Grand Rapids, MI, 1976, p. 13
(7) Morris Inch, ‘Psychology in the Psalms’, Word Books, Waco, TX, © 1969 by Word, Incorporated, p. 70
(8) ‘A Chorus of Witnesses’, edited by Thomas G. Long & Cornelius Plantinga, Jr., William B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., Grand Rapids, MI, © 1994 by Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., p. 195
