Second Sunday In Advent. Series

Psalm 50:1-6, 2 Kings 22:8-10, 2 Kings 23:1-3, Romans 15:4-13, Luke 21:25-33

A). A JUDGMENT WE CAN BEAR.

Psalm 50:1-6.

This Psalm speaks of the mighty God, the God who speaks, the God of all Creation (Psalm 50:1). The God whose word shines forth from the heavenly Zion, and from the earthly Jerusalem (Psalm 50:2), to the ends of the earth (Isaiah 2:3). The God who comes, and is coming, and shall not keep silence (Psalm 50:3).

Our God is a consuming fire (Psalm 50:3). But He is also the God of grace (cf. Hebrews 12:28-29). When He calls His covenant people to judgment, those bound to Him by sacrifice (Psalm 50:4-5), it is not necessarily something to strike terror into our hearts: because that covenant is true, and that all-sufficient sacrifice is Jesus.

And the heavens shall declare His righteousness (Psalm 50:6), even the righteousness which is ours in Christ Jesus (Romans 3:22). For God is judge Himself (Psalm 50:6), ‘that there is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus’ (Romans 8:1). ‘And we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous’ (1 John 2:1), who silences the accuser of the brethren, and stands in our room and stead.

That is a judgment we can bear.

B). STANDING TO THE COVENANT.

2 Kings 22:8-10, 2 Kings 23:1-3.

A pivotal moment in the history of the Bible was when Hilkiah the priest told Shaphan the scribe, “I have found THE BOOK OF THE LAW in the house of the LORD.” Shaphan took the book, and read it (2 KINGS 22:8).

Shaphan the scribe reported back to king Josiah that - in obedience to the king (cf. 2 Kings 22:3-7) - he had gathered the money that the people had brought to the house, and had made sure that it was given to those with the oversight of the repair work which was going on in the Temple (2 KINGS 22:9).

Then Shaphan the scribe showed the king, “Hilkiah the priest hath delivered me A BOOK.” And Shaphan read it before the king (2 KINGS 22:10).

The Bible’s testimony to Josiah is that (in keeping with the provision for kings in Deuteronomy 17:20), ‘he did right in the sight of the LORD, and walked in all the way of David his father, and turned not aside to the right hand or to the left’ (cf. 2 Kings 22:2). It was not enough that the king alone was responsive to the Book, as it also applied to all the people (cf. Deuteronomy 28:14). So king Josiah called “all the people” together, and read in their ears “all the words” of “THE BOOK OF THE COVENANT which was found in the house of the LORD” (2 KINGS 23:1-2).

There followed a renewal of “THE COVENANT” before the LORD, “to walk after the LORD, and to keep His commandments, testimonies, and statutes with all their heart and all their soul, to perform the words of this covenant that were written in THIS BOOK.” And “all the people stood to” (publicly assented to the terms of) “THE COVENANT” (2 KINGS 23:3).

In other words, they vowed to keep the Shema (cf. Deuteronomy 6:4-6), just like king Josiah was doing (cf. 2 Kings 23:25).

In Matthew 22:35-40 Jesus was asked by one of the scribes, ‘which is the greatest commandment?’ To which He replied by quoting the Shema, and adding the commandment ‘to love thy neighbour as thyself.' On these two commandments hang all the law, and the prophets.’

Jesus Himself was obedient to His Father, praying ‘not my will but thine be done’ (cf. Matthew 26:39). He was ‘obedient unto death, even the death of the Cross’ (cf. Philippians 2:8). And thus He procured our salvation.

In turn, He calls us, saved people that we are, to obedience to Himself (cf. Matthew 28:19-20).

C). THE UNITY OF HOPE.

Romans 15:4-13.

In many respects we might view Romans 14:1 to Romans15:13 as the practical outworking of the Jewish/Gentile debate of Romans 9 to 11. There was some dissension in Rome over matters of food and drink, and holy days. It is quite probable that it was a question of Jewish customs within the church.

However, Paul’s discussion of how the “strong” should respect the “weak” has a much broader application. The principles which he underlines are always relevant, and apply to many situations of controversy within the churches to this very day. Paul teaches us what our attitude should be on conscientious differences of opinion in things which are not essential to the Christian faith.

(a) Christ died and rose to be our Lord, so we are accountable to Him (Romans 14:6-9).

(b) We shall all stand before the judgement seat of Christ, so why do we judge one another (Romans 14:10)?