Now therefore, be wise, O kings; be instructed, you judges of the earth. Serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son, lest He be angry and you perish in the way. (Psalm 2:10-12)
At the beginning of this Psalm, the kings and rulers of the earth stood firmly opposed to God’s authority and were determined to rid themselves of His yoke and governance. In these verses, they are commanded to hear wisdom and to discipline themselves to receive Godly instruction. By challenging them to change their ways, the LORD indicts their ability to lead anything. In other words, as kings and judges, if they are to truly put earthly affairs in order, they must first acknowledge the need to set themselves in order and submit to the absolute authority of the Most High. There are many leaders in this age who would do well to heed such advice.
As it is written, “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom,” and so, anyone who seeks to excel and prosper would do well to renounce arrogance and rebellion, and instead, “serve the LORD with fear (respect).” But what about the statement, “Kiss the Son” — what is that to imply? Some have suggested it is conveys the notion of someone submitted to another’s authority should bow before them and kiss their hand — like those who kiss the Pope’s ring. While I understand the logic, the reality is this — the Hebrew word בר bar, translated as son, actually means purity (the Aramaic word bar means son).
The message to the arrogant and rebellious people of the world is to embrace, even yearn, for purity of heart. A corrupt and polluted heart compels men to think more highly of themselves than they should which usually leads to rebellion. In turn, rebellion leads to destruction thus the warning: “lest He be angry and you perish in the way.” In contrast to the rebel is the one who is allowed to stand in His Presence, that is, the one who has learned to serve the LORD with fear. These are people who, as David writes, have “clean hands and a pure (bar) heart” (Psalm 24:4), or we might say, the heart of a son. If we are to be His sons and daughters, then we must heed the same advice given to all — be wise.
Blessings and Shalom,
Bill
Recent Comments