Jul 17-18, 2021
李耀全牧師

親愛的列宣家弟兄姊妹：

(筆者按：上期在疫情中向君王讚美和禱求 (一) 筆者已指出君王詩篇的重要性。因為君王詩就是彌賽亞詩(messianic psalms) ，是指向主耶穌基督(彌賽亞) 。)

一篇彌賽亞君王的詩篇(詩二)
讓我在此突顯詩篇第二篇其中的一些重要元素。 詩篇第二篇:可能是大衛在所羅門加冕時，(如徒 4:25、26 所指，（撒下 7:12-16）)是為他的“兒子” 寫的(2:7)。若這情況屬實，那麼我們會記得所羅門自己的兄弟，曾兩次試圖從他手中奪取權力（王上1:5-53; 2:13-25）。這事會否引起我們聯想到與針對主和他的受膏者的“陰謀”有所關連？( 詩2:1-3）在日後君王的加冕禮中引用這詩篇時，那些包圍以色列週圍的敵國就是指向“外邦人和列國的騷動”。事實上，詩2:6中這應許：“我已經在錫安我的聖山上，立了我的君王”，也可以應用於所羅門加冕以來，隨後所有的君王身上。

從耶穌基督身上所見的彌賽亞君王
至終，在彌賽亞君王主耶穌基督的時代，那些反對及威脅基督君王的人是指希律王和本丟彼拉多等當權者，他們會受到「新生王」的威嚇。我們回想起東方博士的到來，為著訪尋「猶太人之新生王」。希律王聽到這個消息後非常害怕，他試圖假裝自己也想朝拜這位君王，並敦促博士在找到新生王後回來向他報告耶穌的下落。當希律發現自己被博士愚弄後，就屠殺了伯利恆及其附近兩歲以下的所有男孩。在這場可怕的種族滅絕發生之前，耶穌和他的父母已作了埃及的難民。

詩篇第二篇預言之發聲，從第2節可見，也在第7-9節再次出現：“…你是我的兒子，今天我生了你…” 在基督的生命中，我們不難看到耶穌與父神之間獨特關係的應對，因耶穌是從神而生的（路1:32-35；參徒13:33；來1:5;5:5）。在耶穌受洗時，天上有聲音清楚地宣告：“這是我的愛子，我所喜悅的。”(太3:17)。基督就是那要來永遠拯救祂的子民的終極完美君王、救主和主宰！

君王詩篇的終極應驗
我們也看到基督統治萬國的投影（參啟 2:27;12:5;19:15），而今日作為基督徒，我們現在清楚明白，這是指向基督再來要建立的屬靈國度的統治。啟 22:1-8 為我們記載了君王詩篇的終極應驗：一個新天新地，上帝的兒子耶穌基督將在那裡永遠掌權。

這就是我們對彌賽亞君王耶穌統治的終極盼望，祂要至終結束人類的一切罪惡和苦難。彌賽亞王要戰勝一切反對祂的人，祂要賜福給屬祂的子民：”你們要以敬畏的態度事奉耶和華，又應當存戰兢的心而歡呼。你們要用嘴親吻子，否則他一發怒，你們就在路上滅亡，因為他的怒氣快要發作。凡是投靠他的，都是有福的！”（詩 2:11,12）

對我們今天的應用
今天，在我們面對所有自然災害和世界各地由於不公義和權力鬥爭而導致的的衝突時，亦可能會以本詩的起首:“為什麼” 向神發問出相同的問題。我覺得很有趣讀到：“哪坐在天上的必發笑；主必嘲笑他們。那時，祂必在列怒中對他們剛話，在震怒中使他們驚恐……”（詩 2:4,5）。神嘲笑人類的愚蠢又引致祂發怒。無論是什麼導致我們目前所經歷的災難，讓我們緊記，基督仍然是萬有的君王和至高無上的主宰。讓我們投靠祂而蒙福。擁戴祂為王！

主僕,
李耀全牧師

Jul 17-18, 2021
From the Pastor’s Desk: Rev. Simon Lee

Dear brothers and sisters of RCAC,

Psalm 2 was probably written by David (as indicated in Acts 4:25, 26) for his “son” (2:7), Solomon, in his coronation (2 Sam 7:12-16). If this indeed is the situation, then we will recall that Solomon’s own brother twice attempted to seize power from Solomon (I Kings 1:5-53; 2:13-25). Is this alluded to in the “plot” against the Lord and his anointed? (Ps. 2:1-3) When the psalm was used in subsequent coronations, then the enemy nations, “the Gentiles and the raging nations,” that surrounded Israel must then be in view. Indeed, the promise found in Ps. 2:6: “As for me, I have set my King on Zion, my holy hill” must be applied to all the kings in subsequent coronations since Solomon’s coronation.

The Messianic King as seen in Jesus Christ
Ultimately in the time of the messianic King, the Lord Jesus Christ, the threat against the king would then be applied to King Herod and Pontius Pilate, the people who set themselves against Christ. We recall the visit of the magi from the East who came looking for the one that is born the King of the Jews. King Herod was so fearful when he heard the news that he tried to pretend that he too would want to worship this king and urged the wise men to come back to report to him on the whereabout of Jesus after they have found him. When Herod realised that he was outwitted by the magi, he massacred all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity that were two years old and under. Jesus and his parents became refugees to Egypt before this horrible genocide took place.

The prophetic voice of Ps. 2 is seen again in v. 7 – 9: “… You are my Son, today I have begotten you…” In the life and reign of Christ, we cannot fail to see the correspondence of this to the unique relationship between Jesus and His Father, for Jesus was born of God (Luke 1:32-35; cf. Acts 13:33; Heb. 1:5, 5:5). In the baptism of Jesus, a voice from heaven clearly declared, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased” (Mt. 3:17). Christ was the ultimate ideal king, saviour and Lord who was to come to save His people forever.

The final fulfilment of royal psalms
We also see allusions to Christ’s reign over the nations (cf. Rev. 2:27; 12:5; 19:15), which we Christians now clearly understand refers to the spiritual reign of the heavenly kingdom which Christ came to establish. Rev. 22:1-8 records for us the final fulfillment of the royal psalms: a new heaven and new earth where God’s Son Jesus Christ will reign forever.

Here lies the ultimate hope we have in the reign of Jesus the Messianic king, bringing an end to all evils and suffering of humankind. The Messiah king will triumph over all who are against Him, and He will bless His own people: 11Worship the Lord with reverence and rejoice with trembling. 12Do homage to the Son, that He not become angry, and you perish in the way, For His wrath may soon be kindled. How blessed are all who take refuge in Him!” (Ps. 2:11,12)

Application to us today
Today, in the midst of all the natural disasters and human conflicts as a result of the injustice and power struggles around the world, we may pose the same questions that the psalmist asked of God starting with the word “why?” I am amused to see the words: “He who sits in the heavens laughs; the Lord holds them in derision. Then he will speak to them in his wrath, and terrify them in his fury…” (Ps. 2:4,5). God laughs at the follies of men which led Him to show His anger. Whatever led us to the present devastation we are experiencing, let us remember Christ is still king and sovereign over all. Let us take refuge in Him and be blessed. Crown Him with many crowns!

Your servant in Christ,
Rev. Simon Lee

Jul 10-11, 2021
From the Pastor’s Desk: Rev. Simon Lee

Dear brothers and sisters of RCAC,

From July on, we are in Step 3 of the reopening of our province, 16 months since the pandemic hit us. So, we are all looking forward to more social interaction and perhaps even some travelling. Many of us also long to be back to worship and fellowship at our Church. Hopefully with people being fully vaccinated, we will feel safer from the risk of being infected by Covid-19. Prayerfully we are approaching the end of the long tunnel. Above all, let us continue to praise and pray to Christ the King.

Throughout this past many months, nothing had been certain except uncertainty. Who really knows what is happening and what we can do? As Christians, we may even have asked, like I have, where is God and is He in control? That is why for the whole of 2021 we are looking into the theme: Crown Him with many Crowns, with the hope and belief that Christ is still in control as He reigns as King. In the Spring quarter we had began to look at the life of the Lord Jesus Christ (from the first half of Matthew), recognising that He is indeed the Messiah, the Son of God.

The Messiah as seen in the psalms
Indeed, throughout the Old Testament, the Messiah, the anointed one, was promised to the Jewish people. The people in Jesus’s days were constantly looking for the Promised One who would deliver them from their bondage and misery under the control of the Romans, and some of them even wanted to make Him their king. As we have seen, Christ came not to overturn the earthy kingdom of the day, but to establish the Kingdom of God (heaven). But how do we know that for sure and how shall we then live?

In the summer quarter we are going to study 10 psalms with the hope of learning from the psalmists in knowing how to cope and pray amid all sorts of troubles and despairs, find hope and continue to praise God for His faithfulness and deliverance. These are all familiar psalms in which we hope that we can dig deeper to find the secret of living with hope and joy in Christ in this period of uncertainty.

A Royal psalm introducing us to the Messiah
While in this quarter we are not going specifically into any “Royal Psalms” (as we had planned earlier), I would like to share with you one here, Psalm 2, to help you appreciate the theme of the messiah as king. There are at least 10 psalms (2, 18, 20, 21, 45, 72, 101, 110, 132, 144) grouped under this title. Royal Psalms often come from the context of the Davidic king’s coronation, royal wedding, battles or victories. As the kingdom of Israel was a type of the heavenly kingdom, these psalms have many elements that apply to the kingdom of heaven and therefore to the reign of Jesus Christ. Therefore these psalms are also called Messianic psalms, as King David was a type of Jesus Christ (the messiah). These psalms are important as they help us to honour Christ as King, to celebrate the hope we have in seeing God triumph over evil. Let me highlight some of the important elements of Ps. 2. (To be continued next week)
Your servant in Christ,
Rev. Simon Lee