Psalm 20 Lesson Plan 66a6733efe3345ba03d7-82b2324fe35dff478b72a91d04c278b6.r74.cf2.rackcdn.co


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Leader Guide Sunday, Sept. 16, 2018

Psalm 20 Sermon Text:​ Psalm 20 Study Texts:​ Psalm 2 Sermon Recap​: Psalm 20 is the first in a pair of what are called “Royal Psalms.” It finds its place in a special collection of Psalms that honor and glorify God, the pinnacle being Psalm 19, “The Word.” In Psalm 20, we come face-to-face with God’s King, Jesus Christ. David is praying that God will give success to what is called the “Davidic King.” This phrase refers to the king who sits on Israel’s throne, but more fully to the One Who would sit on David’s throne eternally. Ultimately, David’s confidence is not in his own kingship but in God’s authority over his kingship. Sermon Connection:​ As Psalm 20 hails the glory of the true King, Jesus Christ, our minds are called back to one of the Psalter’s foundational psalms, Psalm 2. In Psalm 2, we are reminded that God made David the king over Israel solely to see God’s purposes fulfilled. For through David, the true and eternal King, King Jesus, would come. The Psalm reminds us, that while the world is in tumult against God, God is not concerned because He reigns in sovereignty over it all. And furthermore, God has established His King Who will call the world to account.

Lesson Plan Lesson Goal: ​The goal of this lesson is to see the ​glory​ of Christ, our King! Lesson Points: Point 1: The Wickedness of the Nations ​(vv. 1-3) Point 2: God’s Sovereign Rule ​(vv. 4-9) Point 3: Christ, the King! ​(vv. 10-12) The Context: ​Psalm 2 is a royal psalm because it focuses on the kingship; primarily on King Jesus. This Psalm is one of the foundational Psalms for the entire Psalter and shows up in many of the 150 Psalms. While the Psalm considers David’s immediate rule, its full scope is the eternal reign of King Jesus over all. 1

Opening Question: ​People who live in Great Britain have a monarch, Queen Elizabeth, currently. Do you think of yourself as having a King? Transition Statement: ​As Christians, we are called to recognize the reality of Jesus’ Kingship over our lives. Point 1 - The Wickedness of the Nations​ (vv. 1-3) In v. 1, the the phrase, “​Why do the nations rage...​?” can also be translated, “Why do the nations ​bother​?” What lies behind the writer’s question? (See also Ps. 1.) The Psalmist is curious, dumbfounded even, as to why the world thinks it can overthrow God. He asks, “Why do the nations even bother” raging against God? God cannot be overthrown. But this is the mark of evil men, of evil peoples: That they pointlessly rage and rebel against God. Recall the psalmist’s words from Psalm 1, “​In all that he [the righteous man] does, he prospers. The wicked ​are not so​…​” The psalmist knows that the wicked will never stand against God, so he finds their raging foolish. In the ancient near-eastern culture, in which this Psalm was written, kings often took on a “divine mindset” about their own kingship (They thought themselves “gods”). How might this have led to the “...​set themselves...against the Lord and against His Anointed...​” in v. 2? For these kings, they thought far too much of themselves and of their own power. Because they thought of themselves as divine, they thought themselves better than God, equally as or more powerful than God. In thinking such foolish thoughts, these kings and nations set themselves against (literally, “in opposition to”) God. Therefore, we must take to heart the foolishness of neglecting God or of thinking wrongly of Him. Wrong thinking about God (wrong understanding) leads to foolish acts of rebellion against God, such as we see here. Considering v. 3, what is the ultimate goal of any rebellion? How is this connected to the wickedness of the kings and rulers? Those who reject God are in rebellion against Him. The ultimate aim of rejecting God is lordship over one’s own life, or in the case of the verse, lordship over a nation. The wicked nations see the holy demands of God and His true Lordship as bondage and cords of restriction. Thus, they seek to cast them off and pursue what they think is real freedom. The wickedness of the kings and nations led them to reject God in pursuit of freedom, which ultimately led to bondage in sin. Note​: Recall our Galatians’ series and Paul’s theme in the letter. The gospel brings two types of freedom: 1) Freedom ​from​ sin, and 2) Freedom ​to​ God’s holiness. Many people often only think of freedom in the “​freedom from…”​ sense. In Psalm 20, we see David praising God for preserving the King (Jesus). How is this tied to Psalm 2 and the wickedness of the nations? 2

The wicked nations rejected God. The wicked nations sought to destroy God’s Son, overthrowing His plan of redemption. But this cannot happen, for the world holds no sway over God’s sovereign rule. The preservation of the King is the triumph over the nations. Ps. 20:7 reminds us that, while the world trusts in its own power (chariots and horses), God’s people trust in God alone. Transition Statement: ​So, even though the nations rage in wickedness, God is not worried; He is not going to lose... Point 2 - God’s Sovereign Rule​ (vv. 4-9) What kind of laughing is God doing in v. 4? Why is this good news for the people of God? This is not a haughty laugh, nor is it a comical laugh. The psalmist is using a human emotion (laughing) to help us understand that God is not even a little concerned with the wicked nations and their attempts to mess up His will. God’s laughing, then, communicates God’s sovereignty over the nations. Even when the world rages against Him, He is content because He is in total control. What is God doing in vv. 5-6? Not only is God not worried about the foolish raging of the wicked nations, we see in these verses that He is active in responding to them, and He responds in decisive power. God’s response to these wicked nations is Jesus. God is responding to the raging nations by establishing Jesus as ​The King​. Who brings the nations to their knees? The King! Who brings wars to an end? The King! Who rights every wrong? The King! We must also recognize that King Jesus is a terrible wrath and fury to the wicked. He is grace to all who believe, but to the wicked, He comes in judgment. What is the biblical importance of God’s establishing the King in Zion? The Bible is telling one story from beginning to end, the story of King Jesus! God promised Abraham that He would establish His family forever through an everlasting covenant (Gen. 12-15), and Jesus is the fulfillment of that promise. God promised David that He would establish His throne forever over the people of God (2 Sam. 7), and Jesus is the eternal King over God’s people. And we see strong connections with Ps. 20:9, as we see Ps 2:6. As God “​sets His King on Zion​” He is saving (preserving) King Jesus amidst the raging of the nations (Ps. 20:9). The world will not win; King Jesus triumphs! How do v. 7-9 help clarify Jesus as the true King? As we have already noted, in establishing this King, God is marking Him as the eternal King over God’s people, and thus we know that He will come from David’s line (a note that Matthew picks up in Mt. 1:1). We also note that this King is the Son of God (v. 7), and thus the King is divine. Therefore, we know that the eternal King over the people of God is God’s 3

Own Son and from the royal line of David. His Kingship will put an end to all evil and wickedness in the world, and we see this in the cross. What kind of authority does God’s King possess? We note that King Jesus has all authority, even authority that is over and above all worldly authority (He even says as much in Mt. 28:18). Verse 9 says that this King will “​break them with a rod of iron.​” Another translation is ​“rule them with a firm scepter.”​ The idea is that this King’s authority is so assured that He will bring stability, peace, prosperity, and right-order to a wicked world. Point 3 - Christ, the King!​ ​(vv. 10-12) What does v. 10 mean for the kings and rulers to be wise and warned? God has been clear with the wicked world: He is the true God and He alone possesses true authority. The raging of the nations is foolish and for nothing. Therefore, in context of the passage, the wisdom commanded in v. 9 is ​right response​ to God as King; the ​warning​ is the same. According to v. 11, what is the right response to God’s King? God is not hiding His will from the world, nor is He hiding His command from the rulers of the world. He clearly calls the world to a right relationship with His King, King Jesus. Verse 11 then helps us to see that a right and proper response to God and His king is submission, service, and joy. “Serving the Lord with fear” means to recognize that God is indeed God, and there is no other. As we recognize that God is Who He says He is, our right response is humility before Him and a life of service in His Kingdom. And by His grace, we see that such humility and service is the path to true joy; in commanding us to serve, He commands us to rejoice; they are one and the same.1 How does v. 12 help us to understand Christ as the King? God commands the world to love His King, Christ Jesus. The psalmist writes, “​Kiss the Son...”​ which is to say, “Pay homage to the King.” Although the nations rage and war against God and His King, and although evil persists in the world now, this Psalm helps to remind us that God is not worried about the evil in the world for He is over the world, and He has established King Jesus as the true King. How do we escape the evil of the world? We kiss the Son, for in kissing the Son, we find true blessedness in Him; we find refuge from the world in His kingdom.

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For more on this idea or joy and submission, see John Piper’s “​Desiring God.​ ”

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The Big Picture​ - The King and Psalm 20 We see that Jesus is the great King of Psalm 20, in Whom salvation succeeds. We also see that He is the great King of Psalm 2, the Son of God to Whom we must submit, worship and enjoy. We live in a world that is plagued by sin, and it shows itself in so many different ways. We deal with our private sins, but we also live among sinful people and in sinful nations. While the nations rage against God and rebel against His Word, we are reminded in both Psalm 2 and Psalm 20, that God’s King, Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, stands victorious and sovereign over it all. And because Jesus is the great King, we give Him our praise and submission, we kiss the Son, and we find true blessedness. Application Questions ● How does my life reflect Jesus as my King? ● How am I making King Jesus known in the world? ● Does my life reflect a fear of the world or hope in Jesus? ● How can our growth group encourage each other to find our hope in King Jesus? ● How can our growth group proclaim hope in Jesus to our community?

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