The Lord who places us as head of the world

[Psalms 18:43-50]

             While living in this world, there are many kinds of trials in our lives.  This is the world where there are many things that are difficult to endure, many tears, and many troubles in our hearts.  Because of these things, many people were desperate in despair. Among those many are the Christians.  How should we think of trials?  A British romantic poet Byron said this about the trials: ‘The trials are the foremost path to truth’ (Internet).  But we don’t like this foremost path of these trials to the truth.  So we try to avoid them.  No one wants to see the big ocean wave and row to the depths of the ocean.  That's because we can't figure it out what is underneath of the ocean.  The British proverb says: ‘A good boatman is not made in a calm sea.’  No one has succeeded without trial.  As such, we can never be made mature disciples in a calm world without trials.  So we should not avoid the foremost path of trials. We must also walk that path with gratitude and faith.

                If we look at Psalms 18:43-50, we will meet the Lord who places us as head of the world.  Especially in verses 43 and 48, the Lord said, “…  You have placed me as head of the nations …” (v. 43) and “…  Surely You lift me above those who rise up against me …” (v. 48).  Our God is the Lord who places us head of the world.  How the Lord places us head of the world is explained in verse 46: “The LORD lives, ….”  In other words, the Lord places us head of the world by manifesting that God is alive.  Then, how does the Lord manifest that God is alive specifically in our lives?  I want to think about it in three ways:

                 First, the Lord places us head of the world by delivering us.

                Look at Psalms 18:43, 48: “You have delivered me from the contentions of the people …” (v. 43) and “He delivers me from my enemies; Surely You lift me above those who rise up against me; You rescue me from the violent man” (v. 48).  Where did the Lord deliver the psalmist David?  God manifest His aliveness by delivering David “from contentions of the people” (v. 43), “from my enemies” (v. 48) and “from the violent man” (v. 48).  In other words, the Lord, who is the horn of his salvation (v. 2), manifested that He is alive by giving David the power of salvation.  Therefore, the Lord placed him as head of the nations (v. 43).

                As if the exodus of the Israelites were trapped in the east, west, north and south of the Red Sea, we will fully recognize and acknowledge the inability to save ourselves.  At that time, we sincerely confess that we have only Jesus the Savior. When we acknowledge the utter inability to deliver ourselves, we experience God's saving power.  But too many times we seem to be committing the sin of silence like the people of Israel at Carmel in the days of Elijah.  As in the battle against the prophets of Baal and Asherah, and Elijah the prophet of God, said to the Israelites “How long will you hesitate between two opinions? If the LORD is God, follow Him; but if Baal, follow him” but the people didn’t answer him a word (1 Kgs. 18:21), there seem to be times when we are in so many cowardly silences that we are not following God the Savior.  A believer who confesses and acknowledges that the God who delivers me is the only Savior, manifests that God is alive.  Although the people of the world cry for help, but there is none to save (Ps. 18:41), our Lord manifests Himself to the world that He is truly our Savior by coming to us when we cry out to Him and manifests His majesty by rescuing us.  Therefore, the Lord places us head of the world.

Second, the Lord places us head of the world by making us abundant. 

David enjoyed God's abundant grace despite the persecution and adversity of his enemies.  The placed him as head of the nations by giving him abundant grace.

Because God is with us with abundant grace, He manifests that He is alive even when we are in need.  However, many times we see our own poverty rather than feeling the abundant grace of God.  The reason is our own “self-sufficiency.”  Those who truly desire God's abundant grace, even in need, cry out to the Lord in poverty, and hear the voice of the Lord, “My grace is sufficient for you” (2 Cor. 12:9).  These are not self-sufficiency, but God-sufficiency.  And those who are God-sufficiency confess, “Our adequacy is from God” (3:5).

Third and last, the Lord places us head of the world by strengthening us. 

Look at Psalms 18:45 – “Foreigners fade away, And come trembling out of their fortresses.”  Although it may seem strong when the enemies attack David, but in the end, God was with His servant David in power.  Therefore, God strengthened him (vs. 32, 39), weakening David's enemies and making them afraid of David.

Our God is Almighty God who not only has girded His servant David with strengthen but also us as well (vv. 32, 39).  When we are in weakness by our enemies, God is with us in his power.  Therefore, through our weakness, He manifests His power, breaking down the strength of our enemies and making them afraid of us.  After all, our God strengthens us, so He is the God who makes us victorious.  Therefore, He is the God who places us head of the nations.

Then, what should be our reaction to God's grace that places us head of the world?

First, we must bless the Lord and exalt Him. 

                Look at Psalms 18:46 – “The LORD lives, and blessed be my rock; And exalted be the God of my salvation.”  David blessed God and exalted His name by experiencing the God who strengthened him.  God is Almighty and just God who breaks down the solidity of the world.  Therefore, God is the one who strengthens us. The God who is our rock is the God who lifts us up on a solid rock and lifts up his glory. We must boast and exalt this God.

             Second, we must give thanks to God among the world.

                Look at Psalms 18:49 – “Therefore I will give thanks to You among the nations, O LORD, And I will sing praises to Your name.”  David gave thanks to God after experiencing (or in the midst of) God's work, which made him the head of the nations because God enriched him.  Like David, we must give thanks to God. We should also thank God even for our own needs.                And we need to thank God for our weaknesses. The reason is that we experience God's abundance and also His power.  We should thank God.

            Third and last, we must wait fot the Lord’s return in assurance of salvation and victory.

                Look at Psalms 18:50 – “He gives great deliverance to His king, And shows lovingkindness to His anointed, To David and his descendants forever.”  Here “His king” and “His anointed” refers to the David’s descendant Jesus Christ.  David waited longing for the first coming of the Messiah, the Almighty, the Savior who is abundant in grace and love.  We must wait for the Lord Jesus Christ who came first and gave us the grace of salvation and who will come again.  In that waiting, we must wait with the assurance of salvation and of victory.

                I once again ponder this statement by the British romantic poet Byron, ‘The trials are the foremost path to truth.’  Even if no one wants to walk this way, we Christians must walk faithfully on that way, relying on God's grace of salvation and His abundant grace and mighty power.  We must bless the Lord and give thanks to Him for the grace of God, who saves us, enriches us, and strengthens us and placing us the head of the world as long as we live in this world.  And we must exalt Him and wait for the Second Coming of the Lord with assurance of salvation and of victory.

With gratitude for the grace of God, who makes foolish, needy, and incompetent people the head of the world,

James Kim

(By faith looking at God who delivers, enriches and strengthens me)