Opposing the Gospel - Digging Into the Psalms

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"Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing? The kings of the earth set themselves, and rulers take counsel together, against the LORD, and against his anointed, saying, Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us (Psalm 2:1-3 KJV)."


We could say rather easily that opposition to the kingdom of heaven began in the Garden of Eden with a speaking serpent. Mankind was deceived into disobeying God in the beginning, and sin became the possessor of the human soul. Sin separates humanity from God, and sin places humanity into direct opposition of God.


The raging heathen translates to nations, in the sense of massing foreign nations. Strong's renders Gentile nations. Could it be said that a person living in sin, Jew or Gentile, is a foreigner to God? The raging foreign nations imagine a vain thing. Opposition to God is a worthless endeavor. You are guaranteed to lose.


I couldn't begin to write here the accounts of opposition to God written throughout the pages of the Old Testament. Jesus brought this opposition to light in his condemnation of the scribes and Pharisees of his day when he spoke of the righteous blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah who was killed between the temple and the altar (Matthew 23:35). Satan has opposed the kingdom of heaven from the start. Humanity living in the grasp of sin becomes the instruments of opposition to God and his anointed. The most graphic display of opposition came when Christ was crucified.


A disciple, the high priest, the scribes, the elders and rulers, Herod, Pilate, a king and rulers took counsel together and crucified the Anointed One. The opposition would have stopped if sin and death were victorious. The Church which blazed into existence in obedience to the Gospel of Christ was quickly met with fierce opposition by priests, scribes, elders, and eventually Caesar himself.


The first recorded prayer of the apostles was about facing opposition, "Lord, thou art God, which hast made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all that in them is: Who by the mouth of thy servant David hast said, Why did the heathen rage, and the people imagine vain things? The kings of the earth stood up, and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord, and against his Christ (Acts 4:24-26 KJV)." The prayer lists the gathering of the people and rulers against Jesus (Acts 4:27). Then a request was made: "Lord, behold their threatenings: and grant unto thy servants, that with all boldness they may speak thy word (Acts 4:29 KJV)."


The opposition didn't stop there. The history of Christianity is filled with the blood of the countless who have given their all for the kingdom of heaven. Men, women, and children are even giving their lives in our world today for the Gospel of Jesus Christ.The opposition will not stop until the One who is Alpha and Omega returns and makes all things new.


The apostle Peter tells us to not think it odd that we face opposition and trials. Here's what he tells us we should do:


"But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy (1Peter 4:13 KJV)."


God bless...