[Mon, 27 May] Acts 4:23-31 (556 words; 2/6)

The church reacts to the official opposition it has received from the Jewish authorities. They are united in their response, and they lift their voices in prayer, beginning with words from Ps 146:6: "Sovereign Lord, who made the heaven and the earth, the sea, and everything in them..." (Acts 4:24). The previous line in that psalm is "Happy are those whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the LORD their God..." (Ps 146:5), and the line following their quotation is this: "...who keeps faith forever; who executes justice for the oppressed..." (v. 7). Thus they address God using words from a psalm which confirms their hope in God against the ruling oppressors. Then they move on to one of the most important psalms, Ps 2. This psalm is alluded to numerous times in the New Testament, with different verses being highlighted for various purposes. The most important is 2:7: "He said to me, 'You are my Son; today I have begotten you.'" This is what the voice from heaven says at Jesus’ baptism (Lk 3:22 cf. 9:35; Heb 1:5; the remaining part of the statement, "with you I am well pleased," is drawn from Isa 42:1). Another verse, Ps 2:9, speaks of the Son/King ruling the nations with a rod of iron (see Rev 2:27; 12:5; 19:15). But the prayer here in Acts 4 is taken from verses 1-2 of Ps 2. For these first Christians -- and us too! -- this part of the psalm shows that the negative reaction of the rulers of the world is inevitable and part of God's plan. The rulers of the earth set up their own kings, but when God sets up his king, they rage against him. This is, of course, in vain, and they will be shattered by the rod of iron which that king wields. But at this point, these Christians, although they know God will prosper their cause, are not praying for the destruction of their enemies, but for the boldness to keep on giving their testimony. They first of all acknowledge that all this opposition is under God's sovereignty (4:28); then they ask that God would take notice of these threats, not so as to punish those who make them, but to see the need they have for the extra strength to speak boldly (v. 29), whilst also supplying as proof miracles of healing, and other signs and wonders in the name of Jesus (v. 30). It is an absolutely amazing prayer! These believers do not retreat into an enclave like those at Qumran, shutting themselves off whilst waiting for God to deal with the pagans. They have been commissioned to go out into the world, and they have been empowered to do so by the Holy Spirit, and if the rulers react like this against the king (as per Ps 2:1-2), how much more so will they against his servants (cf. Jn 15:18-20)?

Because this is their desire, because they want the thing for which the Holy Spirit is given, they are granted the power and encouragement they seek in a second 'Pentecost experience': the place where they are is shaken, they are filled with the Holy Spirit and speak the word of God with boldness (v. 31).


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