Psalm 146:3 Put not your trust in princes, nor in the son of man, in whom there is no help.
The world has been on quite the ride over the past few years. There is still talk about the things that took place. Most people have no understanding of the depth of the attacks against assumed liberties that we used to enjoy.
I get emails regarding the things that have happened and regarding various groups who are speaking up about these things. I just received another one today from an organized group that was boasting of its “success” in a campaign they initiated a year ago.
There is a common thread to the different protests and organizations that have sprung up over the past few years. These various groups believe they have good ideas and they are trying to lure others into supporting them. They are run by lost people who think that we can improve society by petitions and by speaking to a few politicians.
If we take a look at the political landscape of this country, it will be evident that they are all in bed together. They use a few different words to try to trick us into thinking they are different, but the fact that they all follow the same deeply flawed method of speaking and thinking proves they are all the same.
God directed the Psalmist to remind us that we should not put our trust in princes. Princes are the nobles, the ruling class.
In the Old Testament, God began His revelation to man by demonstrating that He is well capable of leading man in the right way. God knows exactly, not just man needs, but what all of Creation needs. God was not bound by the sin of Adam. Abel was raised by Adam. Abel chose to believe in the true God even though his brother Cain chose not to. In Genesis 5 we read that Enoch chose to believe in God even though many in his time chose not to. In Genesis 6 God began to reveal another good man, named Noah. Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord because he chose to believe in God.
In Genesis 9 we find that even though Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord, he had the flesh as part of him. He came through the flood and when he left the Ark, he saw a much different world than he knew prior to the flood. It must have been quite a shock to him. Sadly, he chose to sin against God and he made alcoholic wine and got drunk. He encouraged his son and his grandson to sin against God as well.
During the time of Abram we read of kings of different nations. Those nations were not God-fearing nations and some of them imagined that their kings were gods. God commanded Abram to take his wife and leave Ur of the Chaldees and go to a new land that He would show them. That land was under the rule of pagan nations at that time. God was going to create a new nation through which He would show the nations how a good nation functions. God made a promise to Abram and He demonstrated His authority over Abram in several ways. One of those ways was by changing his name to Abraham. He also changed Sarai’s name to Sarah. God also proved His power by giving them a promised son when they were both well beyond the time of reproduction for that time period.
For several hundred years the fledgling nation of Israel was ruled by patriarchs who were to walk in the fear of the LORD. After the death of Eli, the nation become much more disillusioned by the God appointed rulers of the land. They had priests and prophets, but the people did not believe these people were prestigious enough in the eyes of the other nations. As Samuel grew older, the people did not see much of a future in his sons and they came to Samuel with a demand. They wanted a king like the other nations around them. They wrongly assumed that having a king would give them the clout they needed to protect themselves and to advance as a nation.
As we read in our Psalm, God declared that we should not put our trust in princes. We need government. We need leaders. However, unless our leaders walk in the fear of the LORD they will be like a millstone around the neck.
As we follow the history of the nation of Israel we see that the kings had great influence over the people. A bad king led the people into idolatry. A good king would clean things up a little, but never back to where they should be.
Jesus Christ came and He presented Himself to the nation of Israel as their Messiah and King. Some of the people were excited when He rode into Jerusalem on the foal of an ass. The religious leaders hated Him and wanted this celebration stopped. They eventually convinced Pilate to sign Jesus’ death warrant. They did not understand that He came to make it possible for sinners to be saved. The Godhead knew that there needed to be pure, spotless blood shed for the sins of man. Jesus Christ, the second person of the Godhead was the One Who would lay down His life for man. He would become a man and He would go to the cross for our sins.
Back in our verse, we are commanded not to put our trust in princes, nor in the son of man. For generations, most people have looked for a human leader who can fix the problems we are facing. In our country, there is a segment of the society that believe if we could get rid of our current P.M. and replace him with the “Conservative” leader, we would have a chance to fix things.
God tells us that princes, or the son of man offer no help. There are young people who have not seen much of life, who might be convinced that some politician can turn things around. Those that are older have seen changes in leadership, but we have not seen improvements in society. Some talk of the good work that Mr. Harper did. Mr. Harper had a sharper pencil that our current P.M., but he did not fix the financial woes of our country. He insisted there would be no law against the murder of unborn children during his watch. He did not stop the sodomites from advancing their cause across this land.
We would be wise to listen to God. He knows what He is talking about. He knows there is no help in the son of man. Jesus made an important statement in Matthew 16:18:
Matthew 16:18 And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
Jesus chose 12 men whom He called disciples. He also named them apostles. One was known to Him as a false apostle. Later he was replaced by Saul/Paul. Those 12 men were taught that they were under the headship of the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus had declared that He would build His church upon Himself. He chose the apostles to be human instruments to make His name known among the nations.
Ephesians 4:11 tells us that besides apostles and prophets, Jesus chose evangelists, and pastors and teachers for the work of the ministry. His servants are not renegades. They are not self-made men. They are men who choose to walk humbly with Him and submit to His authority. There are many self-made men today who are working hard to make a name for themselves. They want a following, Many are dependent on these self-made men and women to lead them spiritually. We need godly evangelists, pastors and teachers. These men will be careful to point people to the Lord Jesus Christ as Saviour and Lord. They will be content to be the friend of the bridegroom.
Those that are saved need to be careful to lead people to the truth, not try to make a name for themselves. They need to have a good name, and if they have a good name, they will point people to the Name above all names, the Lord Jesus Christ.
Pastor Bartel