(Photo by Saul LOEB / AFP) (Photo by SAUL LOEB/AFP via Getty Images)
I never thought I would see the day in which people would storm the U.S Capitol building. Yesterday the world watched as the Senate of the wealthiest and most militarily advanced nation cowered behind their seats, praying the mob wouldn’t get in. If the mob wanted to, they could have killed or harmed some of the most influential people in America. This election has seen millions of people put their faith in the government believing, subconsciously or not, that the government would save them in some way. Yet, we just saw that the government can’t even keep people out of their buildings. Heck, a man dressed as a buffalo roamed the halls of the Capitol freely. Luckily, those who are in Christ are members of the Kingdom which has no end. The Kingdom in which every promise is yes and amen in Jesus. The Kingdom in which our sovereign Lord and Savior Jesus Christ sits on the Throne of God. And the truth is, nobody will ever storm the Throne Room of the Lord.
“NOBODY WILL EVER STORM THE THRONE ROOM OF THE LORD”
This post isn’t a political post. I’ve seen what-aboutism’s ad nauseam. No, I’m writing this because we just witnessed a small group of crazy folks overrun the seat of our government. It shouldn’t be controversial to condemn this behavior. There are many reasons why people are arguing about this, and one big reason, but that’s not the point. The point is idolatry. So many people are willing to overlook blatantly wicked or immoral behaviors because they’ve placed the United States on, or above, the same level as the Gospel. But, what do the Kingdoms of men offer that is sweeter than the blessings of God?
The fact is, everyone who endorsed or engaged in the wickedness yesterday doesn’t truly want to be part of the Kingdom of God. They want something made in their own image. Ultimately, they want something worthless.
PSALM 2 AND THE FOOLISHNESS OF MEN
Psalm 2 kept popping into my head every time I saw an image of the evil at the Capitol. I also thought about it later when I saw people try to deflect the sins of the far-right and focus on the riots that happened over Summer (which were also wicked and needed to be condemned). Psalm 2 deals with the sovereign rule of the Anointed of the Lord. It deals with Jesus on the Throne. Here’s how it opens up:
Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord and against his Anointed, saying, “Let us burst their bonds apart and cast away their cords from us.” (Ps 2:1-3)
Every single rioter yesterday plotted in vain. They did so because of blind loyalty to Trump or their own political ideology. But what does the Lord think about their political idolatry? “He who sits in the heavens laughs; the Lord holds them in derision” (2:4). There is no doubt that some of the folks who are unwilling to condemn this behavior, or who were a part of the lawless mob, think they are doing the morally right thing. They believe they are just in their response. But God is straight-up laughing at their foolishness. Let me repeat that, everyone who attacked the capitol, or endorsed it, or now refuses to condemn it, the Lord laughs at your derision.
He’s laughing because you are trying to set up a leader who lost an election and doesn’t handle himself in a holy manner before the Lord. He’s laughing because you expect to bring about peace through blatant sin. He’s laughing because you think someone, or a political party, is better for you than submission to the rule of Christ and His will.
“WHAT A WEAK IDOL THEY WORSHIP”
There’s a great irony with all of this, the people who broke into the Capitol are placing their faith in a government who can’t even stop them from breaking into the Capitol. What a weak idol they worship.
Psalm 2 finishes with a warning to the rulers of the earth (and by extension the people they represent) who act like the fools did yesterday:
Now therefore, O kings, be wise; be warned, O rulers of the earth. Serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and you perish in the way, for his wrath is quickly kindled. Blessed are all who take refuge in him. (Ps. 2:10-12)
The wrath of Christ is quickly kindled. He will not bless the actions of the riots yesterday. He will not bless those who pray to the cross while waving a MAGA flag higher in their own hearts. He will not accept worship mixed with nationalism. The people who stormed the Capitol are in sinful rebellion against the authority of Christ. They may storm the Capitol but nobody will ever storm the throne room of the Lord.
Reformation Chambers 