Introduction

I have not made merry at Christmas until I have poured a mug of boiled custard. Since I was a little kid, I have looked forward to the season’s first swig of vanilla-ice-cream-in-a-glass. It’s so sweet, so rich, so festive—doesn’t everyone feel the same? In fact, they do not. I have found that the Purity carton tempts no one else in my own family (more for me!), and some folks who I otherwise respect are utterly averse to this dairy delight.

The Royal Psalms may also be a bit of an acquired taste at Christmas. Why delve into obscure Old Testament songs abut kings and battles when we could just, you know, read the Christmas story? But don’t push them away too quickly. I’m convinced that we can’t understand how good, or how big, Christmas is without them.

The Bible is the big, true story of how God the Creator is overcoming sin, evil, and death in his world. God makes many promises throughout the Old Testament about how he intends to do this, and by the time we reach the life of David, we have a rough idea of the plan: he will save the world through a very special King. This King in God’s plan would come from the family line of David. He would also be a lot like David—a perfect David! God would set this King apart for himself, just as he had anointed young David with oil. Like David, this King would enjoy a relationship with Yahweh like a son to a Father. Also like David, the King would face trouble and opposition, but would trust in the Lord and be delivered. Finally, God would give this King an empire that reached the ends of the earth. God would use this King to re-establish God’s own rule in our world. He would enforce God’s law, display God’s love, and put right everything that had gone wrong through sin. The King would fulfill every promise God ever made. He went by many names: the “Son of David,” “Anointed One,” “Messiah,” and “Christ.”

As God’s people set their hopes on this King, they sang many songs about him. David wrote some of the “Royal Psalms” himself. Some celebrate the King’s unstoppable power (Psalm 2). Others dream of the perfect world he would usher in (Psalm 72). Some express pain and confusion at his delay (Psalm 89), while others explore his perfect integrity (Psalm 101), his mysterious priesthood (Psalm 110), and more. All of God’s faithful ones look forward to this Messiah as the New Testament begins.

At Christmas, that King did break into our world, but not like anyone expected. God sent his own, eternal Son to be born as a baby in the line of David. The hopes and fears of all the years—including those found in the Royal Psalms—were met in Jesus that night. But then the story took some very unexpected turns, as we will see.

You and I live between the two arrivals of Jesus the King. His first coming has changed the world forever! Already, we who trust him experience the blessings of his Kingdom. Already, we are learning to live under his wise and gracious authority, and are discovering that life really works best when we listen to him. Already, we invite others to join us in this eternal kingdom by repentance and faith. At the same time, the fullness of his Kingdom awaits. Sorrow and loss abound. Our own hearts are not as yielded to the King as they should be, and we suffer for it. Christ has many fierce enemies in this world, and death itself remains on the prowl. So even as we celebrate his first appearing at Christmas, we also long for his second. The Royal Psalms will help us do both.

So pour yourself a glass of boiled custard—or apple cider, or hot cocoa, or wassail—in the name of our good King, and let’s get started.

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Article by Eric Smith
Senior Pastor, Sharon Baptist Church