“He loves but little who tells how much he loves.”
–John Boys
While the nations rage and the whole world takes its stand against God, the psalmist passionately enjoins the rulers and today’s reader to “kiss the Son.” What does the psalmist mean? A kiss is a symbol and token of love. It occurs between two parties who are in a relationship with each other. It is a testimony of their allegiance to each other and their acceptance of each other. It is a silent sign of intimacy.
The act of ‘kissing the Son’ is simply our placing ourselves before God’s throne in humble submission to his will. We kiss the Lord Jesus every time we pray and yield ourselves to him. We kiss him when we place our lives and resources at his disposal. The King has the right to commandeer anything the subject has and even the subject himself when the Monarch has a need. The kiss is a symbol of trust. When we trust God, we are, in effect, kissing Christ. To trust anything else (wholly) is a grave sin and arouses the righteous anger of God. Job understood this truth:
“If I have put my trust in gold
or said to pure gold, ‘You are my security,’
if I have rejoiced over my great wealth,
the fortune my hands had gained,
if I have regarded the sun in its radiance
or the moon moving in splendor,
so that my heart was secretly enticed
and my hand offered them a kiss of homage,
then these also would be sins to be judged,
for I would have been unfaithful to God on high.” (Job 31:24-28)
Who do you trust (kiss) today? Does the Lord have your heart? Or are your allegiances to something or someone else?
A kiss is a silent sign between two lovers. It reveals a pact or covenant that two have made together. God’s desire is for people to enter into this covenant with him. He promises to protect and preserve his covenant people, “Yet I reserve seven thousand in Israel—all whose knees have not bowed down to Baal and whose mouths have not kissed him.” (1 Kings 19:18). To kiss Baal is to break covenant with God. God is a jealous lover who will not tolerate a divided spouse. He wants his church to swear their allegiance to him only and to seal that pact with a kiss.
When the apostle Paul encourages believers to, “Greet one another with a holy kiss.” (1 Cor. 16:20) He is urging them to live in covenant with each other, guarding love and peace. We ‘kiss’ each other when we honor Christ by attempting to maintain unblemished relationships. Are you ‘kissing the Son’ today by loving him and his people? Have a blessed week and we will see you on Sunday.
Your servant in all faithfulness, but in much weakness,
Pastor Dale
