Seminary Viewpoints

Is “Kiss the Son” a Gospel Invitation?

March 19, 2019
Video Interview

Sam Horn: I’m here with Pastor Mark Minnick. Mark, it’s always good to have you, and I have another question out of Psalm two. You preached on Psalm two, and I came to that 4th standza of the psalm having read this psalm, taught through this psalm, and recognized obviously that the end of the psalm is an invitation from God to the nation’s and really an exhortation to them to kiss the Son, lest he be angry with them. You made a connection in the message that that phrasing–”Kiss the Son, lest he be angry”–is actually connected to the gospel, and it’s an invitation from God to the gospel, and even connected to the Great Commission. So I’d really like to hear that again, and I know our listeners our viewers would benefit from it.

Mark Minnick: Okay. Well, that last stanza in Psalm two is directed to the kings of the earth and the rulers of the nation’s, who earlier in the psalm are involved in a universal conspiracy of insurrection against the government of God, and at the end of the psalm these nations in their heads of state are exhorted to be wise and to be instructed in keeping with what this psalm just said about God having a king. And they are given the opportunity–verses 11 and 12 say–to do an about-face. And rather than rebelling against the Lord, to serve him with fear–that’s with reverence. And rejoice with trembling. And then the phrase you refer to, “Kiss the Son.”

Now, we wouldn’t use that language in our evangelism today. I’m not saying we never would, but that’s not common. That wouldn’t be our vernacular, right? But we know what this has reference to because this occurs elsewhere in the Old Testament. One of the really prime helps is when Samuel anoints Saul and the Scripture says, “And Samuel kissed him.” That wasn’t a mark of affection; it was an homage to him. It was paying deferential respect to this man who had been anointed to be the monarch–to be the monarch! This psalm says God has a monarch; kiss him. The psalm ends, therefore right where the Great Commission picks up, when the Lord after his resurrection, which is predicted in this psalm, says, “I have all authority out in the stellar spaces and all over the earth; so you disciple all the nations and you instruct them to keep all things whatsoever I have commanded.” Somebody’s in charge; it’s the son of God. And if someone asks, “Alright, what would that mean for me, then, to subject myself to him as Savior and as God’s appointed king?” That’s exactly what Romans 10:9 and 2:10 answer when it says, “First of all, you need to believe what that Psalm said–that God raised him from the dead, and secondly you need to confess with your mouth that he’s Lord.”

Sam, you and I both had as a Bible teacher years and years ago a man by the name of Jesse Boyd. And Mr. Boyd–he tried to put this in context–he would say, “God will save a sinner, but he won’t save a rebel.” You’ve got to lay down your arms of rebellion if you want to be saved; that’s what this psalm is saying.

Horn: That’s great counsel to all of us, and I’m thankful that the Lord granted repentance to me. I’m thankful I’ve done that, and I would encourage any of you who are watching today to listen to Psalm two and rejoice that you have come to know the Lord. If you haven’t, there’s a warm invitation to kiss the Son. Pastor Minnick, thank you; I know that we have been benefited by this.