PSALM 2

‘As I live!’ declares the Lord God, ‘I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that the wicked turn from his way and live’ -Ezekiel 33:11.

 Are WE Out Of Control

¹     Why do the nations rage, and the people plot a vain thing?

²     The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together,

      Against the Lord and against His Anointed, saying,

³     “Let us break their bonds in pieces and cast away their cords from us.”

⁴     He who sits in the heavens shall laugh, the Lord shall hold them in derision.

⁵     Then He shall speak to them in His wrath, and distress them in His deep displeasure:

⁶     “Yet I have set My King on My holy hill of Zion.”

⁷     “I will declare the decree:

      The Lord has said to Me, ‘You are My Son, today I have begotten You.

⁸     Ask of Me, and I will give You the nations for Your inheritance,

      And the ends of the earth for Your possession.

⁹     You shall break them with a rod of iron; 

      You shall dash them to pieces like a potter’s vessel.’ ”

¹⁰     Now therefore, be wise, O kings; be instructed, you judges of the earth.

¹¹     Serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice with trembling.

¹²     Kiss the Son, lest He be angry, and you perish in the way-

       When His wrath is kindled but a little.

       Blessed are all those who put their trust in Him.

Today we live in a world that seems to be getting more and more out of control.  Poet Robert Browning once wrote, “God’s in his heaven‑ and all’s right with the world.”  But in reality, don’t we have to question this just a little?  All is very much not right in the world.   

Since the beginning of time, the world has known strife and war.  Today human suffering and strife is everywhere in even larger numbers.  It seems to be the “way of the world” today.  How should we view this every changing chaos?  Psalm 2  helps us in getting some insight.

The Nations have Rebelled Against God

King David in  Acts 4:25-26, views the nations are against God’s rule while in rebellion over other wicked rulers, against each other.  Even though the nations have rebelled against God in this way, He is still sovereign over all—everything is under His control and He will triumph in His own timing.  David appeals to the rebellious nations to bow before the Almighty God while they still have time to do so.

To understand this psalm, the schemes of the nations against warring against God’s anointed people.

David writes this ‘song’ to show the folly of their rebellion against God’s anointed (here  it is King David) because of the covenant promises God had made to him.  Verses in this Psalm 2:1‑3 refers to the rebel kings and their attempts to shake off David’s rule over them.

The psalm goes beyond David’s own experience, when it refers to the fulfillment of God’s Anointed “Messiah”, God’s Son the Lord Jesus Christ.  Writing under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, David wrote in a deep and more complete way – the prophesy of Christ the coming Messiah and King.

Satan is the author of this rebellion

In Isaiah 14:12-23, it describes the people have also followed Satan in his rebellion against God. 

In creation man was created in the image of God and placed on earth to reflect God’s image – and rule as His representatives over His creation.  Satan will work through the pride of world rulers to weaken the nations, through conflict keeping them from submitting to God.  This is largely what is happening today.

God is Sovereign

But God is still on His throne today dealing with the vain schemes of rebellious men: “He who sits in the heavens shall laugh, the Lord shall hold them in derision” (2:4). 

‘As I live!’ declares the Lord God, ‘I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that the wicked turn from his way and live’ -Ezekiel 33:11.  God’s laughter shows the folly of rebelling against Him. He may let man go on for a while in his rebellion, but then His anger and judgment will come, and man’s proud plans will come to nothing.

God has a plan to deal with man’s rebellion

God’s plan is through the person and the power of God’s Messiah, Jesus Christ his Anointed one.  It plunges deep into waters that we can not fully understand.  Although we can understand to some degree, the relationship taught to us from His Word between that of the Father and Son.

Christ is eternally the Son of God. Neither made or created, but begotten ... Verse 2:7 says, “You are My Son, today I have begotten You.”  God’s plan for dealing with man’s rebellion involves Jesus Christ, whom God sent into the world to pay the penalty for man’s rebellion (John 3:16-17).  Christ died according to the predetermined plan of God the Father’s foreknowledge of the schemses of evil and godless men.    

God raised Him from the dead and He ascended to heaven, where He is now waiting to return with power—the second part of God’s plan:

The power of Messiah (verses 2:8‑9), risen from the dead, will return bodily to this earth in power and glory to crush all opposition and to reign in righteousness from David’s throne. The Apostle John describes it in that great day in Revelation 19:15-16.  From His mouth comes a sharp sword, so that with it He may smite the nations; and He will rule them with a rod of iron.  He treads the winepress with the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty.  And on His robe and on His thigh He has a name written, ‘KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.” Submit to God and His Anointed while there is still time,  It is  “ALL who have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:22-24).

We have all in our own way, said  of God, “Let us tear His fetters apart, and cast away His cords from us” (verse 2:3)... in other words, “I’ll do it my way!”

You would think that everyone would welcome God’s Messiah, who came to save us from our sins.  Jesus didn’t come to save us so that we could get a free ticket to heaven.  The issue is one of lordship. The Lord’s Anointed is the King who will reign—when He comes again He will not take second place to anyone. Every knee shall bow. All people must show discernment and take warning.  All people should bow in submission and fear before God now, while we still can … now rather than facing His displeasure later. We must submit to Christ as Savior and Lord before He returns in judgment, so that we do not “perish in the way.”  “How blessed are those  who take refuge in Him!” Don’t run from God, run to Him.