Sermon Tone Analysis

Welcome

Good morning!

We’re so glad you’re here, whether you are here in person or joining us online, thank you for joining us this morning.

If you have your Bible with you, please open up to Psalm 1 this morning.

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Introduction

I read last week that Nicaragua has kicked out the Catholic Church along with a long list of other nonprofit organizations.

The President of Nicaragua has allegedly claimed that “Nicaragua is a country without a God.”

We looked a few weeks ago at Psalm 1 and the contrast of living a life separated from God versus a life connected with the blessing of God’s righteousness.

I told you that Psalm 1 & 2 are connected by this word blessing.

Psalm 1:1 begins with the Hebrew word esher and Psalm 2:12 ends with the same word.

While Psalm 1 was addressed more personally to the individual believer, who delights in God, Psalm 2 is addressed to the nations of the world—or perhaps it might be better said—it is a response to the rebellion of the nations of the world.

Let’s read it...

[pray]

Bible teachers throughout history have observed that this psalm contains four voices:

The nations shout in rebellion

Father God responds to their rebellion

The Son makes a declaration, and

The Spirit gives a warning

I.

The Nations Rage

We can see that nations around the world have created places that are not safe for the people of God.

Here are some recent headlines from Open Doors USA...

8,000+ Rwanda churches remain closed

‘They kill us like animals’—Myanmar Christians plead for prayer

Nigeria’s churches under siege—30+ worshippers abducted

How this Syrian town went from 12,000 to 1,000 Christians

Communist and Socialist nations are not welcoming to Christianity, nor are Islamic and Hindu nations.

This is not something new that we will see in the future.

This is now!

Why do the nations rage?

This questions has been asked throughout history.

How many peace conferences have we witnessed in our time?

How many presidents have taken on the problem of peace in the Middle East?

Burmese statesman and Secretary-General of the United Nations, U Thant, asked three questions:

What element is lacking so that with all our skill and all our knowledge we still find ourselves in the dark valley of discord and enmity?

What is it that inhibits us from going forward together to enjoy the fruits of human endeavor and to reap the harvest of human experience?

Why is it that, for all our professed ideals, our hopes and our skills, peace on earth is still a distant objective, seen only dimly through the storms and turmoils of our present difficulties?

Haven’t each of these peace conferences and summits asked the very same question in their own way: Why do the nations rage?

Scripture has answered this question for us time and again.

We live in the age of the Fall of Man.

Adam’s sin corrupted the world.

This systemic problem has persisted through the ages and pervades our personal lives and this is played out on a worldwide stage.

International conflict involves international levels of sin resulting in the judgment of God.

There is a connection between the coronation of the Messiah as King and the rage of the nations, though it is not completely clear as to which event precipitated which response.

The collective rage of the kings and nations of the world could be a response to the coronation of the Son or God could be responding to their rebellion by making his Son the King.

At any rate, the coronation of the king is also connected with the Great Judgment Day...

Pastor Ray Stedman wrote regarding his observation of the lack of peace in the world from a biblical perspective:

“This is God's process throughout history: he uses one nation to judge another.

In World War II, he used Hitler to judge the nations of the world; then he used the other nations to judge Germany under Hitler.”

Pointing to Isaiah 13:6, he explains “this judgment is called 'the day of the Lord.'”

We have seen this “day of the Lord” [lower-case D] repeatedly throughout history.

And eventually we will arrive at “the final, terrible ‘Day of the Lord’ [upper-case D].

Let’s look at this verse 1 again...

This word in verse 1 that we translate as “nations” from the Hebrew גּוֹי goy refers to the gentiles, that is all of the people of the earth who are not from Israel, the children of God—and by extension, Christians, who have been adopted into the family of God.

This rebellion is not led by a specific country.

Pastor James Johnston says that “All of the nations and peoples of the world are in this together.”

Psalm 2:2 says that these gentile nations are set against יהוה Yhvh מָשִׁיחַ mashiach - they are set against Jehovah God and Christ Messiah.

This Great Day of the Lord is inevitable because of what we see in Psalm 2:2

There is still building a Great Rebellion against God.

The rebellion against God and his Son, culminate in his return and his appearance at the battle of Armageddon.

The nations of the world that oppose God will be defeated and come under the judgement of the Lord.

These chains and ropes are bonds of obedience to God and his Anointed Messiah.

And honestly, to reject one is to reject the other...

God has a response to the raging and rebellious nations...

II.

Father God Responds

This is the only recorded place in the Bible where God laughs.

We don’t see God’s ridicule much at all.

However, this baseless rebellion is like toddlers arguing angrily with their parents.

God laughs, not because he considers the rebellion some harmless and silly joke.

When a creature shakes his fist at the Creator, it’s so ridiculous that laughter is the only response.

God’s laughter is at the futility and ridiculous nature of the rebellion.

His mocking response reveals the disgrace of the nations and is part of his judgment on their sin.

This public disgrace of the nations is part of what happened when Christ triumphed over sin...

God speaks in response to the rebellion with wrath and fury, saying...

The word of the Lord is final and cannot be refuted...

III.

Christ, the Son Proclaims

Verse 7 switches to the words of Son, the newly crowned king, who reports what his Father, God said to him...

When a military officer arrives in a new location to take command, he brings his orders along with him.

These orders give the officer the authority to take whatever charge is placed under him.

This is what Christ does here.

He is claiming his right that was given to him by the Father.

The Son is talking about something that has not yet taken place, but will upon his return.

Christ declares his identity as the Son of God...

Even though Christ came to earth as a man and gave up his deity during his time on this earth, we know that he was aware of the plan from the beginning.

However, he still poured himself out (kenosis) and followed through with the plan.

The apostle Paul wrote about this process of kenosis...

After this pouring out was completed in Christ’s death on the cross, he was ready for the coronation...

This declaration in verse 7...

Psalm 2:7b (CSB)

7b “You are my Son; today I have become your Father.

The New King James says it this way...

Psalm 2:7b (NKJV)

7b ‘You are My Son, Today I have begotten You.’

This word “become” or “begotten” is usually used in reference to birthing, but in this case is is being used in a way meaning that the Father/Son relationship is reaffirmed and renewed.

Jesus has been existing in an ‘already/not yet’ kind of state as king up until this point.

This is the transfer of power to the Son as he fulfills his birthright as he king.