Ps. 2 "God Laughs"

Intro:

Review from last week:

Delight or destruction are your only options- personally chosing to live under God’s authority. Chapter two is about making that decision as a nation.

What 2 songs have you been listening to?

Of all Scripture cited in the New Testament, Psalms tops the list. The Lord Jesus himself quptes this joy-filled book over fifty times, often during occasions of great personal turmoil” (Praying the Psalms, 23).

This is a Royal Psalm (18, 20-21, 45, 72, 89, 101, 110, 132, 144)

Psalm written by David

“ABBA” or Chiastic structure- Like an Oreo (Big one)

“A”-The kings/rulers of the Nations rebel/are warned

“B”-The divine king enthroned in heaven, the Davidic king enthrowned on earth

Outline:

A Rhetorical Question: “Why Do The Nations Rage” (vs. 1-3)

A Resolute Response: “He Who Sits in the Heavens Laughs” (vs. 4-6)

A Right Representative: “I Will Tell of the Decree” (vs. 7-9)

A Repentance Plee: “O Kings, Be Wise” (vs. 10-12)

Summary:

Illustration: Smashing the “Sin/rebellion” vase. Have vases all around on the stage and give them the titles of “Loud rebellion”: I don’t want God telling me what to do with my money, marriage, parenting, time, sexuality, etc. They all become competing kingdoms seeking to rule my heart (Vase in the middle). after all, to quote some songs, Bon Jovi says, “It’s my life” and Fank Sonatra “I did it my way”.

Prayer: “As I encounter… help me

A Rhetorical Question: “Why Do The Nations Rage” (vs. 1-3)

The Nations Rage and plot (v. 1)

Why do the Nations

rage- “noisily assemble, murmur”

and the peoples plot

in vain?

The Nations take counsel (v. 2)

The kings of the earth

set themselves

and the rulers

take counsel together

Against the LORD (v. 3)

Against the LORD

and against his Annointed- “A” anointed, in this timeperiod, “Every king annointed by a prophet was a “messiah”, an anointed one.” (BKC)

Genesis- Likeness and image

Prophets, priests, kings.

Saying

Let us burst their bonds (shackles, fetters) apart

and cast away their cords (ropes) from us- as if being oppressed. This was the cry in David’s time and it is still the same cry today! The people of the nations did not want anything to do with God or His anointed King. They thought life would be better if they could get out from under his rule and authority.

Cross reference: Acts 4:25-26 “who through the mouth of our father David, your servant, said by the Holy Spirit, “ ‘Why did the Gentiles rage, and the peoples plot in vain? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers were gathered together, against the Lord and against his Anointed’—”

Peter

Acts 13:33 “this he has fulfilled to us their children by raising Jesus, as also it is written in the second Psalm, “ ‘You are my Son, today I have begotten you.’”

Paul

Application/Implications:

Renew the Mind (the Scriptures):

What caught your attention in this section?

Which verses or words would you like to study a little more this week?

Engage the Heart (humility vs. pride):

What is the outcome of the nations raging and the peoples plotting of setting themselves and taking counsel together against the LORD and his Anointed? Nothing, it is in vain. Noisy yes.

Think about it, not much has changed. Who are the noisiest assemblies today? Many people in many different countries feel this way. This tells me it is not just a matter of Governing authorities or national conviction. They just want to live their life without anyone restricting them or telling them no. Think of the different colours of our govenment, they are all fighting for what they think are the most important freedoms, think of some civilian groups, freedom convoy, think of LGBTQ+, etc. But who is the real oppressor here? Whe rThink about it, not much has changed. Who are the noisiest assemblies today? Many people in many different countries feel this way. This tells me it is not just a matter of Governing authorities or national conviction. They just want to live their life without anyone restricting them or telling them no. Think of the different colours of our govenment, they are all fighting for what they think are the most important freedoms, think of some civilian groups, freedom convoy, think of LGBTQ+, etc. But who is the real oppressor here? Whe

Where is the fight ultimately? Is it between David and the other Kings/rulers of the land? No it is directed at the LORD and His anointed. What about the fight today, is it between us and the government, us and the LGBTQ+, us and any other loud assembly? We need to look past the noise to see the heart. The battle is between them and God and we get to help bring peace and understanding to ragging hearts.

Enlist the Body (Words, actions, emotions):

Psalm 46 shane and shane song

This question, “Why do the nations rage” sounds similar to James 4:1 “What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you?”

Pray something like this, “Holy King, I surrender my…to Your rule.”

Transitional phrase:

A Resolute Response: “He Who Sits in the Heavens Laughs” (vs. 4-6)

God’s Reaction (vs. 4)

He- who are we talking about here...

who sits in the heavens- The dwelling place of God

laughs- imperfect, Not the only reference to God laughing (Ps. 37:13; 59:8; Job 22:19; Prov. 1:26)

The Lord (Ps. 59:8)

holds them

in derision- scoff, stammer, deride

Remember, this is in the context of the Nations, Kings and Rulers making a plan for how they are going to become free from His authoirty and anointed servant.

God’s Response (vs. 5)

Then he- the Lord, the one who sits in heaven

will speak to them

in his wrath

and terrify them

in his fury

God’s Resolution (vs. 6)

Saying- God’s response is to speak and set up His representative

as for me

I have set my King- speaking of David

On Zion- which was origionally a Canaanite city that David conquored (2 Sam. 5:7 “Nevertheless, David took the stronghold of Zion, that is, the city of David.” )

my holy hill- God is promising to do some specific things at a specific location! To oppose God’s choice of King is to oppose God.

Application/Implications:

Renew the Mind (the Scriptures):

What caught your attention in this section?

Which verses or words would you like to study a little more this week?

Engage the Heart (humility vs. pride):

Do you ever wonder how God is responding as He watches over His creation? Do you think He is wringing His hands cowering in a corner perplexed not knowing what to do? Do you think He is throwing objects and punching angels in a fit of rage? Do you think He just doesn’t care and is content to sit back with a drink in His hand and watch while His creation goes crazy?

The way that God has chosen to answer the raging of the nations has not changed. In Genesis He placed Adam and Eve as his representative, his likeness, his image to be a right representation of the invisible God. He sent His representatives by way of the prophets, priests, and kings. But there was a problem, they never lived up to being the exact representation that God required. Until He sent Jesus!

Enlist the Body (Words, actions, emotions):

I know that many here have concerns about what is going on in the nations around us and in our own nation. Pray something like this “King Jesus, even though…I know that you will someday rule the nations”.

“As I encounter… help me

Transitional phrase: God always has an answer for whatever we face. He is not caught off guard or shocked by what we do or what happens to us. His answer often seen best in His Son. A right representative...

A Right Representative: “The Decree” (vs. 7-9)

God’s Covenant (v. 7)

I- According to Acts 4:25 the author is David

will tell of the decree- Davidic Covenant, that God would be a father to the king and refer to him as His son.

The LORD said to me- To David (2 Sam. 7:14 “I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son. When he commits iniquity, I will discipline him with the rod of men, with the stripes of the sons of men,”

You are my Son;

Today I have begotten you- today you have become my son!

God’s Inheritance (v. 8)

Ask of me- a common phrase used by Kings/Rulers to bestow upon those who ask.

and I will make the nations

your heritage

and the ends of the earth

your possession

God’s directive (v. 9)

You shall break them with

a rod of iron

“The imagery is probably drawn from Egyptian execration customs in which the Pharaoh used his scepter to smash votive jars (pottery) that represented rebellious cities or nations.” (Allen P. Ross, “Psalms,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, 792.

and dash them

in pieces

like a potter’s vessel

Application/Implications:

Renew the Mind (the Scriptures):

What caught your attention in this section?

Which verses or words would you like to study a little more this week?

Engage the Heart (humility vs. pride):

David was God’s man for the job. He told David, as His representative that if people were not submitting to him they were not submitting to God. This makes sense of the violence and conquoring that is recorded in Israel’s history. Now Jesus is God’s man for the job.

Enlist the Body (Words, actions, emotions):

Pray something like this “As I encounter… help me to trust You as my refuge”

Transitional phrase:

A Repentance Plee: “Oh Kings, Be Wise” (vs. 10-12)

Be wise (v. 10)

Now therefore

O, Kings

be wise- this is an imperative, a command

be warned

Oh rulers of the earth

Serve the Lord (v. 11)

Serve the LORD (Heb 12:28 “Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe,” )

with fear

and rejoice

with trembling (Phil. 2:12 “Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling,”)

“They are to lead lives of submission, not rebellion; lives characterized by fear and trembling, not arrogance; lives filled with exultation, not the gloom of oppression.” (Allen P. Ross, “Psalms,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, 792).

Spurgeon “Fear without joy, is torment; and joy, without holy fear, would be presumption”- Treasury of David, 13.

Kiss the Son (v. 12)

Kiss the Son- pay homage to, in the ancient world, “to kiss the feet of a king (or the ground in front of the king’s feet) was a symbol of humiliity and political obedience (see Ps. 72:9; Isa. 49:23; Mic. 7:17)” (The New International Commentary on the OT, 70).

lest he be angry

and you perish in the way (1:1, 6)

For his wrath

is quickly kindled

Blessed are all- language from Ps. 1! “Psalm One begins with the word “Blessed” and teaches us what a blessed man looks like. Psalm two ends with the word “Blessed” and teaches us what a blessed nation looks like” (Praying the Psalms, 36).

who take refuge in him

Application/Implications:

Renew the Mind (the Scriptures):

What caught your attention in this section?

Which verses or words would you like to study a little more this week?

Engage the Heart (humility vs. pride):

The message is clear here, submit to the Son or face the anger and wrath of God

Spurgeon “THe first Psaom was a contrast between the righteous man and the sinner; the second Psalm is a contrast between the tumultuous disobeience of the ugodly world and the sure exaltation of the righteous Son of God. In the first Psalm, we saw the wicked driven away like chaff; in the second Psalm, we see them broken in pieces like a potter’s vessel. In the first Psalm, we beheld the righteous like a tree planted by the rivers of water; and here, we contemplate Christ, the Covenant Head of the righteous, made better than a tree planted by he rivers of water, for he is made king of all the islands, and all the heathen bow before him and kiss the dust; while he himselve fives a blessing to all those who put their trust in him” -The Treasury of David, 13.

Enlist the Body (Words, actions, emotions):

What attributes about God in the Psalm can you praise Him for today?

Transitional phrase:

Discussion Starters:

a

What attributes about God in the Psalm can you praise Him for today? “I praise you because You are King over...”

c

Summary:

Song:

Benediction/Looking ahead: INVITE PEOPLE TO THE CAFE