The Choice Between Rebellion and Submission

Introduction

Today as we begin a tour of sorts through the book of Psalms, we begin by this chapter right near the beginning of the book.

It’s interesting, as you begin to analyze the chapter, what you find is that what comes forward is essentially a tale of two people - the rebellious heathen and the submissive servants - and the only thing that separates the two is choice.

(Ill.) If one would compare me against the drunkard, do you know what the only difference is? Choice. If I’me compared to the adulterer, or the pedophile, or the drug addict - do you know what the only difference between them and myself you would find? Choice.

It’s not because I’m so good, or so right, or so moral, and the others, they’re just degenerates… I’m no better than any of them - and you’re not either! The only difference, the only separating factor is CHOICE.

It’s simple choice between Submission or Rebellion. That’s WHAT it is, and that’s ALL it is.

In this Psalms we see both those who are rebellious and those who are submissive, and the end result of them both.

Because, lest we forget - Choices come with Consequences.

The Psalm begins speaking about the Ways of Man

I. The Ways of Man (v1-3)

The descriptions that we see are perfectly indicative of lost people and their attitudes towards God

Their Pride

One key word to consider is found in v1, and it goes a lot to describe why men do some of the stupid things that they do: the word is ‘vain’.

It’s simple Pride / Vanity

As we look and consider the words of the preacher Solomon, as he began the book of Ecclesiasties He said Ecclesiastes 1:2 “Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher, vanity of vanities; all is vanity.”

He uses the word ‘vain’ in this book 37x in 27 verses! Solomon is going through that book lamenting ‘Vanity - everything I’ve done is all for vanity sake, and it didn’t profit me a thing!

America has a pride problem… and I’m not just talking about the queer agenda, I’m talking about the vanity of everyday men.

Most will say - “Yeah, that doesn’t effect me”, but truthfully, yeah it does.

What is pride? (def) inordinate self-esteem; an unreasonable conceit of one’s own superiority in talents, beauty, wealth, accomplishments, rank or elevation in office; and often in contempt of others. In other words - thinking you’re better. That’s what pride is - but the way it manifests itself is maybe not typically how you think.

How many of you know the Bible says:

Study (the Bible) 2Tim. 2:15.

Are you studying the Word of God? When’s the last time? How much?

Pray (Luk. 18:1)

Are you spending time in prayer? Why not?

Witness (Mar. 16:15)

Are you telling others about Jesus? Why not?

Are you Separate? (2Cor. 6:17)

Do you make a conscience effort to be separate from the things of the world?

If we aren’t, do you know what that means? We’re at least one of two things, but most likely both. We’re either:

Rebellious

We just don’t

Prideful

We don’t think we need to do these things - which is just like saying that ‘we know better than God’.

The ways of Man are prideful

Their Position

Against God ‘set themselves’ against God, against the Son of God.

Make no mistake - you are either with God, or against Him. There is no middle road, there is no option #3 - you’re either WITH God, or against Him.

Jesus said: Luke 11:23 “He that is not with me is against me: and he that gathereth not with me scattereth.”

You’re either gathering or scattering.

The same principle holds true as concerning who (or what) you worship. Jesus said: Luke 16:13 “No servant can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.”

Their position was against God and His Annointed

Their Power

Notice that the heathen are described as ’kings’ - In other words - the very best mankind would have to offer.

Notice the first word of the Psalm… ‘Why’? Why? Why God asks do the heathen rage?

Why does man go against God? It’s a position to which you just can’t win!

Man has no power against a Holy God!

(Ill.) You might remember a story about a man named Saul who was on a road to Damascus. He’d been on the warpath against Christians - he stood by at the stoning of Stephen and developed a bloodlust against God’s people… until he met Jesus that day. Jesus said something interesting to him: Acts 9:3–5 “And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus: and suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven: And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.”

I love the visual and the meaning behind what Jesus said “it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.”

In other words - you do more damage to yourself by going against something you have no hope in defeating.

And that’s a valuable lesson for us - whenever you decide you want to kick against God, get ready, because it’s going to sting.

Their Power - they had none against the God of Heaven.

We see the Ways of Man. Secondly, we see the Wrath of God

II. The Wrath of God (v4-5)

The Derision of God

The word derision (def) The act of laughing at in contempt; to laugh, scorn, mock.

The idea that the Psalmist is saying here is that God is not threatened at all - he is less intimidated than an elephant is by an ant. It’s more plausible that a guppy can defeat a killer whale.

The absurdity, the foolishness that man must have to shake their fist at God as if they have any power AT ALL against Him!

We see the Derision of God

The Displeasure of God

Rebellion displeases God. Whenever we go against God, His ways, His commands, we are in a state of rebellion, and God is not pleased.

(Ill.) Years ago, a man by the name of Jonathan Edwards preached a message titled: “Sinners in the hand of an Angry God” The text of that message was derived from Deuteronomy 32:35 “To me belongeth vengeance, and recompence; Their foot shall slide in due time: For the day of their calamity is at hand, And the things that shall come upon them make haste.”

Specifically, ‘Their foot shall slide in due time’. In other words, some time, at some point, the surety of their tread will give way. They will surely slip into the vengeance of the LORD.

Hebrews 10:31 “It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.”

God is Displeased with men, which leads to the Discipline of God

The Discipline of God

v5 - “his wrath, and vex them”

Vex (def) plague; torment; to harass; to afflict; to disturb; disquiet; agitate; trouble; distress - none of those sound good!

(Ill.) It’s a crude illustration, but has anyone heard the term ‘if you mess with the bull, you’re going to get the horns?’ It’s the same principle. When you go against God, you will suffer the discipline of God.

Btw, this holds true for both the lost and saved alike.

If you’re lost, you will suffer the wrath of God when His Judgment is poured out upon you at the Great White Throne Judgment

If you’re saved, you liable to get the belt. Proverbs 3:11–12 “My son, despise not the chastening of the Lord; Neither be weary of his correction: For whom the Lord loveth he correcteth; Even as a father the son in whom he delighteth.”

Rebellion will endure the Discipline of God

The Ways of Man, the Wrath of God

III. The Wonder of Christ (v6-9)

In these next verses, we see David - the prophet and king - speaking of the ‘Anointed’ One (v2) - the Son (v7;12) - if you haven’t figured it out, he’s speaking of Jesus!

There’s 4 things that we can gather from these 4 verses

The Supremacy of Christ (v6)

Psalm 2:6 “Yet have I set my king Upon my holy hill of Zion.”

The earth has their kings - but here it says ‘I set MY king…’ Jesus is altogether different than any other king that’s sat upon any other throne!

We see the Supremacy of Christ - Christ is far greater than the kings of the earth

The Sonship of Christ (v7)

Psalm 2:7 “I will declare the decree: The Lord hath said unto me, Thou art my Son; This day have I begotten thee.”

Here it’s touched on concerning the special relationship between the Father, and the Son.

There are many sons of God - I am a son of God, if you’ve been born again, you are a son / daughter of God

The Bible tells us: John 1:12 “But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:”

But there’s only one Jesus. There’s only one ‘begotten’ son.

John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

We see the Sonship of Christ

The Sovereignty of Christ (v8)

(speaking to the Son) Psalm 2:8 “Ask of me, And I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, And the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession.”

The Father is offering the Son an inheritance and possession. In other words, Christ is the Sovereign ruler over all.

Now understand, what that word and doctrine mean. Sovereign (def) Supreme in power; possessing supreme dominion; superior to all others; chief.

In short, God is ‘Over All’ - He answers to no one and all answer to Him. However, the Calvinist or Reformer would have you to believe that the word Sovereign means ‘Controls All’. That false doctrine teaches that every decision of man and by man are not actually their decisions, but those predetermined by God. Man has no free will, and God has predetermined by ‘His good pleasure’ who it going to Heaven and who is going to Hell. Making the history of mankind an elaborate game of Solitaire.

But church, there’s a big difference between ‘Over All’ and ‘Controlling All’. The God that is Controlling All would be as guilty of sin as the sinner themselves!

But God is Sovereign - just in the Dictionary sense, not a private interpretation.

Because God is Sovereign, we see next, there’s a Surety of Judgment

The Surety of Judgment (v9)

We see that the Son will execute Judgment

Jesus said Himself in: John 5:24–27 “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life. Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live. For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself; And hath given him authority to execute judgment also, because he is the Son of man.”

Whether before the Great White Throne or the Judgment Seat of Christ, all will stand before the King of kings and the LORD of lords!

The Surety of Judgment

The Ways of Man, the Wrath of God, the Wonder of Christ and lastly, the Warning that’s Given

IV. The Warning that’s Given (v10-12)

Warning given in v10

So up until this time, the Psalmist speaks of the Rebellion of man, God’s wrath against that Rebellious attitude, the Supremacy and Judgment of Christ - and says ‘therefore’ - in other words - ‘because of what I’ve just said, you really should do this…’

Serve the LORD (v11a)

The opposite of Rebellion is submission. Submission is the necessary component of service.

Our pride leads us to serve ourselves.

The LORD is advising us to serve the LORD.

Btw, this is no less than what Christ did for you and I. It was the Pharisees that had the prideful mindset that desired to be served - yet it was Christ that washed feet.

Jesus’ disciples James & John came to Him asking that He should grant unto them to sit on His right hand and His left. Places of honor. This made the others mad, do you know why? Because they didn’t think of it first!

But Jesus’ response is found in Mark 10:42–45 “But Jesus called them to him, and saith unto them, Ye know that they which are accounted to rule over the Gentiles exercise lordship over them; and their great ones exercise authority upon them. But so shall it not be among you: but whosoever will be great among you, shall be your minister: And whosoever of you will be the chiefest, shall be servant of all. For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.”

We’d do well to seek the mind of Christ - one of service instead of selfishness.

He says ‘Serve the LORD’

Submit with Fear & Affection (v11b-12a)

There’s nothing wrong or contradictory about having a fear of God.

(Ill.) When a child fears punishment from their parents, they tend to obey. It’s not that their parents don’t love them, in fact, they discipline their children BECAUSE they love them.

There’s a reason that God admonishes man to Fear God - so that by doing so, we think twice about sinning that would bring the chastisement of God down upon us.

Submit with Fear and Affection

Faith brings Satisfaction (v12b)

The Psalmist says ‘Blessed are ALL they that put their trust in him’.

Blessed indeed.

Blessed with Eternal life

Blessed with the Hope of Heaven

Blessed with a Help on earth

Blessed with the Promises of God

Faith in Christ brings Satisfaction

Conclusion