Psalms: They Meditate on Rebelion

Introduction

Open this evening to Psalm 2, we will read verses 1-12 of Psalm two and we hope to get though verse 1 and part of verse 2 this evening.

The two ways from Psalm one.

“for the LORD knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish” (Ps 1:6, ESV)

Your position in this work is one of two, known by the Lord, or not known by him.

The Lord said it in person, depart from me i never knew you. He did not sat depart from me you didn’t do enough good works, depart from me you didn’t meditate enough, depart from me you haven’t earned my favor. No, its I did know you. The word know, is very important in the scripture. To make a long story very short, the work know, if of intimate knowledge, Adam knew Eve, Joseph knew Mary, and the Lord knows his own intimately.

As we get into Psalm 2 its important to consider the structure and the potion of the Psalm.

Just like we asked the question with Psalm 1, why is this Psalm, why is this the first Psalm? Why did God put this here?

With Psalm 2, the same questions applies

RC Sproul, (Ref Bible Notes) gives a great succinct answer to this question. “The theme of kingship pervades this psalm, which gives the overall message of the book: the Lord reigns.” [1]

No book is more cited in the New Testament,

Direct Citations: There are approximately 93 direct quotations from the Psalms in the New Testament.

Allusions and Echoes: Including indirect references, allusions, and echoes, the number of connections to the Psalms increases significantly. Estimates range from 200 to 400 instances, depending on the criteria used.

GPT

The next question we need to talk about is the structure.

The structure is the internal context, it helps us see into the mind of the author and understand the meaning of the text.

This psalm is quoted 6 times in the New Testament Matt. 3:17; 17:5; Acts 4:25–27; 13:33; Rom. 1:4; Heb. 1:5; 5:5.

In Acts 4:25–26 it was said by the Spirit, “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’” (Ac 4:25–26, ESV)

This Psalm is very hymn like, it has 4 verse.

1-3 the nations rage (question)

4-6 Lord holds them in derision (answer)

7-9 the decree (the proclamation)

10-12 The call to repentance.

Please Stand as we read God’s Holy word

Psalm 2 ESV

1 Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain? 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 burst their bonds apart and cast away their cords from us.” 4 He who sits in the heavens laughs; the Lord holds them in derision. 5 Then he will speak to them in his wrath, and terrify them in his fury, saying, 6 “As for me, I have set my King on Zion, my holy hill.” 7 I will tell of the decree: The Lord said to me, “You are my Son; today I have begotten you. 8 Ask of me, and I will make the nations your heritage, and the ends of the earth your possession. 9 You shall break them with a rod of iron and dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel.” 10 Now therefore, O kings, be wise; be warned, O rulers 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, for his wrath is quickly kindled. Blessed are all who take refuge in him.

May God Bless the Reading of his Holy, Infallible and, sufficient Word

Let’s Pray

Be Seated

Transition

David, asks, Lord you created all these things, why did you create this wicked man that rage against you and against me the one you have anointed to lead?

Body

The Nations Meditate on Rage

Psalm 2:1 ESV

1 Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain?

David looks out at the world and asks the question, the question here seems to be addressed to the most high, Lord you made all these things you are God, its seems obvious to me that you have set all these things in motion and yet they rage against you, the Meditate on violence in vain.

Think of now many righteous, even our selves ask this question.

David knows he was anointed by God, yet the world resits the purposes of God seeking to cast away the restraints God has set.

Think about a Chirstian in the world war 2 era, Lord, why do the godless plot, why does the whole world seem ready to do evil.

Or in our day, we can ask Lord, these little ones who are murdered before they are born, do they not know you will judge them, do they not know the vanity of their plans.

This is what it means to be lost,

Notice how this picks up on the theme from Psalm 1:6, the “for the LORD knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish”

The meditate fill their minds up with vanity, this is how they suppress the truth in unrighteousness and how they become futile in their thinking as Paul charge the world with in Romans 1.

Romans 1:18–23 ESV

18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. 19 For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. 20 For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. 21 For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Claiming to be wise, they became fools, 23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things.

Sounds familiar.

They know it is murder, when they kill baby but they rage against the Lord,

I use the word they, on purpose because it is a they and us there are only two kinds of people int he whole world, those alive in Christ and those dead in Adam and it take a miraculous work of God, the work of regeneration, new creation, by God, to change one into the other.

We see that contrast here, David, regenerate, looks at the nations and goes, can they not see they are fight God in vain?

They cannot see because they are dead in Adam, David can see because he has been made alive.

This is the experience of every believer, older believers can tell you of this over and over again,

urging someone to run to Christ, to repent and it just falls on def ears.

Transition

This milady rules to the highest rulers, actual David charge the rules with a more grievous rebellion, the peoples rage aimlessly and meditate on vanity, but the rules bring organized rebellion. Verse 2

Council of Ungodly Rulers

Psalm 2:2 ESV

2 The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord and against his Anointed, saying,

Calvin add this thought, “By attributing to the people commotion and uproar, and to kings and rulers the holding of assemblies, to take counsel, he has used very appropriate language. Yet he intimates that, when kings have long and much consulted together, and the people have poured forth their utmost fury, all of them united would make nothing of it.” [2]

The scripture say, “The king’s heart is a stream of water in the hand of the LORD; he turns it wherever he will. Every way of a man is right in his own eyes, but the LORD weighs the heart.” (Pr 21:1–2, ESV)

Certain men, and women in more modern cases, God has set aside for special judgment.

Hearts turned to vain premeditated rebellion.

God has said you were supposed to be my representatives for justice. I gave you the power to the sword to be the “.. avenger who carries out God’s wrath on the wrongdoer.” (Ro 13:4b, ESV)

To many, even those that are professed believers serve in leadership in many place with little to no fear or the Lord.

Husband, do you not know as the leader of your house you will be held accountable to either leading your house in meditating and delighting in the scripture or meditating on vanity and be guilty of premeditated rebellion against the Lord.

Not equal,

“Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness..” (Jas 3:1, ESV)

I have to point that out so that those who understand the weight of what I am saying they do not disrepair.

I have said, that “my grandfather once advised me, “if you can do anything do that” when I told him I wanted to be a pastor.”

I have told you that I have taken that to heart, if I could do anything else but be in a position to be judged doubly, I would. That a heave weight and as it applies to each of us, Fathers, you will be judged the greatest in your house for how it is lead, wives mothers, you will be judge greater then a child, older sibling, you will be judged more severely then your younger ones, and younger ones do not think for a moment that just because you are the lest judge that the judgment of God is anything to be consider light.

The reason we bare up under this, fathers the reason we lead baring the greater wait, fellow Elders the we teach, knowing the weight of is Joy, it is not a forced duty but a necessary joy.

No father, is going to tell you man I really wish I didn’t have to pray for my children so much.

No Elder, no shepherd, is going to tell you I wish I didn’t have preach. No they will tell you it is my delight, I cannot live without proclaiming the word of God.

The father will say I cannot imagine not praying for my children.

In the mercy of God the weight becomes a joy, it is the joy of the Godly to trust in the work of Christ.

The fear is gone, the dread is gone, because of Christ and we have the joy of his salvation.

This is just another example of the way in which the Lord knows the righteous, but the wicked parish.

David look around and say Lord don’t this people get it, don’t these rulers understand that all their plots against you are in vain.

The wicked, live without the weight, but everything they do will parish,

The righteous understand the weight of God holy righteousness but everything they do will prosper and the difference is Jesus Christ the righteous.

This is the primary means by which God had brought judgment on nations throughout history. Wicked rulers,

we have just been reading in 2nd Kings and

Isreal, started worshiping the golden calves, and God gave them only Evil king evil king, evil king, not a single righteous king.

mean while in judah we read, “And all Judah rejoiced over the oath, for they had sworn with all their heart and had sought him with their whole desire, and he was found by them, and the LORD gave them rest all around.” (2 Ch 15:15, ESV)

Does anyone think God was unable do the same thing in Isreal?

Why didn’t he? For his glory and we will see starting in verse 4.

Like I said this is God’s primary mean of nation judgement throughout history.

It no different here, wicked rulers, murders, on every side, say what ever needs to be said, lie whatever way needs to lie, compromise what even has to be compromised in order to be elected.

In the ballot box lately the only choice has been fill in the DOT for the flavor of God judgment this god round God’s doing the same miracle he did those years ago in Judah this elect will be no different.

But believer, we can speak of this things without disrepair, we are planted by the stream, when we will not mediation on vanity.

We can have confidence that even when wicked rulers are raised up for judgement the faithful act of his servant, even unto death, which were before ordained by him are sustained by him and rewarded by him.

Conclusion

Next time we will pick back up in verse 2.

Benediction

Numbers 6:24–26 ESV

24 The Lord bless you and keep you; 25 the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; 26 the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.

References

[1] R. C. Sproul, ed., The Reformation Study Bible: English Standard Version (2015 Edition) (Orlando, FL: Reformation Trust, 2015), 832.

[2] John Calvin and James Anderson, Commentary on the Book of Psalms, vol. 1 (Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software, 2010), 10.

Bibliography

Calvin, John, and James Anderson. Commentary on the Book of Psalms. Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software, 2010.

Sproul, R. C., ed. The Reformation Study Bible: English Standard Version (2015 Edition). Orlando, FL: Reformation Trust, 2015.