The Anointed King (Psalm 2)

Psalm 2

The Anointed King

Sunday, August 25, 2024

Land O’ Lakes Bible Church

Scripture Reading:

Colossians 1:15–23 (ESV)

He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.

And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him, if indeed you continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel that you heard, which has been proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, became a minister.

Introduction

Plots foiled???

We pick up this morning in Psalm 2 in our shortened End of the Summer in the Psalms series. So, I invite you to take out a Bible and turn with me to Psalm 2, our passage this morning. If you are using one of the Red Bibles there in the seats, you can find Psalm 2 on page #528.

As noted last week as we began this series, the Psalms are a collection of songs put together to lead our hearts to praise our God despite our emotions, the challenges, the opposition, and the doubts of life. To lead us to praise, the Psalms start by turning our hearts to trust both God’s word and his king. To help us further see this and better grasp Psalm 2, we are going to read both Psalm 1 and Psalm 2 together.

Main Idea: All authority in heaven and earth has been given to God’s Anointed King; therefore if we are wise, we will bow to him as our king and refuge. We are going to unfold this in four points: (1) the nations rage (verse 1-3), (2) the LORD laughs (verses 4-6), (3) the Anointed King (verses 7-9), and (4) the wise warning (verses 10-12).

Point #1: The Nations Rage

A comparison between Ps 1:2 and Ps 2:1. Both are meditating/pondering

As Psalm 2 opens with the first 3 verses, we see how those made in God’s image have sought to rebel against their creator. How not only individually, but as peoples, as nations collectively have sought to throw off God’s rule and reign over them. For in verse 1, we see that the nations, the ethnos rage, they make a disturbing noise. And where the blessed man of Psalm 1 meditates, he ponders on the law of God, finding his delight in it; the nations, the collective peoples of the earth meditate, they ponder against the LORD and his Anointed King. The two are to be shown in clear contrast to one another.

But look at verse 3 with me at the root cause of this raging, of this plotting. Verse 3. The nations, the peoples rage against the LORD and his Anointed because they desire not to be held by the bonds and cords of God’s law. They do not want to be under God’s rule or the rule of God’s king. For the kings and the peoples do not want a Sovereign King over them, they want to be their own kings and make their own rule. They want to determine what is good and evil, what is right and wrong, what is worthy of pursuit and what is not. They do not desire to serve to the glory of another, but to serve their own glory.

This was not simply true in David’s day, the presumed composer of Psalm 2, although that is not for certain and is debated. In David’s days as the Lord’s anointed and chosen king following Saul’s blunder, David would face challenges and opposition. But before David, the nations and peoples were raging as well.

Biblical Theology, dont rush:

In Genesis 1-2, God spoke all of creation into existence, the heavens and the earth. He made man and woman in his image. The heavens and the earth had their beginning from God and it was all very good. And yet, once Genesis 3 came, the raging and the plotting began because of the doubt that entered in the world through the slithering tongue of the serpent. Adam and Eve raged against God in throwing off his rule to not eat of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. They raged and ate anyway.

The raging of the nations continued and increased. Cain raged against the LORD and the favor he showed Abel, and Can killed his own brother in his rage. And the raging increased more in the wickedness of man as every intention of the thoughts of man’s heart was continually evil (Genesis 6:5). A flood was brought about to judge the world, yet salvation was brought to one family as they were delivered through the flood on an ark. But at the end of the flood in the start of Genesis 9 where sacrifice takes place, drunkenness and evil take place before the chapter is done in Canaan’s perversion.

Then, in Genesis 11, we see the peoples further rage against the LORD, for instead of seeking his glory, they desired to build a tower to the heavens for their glory to show their strength. And curse again came, the nations were born as the peoples were scattered and their languages confused. And this all was in like of the first man, Adam and before the law.

Even after the law of God was given in Genesis 19-24, and the accepting of that law by the people of Israel, sin increased. The people God had chosen to dwell in their midst continued to rage against their God. Throughout Israel’s history, the peoples and nations raged. At moments, it was the nations raging against Israel as in Egypt before the Passover, at other times it was the Philistines, the Canannites, the Babylonians, the Assyrians who raged against the LORD and his people.

But Israel was not innocent, they raged against their God as well, despite having his law and his covenant promise. The peoples feared man instead of God, they sought to put their trust and refuge elsewhere instead of the LORD. They raged against his word and his promises. The raging comes in the reign of Israel’s first king, Saul. And it would then come in David’s day and onward. Consider how Israel raged in the days of King Ahaz. Ahaz was told to not fear the opposing nations as they raged, but to fear and trust the LORD. Yet, Ahaz raged against the LORD, doubted his plans, and made an alliance with a foreign nation. Over and over again in the Old Testament, the nations and peoples raged and plotted against the LORD, both Gentile nations and the nation of Israel.

Fast forward to Jesus’ day and we saw that it continued. We see the peoples raging against the Lord’s True and Better Anointed King, King Jesus. They raged against him in rejecting his authoritative teaching, they raged in rejecting his signs in saying they were of Satan, and they finally raged until they hung Jesus on a cross.

But even after Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection, the raging didn’t stop. For the raging only continued. Look again with me at Verse 2. Now hold your place here in Psalm 2 with a finger and flip with me in your Bible to Acts 4:24-28. The nations and the peoples continue to rage and plot against the LORD and his Anointed King by raging against the King’s servants, his disciples. The nations and peoples raged by trying to silence, trying to hinder the spread of the gospel. And they would continue this raging, this plotting, this pondering how to free themselves in their rage from the bonds and cords of the LORD and his Anointed King that was on them. This was true in Acts 4 and it is still true today.

The nations and the peoples continue to rage and plot against the rule of the LORD. They do not seek to be under the rule of God. Rage and plot that at times look in strong resistance and open hostility of beatings and slaughtering for any of the LORD’s servants who would proclaim the gospel. To simply ignore and casually obey God and his Anointed King.

Application

Friends, we who are here this morning, Christian and non-Christian must examine ourselves to see if and how we are raging and plotting against the LORD and his Anointed King, King Jesus. As Christians, we can rage against our LORD and King by thinking we can casually follow him. We can half-heartedly follow his instructions, his commands. Either by choosing which we follow and which we don’t or simply claiming ignorance because we fail to open and study his word. Or worse, as a church we half-heartedly follow the King by failing to teach all that he commanded in the call to make disciples. Brothers and sisters, let us stop our raging and plotting against the LORD and his Anointed King, King Jesus by sitting at his feet and joyously listening and obeying. Let us stop trying to justify any sin in our lives and instead kill it.

Or even still, let us stop being tempted to rage and plot against the LORD by putting our hopes in others instead of the LORD. Too many are becoming like Ahaz and seeking to put their trust in those of this world instead of the LORD. And everytime we seek to put our trust in another, we rage and plot against the LORD and his Anointed King.

But friend, maybe you are one here this morning and you have been rejecting Jesus, and in so doing, you continue to rage and plot against the LORD Almighty by ignoring the King he has sat on his holy hill. And you need to be awakened.

The nations rage and the peoples plot, this is not new in our day, it has always been happening. And yet, we like the Psalmist must see why do they rage and plot, for it is all in vain! It all will amount to nothing, it will be pointless.

Point #2: The LORD Laughs

The raging and the plotting of the nations, of the peoples is vanity, because the Sovereign LORD who sits in the heavens and rules over it all laughs at their silly plotting together in an attempt to overthrow him. Verse 4. It is not that the LORD sitting in heaven is laughing and mocking at their sin. No, the LORD laughs at the peoples, at the nations in their raging and plotting, their taking counsel together, because it is completely pointless and useless. The LORD does not fear them, they cannot contrive a plan capable of overthrowing him and escaping his rule, his reign.

For while they are busy in their plotting, in their raging, God mocks them as he speaks to them. Verses 5-6. The wrath and fury of the LORD comes out in declaring though they rage and plot and take counsel together to throw of his rule, his King has already been set on his holy hill. His King is already established to rule. There is no exertion of energy needed to resist those who resist the LORD. There is no plan that could have been devised to have stopped his mission of establishing a King to rule the people.  It has been done. The rule of the LORD will be carried out through God’s Anointed King, King Jesus.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, what comfort this truth should give to us this morning. There is no raging or plotting that can resist the LORD and his plans and his purposes. The Anointed King has already been set on the throne.

Point #3: The Anointed King

This Anointed King on God’s holy hill now speaks, declaring what has been said of him. First, verse 7. Some try to make sense of this in reference to David, however we must understand how this verse is to be understood and interpreted by looking at its use elsewhere. Hold your place once again here in Psalm 2 and turn with me to the New Testament in Acts 13:26-39.

Jesus is God’s begotten Son, it is this Jesus who was without guilt, who was executed on a tree, taken down, laid in the tomb, and raised from the dead that God has declared as his Begotten Son. To be begotten is to be brought forth. This being brought forth not communicating a beginning as the Son has no beginning and is eternal in having always existed with the Father. It communicates the Son being the one to bring about God’s promises of blessing as the Anointed King to set the people free from the law, free from the snares of sin and death. And this Begotten Son has received the invitation, the promise to rule over the entire earth. Verse 8.

The LORD who sits in the heavens has sat his Anointed King on his throne, he has declared him as his Son, and he invites His Anointed King, His Declared Son to ask him, and he will give the nations over to him to rule. The very nations raging, the very peoples plotting, the one who sits in the heavens promises to hand over to his Anointed King, to his Begotten and Beloved Son. A King who will conquer these rebels. Verse 9.

The Anointed King has been promised that the earth will be made his footstool, that he will break the nations in the midst of their raging, he will not only break them, but dash them into pieces because of their rebellion. Friends, it is one thing for a pot to crack and be mended together, it is another when it is dashed into tiny pieces and unable to be restored. It is this latter that is promised to the King. The nations, the peoples will not stand against the LORD and his Anointed. They will not plot their way out from under his rule. Their raging, their plotting, their taking counsel to burst their bonds will only lead to their destruction, their demise.

And this promise further is stated by the Anointed King before his ascension.

Matthew 28:16–20 (ESV) — 16 Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. 17 And when they saw him they worshiped him, but some doubted. 18 And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

All authority is given to King Jesus! His rule is already at work and he will soon establish the fullness of his rule when he returns again. To quote Martin Luther:

The Word of Christ humbles the proud, straightens the crooked, disciplines the disorderly, bends the straight, and deflates the exalted. It destroys every corrupt form and changes it into one that is pleasing to God. [1]

And though we do not yet see the fullness of the King’s rule, it is advancing, people from every corner of the earth are being brought under the rule of Christ as the gospel is proclaimed and the Spirit works to bring the obedience of faith. Therefore the question is not if King Jesus will rule over the earth, the question is will how will we respond?

Point #4: The Wise Warning

Psalm 2 starts with acknowledging the vanity of the raging nations and the plotting peoples to oppose the LORD and his Anointed King’s rule over them. It advances to seeing that the LORD laughs at such foolish raging and plotting against, and then the declaration that God’s King is already on His Holy Hill. And that he will be given the nations to rule. Therefore now a wise warning is given. Verse 10.

The very kings and peoples who rage and plot and take counsel together must now hear this warning call to be wise, to turn from their raging against the LORD and his Anointed King. To turn from raging to get out from under the rule, to serving the LORD and his Anointed with fear. Verse 11.

‌The wise response is to serve the LORD with fear, in recognizing exactly who he is as the Almighty, Sovereign Ruler of the heavens and the earth. Recognizing that there is no amount of raging, pondering, counseling with the nations to escape his rule and judgment. This then should lead us to wisely recognize that the only thing to do is to stop our raging and to serve the LORD with fear.

‌Friend, if you do not fear with trembling before a holy God, you have not yet rightly understood who this God is. This is the God who is omniscient, that is all knowing of all our raging and all our pondering and all our counseling in how to avoid his rule. Even if it is only in our thoughts and our heart. This should cause us to fear him. And this fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom (Prov 9:10).

‌The path of wisdom isn’t rebellion, it isn’t autonomy from God’s rule. It is to fear God and to obey him. But a right fear of God also brings rejoicing in the midst of trembling. Rejoicing and trembling seem to conflict with one another, and yet here in Psalm 2, the two are paired together in the warning of the wise in how we are to respond to the Anointed King. We are to both rejoice and tremble. We cannot have one without the other, or we miss the wise response to the King.

Christopher Ash writes here,

“A shallow cheering untempered by awed reverence is not true worship, while trembling unmixed with joy is the mark of one under conviction of sin who has not yet taken refuge in the Messiah.” [2]

We must both fear the King and yet rejoice that in him a sweet refuge is offered. Verse 12.

To kiss the son is a declaration of religious homage the King deserves, the declaration of allegiance and love. This is the warning of the wise that we receive. A warning to be wise and declare our allegiance now to the Anointed King, King Jesus, to find our refuge in him and and be blessed by being planted and rooted in him so that we may flourish. But failure to kiss the Son will lead to his wrath being quickly kindled against us in our continued rejection of him. And in his wrath we will perish, for we cannot stand against the King.

May we here this morning be wise and hear this warning to declare our allegiance and to keep it in Jesus. May he be our refuge, bringing us to the place of both rejoicing as we rest in him, yet trembling at who the Anointed King is, the Son of God, Jesus.

Conclusion

As Christians, we should take heart and rejoice in our King. Our King will indeed rule every corner of the earth, he will rule over every nation and every people. None shall oppose him, none shall resist him from taking that which is his. This should bring us comfort in moments where we are tempted to become fearful in the midst of the raging of the nations and the plotting of the peoples. Our God and his King are in control, they will have the victory, not the raging nations and plotting peoples. Let us rejoice in this.

However, let us continue to also tremble before the King, examining our own hearts and ridding of any raging of our own that is building up within us against our LORD and his Anointed King.

Let’s pray!

Endnotes

[1] Luther, Martin. ESV Church History Study Bible. (Crossway, Wheaton, IL. 2023.) 761.

[2] Ash, Christopher. Psalms: A Christ-Centered Commentary. (Crossway, Wheaton, IL. 2024.) 27.