An Ancient Battle and an Unconquerable Fortress

We’re in Ps 2 today. We’ve mentioned before that they could be thought of as 1.

Psalm 1 teaches that their are two paths and two people in this world. The righteous and the wicked. Psalm 2 teaches us that the two are at war. A war that ends in victory for the righteous under God’s Messiah.

We’ll consider it under 4 points, in which the Psalm is neatly divided.

The Rage of the Nations 1-3

The Lords answer 4-6

The Lords decree 7-9

The Lords exhortation 10-12

I. Verses 1-3 ‘The Rage of the Nations’

Psalm 2:1–3 “Why are the nations in an uproar And the peoples devising a vain thing?

One big fruitless rebellion.

Why a vain thing? The Psalmist says. These are great words of comfort to the Christian. It doesn’t make their uproar any less troubling. But it is a comfort to have God’s word telling us that it’s in vain. It won’t succeed, it will not prosper. Fear not him who can kill body.

Why is it vain? Think back to Psalm 1. Because Christ is a fruitful tree and has been planted by streams of water. Always bearing fruit and always prosperous. They are plotting against the righteous one of the LORD.

The kings of the earth take their stand And the rulers take counsel together Against the Lord and against His Anointed, saying,

Who are these kings and rulers. They may be kings and rulers, but the idea is those of great influence, speaking out and promoting things that are against God and against Christ. This is anti-Christ. That is, any influence that pulls you away from Christ, away from putting your trust and hope in Christ. That’s the definition. Political leaders, musicians, celebrities, sports stars, governments, etc. Internet influencers are huge. About any and every topic.

And you don’t have to be one of them in order for this to apply to you. You only need be one who goes along with their agenda. You only need to be one who listens to their counsel, walks in their paths, and sits in their seats.

What are they saying.

“Let us tear their fetters apart And cast away their cords from us!””

They want freedom. At least they think freedom from God is true freedom, true autonomy.

God’s statutes and promises will not be over us. They will not control us or shape our lives. They have bought in to the lie of the first lier in the garden, that YHWH is a stingy God. That he is trying to withhold good from you. If you would throw off God’s rule in your life then you’d be free, you’d actually be like God. As the serpent suggests.

Don’t tell us who to worship, how to worship and when to worship. We will be our own lords in the matter.

Today, they won’t let God tell them who they can sleep with, who they can marry, what their gender is, and so on.

But, rather than freedom, they prove themselves in bondage to the devil and their own lusts. True freedom and true creatureliness are only found in keeping with God’s ways. Embracing his ordinances in creation, embracing his promise of restoring fallen humanity. To go in the direction of sin and lawlessness is to go toward nothingness, not freedom. That’s ultimately where these Kings, these influencers want to go. It is to further cease to exist. That’s what sin is. Sin is the absence of good. Properly speaking, sin is no thing at all. It can only take from the good. It can only exist where there is good. It is parasitic. Yet we know that it looks nice and shiny. It won’t tell you what it’s going to do to you. It lures you in only to bring death. Fishing does that. It puts a big shiny flashy object before the fish and then wam set the hook and its dinner. Sin is like that. It holds bondage and will bring to ruin.

Listen brothers and sisters. We were all born this way. This is us apart from the grace of God. We are not fine the way we are. Something is radically wrong. We all from birth want autonomy from our Creator and Sustainer and Savior. And it ought not to be. Only in the Lord is one freed from this natural state.

II. Verses 4-6 ‘The Lords response’

4 “He who sits in the heavens laughs, The Lord scoffs at them.

The Psalmist now takes off our attention from the scene on earth. What is going on in the heavens, what is taking place behind the scenes? We move from the chaotic, riotous scene, to the quietness and majesty of our enthroned Lord. He stays Lord, he stays enthroned. Even in the greatest outbreaks and rebellions against his kingdom. The Lord is unmoved, so much so that he scoffs at their feeble efforts.

Why? Because the kings heart is in his hand, because all the earths inhabitants are like grasshoppers to Him. Like Pharoah, they are not genuine opponents.

5 Then He will speak to them in His anger And terrify them in His fury, saying,

6 “But as for Me, I have installed My King Upon Zion, My holy mountain.””

He will speak to “them” in anger. This ought to and does terrify them. He tells them what it is. What he has done. As if it’s already done.

Because he has decreed to set up his King, to accomplish his work. It is a vain thing for you to war against me if I have decreed victory in my King over Satan and over his wicked and godless hoards of demons and unbelieving men and women.

III. Verses 7-9 ‘The Son Proclaims the Decree’

7 ““I will surely tell of the decree of the Lord: He said to Me, ‘You are My Son, Today I have begotten You.

The Son now declares the decree, that is the certain and immutable will of God. This enlarges upon the previous verse. Here is this great, awesome, and mysterious covenant. The Son, the eternal Word of God declares the Mind of God. The covenant of redemption. Before the incarnation, the Son declares to us what the triune God will do.

And What does this do for us? To know that God’s enemies will not prevail is one thing, but to know God will keep his people is another thing. I’ve learned that they will not prevail over God and Christ, but what about me? And that’s what we have here. The certainty of our redemption, because it was promised from eternity. God doesn’t change and therefore his will and word won’t change. But even bigger, our salvation is placed in the hands of God’s natural Son, his eternal Son.

That’s huge. Jesus won’t fail because he’s the Son of God. This is why this phrase reverberates throughout the Scriptures. It begins in eternity, as the Son is begotten eternally. “Begotten before all ages….begotten not made”. Nicea.

Now David in the Spirt of Christ, announces it here in relation to the decree, giving great assurance to God’s people. It is again announced at his baptism, again at transfiguration, again at resurrection and exaltation- Which is the highest point of this declaration, its not as though he was not the Fathers begotten before the resurrection! He was not adopted like David, Solomon, and us. But the Father is declaring it to us in a new way. Look at my Son. Look at with what great power he has overcome death and wrought salvation, look what dignity and honor are bestowed upon him now. Today, just as it has always been, but hear this again in light of this salvation, you are my Son, today I have begotten you. For all to hear and heed.

Consider from 2 Sam 7. Here is the promised Son and King. His kingdom will endure endless days, because the one appointed here has no beginning of days. He will prosper in life, prosper in death, prosper as the first born of the new creation, prosper in his exalted state until the consummation. Because he is God from God…….God’s beloved Son in whom he is well pleased. Listen to him. delight in him. Hide in him.

What does the covenant entail. A people for the Son. A people and a place. A glorified place, with glorified image bearers.

8’ Ask of Me, and I will surely give the nations as Your inheritance, And the very ends of the earth as Your possession.

Ask. Ask is a prayer. But also a conversation in eternity. In a sense we cannot fully grasp, the Son asked the Father for us in eternity. But we also know the Son asks and prays while in the flesh, which implies preislty function. Along with his eternal Kingdom we get a glimps of a lasting preisthood.

And I will give you the nations. What nations. “Why do the nations rage?” Surely not those people. Yes those people. Consider the condescending love of God toward you, toward rebels like us. Who sought to overthrow God. Who sought to throw off his authority. These, his enemies, he has now made his treasured possession. What love. What depths of love. Unfathomable.

Back to preistly prayer. Consider the prayer of Christ. John 17:20 ““I do not ask on behalf of these alone, but for those also who believe in Me through their word;”

I have often wondered who was praying for me up to my conversion. I didn’t have many Christian relatives or close family friends. I always narrow it down to my parents and my uncle Mark. But why have I not been more struck with the fact that Christ prayed for me as the text says. He prayed for me, while seated in heaven. It was his effectual prayer. He still prays for me and for you, and to all who will believe in him through faithful gospel preaching. What privileged people we are to be the instruments through which Christ will get his people. There is motivation for bearing witness to your neighbor. We are the instruments through which Christ receives the fulness of his reward from the Father. Unthinkable for the non spiritual person.

And though our benefit is great here. The greater consideration is the glory of Christ and his inheritance. God will glorify himself in Christ by giving him an unlimited inheritance and possession. No people or place will be barred from him. The sacred people and sacred place in the NC and the new heavens and new earth are every people and every place. Will one day in glory be the whole earth.

And if you be in Christ this afternoon, you’re already an heir of this reality Galatians 4:7 “Therefore you are no longer a slave, but a son; and if a son, then an heir through God.”

2 Corinthians 5:17 “Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.”

9’ You shall break them with a rod of iron, You shall shatter them like earthenware.’ ””

The purpose here of the breaking is for repentance. The evidence for such thought is that “break” could be translated either break or rule/shepherd. along with the word shepherd , We find “rod” in the 23rd Psalm. You can see the connection of chastening or correcting. We also see this in our duties as NC believers. We are to destroy, break, and smash in order to bring to repentance and obedience.

Listen to:

2 Corinthians 10:3–6 “For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh, for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses. We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ, and we are ready to punish all disobedience, whenever your obedience is complete.”

SO Jesus will break to turn to us himself

But the latter part is for the unrepentant. They will be shattered, brought to an irreparable state. The point is that if God’s Son doesn’t break you to save you he will break you to destroy you. If the rod of God’s gospel in his Son does not wound you in order to mend you, then it will shatter you. It is the same with the Word of Hebrews 4. If the Word of God doesn’t cut to heal you it will cut to slay you.

And so to the SPirits exhortation

IV. Veses 10-12 ‘The Spirits Exhortation’

10 “Now therefore, O kings, show discernment; Take warning, O judges of the earth.

The Lord is now speaking to Kings as if they were little kids. The raging toddler from vv1-3 is now being sat down in front of the parent to get some understanding. Be wise. Be teachable. Consider carefully what I am saying. Who I am. You must if you would escape your own destruction. The obedience to these commands implies that the kings will enjoy success in their submission to the true King.

11 Worship the Lord with reverence And rejoice with trembling.

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.(the wisdom commanded in v10).

Calvin says: fear, which both includes in it willing reverence, and brings along with it such legitimate worship as is prescribed by the law.

Worship with fear and Rejoice with trembling. How do you do that? Are they not apposed?

They are not. Consider how shallow much contemporary worship is. There is cheering. Endless cheering. And seeming much joy. But there is no reverence to it. The God who brings both death and life is absent. The God of holy and majestic splendor is far away. The God of unsearchable judgements, the God who crushes the proud heart, who breaks the impenitent, and who shatters those who remain impenitent is not considered. There is joy, but no trembling.

On the other hand, if there is only a trembling of terror, then you’ve missed the mark as well. If you only fear death and hell, if you are only falling down in awe at God’s power to destroy, but will not take his blessings with gladness, then you have not served him aright you do not worship aright. If you won’t fall on your face(reverent posture), and then receive the gospel. You are not a true worshipper.

Unconverted Luther is the prime example of this false worship. This hopeless despair. At the lightning strike during the storm he cries out in fear for saint Anne(Mother of the Mary according to RC). At the confessional booth, he would labor ardently over every single sinful action and thought. Hours a day he spent Out of terror not love. Finally, he feels his terrible sense of unworthiness in performing the mass, where he lay prostrate for some time almost paralyzed as he though about what he was holding in his hands.

But when he finally embraces the gospel, he is filled with great joy. He says:

“I felt that I had been born anew and that the gates of heaven had been opened. The whole of Scripture gained a new meaning. And from that point on the phrase, 'the justice of God' no longer filled me with hatred, but rather became unspeakable sweet by virtue of a great love.”

Does that sound like joy? Yes. A new found joy mixed with trembling.

No doom and gloom. but also no shallowness

Calvin summarizes true Piety well:

By piety I mean that union of reverence and love to God which the knowledge of his benefits inspires.

12 Do homage to the Son, that He not become angry, and you perish in the way, For His wrath may soon be kindled. How blessed are all who take refuge in Him!”

How we accomplish this genuine piety, this true worship is to worship the Son. They come together in him. He is both the one to pay homage to and be joyful in. You must do homage to God’s natural Son. He is God by nature and therefore is due all honor and glory and worship. He is both Lion and Lamb. This so quickly destroys our cultures sissified portrate of Jesus. Our depictions of Jesus pitiful to say the least. Jesus is going to fill the earth with the blood of his enemies. Here we read, his wrath is soon kindled. Yes, he is longsuffering and patient, but when his wrath comes, its like a consuming fire. It comes just like a wild fire. No time to escape. We just had those fires in California so we understand how devastatingly quick it happens. If you’ve seen a fire spread hundreds of feet in a matter of seconds, you understand something of this.

And there will be no neutral parties. If you are not for Messiah, you are against him. Even if you’re not one of the great voices of influence that raise up against him, you’re still rejecting him. Some today- these are very enjoyable people to be around I’ll have you- they say, to each their own, I won’t judge, I’m just over here minding my own. But while it sounds nice, and it’s non confrontational which we love, it is an outright rejection of God’s exclusive means of refuge. His exclusive way of salvation. Blessed are those who take refuge in God’s Messiah. God’s eternal Son. Blessed are those who hide in that blessed man of Psalm one. Who find their righteousness, and wisdom, and salvation in him alone. Who take refuge in him in this life and at the last day claim nothing but of hope in God’s eternal Son. If that is you today then you are blessed and happy and ought to go into the new week joyful.

If it’s not, then you ought to wise up, and become teachable, allow the Son to break you with the rod of healing, that you not be shattered in his judgement. May the former be true of all of us here today. Lets pray.