Praying Thru the Psalms - Psalm 2: From Rage to Redemption

Welcome and Intro - What to expect thru praying the Psalms

Each summer at Restoration, we spend time praying through the Psalms corporately as a church.

For those that may not know, there are a few reasons that we do this.

First, we want to be people of prayer - that we would be marked by how robust our prayer life is.

Second, we want to give you Prayer tools that you can use in your everyday devotional life

Third, we hope to help you to better process life - because we will view our life through the lens of the scripture that we are praying through.

Instructions for the prayer times

Before we get going this morning, I want to give you some instructions for our times of prayer…

We will be breaking into smaller groups of (3 or 4) to pray over each of these prayer points.

If you are not comfortable doing this, that is totally fine - you can pray silently.

During our prayer times, you will have time for one, maybe two of you to pray, but while one person is praying, the others in your group will be agreeing in prayer - saying things like “Amen, yes Lord, that’s right!”

Towards the end of each prayer time, we will close the time of prayer and we will respond with some worship.

Make sense?

Opening Illustration

A little over five years ago, when I was just starting to build my house, we were pouring concrete for the foundation piers.

I knew we’d have some extra, so I decided to throw in a quick project: a concrete pad in front of a couple of conex containers where I could work.

The problem? By the time we got to that, I was exhausted—and I had no extra hands to help.

But I went ahead anyway - Because Proverbs 12:15 says that the way of a fool is right in his own eyes…

The concrete was already close to setting, and the truck driver, not there for my good pleasure, dumped the whole load into the forms at once.

I tried to spread it, but it wasn’t moving. I ended up on my knees, in the concrete, trying desperately to even it out.

This resulted in my legs beginning to get chemical burns.

Eventually, I had to tap out—which was tough, because I don’t quit easily.

I called my dad for help ripping it all up before it cured into a permanent ebenezer of my own foolishness.

But before he got there, I took a picture.

When he arrived, he looked at the mess and just said, “Wow…”

He didn’t have to say what I am sure he was thinking: “Why did you do that?”

And honestly, I wouldn’t have had a good answer.

Psalm 2 opens with that same question: Why?

Let’s look at vv. 1-3

Psalm 2:1–3 “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.””

There is a lot going on here in just the first three verses and the Psalmist (likely King David) cuts straight to the point…

Psalm 2 begins with…

Point 1 - People’s Pointless Plotting and Ridiculous Rage (vv. 1-3)

The first thing that we need to do is look at the cast of characters…

Who is David speaking about?

The Cast of Characters

You have three basic categories of characters:

Nations and Peoples

Kings and Rulers

The Lord and His Anointed

Let’s understand who these are:

The first group we see are Nations and peoples

Nations - goy - גּוֹי (gôy)

This is one of the two words typically used in the OT to describe people groups (the other is ‘Am) - (groups who share a common language, culture, and geography).

Peoples - Lay-ohm -לְאֹם (lĕʾōm) - A poetic word for a group of people - and when this word occurs in the plural it usually refers all of the nations.

But we also have Kings and Rulers

Kings - Melek - מֶלֶךְ (melek) - a person who is an authority figure over others.

Rulers - Raw-zan - רָזַן (râzan) - A person who rules or commands

These are the people who are directing all of those nations and peoples in v. 1

Then we have The Lord and the Lord’s Anointed (capital A) at the end of v. 2

The LORD - most of our English translations, when you see the name of the Lord in all capitals, is referring to the Covenant name for the Lord - revealed to Moses at the burning bush.

The Closest English transliteration that we have is Yahweh

The Lord’s Anointed - Mashiah - Messiah… The Greek equivalent is the Word Christos.

The Lord’s anointed is Jesus.

Those are our cast of characters - now, what is going on?

What’s Happening?

Nations and Peoples

The nations “rage” רגשׁ (ragašh),

to noisily assemble or to “behave violently, as if in a state of great anger”

The peoples “plot” הָגָה (hâgâh)

to growl or to mutter or speak in undertones.

You almost get this picture of a riot that is out of control - feeding on it’s own violence to become even more violent.

Kings and Rulers

The Kings of the earth “Set themselves” יָצַב yâtsab

to take a defensive fighting position

The Rulers Take council יָסַד yâsad, together יַחַד yah-had

to enter into a conspiracy or to collude as a whole.

What is clear is that this rebellion isn’t accidental…

This is coordinated and deliberate defiance of God.

The population willingly gathers together

The leaders stoke the flames.

What are Their Goals?

The kings of the earth set themselves and the rulers take council together, AGAINST the Lord and AGAINST His anointed. (v. 2)

To be against (over, before, in front of) the Lord and the Lord’s anointed

They wanted to be the highest.

Does this remind you of something?

Genesis 3:5 “5 For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”

Satan’s first act was to put the idea in people’s heads that they can be like God…

But that isn’t enough for people… they want to surpass God.

To do this, they decided that they must burst their bonds apart and cast away their cords from them (v. 3)

They wanted to shake off any restraint that the Lord has put on them

This is the epitome of people seeking to become a god unto themselves

I will be the master of my own destiny, the captain of my own ship.

But there is a problem…

This is not possible…

Its a little like me trying to spread setting concrete…

The futility of Rebellion

Notice a key phrase at the end of v. 1… “in vain”

The raging and plotting is empty… it cannot produce any advantage or benefit.

To rage against God is to shout at a thunderstorm to stop or to stand in front of a freight train traveling at full speed, demanding change course.

But, if this were even possible, to burst apart the bonds of the Lord, the results would be devastating.

Malcolm Muggeridge said that “If God is dead, somebody is going to have to take his place. It will be megalomania or erotomania, the drive for power or the drive for pleasure, the clenched fist or the phallus, Hitler or Hugh Hefner.”

Throwing restraint off of fallen humans only expedites and intensifies their own destruction.

There’s more in the cast of characters…

I think it is easy to look at all of the “bad” people and see the futility of living in opposition to the Lord.

But the truth is that you and I belong in that cast of characters - and *SPOILER ALERT* we are not the good guys.

The story of rebellion and plotting is one that has touched each and every one of our lives.

For some in this room, you may be in the middle of that right now.

You are clinging to something that you want - and you don’t care if it is in God’s will or not.

And like me spreading concrete, you are covered in something that is only doing you harm and will not work the way you want.

Point 1 Prayer Points:

Pray for the nations and rulers: Ask God to humble leaders who oppose His truth and open their eyes to the futility of resisting Christ.

Pray for humility and repentance: It’s not just the nations that rage… it’s us too. Confess where you have resisted God's will, and tried to subvert His loving authority, and doubted His goodness.

Pray for revival: That the people of the earth would see the futility of sin and turn to the Son.

Worship - Lord I need you

Illustration

Seeing people openly set themselves against the Lord is a disconcerting thing for Christians - or it should be anyways…

Think about Herod in Acts 12, when the people were shouting that his voice was the voice of a god and not a man…

An angel killed that brother and worms ate him as he was dying.

This should terrify us.

But, while this is disconcerting for us, it has little to no impact on the Lord.

Illustration: Angry Chihuahua

PHOTO - years ago, voice actor Paul Rugg posted a video of him holding his chihuahua - and he said this:

“a lot of people ask me after a long day of voiceover, what do you do to relax? Well, like many other Americans, I come home and pet my dog.”

Then he begins petting his dog and it is just going to town on his hand - biting him and snarling.

And he continues talking saying: “You see, petting your dog is one of the most relaxing things you can do. It releases a hormone called oxytocin, which reduces stress.”

The contrast is hilarious—because the dog is clearly not relaxed.

But this silly clip gives us a vivid picture of how God sees human rebellion.

To Him, the raging and plotting of the nations are like a chihuahua biting the hand that holds it, with no effect.

In response to People’s Pointless Plotting and Ridiculous Rage, we find…

Point 2 - Christ’s Calm Assurance and Predetermined Plans (vv. 4-9)

Look at vv. 4-9

Psalm 2:4–9 “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.””

God’s Response to the Rebellion of Mankind

When all of humanity stands opposed to God, He doesn’t even stand up to address it…

He stays seated on His throne and He simply laughs.

This is the definition of calm assurance…

When the storm is raging and the mob is building, to stay seated and to laugh is the ultimate flex.

The Faithlife Study Bible says that “Yahweh reacts to this rebellion not with concern, but with laughter. The nations’ plots are futile. Knowing the outcome, Yahweh ridicules their efforts.”

Now, I am all for a good joke, but let’s be clear: This isn’t the kind of laughter you want to hear from God.

He’s not amused—He’s mocking them.

Laughs - שְׂחֹק sah-hôq, - to be amused or to laugh at

Derision - לָעַג lâʿag - to make fun of - as if imitating a foreigner.

Some of you will remember in the movie Billy Madison when he made fun of the kid and said “t, t, t, today junior!”

This is derision…

It’s mocking—dismissive and humiliating.

But God doesn’t just laugh…

In v. 5, He speaks.

Remember, God created the world and everything in it simply by speaking.

His Words are action.

The Lord Reveals His Plan

In v. 7, it is called his Decree…

John MacArthur defines God’s Decree as: “his eternal plan, whereby, according to his decretive will and for his glory, he foreordained everything that comes to pass.”

What that means is that what He decrees is:

Unconditional

Comprehensive

Effectual

Immutable - it’s unchangeable

And it is Eternal

And all of this is for one overarching purpose…

His glory!

in V. 7, He reveals His decree - and it’s a three part plan.

One: He reveals the King – and it’s His Son.

Two: He grants the Son dominion over all creation – nations, peoples, rulers, resources.

Three: He gives the Son authority to judge – just mowing down opposition like pottery shattered by an iron rod.

Each of these parts of his Plan tells us about the Lord

I am so thankful for this passage because it reminds us of some important truths about the Lord

God’s Decrees are trustworthy — If He says it, it will happen.

There is a King, and His name is Jesus

He is our unshakable hope, unsurpassable peace, unyielding protector, unlimited provider

He is our rock and refuge

And He is worthy of all our worship

All creation belongs to Him — Every inch, including our very lives

He desires global worship — and we join Him in that mission

He will shatter evil — He will not allow evil to go unchecked or open rebellion to continue forever.

Point 2 Prayer Points:

Praise Jesus for His unshakable authority and predetermined victory. He will not be challenged and cannot be overcome.

Thank the Lord for being just and not allowing evil to go unchecked.

Pray for the nations to know Christ and that He would use us to reach “Bryan and Beyond.”

Worship - We Fall Down/Is He Worthy Tag

In response to people’s pointless plotting and ridiculous rage, we’ve seen Christ’s calm assurance and His predetermined plan. But there’s one more response that Psalm 2 demands.

Now it gets personal.

What are we going to do with these truths?

Let’s look at verses 10–12:

Psalm 2:10–12 “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.”

We learn that there are only two paths that we can possibly take.

Point 3 - The Paths of Refuge and Wrath (vv. 10-12)

Blessing or judgment.

Worship or rebellion.

Life or death.

Refuge or wrath

God, in His kindness, shows us the way of rescue.

But it comes through something unexpected: surrender.

Give up. Lay down your arms. Submit to the King.

The choice is stark:

Be wise and be warned. Serve the Lord with fear. Rejoice with trembling.

Or don’t—and face the fury of the King.

Illustration

Twenty-one years ago this summer, I met Jesus.

I got saved in my bedroom at 906 Church St. in Galveston, TX.

Kind of ironic, right? That He saved me on Church Street.

The years leading up to that moment were wild.

I only cared about myself.

I treated women like objects.

I chased the next party, the next drink, the next thrill.

I was a staunch atheist for much of my life

And that morning in Galveston, hungover from the night before the Lord started speaking to me—not audibly, but deep in my soul.

It was like Psalm 2 in real time.

The first thing He gave me was a glimpse of my life—every sin, every selfish decision, every ounce of pride.

And for the first time, I saw it clearly—and it disgusted me.

Then, I remember sensing these words:

“I should kill you right now.”

Now if you know me, you know God had to start there to get my attention - and it worked…

I knew—in that moment— I had no argument…

He would’ve been justified in smearing me across my bedroom floor and leaving me as nothing more than a stain in that house…

But He didn’t.

Instead, He let me decide.

Would I agree with His assessment—and surrender?

Or would I harden my heart and keep rebelling?

I chose to surrender - and begged Him to change me.

Psalm 2 says it plainly:

Verse 10 speaks directly to kings and rulers.

But don’t think you’re off the hook—this applies to every one of us.

There are three immediate commands:

Serve the Lord – Not yourself.

Rejoice with trembling – this is Joy and reverence together.

Kiss the Son – A gesture of surrender, loyalty, and affection.

See, Instead of trying to burst the bonds and cast off the cords of the Lord, we’re invited to serve Him joyfully.

That’s astonishing.

We were enemies—and now we’re co-laborers.

Would you hire someone who actively tried to destroy your company?

Would you invite your enemy to share your mission?

I wouldn’t.

But God did - and He still does.

He invites you and me into His mission.

That’s grace.

The consequences of Refusal

But if you refuse—there are consequences.

Verse 12 lays it out:

His anger. Your perishing. His wrath.

This isn’t popular preaching in modern evangelicalism—but it’s biblical and eternity is at stake.

If you reject Christ, you will perish.

And let’s be clear—that means hell.

Literal, conscious, eternal torment.

Separation from God.

Unending judgment.

I am begging you—if you are not surrendered to Christ: repent and believe today.

Derek Kidner said: “there is no refuge from [Christ]: only in Him.”

Point 3 Prayer Points:

Pray for wisdom and surrender: For kings, for rulers, and even ourselves to serve the Lord with fear and rejoice with trembling.

Thank God for His providential grace: The warning ends with a beatitude—hope and blessing are available to all.

Respond to the invitation before His wrath is kindled.

Invitation

That morning in Galveston, I was still coming down from the night before.

But the Lord met me in that moment—not with wrath, but with refuge.

He met me with Jesus.

Psalm 2 ends with this incredible beatitude:

"Blessed are all who take refuge in Him."

That’s the invitation on the table for every one of us this morning.

Not just to understand this Psalm, but to respond to it.

If you’re in rebellion today, resisting God’s authority, chasing control, avoiding surrender, or simply trying to be your own king and build your own Kingdom you need to know this:

Your kingdom cannot and will not stand.

God won’t stand for it… literally.

But His Kingdom WILL Stand, and the King offers you refuge

If you’ve never trusted Jesus—never surrendered your life to Him—do so today!

Lay down your arms.

Lay down your sin.

Run to Him.

He is a safe and mighty refuge.

And if you have trusted Him, then let today be a reminder:

The nations may rage. The people’s may plot. The world may seem to spin out of control.

But our King is on the throne and He calls us to rest in Him.

MCG Discussion Guide

Symmetry Sessions

Last week we talked about the KISS method of sharing Jesus.

Your ONE doesn’t need a theology class on soteriology…

They need to know that they are broken and headed for destruction, that Jesus loves them, and that He died so that they could be made whole and heaven bound.

A good test for this is - could a child understand what you are saying to your ONE?

This Week…

WHY Symmetry

I want us to understand the WHY behind the name Symmetry…

And I want to do this using a simple thing that every one of us use every single day.

A mirror…

The word Symmetry speaks to the idea of reflection

When something is symmetrical, its parts mirror one another.

At the heart of our calling as followers of Jesus we are meant to be His reflection.

Imagine this: for some people, their only encounter with Christ might be through us, His people.

That’s a sobering and beautiful responsibility.

Scripture calls us Christ’s ambassadors—His representatives in a world desperate for hope, meaning, and truth.

Through our words, actions, and love, we reflect the character, kingdom, and will of Jesus.

In that way, Symmetry becomes more than a name—it’s a vision for how we live

Symmetry reminds us that we are called to reflect heaven on earth—to mirror the love of God and the unity of His Spirit to a world longing for restoration.

Opening Question:

In recent history, what is something that you have tried to do that was completely futile? How long did you try to accomplish this task before “tapping out” and giving up? What was the thing that finally caused you to walk away?

Read Passage

choose someone to read - Psalm 2

Impression Questions

1. What is the first thought that comes to mind when you read this passage? Why?

2. If you were to boil this passage down to one main idea, what would it be?

3. What aspects of this passage challenge you? Why?

4. What questions emerged in your heart as you read this passage?

5. Where do you see RCB’s core values in this passage?

1. Relational Discipleship

2. Gracious Character

3. Spiritual Faith

4. Communal Giving

5. Expectant Worship

Sermon Points:

People’s Pointless Plotting and Ridiculous Rage (vv. 1-3)

Why do you think that people tend to keep going, even when they know what they are doing is futile?

Do you tend to “lump yourself in” with the nations and peoples in v. 1? Why or why not?

What are the signs in your own life that you are raging and/or plotting against the Lord’s plan in your life?

How do you combat this?

Let’s spend a few minutes praying as a group for our world to submit to Christ and for our own hearts to stay submitted to Him.

Christ’s Calm Assurance and Predetermined Plans (vv. 4-9)

Why do you think the Lord laughs at those who seek to rebel against His sovereign rule?

What ramifications does this have for your ONE?

Where do you see God’s grace in these verses 4-9?

How do we balance the idea of God’s Wrath with God’s grace?

Let’s spend a few minutes in prayer, praise the Lord for Jesus. Use this passage to pray back to the Lord, or pray any other passage that the Lord puts on your heart to give Him glory!

The Paths of Refuge and Wrath (vv. 10-12)

If you can, I want you to think back to the moment that the Lord saved you. For me, the first thing that the Lord showed me was my brokenness - and how my path was headed towards destruction. What was the initial thing that the Lord said to you/impressed on your heart?

How can your story be a tool in helping your ONE see how they might find the path of refuge in Christ?

Let’s spend a few minutes praying for our ONEs. Ask the Lord to convict them of sin. Pray that they would see the destination that they are headed and repent and walk with Jesus.

Closing thoughts - WRAP BY 7:10

1. What are the application points that you are walking away with tonight? How are you going to put these into action?

Prayer Requests

Announcements:

College Prayer Gathering

Who: College Students

What: Summer Prayer Gathering

When: Tuesday, June 3rd from 8:00-9:00 AM

Where: 2702 Brookway Dr. College Station, TX

Kids Camp & Youth Mission Trip Scholarships

THANK YOU everyone who donated! The money needed for Kids camp has been covered, however we are still currently in need of 4 scholarships for youth students at $130 each

Who: Support local kids and teens who would otherwise not have an opportunity to go!

How: Venmo @‌RestorationBryan and include in the memo line “Camp Scholarship”

When: Please have the money in by July 7th!

VBS

Who: Local and church families! For kids 4 yrs old & up!

What: Vacation Bible School

When: June 23rd - June 26th from 6pm-8pm

Where: 501 W 31st St.

How: Register your child here! OR if you’re interested in helping make VBS happen, sign up here to serve! There is childcare for infants to 3 years old if you are serving at VBS.

ALSO: If you are unavailable to serve for the week, but still want to help, June 22nd (9 am -12) & 23rd (12:30-3:30 PM) will be VBS Prep workdays! Sign up through the link!

No Wednesday Prayer Gathering for the Month of June. We will pick back up July 9th, 6:30-7:30 @ 501 W 31st St.

Instead - we are doing a Symmetry Dinner - at my parent’s house, just up the road.

If you want to come, and haven’t signed up, we would still love to have you. There are a few more things that are on the list, if you want to bring something.

College Worship Gathering

Who: College Students

What: Summer Worship Night

When: Thursday, June 12th, 7:30-8:30 PM

Where: 501 W 31st St.