Walking With God # 3: In Him We Trust, Psalm 2

Intro: Do me a favor, if you’ve got your wallet on you, or your purse, if you have any change, or dollar bills, would you pull it out? (No, we’re not going to take up another offering.) Look at your money, what is inscribed on it? “In God We Trust.” “In God We Trust” was officially declared our national motto by Congress in 1956, during the Cold War, to distinguish the U.S. from atheistic countries. The phrase originated during the Civil War, at a time of intense national crisis, 1st appearing on coins & later on paper currency. “In God We Trust” replaced our former motto “E Pluribus Unum” Latin for “Out of Many, One.”

"In God We Trust” reflects a belief in a higher power & divine providence & reminds us of our nations’ founding principles. Malcolm Yarnell- “Those principles, according to the Declaration of Independence, included claims about God, claims about human beings, and claims about human social conduct. God made truths about himself, about his human creatures, and about the moral and political conduct he expects of us… through his revelation of himself in the world. God governs the progress of human history as our creator, our lawgiver, and our judge.”

Psalm 2 teaches us why we should declare our trust in God. Psalm 2, Why do the nations rage, And the people plot a vain thing? 2 The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lordand against His Anointed, saying, 3 “Let us break Their bonds in pieces And cast away Their cords from us.” 4 He who sits in the heavens shall laugh; The Lord shall hold them in derision. 5 Then He shall speak to them in His wrath, and distress them in His deep displeasure: 6“Yet I have set My King On My holy hill of Zion.” 7 “I will declare the decree: The Lord has said to Me, ‘You are My Son, Today I have begotten You. 8 Ask of Me, and I will give You The nations for Your inheritance, And the ends of the earth for Your possession. 9 You shall break them with a rod of iron; You shall dash them to pieces like a potter’s vessel.’ ” 10 Now therefore, be wise, O kings; Be instructed, you judges of the earth. 11Serve the Lord with fear, And rejoice with trembling. 12 Kiss the Son, lest He be angry, And you perish in the way, When His wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all those who put their trust in Him.

The end of verse 12 pronounces a blessing on all those who put their trust in the LORD. Three things about the phrase “In God We Trust”-

1. A Statement of DIVISION, vss. 1-3

Notice the nations’ RAGE. The psalmist begins by asking a rhetorical question- why do the nations rage against God? Nations refer to hostile Gentile, non-Jewish nations. Nations, people, kings, & rulers are all being used interchangeably to describe unbelieving peoples. Rage - be restless, to behave violently in a state of anger.

Out of their anger, people plot REBELLION against God. Plot- mutter, an undertone of displeasure, to secretly plan something wicked. Vain thing- void, empty, & cannot produce any advantage or benefit. Take counsel- conspire together; the target is the LORD. Isn’t it funny, that nations can’t agree about anything except their common rebellion against God? Rebellion is our natural bend, and the nations represent all of us.

The REASON for their rage and rebellion is that God is in control. YHWH is the Creator God, Sovereign Supreme in heaven & He has a representative on earth- His Anointed. Anointed- Heb. Messiah, Gr. Christ, God’s Chosen One. God is in heaven, His Anointed is on earth, there to carry out God’s will by ruling the nations. Unbelieving people seek to break the restraints God has upon us.

This is as far from trusting God that a person can get. It is turning against Him in rage & rebellion because you don’t want the restraints of His rule on your life.  Trusting God divides unbelieving people from the LORD AND it divides unbelieving people from those who do believe.

Jesus Christ is this Anointed One of God. He is the Messiah, God’s chosen representative to rule on the earth. When the early church began to preach Jesus as this Messiah, unbelieving Jewish leaders threatened them to quit preaching or suffer the consequences. They didn’t stop preaching, they started praying!

 Acts 4:24-31, So when they heard that, they raised their voice to God with one accord and said: “Lord, You are God, who made heaven and earth and the sea, and all that is in them, 25who by the mouth of Your servant David have said: ‘Why did the nations rage, And the people plot vain things? 26 The kings of the earth took their stand,

And the rulers were gathered together Against the Lord and against His Christ.’ 27 “For truly against Your holy Servant Jesus, whom You anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and the people of Israel, were gathered together 28 to do whatever Your hand and Your purpose determined before to be done. 29 Now, Lord, look on their threats, and grant to Your servants that with all boldness they may speak Your word, 30 by stretching out Your hand to heal, and that signs and wonders may be done through the name of Your holy Servant Jesus.” 31And when they had prayed, the place where they were assembled together was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness.

“In God We Trust” is a statement that either unites or divides. If you don’t believe, it divides you from God, but it also divides you from those who trust in God. It is a statement of division.

2. A Statement of DOMINION, vss. 4-9

Vss. 4-5, the LORD’s RESPONSE is to laugh at the rebels from His residence in the heavens and to speak to them in His wrath. That He is enthroned in heaven signifies His Supreme Sovereignty over all the earth. He is not merely Creator, but the true King over all the other kings. Isaiah 40:22-23, It is He who sits above the circle of the earth, and its inhabitants are like grasshoppers, Who stretches out the heavens like a curtain, and spreads them out like a tent to dwell in. 23 He brings the princes to nothing; He makes the judges of the earth useless.

While the nations rage against God and plot their rebellion against Him because of the restraints of His rule, He reacts by laughing and responds in anger. Derision-to deride, mock, ridicule. Psalm 37:13, The Lord laughs at him (wicked), For He sees that his day is coming.

His response is to speak in wrath. Wrath-nose, nostril, face, anger; it signifies the strong emotion of anger that makes us breathe through our nose. His response causes them distress because it comes from a place of His deep displeasure. Distress- be horrified, to fill with terror. Deep displeasure- fury, intense, burning anger. What kind of response could cause them such terror? God has chosen a King, and it is not us.

Vss, 6-7, the LORD’s REPRESENTATIVE is His King, the LORD’s King is His Son (6-7).Vs. 7 reiterates the Davidic Covenant. When God chose David to be His king, He made a promise to David that his son Solomon, & all their kingly descendants after them would sit on the throne of Israel- a dynasty. 2 Samuel 7:14-16, Iwill be his Father, and he shall be My son. If he commits iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men and with the blows of the sons of men... 16And your house and your kingdom shall be established forever before you. Your throne shall be established forever.

Psalm 2 declares the Messianic intent of God’s King in Israel, ultimately pointing forward to the True Divine King who is God’s Son. Acts 13:33, God has fulfilled this (promise) for us their children, in that He has raised up Jesus. As it is also written in the second Psalm: ‘You are My Son, Today I have begotten You. Jesus is God’s Anointed King on earth.

Vss. 8-9 describe the LORD’s REIGN. Many kings have wanted to rule the world, but only One King really will. Jesus Christ rules right now in heaven & in the hearts of His people. One day He will return to rule the nations. The rod of iron (scepter) symbolizes His authority & power. Revelation 2:27; 12:5; 19:15 each quotes this verse in reference to the return of Christ as King over the whole earth. Christ will rule us, either now by our own personal surrender to His Lordship or then with His own powerful severity (dash them to pieces). That choice to surrender now is what makes this phrase, “In God We Trust,” a statement of decision.

3. A Statement of DECISION, vss. 10-12

Psalm 2 works on 3 levels:(1) a royal psalm because it’s about Israel’s King; (2) it’s a Messianic psalm, because it points to Jesus; (3) it’s also a wisdom psalm, because it teaches one how to live. The message to the kings & judges of the earth is for all of us, they are merely our representatives. We all need wisdom & instruction. Proverbs 1:7, The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction. A wise person will:

Serve the Lord with fear & rejoice with trembling. The psalmist is warning the nations to forget their rebellious plots and serve the Lord. Rather than foolishly trying to break free from God’s rule, it would be better to revere Him (fear) and rejoice in Him (faith).

The sign of wisdom is to “Kiss the Son.” It is a gesture of allegiance to His authority, e.g., “kiss the ring.” We either show our allegiance to Him or He shows His anger to us (& it only takes a little, like the Incredible Hulk- you wouldn’t like me when I’m angry). To “perish in the way” refers to the way of rebellion (vss. 1-3). When we walk in the way of rebellion, we walk a path to God’s wrath. When we walk in the way of belief, we walk in the way of blessing.

We saw both these ways in Psalm 1, i.e., the way of the righteous & the way of the ungodly. Psalm 1:6, For the Lord knows the way of the righteous, But the way of the ungodly shall perish. Most Bible scholars say that Psalm 1 and 2are connected as an introduction to the Psalms.

There are 150 Psalms organized into 5 Books, i.e., volumes, or hymnbooks (Volume 1: 1-41). Most scholars think this division corresponds to the 5 books of Moses: the Pentateuch, or the Law. Ancient Jewish commentators said, “As Moses gave five books of laws to Israel, so David gave five books of Psalms to Israel.” This connection between the Law & Psalms is what Jesus was talking about when He said, “all things must be fulfilled which were written in the Law of Moses & the Prophets & the Psalms concerning Me” (Luke 24:44). The purpose of this Psalm is to instruct; the instruction is to trust in God’s Son.

America just celebrated its 249th birthday, 249 years since our Declaration of Independence from England. Independence is part of our national identity, a key component to our American DNA, but it also keeps us unsaved. In this psalm, the nations want to declare their independence from God & throw off the bonds of His sovereignty. If overthrowing God’s rule is what you want, just know that it won’t end well. That’s a declaration of independence that ends in hell.

Psalm 2 teaches a declaration of DEPENDENCE- blessed are all those who put their trust in Him. Trusting God is coming to terms with His Rule, not just on earth but in your life. If your independence is keeping you from uniting with God’s Anointed, then declare your dependence on Him. Acknowledge Christ as your King and give Him your allegiance!

In God We Trust divides people from God & from those who trust in God. It shows His Dominion- Christ is on His throne, are you in His Kingdom? It is a declaration of Decision. Have you put your trust in Him?