Soundtrack of Faith Pt 2

Psalm 2 “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.”

While Psalm 1 addressed the necessity of the word and contrast the righteous with the unrighteous, Psalm 2 addresses the world and the nations in contrast to their divine ruler. Psalm 2 deals in the historical and prophetic. The nations rage against God and his son Jesus who rules but that does not deter the will of God. The author of this Psalm is not specified but is historically thought to be penned by King David because Luke refers to this in Acts 4:25 “25 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?” We also have refrence from Luke that it was the second Psalm in Acts 13:33 “33 this he has fulfilled to us their children by raising Jesus, as also it is written in the second Psalm, “ ‘You are my Son, today I have begotten you.’” It holds an honest question, which you will find in many of the Psalms, as to how all this evil can take place. The answer becomes clear in the motivation of the revolt As well as the answer form God.

Week 2 “When Nations Rage” Psalm 2

The rage of the nations

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.””

David is asking why do the nations rage against God, why do people plot together? We see this specifically fulfilled in Herod and Pilate in the lead up to the crucifixion of Jesus.

The nations have raged against God from the beginning. Rulers and those in authority.

Why do they do it?

Psalm 2:3 “3 “Let us burst their bonds apart and cast away their cords from us.””

The rulers and people do not want to submit to God, Jesus as King or his Kingdom. This starts in the Garden when the serpent enticed Eve with the possibility to be like God.

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.””

If you find yourself arguing over politics or social issues at home, reflecting the divisions in our nation, consider how you can be a peacemaker in your family. Try setting aside time each week for a family discussion where everyone can share their views respectfully. Use this time to listen actively and seek understanding rather than winning the argument. This practice can create a more loving and harmonious environment, demonstrating the love of Christ in your household.

When discussing contentious issues at home, perhaps with a spouse or older children who have strong opinions, try implementing a 'no anger' rule. Agree that if conversations get heated, you will both take a short break before resuming the discussion. This helps create a safe space for dialogue where you can both express your feelings without escalating into rage. Pray together before resuming to ask for wisdom and guidance from the Holy Spirit, reminding yourselves of your commitment to love and respect one another.

Picture a soccer game where both teams are passionately competing. The players occasionally scream at each other, but afterward, they shake hands and share laughs at the absurdity of the rivalries. This parallels the way Psalm 2 describes the nations raging against God. We can have fervent disagreements, but we must remember that in the grand scheme, we are all on the same team—striving for a higher purpose and a joyful end.

1 Samuel 8:19 “19 But the people refused to obey the voice of Samuel. And they said, “No! But there shall be a king over us,”

We must be aware of our sinful tendency to reject the Lordship of Christ over our lives. His way is best. His way is holy.

The reign of the Messiah

The response of God

Psalm 2:4 “4 He who sits in the heavens laughs; the Lord holds them in derision.”

God is seated. This is a sign of authority and power.

God is not amused or made nervous by their plotting. It is pure folly. He litterally mocks the=ir planning. This is the miracle of the Gospel. What evil rulers schemed in order to keep their authority and position God used to provide salvation for all mankind.

Men plot and scheme with a fraction of the knowledge necessary. God knows the beginning from the end and his decisions are not based on one or two factors happening on a specific place but in consideration of all he is accomplishing throughout the earth for the sake of the salvation of mankind. God is not laughing as an aloof dictator but in the context of the absurdity of our rebellion.

This is more in the context of “who do you think you are.” What do we think our rebellion against God is going to produce? Will our rebellion make God less powerful? Less God? Less in command?

The King of Kings

God in his wrath speaks

Psalm 2:5–6 “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.””

When God speaks it is action. God does not talk without something happening. His word is action. His response is to establish Jesus as King of Kings. In spite of all the scheming and planning by those that appose his authority, his son will reign.

It will not matter man’s opinion of who God is. God does not need man’s approval to rule or to exercise wrath or to save. He simply does it according to who he is, God.

Jesus is King

Psalm 2:7–9 “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.””

There is no one who can stand in defiance of Jesus. The description tells the ease at which his enemies will be crushed.

The call of the Kings

The wrath of God is not his last word

But God’s wrath in His King is, in Karl Barth’s phrase, His “next to last word.” It is for the sake of our repentance (v. 11) and His mercy (v. 13). The “last word” is always the word of the gospel. Donald Williams

The summons goes out to the rulers. The invitation to live and not perish.

Serve

Psalm 2:11 “11 Serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice with trembling.”

Work out your salvation. Live your life and give your energy to the Lord

The word serve and worship are often interchangeable in this verse.

Romans 12:1 “1 I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.”

Submit

Psalm 2:12 “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 are to submit our will to his. This is not us doing good to manipulate God into what we want. This is us submitting our will understanding that his will is the best for us.

Be blessed

Psalm 2:12 “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.”

This last phrase echos Psalm 1. It is a reinforcement that God’s way os the blessed way. Jesus is our king who leads us in righteousness and there is no other path as indicated in Psalm 1