King of all kings

Psalm 2

Open your Bibles to Psalm Chapter 2: the second Psalm

Introduction: How many of you enjoyed watching the Olympics (not enough sleep though) Parade of nations?

-The guise of peace while

-50 million Chinese are meeting this morning in secret places.

-Turkish Muslims plotted and carried out the murder of two German missionaries.

-1.5 million Christian killed in Sudan since 1984

-30,000 Christian fled as their homes were burned in Northern Nigeria.

-Last month 5 Pastors arrested in India because the local temple idol fell off its stand and broke.

-In Indonesia a church building was boarded up last month by Muslims and church goers were blocked from entering their building for services.

Immediately Read Psalm 2

-Psalm are Songs written by men under the inspiration of God. They are pithy . . . concise and the words are measured out carefully. They express emotions and truths in way that sometimes make us squirm.

This second Psalm is seen by many as introductory of the entire book of Psalms. It is quoted more in the New Testament than any other Psalm.

This particular Psalm, I believe was written by David. It doesn’t say so here, but Luke, when writing the book of Acts (Acts 4:25) attributes a quote from this Psalm to David.

This Psalm has four distinct and clear divisions . . .

1. Rebellion of the Nations

2. Wrath of the Lord

3. Reign of the King

4. Response of the Nations

THE REBELLION OF THE NATIONS

Verse 1:

We are immediately faced with a question regarding the Rebellion of the Nations . . . [WHY?]

-The people of the earth (gentiles specifically)

-rage = rebellion

-they are plotting . . . making their plans

-but they are empty plans . . .

-from the start we are reminded of human nature . . . rebelling and plotting

-But who do they rebel against?

Verse 2:

-This verse expounds on this plotting and raging . . .

-The nations are setting themselves against God and His Anointed one.

-There is no question that this Anointed one is none other than Jesus Christ! In its historical context it is likely that it was interpreted as the king of Israel. But the very word for anointed here is Meshiach! Translated into Greek this word is Christ!

-What would drive the nations to this? How can humanity think that it can succeed in a rebellion against the Almighty? Remember the incredulity of the opening verse WHY?

Verse 3:

-THE ANSWER TO WHY . . .

-The nations want to rid themselves of the authority of God and his Messiah!

-The reason that people reject God and rebel against Him is given here in our text.

-They want to break the control he has over them . . . and throw them away . . . (not just be freed, but rid themselves in dramatic fashion)

-“Give me Liberty or give me death”

-Independence and freedom are our national creed. Free will and the right to choose . . . is the battle cry of the nations . . . it is the cry that rings out from the throat of all humanity . . . and it is MOST DETESTABLE TO THE ALMIGHTY and HIS ANOINTED as we are about to see.

THE WRATH OF GOD

Verse 4:

-This verse has the potential to make us uncomfortable

-Is this the time for laughter? Either God has a strange sense of humor or else . . .

-Is God in the business of mocking humanity?

-The point here in this passage is that God is not impacted by all that the nations can bring . . . rather than tremble with fear he laughs in the way that Usain Bolt would laugh at me plotting to beat him at the 100 meter sprint.

-God has the right to scorn attempts to usurp His authority!

Verse 5:

-After the laughter God speaks to the people . . . and what he is going to say he says in his wrath and fury . . . these are two words in Hebrew that evoke ferocity!

-What is God so angry about . . . what is it that has made Him scorn the nations?

Verse 6

-Answers this question

-God declares that He has set the King of His choosing!

-The nations in their rebellion have rejected the King of all kings . . .

-God’s fierce anger is reserved for those who reject his authority, but especially it come to those who reject HIS MESSIAH . . . His divine King of all Kings who is the rightful ruler of all!

REIGN OF THE KING

Verse 7

-Now the Messiah speaks and defends his right to rule . . .

-For the God to decree something is for it to come to pass . . .

-And God decreed That Jesus was to be His Son! Sonship and Kingship are interrelated in the OT . . . and the Son of the King of the Universe rules with His Father. This is not primarily a passage to teach on the Trinity and like Charles Spurgeon I would encourage you to leave this up to the mystery of God, how begetting works . . . I do want to say that most all commentators do not see the incarnation in this passage but rather they see the coronation of Christ as the begetting (from the grave) because of what comes in verses 8-9

Verse 8

-When is Christ given his inheritance? After he is raised from the dead!

-Satan offered nations and the ends of the earth if Jesus would bow to Him . . . but Jesus stood through the temptation and now has the authority over all things given by His Father.

Verse 9

-He break the nations with a rod of iron (signifying power)

-Christ will dash the nations . . . (context of this will be His second coming)

-Again, uncomfortable in the passage until we remember that he came first in gentleness, meekness, and humility . . . as a lamb led to the slaughter. It is unbearable to think of the ferocity of God in light of the sacrifice that is rejected by the nations. To reject this King of all Kings . . . is the pinnacle of all emptiness.

-To stand before God having rejected His son . . . having raged against his rule . . . having taken counsel against Him . . . Nothing can be worse that this fate!

RESPONSE OF THE NATIONS

Verse 10

-“Now therefore” In light of this picture painted above . . . God has appointed HIS KING!

-Be wise . . . be warned . . . wisdom is lining up with reality! God’s anointed is the rightful ruler over all!

-David calls the rulers to serve the Lord with fear (sound familiar?)

-He explains this kind of fear as a “happy fear”. “Rejoice with trembling”

-What should the nations be rejoicing about . . . there is a king on the throne!

-What should the nations be trembling about . . . there is a king on the throne!

-The right response of people to the rule of Christ should be

joy and awe . . . delight and reverence . . . rejoicing and trembling!

Verse 12

-Finally, the kings of the nations are told to submit to the King of all Kings.

-“Kiss the Son” = Old Testament way of saying “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved” The gospel is here in concise form. For the only hope of anyone under the rule of any nation is that they kiss the Son . . . pay homage to . . . trust His rule . . . . . .

-David gives two final summary reasons to submit to the King of all Kings

-IN CASE YOU MISSED IT, you don’t want to fall under HIS WRATH!

-But also, Happy are those . . . Blessed are those . . . who take refuge in the King that God has placed over all humanity!

Conclusion

Why Do the Nations Rage? They want independence! They want to be free from the decrees and commands of God. They want to be self-directed!

Do we ever rage? Do we assert our independence? How vain . . . how empty that we would ever stand against the King of all Kings . . . but that is exactly what sin is . . .

The gospel is the only way to take refuge in the King . . . If you are believer . . . acknowledge God’s rightful rule over your life and confess specifically how you have rebelled against him . . . if you have not yet given allegiance to the rightful King of all Kings . . . I invite you to come back to the visitors room after the service and speak with a Pastor there. Blessed and Happy are those who take refuge in the King of all Kings!