The Everlasting King

The year was 1918 and the Union Soviet Socialist Republic , under the leadership of Vladimir Lenin, was experiencing a major civil uprising. On one side were the Marxist driven Bolshevik party led by Lenin and on the other was the pro-monarchist, conservative “White” forces who longed for freedom. The Soviet peasants were unhappy with the forced measures the government used to distribute their grain from the countryside to the towns and cities. The Soviet regime was on the brink of total collapse.

In August of that same year, an alleged assassination attempt on Lenin’s life led the evil dictator to launch a nation wide plot to cease complete power called the Red Terror. Essentially, any person or group, who rose in opposition to the Soviet government were immediately executed. It is estimated Lenin’s Red Terror led to the deaths of some 10 to 15 thousand Russian citizens.

The year was 1933 and Adolf Hitler rose to power to become Germany’s chancellor. Serving as the dictator and leader of the Nazi Party, Hitler’s reign of terror would go down as one of the bloodies time periods in human history. From 1933 until the start of World War II in 1939, the Nazi party led by Hitler, instituted hundreds of laws and regulations against the Jews. Between the start of World War II, in 1939, and its end, in 1945, Hitler and his Nazi regime killed at least eleven million noncombatants, including 2/3rds for the Jewish population in Europe, which was at least eleven million Jews.

The year was 1958 and Fidel Castro, along with his forces began a campaign of guerrilla warfare to overthrow then Cuban dictator Fulgencio Batista. Under Castro’s leadership, Cuba became a smaller version of the USSR. While Castor improved healthcare and education in Cuba, he maintained a brutal dictatorial control over the country by persecuting and imprisoning anyone he believed to be an enemy. Thousands of people who disagreed with the evil dictators regime died while trying to flee the dictatorship.

Since the beginning of time, man has craved power. Satan used humanity’s lust for power against us in the Garden of Eden when he convinced Adam and Eve to eat the forbidden fruit.

“Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the Lord God had made.

He said to the woman, “Did God actually say, ‘You[a] shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?” 2 And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden, 3 but God said, ‘You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.’” 4 But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. 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.” 6 So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise,[b] she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate.”

The reality, though, is that despite our craving for power, only Omniscient God is the true source of all things including the power that humans crave. While some truly believe they have the ability to be as all-powerful as God is, in the end they will be judged and cast away and only those who accept His Son as Lord and Savior will be victorious.

Turn with me to Psalms 2 and let’s read verses 1-12 together.

History: This Psalm is the first of a class of Psalms labeled Messianic Psalms. Whenever a Jew would read this Psalm, it would offer them a great hope concerning the Messiah to come. To them, the Messiah was not a single great event, but a great figure who was to come rescue the Jews and establish them as an eternal power.

There are four voices we hear from in this text and this Messianic Psalm is broken into four sections, which is the pattern we’ll follow this morning.

I. The Nations Rebellion (2:1-3)

The first voice belongs to the writer, David who asks the rhetorical question, “Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain?

The word David uses to describe the roaring does not reflect an inward feeling of anger or rage. Instead, it is an outward expression of rage that is best characterized as an uproar. Some believe David is alluding to the type of noise we hear whenever we are near a raging ocean. As the waves come near the shore they make a loud crushing sound. In the Scriptures the sea was often used to describe a loud commotion. Essentially then, King David is describing what he sees as he looks out across the nations and observes the many different ways people are rebelling against God.

Notice who David identifies as leading the rebellion. “The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD and against his Anointed, saying, ‘Let us burst their bonds apart and cast away their cords from us.’”

David claims that the leaders of the nations are plotting with each other in an attempt to lead people to throw off God’s laws and commandments. They believe their way of doing things is far greater than the Lord’s and so they are rebelling against all that God says is good and Holy.

Their rebellion leaves David confused because he recognizes that their rebellion against God is in vain. In other words, the rebellion of the people is worthless, a waste of time, baseless, insignificant, senseless, and foolish.

Their determination to “burst their bonds apart and cast away their cords...” is a direct attack against God and the Anointed Messiah, Jesus Christ.

Today, our culture is making the same attack as it moves further and further away from the Lord.

They tell us that:

(1) power, possessions, and prestige are what matter most in this life

(2) A dollar is more important than the life of a baby in the womb

(3) We create our own truths because there is no such thing as one absolute truth

(4) You’re a good person so long as you are nice to others and do nice things for people

(5) There are multiple ways to attain salvation outside of a relationship with Jesus Christ

One writer puts it like this, “the multitudes blindly follow—godless power, godless wealth, godless intellect” all because they believe their ways are better than God’s ways.

II. The Lord’s Response (2:4-6)

Notice God’s response to the actions of the kings and leaders of the earth. David writes “He who sits in the heavens laughs; the Lord holds them in derision.”

God, on His throne, laughs and mocks these leaders as they attempt to plot against Him and remove themselves from His expectations and deny His commands. The all-powerful, all-knowing Lord, knows that their attempts are futile because despite their best efforts, He reigns over all and is in control of all things. The reality is simply this, despite man’s best efforts to deny God, His decrees will come to pass.

Diocletian was Roman emperor from 284 to 305 A.D. There are ten persecutions of the Christians church recorded in history. Diocletian started the tenth and final persecution which lasted from 303 A.D. until 311 a.d. His goal, and the goals of those who followed him was simple, “rid the world of all Christians.” And that’s exactly what he sat out to do. Believing he had accomplished his goal, the Roman emperor had medals made with the inscription, “The name of Christianity being extinguished.” Moreover, he constructed monuments inscribed with “extinguished the name of Christians” and “abolished the superstition of Christ.”

Diocletian died on December 3rd, 311 A.D. at the age of 66. Christianity continues to grow today.

Vladimir Lenin was anti-Christian. He died January 21, 1924. Christianity continues on today.

Adolf Hitler hated Christians and tried to rid Germany of it. He died April 30, 1945. Christianity continues today.

Fidel Castro was anti-Christian. He died November 25, 2016. Christianity continues today.

Despite man’s best attempts over the years to stop the movement of God, they have always failed because God’s purposes will always prevail over man’s evil desires.

Isaiah 46:9-10 says, “For I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is no one like me, declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things not yet done, saying, "My purpose shall stand, and I will fulfill my intention.”

Isaiah 14: 26-27 says, “Concerning the whole earth; and this is the hand that is stretched out over all the nations. For the LORD of hosts has planned, and who will annul it? His hand is stretched out, and who will turn it back.”

Daniel 4:35 says, “And He does what he wills with the host of heaven and the inhabitants of the earth. There is no one who can stay his hand or say to him, ‘What are you doing?’”

Following His laughter and mocking of the kings and leaders’ attempts to do away with His commandments and laws, we here from the third voice in our passage. “Then he will speak to them in his wrath, and terrify them in his fury, saying ‘As for me, I have set my King on Zion, my holy hill.’”

Despite the attempts of the kings and leaders to move away from God’s ways, He decrees that He has already established His King. And this King alone shall reign from His throne in Zion, God’s holy hill.

Zion was originally a Canaanite city that David conquered. It is mentioned 40 times in the Book of Psalms. Following David’s conquest, Zion becomes known as the temple area and later on it refers to the entire city of Jerusalem. Holy Hill is a synonym for the temple mount, which is where the Temple was later constructed by Solomon.

God’s message to the kings and other leaders who are leading an uproar against God is simple, “There is one true King, and I’m the One who has established Him to reign and rule from everlasting to everlasting.”

Paul puts it this way in Philippians 2: 9-11, “God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”

John, writing in Revelation 19:15-16, describes Jesus as He is returning for the second time by saying, “From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron. He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty. On his robe and on his thigh he has name written, King of kings and Lord of lords.”

No wonder God laughs and mocks the kings and leaders in David’s day. I believe God is laughing at the kings and political leaders in our day as well. While many of them are attempting to move us further away from Him, God’s King is already established and His rule will never cease. While many of them may believe they are succeeding in smothering Him out of our culture, God has not gone any where and He never will.

I often see things like this on the internet that say, “If we put God back in our schools, things will get better.” The reality is that God never left the schools. It is on us to teach our children to pray to Him during their moment of silence. He is the Everlasting King. He’s not going anywhere.

When God established Jesus as the King of kings and Lord of lords, He did so for eternity.

III. The King’s Declaration (2:7-9)

The third stanza of David’s poem opens with us hearing from the established King who we know to be Jesus our Redeemer.

In verse seven, the Messiah recognizes that the Father is the One who established Him.

It was custom in the times when this Psalm was written for kings to give preferential treatment to people that found favor in their eyes. So, in verses 8-9, The Father has informed His favorite King, His Son that all He needs to do is ask and the Father will hand the rebellious people and their lands over to Him as His possession and inheritance.

And once God hands the Son the rebellious people and their lands, He will conquer them with His scepter and break them into pieces.

A scepter in Biblical times represented authority and power. Also, a potter’s vessel, once broken, cannot be restored. Therefore, the ones who refuse to bend their knee to the Messiah will be destroyed and unable to be rescued.

That is the decree from the Messiah to the rebellious kings in David’s day and it is the same message to us today. Stop rebelling or be destroyed.

IV. David’s Warning and Encouragement (2:10-12)

In the final stanza, we return to the original voice we heard from at the beginning of the Psalm, King David. In verses 10 through the first part of verse 12 he offers a final warning to the rebellious kings by reiterating what the Son just proclaimed.

He informs them to wisen up and stop their rebellious ways, begin serving the One true God, or suffer the consequences of His wrath which leads to death. Basically, turn your rebellion to complete submission and worship of the One true God. One writer puts it like this:

“Serve,” “rejoice,” “fear,” and “trembling” describe the religious responses of the righteous in worship. They are to lead lives of submission, not rebellion; lives characterized by fear and trembling, not arrogance; lives filled with exultation, not the gloom of oppression.”

Notice also, the urgency by which David encourages these kings and leaders to repent and submit to God. He says, “Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and you perish in the way, for his wrath is quickly kindled.” Time is short for them to repent and submit before the wrath of God is poured out on them.

Folks, time is short for those of you who are continuing to rebel against God. His Second Coming is near. I am not trying to scare you into committing your lives to Christ by repenting of your rebellion and submitting it all to Him, I am just telling you the truth as we know it from God’s Word.

The first time Jesus came to this earth, His goal was salvation. He accomplished that goal by living the perfect life, willingly dying on the cross, and three days later rising from the grave. The second time He comes, though, it will be to carry out God’s wrath and judgment on everyone who has failed to bend their knees to Him.

Revelation 20:11-15 makes this promise to those who fail to hand their lives over to Christ:

English Standard Version Chapter 20

11 Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. From his presence earth and sky fled away, and no place was found for them. 12 And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done. 13 And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them, and they were judged, each one of them, according to what they had done. 14 Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. 15 And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire

Is that going to be you on that day? Are you going to stand before the throne of Jesus the King as one of His own or as someone who rebelled against Him?

In the final part of verse 12, David offers a final comfort to those who turn from their wicked and rebellious ways and places their hope on the Lord. He says, “Blessed are all who take refuge in him.”

For those of us who have placed our lives into the hands of God’s established King, we can be certain of this fact. No matter how bad things may get on this earth, Jesus is going to return one day with His Golden Scepter and He is going to bring an end to all of this madness. That fact alone should bring you hope.

1 Peter 5:10 says, “the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.”

2 Corinthians 4:17 says, “For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.”

James 1:12 says, “Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the LORD has promised to those who love him.”

At the age of 17, C.S. Lewis informed a childhood friend who was a Christian that He did not believe in any religion because “There is absolutely no proof for any of them, and from a philosophical standpoint Christianity is not even the best.” Over the course of the next fifteen years, Lewis investigated several other worldviews. After taking into consideration the views of atheism, the occult, and New Age thinking, he came to the conclusion that none of them measured up to Christianity. Fifteen years after making his initial comment to his childhood friend, Lewis sent him a letter saying, “Christianity is God expressing Himself through what we call ‘real things,’…namely the actual incarnation, crucifixion, and resurrection.” At one point, following his conversion, Lewis stated that he was “the most reluctant convert.” Today, C.S. Lewis is known as one of the greatest Christian apologist that ever lived.

Like C.S. Lewis, we are all going to one day have to answer the question of whether or not we are going to bind ourselves to the Everlasting King Jesus or to this world that is increasingly falling apart day by day.

One day, our opportunities to make that decision are going to come to an end. The Bible promises us that “it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment...” We don’t know when that day and time will come for us, but it is going to come. When it does, the time for decision making will end. What will be your fate? Will you be crushed in a unfixable pieces by Jesus’s iron-rod or will you have decided to “take refuge in Him” and receive the blessing of eternal life?

It’s your choice. What will it be?