Psalm 2 - The Lord Shall Reign Forever
Notes
Transcript
Psalm 2
Psalm 2
There are some similarities between Psalm 1 and 2. Actually there is some possible indication that at some point Psalm 2 was joined with Psalm 1.
In the Jewish tradition there is Rabbi that mentions Psalm 1 as starting and ending with the word Happy or blessed, which would be Psalm 1:1 and Psalm 2:12.
Acts 13:33 quotes Psalm 2,
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.’
some of the oldest Greek texts of Acts 13:33 instead of saying second Psalm it says the first Psalm
I’m not arguing that Psalm 2 and 1 are the same, I am saying that it is possible that at some point in history this psalm might have been known as 1,
This is an interesting fact about Psalm 2, Another interesting fact is that Psalm 2 is one of the psalms most quoted in the New Testament.
but what matters is that this Psalm is inspired by the Holy Spirit and it is God’s word. Augustine called Jesus himself, the singer of the psalms. Since the psalms give a glimpse of the heart of God.
This psalm has 4 stanzas, four nearly equal parts, which seems to be a different speaker in each section. Throughout the years of interpretation and commentaries on this Psalm almost every commentator will point that there are four different speakers in this Psalm,
The four speakers are: The world v 1-3 then the next three are the Trinity: God the Father v 4-6; God the Son v7-9 ; God the Holy Spirit v 10-12
In the first three verses of this psalm we might be able to see the connection between Psalm 1 and 2.
Psalm 1 describe the wicked ways now this rebellion comes to an culmination in Psalm 2:1-3, the pick of rebellion against God
ILL: Last week I told you about my motorcycle trip and how I ignore the signs about the road being close, and how Psalm 1 gives us a warning and a reminder that we need to be meditating in Scripture in order to continue in the path of righteousness. But as I tell you this story you might wander and question. Why did you ignore and not follow the road signs? that’s just stupid, illogical, and irrational - well that is sort of how this Psalm starts. It says in verse 1
1 Why do the nations rage
and the peoples plot in vain?
We could say ..why does humankind rebel against God? Why do the nations are uniting forces against God?
The question here is not actually seeking an answer, is more of indignation pointing the futility, stupidity and irrationality of rebelling against God.
In Acts 13 Peter and John interpret this verse by saying that Herod and Pilate, the gentiles, and Israel gather together against Jesus.
We see this rebellion against Jesus in v2
2 The kings of the earth set themselves,
and the rulers take counsel together,
against the Lord and against his Anointed, saying,
In this verse we see that the rebellion is directed against the LORD and his Anointed, that is against God and Jesus Christ.
This direct rebellion against Jesus is not new, we see it in the New Testament when Jesus came in the flesh, the world hated him and killed him.
Jesus was condemn to death not because of anything that He has done, He never sinned, he was condemn because the world hated him.
PAUSE
Then in v3 it describes what the world says in their hatred
3 “Let us burst their bonds apart
and cast away their cords from us.”
What sinners in their rebellion are saying here is that they don’t want to have God’s hand over them,
They want to get rid of God. That is what it means when refers to bonds and cords.
The Message translates this verse as:
Let’s get free of God!
Cast loose from Messiah!”
Those that have not repented and trusted in Jesus hate God and are in rebellion against Him.
Often we see this rebellion against Christ in a subtle way, as leaders and kings trust in their own abilities and power to change things or to think they are independent of God and can do whatever they want
Other times this rebellion and hatred towards Christ is more direct and outspoken like when Jesus was on earth in the first century, and the world’s hatred towards Christ led him to be crucified.
But this direct outspoken hatred continued throughout history. This rebellion can be seen during the time of the roman emperor Julian the Apostate.
Psalms, Volume 1: (Psalms 1–41): An Expositional Commentary Part Two: God the Father Speaks
In the days of Julian the Apostate’s prosperity he is said to have pointed his dagger to heaven, defying the Son of God whom he commonly called the Galilean. But when he was wounded in battle, he saw that all was over with him, and he gathered up his clotted blood and threw it into the air, exclaiming, “Thou has conquered, O thou Galilean.”
This direct hatred towards Christ often is seen in persecution, OpenDoors annual report’s of Christian persecution from Jan 2020 says that “the persecution encountered by Christians continues to get worse.” Things got worse since the COVID crisis, persecution has increased as governments have more control over the population, more and more churches are being destroyed in China and many Christians are facing lack of food because of this crisis as they are being neglected by their governments.
This hate towards Christians is ultimately the hate against Christ, Jesus said:
18 “If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. 19 If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. 20 Remember the word that I said to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours.
So it shouldn’t surprise us when the world hates us, or when the world persecutes the church, because they hate God and the church is the living representation of Christ on earth.
It shouldn’t surprise us that Psalm 2 is quoted several times in Revelation, because in the end times persecution and hate towards God will get worse and worse, and even in the very end when God will pour his wrath on earth, there will be no repentance but only increased anger against God.
PAUSE
Then God the Father responds to this rebellion in Psalm 2:4-6
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.”
There are only three times in Scripture where it mentions God laughing, Psalm 2, Psalm 37 and 59. All three times have the same sense of “to hold them in derision - to mock or scorn”
When God sees this rebellion against Him, he does not tremble or check his army to see if he has enough forces to fight. Rather he rises from his seat and He laughs at such foolishness.
ILL: imagine for a second that you are at home and you hear someone talking at your front door, you open the door and there is the smallest ant you can imagine cursing you, saying that it will destroy you for putting your house in the way of the ant to the backyard. Seeing this you would not check make sure you would be strong enough defend yourself, you would not think about getting your gun or asking for help, you would laugh because it would take nothing for you to thwart the ant and smash it from existence.
After laughing at such foolishness, God speaks to rebuke and to terrify those that are in rebellion against Him. Here we would expect that God would say something like: you’re done.
But, instead in v6 we see God’s patience and kindness He tells of the appointment of his Son to be King in Zion and foretells his triumph. Here we also gave a glimpse of God’s love for his creation in providing such a salvation through Christ and points to the future restoration of the whole earth.
Like after seeing this rebellious and defiant ant you put your hand down to be bitten by it, which cause great pain, and in love you call this ant your own.
PAUSE
This surprising answer to the rebellious mankind we see in the next verses as the Son of God speaks, the King of Zion.
Then Psalm 2 has the second person of the Trinity: God the Son speaking, v 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.”
First in v7 Jesus reaffirms what God the Father has said already to Him: You are my Son;
7 I will tell of the decree:
The Lord said to me, “You are my Son;
today I have begotten you.
We see this same words spoken by God the Father at Jesus Baptism in Mat 3:17 This phrase clearly points out Jesus as the Son of God, John the baptist said this about Jesus in John 1:34 “And I have seen and have borne witness that this is the Son of God.
Then God the Father said the same at the Transfiguration Mat 17:5 when Peter, James and John saw Jesus transfigured and Jesus talking with Moses and Elijah. Then God the Father said “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.”
Then Scripture interprets scripture in Acts 13 where it says that Psalm 2:7 is fulfilled by God the Father by raising Jesus from the dead, confirming that Jesus is God, second person of the trinity.
God’s answer to the rebellion of human kind is himself, Jesus, the Son of God, the only way. The only solution for the rebellion of mankind that started with Adam and Eve is Jesus Christ.
We cannot fix this world, we cannot fix ourselves. What we need and what the world needs and will ever need is Jesus.
PAUSE
Then Jesus continues speaking in verse 8 and 9
8 Ask of me, and I will make the nations your heritage,
and the ends of the earth your possession.
God the Father will deny nothing to his Son, to the uttermost ends of the earth.
God has exalted the Son.
Phil 2:9-11
English Standard Version Chapter 2
9 Therefore 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.
When we see the world’s rebellion we might think that the solution is to smash the ants, but the Kingdom of God was not established by wars and death, but by Jesus’ victory over death through His Resurrection. He will still bring judgment and will smash those that don’t repent. How great it will be this judgment after God has provided such a salvation.
30 The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent, 31 because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed; and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead.”
When this day of judgment comes v9 will come to fruition
9 You shall break them with a rod of iron
and dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel.”
Spurgeon said:
The Treasure of David PSALM 2
Jehovah hath given to his Anointed a rod of iron with which he shall break rebellious nations in pieces, and, despite their imperial strength, they shall be but as potters’ vessels, easily dashed into shivers, when the rod of iron is in the hand of the omnipotent Son of God. Those who will not bend must break. Potters’ vessels are not to be restored if dashed in pieces, and the ruin of sinners will be hopeless if Jesus shall smite them.
Those that don’t have their sins being paid in the cross will receive what they deserve, that is the terrible wrath of God.
PAUSE
In the last section of this Psalm we see God the Holy Spirit calling in a gentle, loving, tender voice giving a warning to those who have not yet bend their knees, or most importantly their hearts to God the Son, Jesus Christ
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.
What does the Holy Spirit command us to do?
In some ways similarly to Psalm 1, this psalm gives us some commands so that we walk in the path of righteousness:
These verses here command us to:
Be wise, be warned, serve with fear, rejoice with trembling and
kiss the Son.
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.
Now we are going to watch this very short scene from the Chosen TV show Ep 7
This scene is not in scripture but it is worth watching because it gives such a great picture of this last verse of Psalm 2,
Nicodemus said:
Kiss the Son, lest he be angry and you perish in the way.
Jesus says Blessed are all who take refuge in Him
We are like defiant ants, enemies of God, unworthy to be called servants,
By His grace and mercy we can repent, kiss the son, love Him and surrender to Him and live for Him.
As we do so we will be indeed blessed, and loved by God.
English Standard Version Psalm 32
Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven,
whose sin is covered.
2 Blessed is the man against whom the LORD counts no iniquity,
and in whose spirit there is no deceit.