The Reign of the Son
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Introduction
Introduction
Psalm 2 is closely connected to Psalm 1 and in fact both Jewish and Christian tradition leaves some indication that they were at one time one Psalm. In our Bibles today they are separate and that is how God has led me to treat them. These two Psalms however we can look at them as two parts of the introduction into the book of Psalms. Psalm 1 would probably fit in better under the wisdom found in Proverbs and Psalm 2 as we will see would seem to be out of one of the books of prophets where the Messiah was prophesied. Think of them instead as a double door leading through the threshold into the book of Psalms. Take note that they stand as a reminder Psalms are not merely poetry and are more than a hymn book of the Jews. It is part of the God-breathed scripture that points towards our Lord Jesus Christ.
Psalms 1 showed the abundant life and left us with a choice of which life will we live - meaningful or meaningless.
Psalms 2 is a reminder choices have consequences and where Psalm 1 affirms the Lord’s authority over individual people, here in Psalm 2 we are brought face to face that the Lord’s authority extends over nations as well.
Our confidence in God and our trust in Him comes easy when we acknowledge these two realities - God’s authority is over both individuals and over nations. It is easy to trust that God has your life in His hands if you trust that God has the world in His hands. Psalms 2 stands as an assurance that no one can stand against God’s chosen kings and chosen people. It stands as an assurance for us as His church today as well. Psalms 2 is a royal psalm in that it also points beyond its historical context in which it is found, to the Messianic Reign of our Lord Jesus Christ. All who trust in Christ find comfort in the fact that Jesus reigns. Know this despite what it looks like right now Jesus reigns.
On D-Day – June 6, 1944 – the Allied forces invaded Normandy, ensuring victory in World War II. Yet the war continued until V-Day – May 7, 1945 – when the peace treaty was signed. Sad truth is, that there more people killed in the time between that victory on D-Day and when the treaty was finally signed V-Day than any other time of the war. In similar fashion, we live in the time between the announcement of the kingdom, its establishment by the events of the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ and the final consummation when He returns. We find ourselves in this present-but-not-yet-kingdom, and we look around it may well seem that the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus has not really changed anything. But no matter how things may seem, Jesus reigns over heaven and earth.
1 Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain? 2 The kings of the earth take their stand, and the rulers conspire together against the Lord and his Anointed One: 3 “Let’s tear off their chains and throw their ropes off of us.”
4 The one enthroned in heaven laughs; the Lord ridicules them. 5 Then he speaks to them in his anger and terrifies them in his wrath: 6 “I have installed my king on Zion, my holy mountain.” 7 I will declare the Lord’s decree. He said to me, “You are my Son; today I have become your Father.
8 Ask of me, and I will make the nations your inheritance and the ends of the earth your possession. 9 You will break them with an iron scepter; you will shatter them like pottery.” 10 So now, kings, be wise; receive instruction, you judges of the earth.
11 Serve the Lord with reverential awe and rejoice with trembling. 12 Pay homage to the Son or he will be angry and you will perish in your rebellion, for his anger may ignite at any moment. All who take refuge in him are happy.
The Rebellion
The Rebellion
1 Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain? 2 The kings of the earth take their stand, and the rulers conspire together against the Lord and his Anointed One: 3 “Let’s tear off their chains and throw their ropes off of us.”
The Psalm itself does not indicate its author but scripture interprets scripture and so we know the author is David because Acts 4 tells us.
25 You said through the Holy Spirit, by the mouth of our father David your servant: Why do the Gentiles rage and the peoples plot futile things?
The psalmist reveals the rebellion found in the rage of the nations - the Gentile nations. The psalmist indicates also that the rage, the rebellion and the plotting is all vanity. The nations - consisting of the kings and rulers of the earth standing together and conspiring with one another. People of various nationalities and ethnicities assemble with much tumultuous commotion like an angry mob prepared to riot. The scene for the psalmist is not one of emotional reaction or charged passion. The people plot and so the assembling and coming together is alliance and strategy resulting from establishing a plan. Plot is the same Hebrew word for meditate - indicating this is a mental exercise. Thinking was done to get to this point. The godly meditate on God’s law but the ungodly instead plot in vain. Vain is the same as ruin - futility it means worthless. The Psalmist is asking why do the nations rage and plot in vain? The answer is because rage is blinding. Their rage is bringing together federations and alliances that are normally at odds with each other. Thinking along the lines of Herod and Pilate.
What brings them together to rage and plot? What are they raging and plotting against? The Psalmist in verse two says that they come together against the LORD (Yahweh) and his Anointed One. Amazement is all that can describe what one must feel as they watch this from the outside. The nations plot something that is ultimately destined to fail. That they would actually take a stand against the Lord and His Anointed One.
Anointed - means to smear with oil. Kings as they were installed would be anointed with oil. In speaking of the Anointed One - this is speaking with more than just the installed kings - but points towards the one to be especially installed. The Anointed One points to the promised Messiah, the Christ, whom we know to be Jesus.
These nations and rulers come together in their hatred of Jesus and their desire to rebel against His reign. Is this not the attitude of sin? Ultimately the rebellion of sin is to go against God and His Savior?
Why do they rebel against them though? If sin is leading to death and God desires to give Jesus His Anointed as a sacrifice to save one from sin and the resulting death and judgment why would anyone rebel against that? The power of sin is to blind one to rage and rebel against the Holy. While God desires to provide a way to live holy - the sin says that God desires to put in bondage and enslavement. Verse 3 says lets tear off their chains and throw their ropes off of us. It’s as if saying that God and His Christ brings bondage and those in Christ are in chains like slaves. The truth is Christ is a chain breaker and came to set the captive free.
18 The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set free the oppressed,
36 So if the Son sets you free, you really will be free.
The reason for such hatred and rejection of Jesus is because people believe He has come to restrict and hinder their lives. That God doesnt want them to have any fun - that He is the great cosmic killjoy. His commands are a burden. Many turn to atheism for this reason without a Creator there is no accountability and no need to obey.
3 For this is what love for God is: to keep his commands. And his commands are not a burden,
Many say that following Jesus is a burden and that its hard and wearisome.
28 “Come to me, all of you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take up my yoke and learn from me, because I am lowly and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
The Response
The Response
4 The one enthroned in heaven laughs; the Lord ridicules them. 5 Then he speaks to them in his anger and terrifies them in his wrath: 6 “I have installed my king on Zion, my holy mountain.”
7 I will declare the Lord’s decree. He said to me, “You are my Son; today I have become your Father. 8 Ask of me, and I will make the nations your inheritance and the ends of the earth your possession. 9 You will break them with an iron scepter; you will shatter them like pottery.”
As man comes together in a federation of nations and rages and plots against God and His chosen ruler - His Messiah what is God’s response to this? Looking at the response of God concerning the rebellion of man should be a comfort to us - especially as Christians in this world waiting for the second coming of Jesus where He will set up His kingdom. Why? God’s response is one of laughter. It says the one enthroned in heaven laughs. That is the response that the rebellion of man invokes in God who sits enthroned in heaven - laughter. There is no worry or fear of man for the one who is seated on the throne in heaven. God sits in heaven in perfect peace and perfect rest from the plot of men. He laughs because He sits in the heavens far above man. God laughs not from hilarity but out of incredulity. The audacity of the people to stand up and challenge Him and His reign is funny. God is not laughing at His people’s plights or problems, but He laughs and ridicules the haughty, proud and rebellious people.
13 The Lord laughs at him because he sees that his day is coming.
8 But you laugh at them, Lord; you ridicule all the nations.
The Lord laughs and ridicules because of how many have tried to rebel and where they are now. Where are all the previous men who have tried to rebel against God? They have all died, meanwhile God reigns and His Anointed One will be installed as King of kings and Lord of lords. Christ will reign forever while men who rebel will come to nothing.
Hate all they want, plan all they like, fight and kick and thrash all they can - men will never remove God from His throne. Hostility is futile - why? God is sovereign and He sits in heaven - He transcends man and is far superior. How does God react to the scene of rabid raging rebellion? Is He stricken with terror, driven with panic, or holding a cabinet session of heaven? No God laughs at men as they briefly blip on the stage of history. God says I have installed my King on Zion, my holy mountain verse 6. God’s plan moves forward - His king is installed in the Temple Mount. Defiance accomplishes nothing God has installed His desired King.
Jesus the Christ now speaking in verse 7 says He will speak the LORD’s decree that was spoken to Him. You are My Son today I have become your Father - other translations say I have begotten you - which is different from saying I have created you. The eternality and the deity of Jesus is found in these words of God declaring Him as His begotten Son. Jesus is not created in fact Jesus is the one who created everything!
3 All things were created through him, and apart from him not one thing was created that has been created.
16 For everything was created by him, in heaven and on earth, the visible and the invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities— all things have been created through him and for him. 17 He is before all things, and by him all things hold together.
Thats the importance of the word begotten. Begotten describes a relationship between two beings of the same essential nature and being, but when something is created it is of different essential being and nature from ourselves. God begetting Christ says explicitly that Christ is of the same essential nature and being as God.
5 For to which of the angels did he ever say, You are my Son; today I have become your Father, or again, I will be his Father, and he will be my Son?
Today I have begotten you - not that day which the psalmist is writing but this is the day in eternity past that God spoke to Christ His only begotten Son. There was a time even before the world existed, when the triune God planned the redemption of sinners. It was that day that the Second Person of the Trinity agreed to be incarnated with flesh in the fullness of time.
4 But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law,
God Anointed Christ then to become King through the work of redemption and no one can overturn it for God decreed it.
The rule and reign of Christ is established in redemption
32 And we ourselves proclaim to you the good news of the promise that was made to our ancestors. 33 God has fulfilled this for us, their children, by raising up Jesus, as it is written in the second Psalm: You are my Son; today I have become your Father.
9 For this reason God highly exalted him and gave him the name that is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow— in heaven and on earth and under the earth— 11 and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Christ rules the nations. The Father is so pleased in the Son He offers a great inheritance just for the asking. The same nations that rage and rebel divine authority are given to the Son. The ultimate goal of the church is not missions - it is exaltation of Christ — worship. Piper says missions exist because worship doesnt.
19 Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
Christ also judges the nations. Verse 9 says you shall break them with an iron scepter and shatter them like pottery. Two beautiful pictures emerge of Christ. Those who trust in Him He is a good shepherd who watches over them with a rod of iron. As a potter Christ takes worthless clay and makes useful vessels of mercy. Those who reject however Christ is a chastening shepherd who breaks rebellion with the rod of iron. They find Him to be an angry potter who breaks the blighted vessel.
It is a picture of judgment upon those who reject Christ’s rule. Think of it like the rule of gravity. If you go to high spot and jump head first you wont break gravity, just your neck. So it is with those who reject Christ’s authority.
The Requirement
The Requirement
10 So now, kings, be wise; receive instruction, you judges of the earth. 11 Serve the Lord with reverential awe and rejoice with trembling. 12 Pay homage to the Son or he will be angry and you will perish in your rebellion, for his anger may ignite at any moment. All who take refuge in him are happy.
The psalmist now comes to the term where the requirement is laid out. Now kings be wise and receive instruction you judges of earth. Serve the Lord with reverential awe and rejoice with trembling.
Receive instruction, serve the Lord with reverence and rejoice with trembling. Be wise and think this through - if hostility is futile anyway, why fight against? The reasonable thing is to throw down arms and submit. Do not continue to nurse the hope of victory over God - victory comes in God not over God. Serve the Lord with reverence means to worship God, recognize He is worthy to be served and bow in awe before His majesty. Rejoice with trembling speaks towards the fact that it is when we bow before God that we find our joy and happiness in God. If we could only recognize that we would be willing to cease rebelling.
With all that has been said there is a requirement and the requirement is the call to surrender. Christ as King calls people and nations to stop rebelling and surrender to Him. Pay homage to the Son - show homage and true affection. Stop hating God’s chosen King and start loving Him.
The Greek word for worship is proskuneo - pros - turn toward and Kuneo - to kiss. Is that not the root of worship? To express devotion, appreciation, and love?
Those who refuse to submit and instead continue in their hostile rebellion are subject to the anger of the King and the result is the one who rebels still will perish. There is coming a day where those who are persistent in refusing to submit, and instead continue to walk in the way of rebellion, they will be cutoff.
Cherish or perish is the choice put before the one walking in rebellion.
Now to the one who takes refuge in the Son - they are happy they are blessed. Only in the Son is there safety and refuge from the wrath of God.
Conclusion
Conclusion
Why does one resist or rebel against God? Maybe you are here tonight and are rebelling against God.
The Psalmist pleads be wise and instructed - stop - answer the calling. Receive the call from God and submit to Christ as King and find refuge in Him and His reign. Those who refuse will be broken and those who surrender will be blessed. If the kings and the rulers are called to recognize and humble themselves submitting to the superiority of Christ what does that mean for us mere normal mortals?
Will you be broken or blessed?
From the highest to the lowest all are called to submit to His reign and authority
Jesus reigning and having authority means that He is the final authority. No matter what anyone else says or declares He has the last word for nations and for us individually.