WHAT IN THE WORLD IS GOING ON IN THE WORLD?

God’s plan made a hopeful beginning,

But man spoiled his chances by sinning,

We trust that the story

Will end in God’s glory,

But at present the other side’s winning. (Boice, pp. 124-125.)

IS THE WORLD OUT OF CONTROL AND WHAT ARE WE SUPPOSED TO DO ABOUT IT?

CONTRAST OF PSALM 1 AND PSALM 2

Psalm 1 begins with, “How blessed”; Psalm 2 ends with the same word.

Psalm 1:1: “Blessed is the man That walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, Nor standeth in the way of sinners, Nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.”

Psalm 2:12: “Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, And ye perish from the way, When his wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all they that put their trust in him.”

Psalm 1 ends with a threat; Psalm 2 begins with a threat.

In Psalm 1, the godly man meditates on God’s law; in Psalm 2, the wicked meditates on how to cast off the rule of God.

In Psalm 1 the theme is the contrast between the righteous and the wicked person; in Psalm 2 the theme is the contrast between the rebellion of wicked rulers and nations and the rule of God’s righteous Messiah.

Psalm 1 consists of two stanzas and six verses. Psalm 2 is twice as long, consisting of four stanzas and 12 verses. For the purposes of this message, we’ll group the middle two stanzas together.

STRUCTURE OF THE PSALM

FOUR MOVEMENTS, EACH THREE VERSES; FOR OUR PURPOSES WE WILL JOIN THE 2ND & 3RD

The Rebellion of the Nations (2:1-3)

Psalm 2:1-3: “Why do the heathen rage, And the people imagine a vain thing? The kings of the earth set themselves, And the rulers take counsel together, Against the Lord, and against his anointed, saying, Let us break their bands asunder, And cast away their cords from us. He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: The Lord shall have them in derision. Then shall he speak unto them in his wrath, And vex them in his sore displeasure. Yet have I set my king Upon my holy hill of Zion. I will declare the decree: The Lord hath said unto me, Thou art my Son; This day have I begotten thee. Ask of me, And I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, And the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession. Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; Thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel. Be wise now therefore, O ye kings: Be instructed, ye judges of the earth. Serve the Lord with fear, And rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, And ye perish from the way, When his wrath and vex them in his sore displeasure.”

A. There is no reason for the insanity of the nations

God sets up nations: Deuteronomy 32:8: “When the most High divided to the nations their inheritance, When he separated the sons of Adam, He set the bounds of the people According to the number of the children of Israel.”

God gives nations their leadership: Daniel 2:21: “And he changeth the times and the seasons: He removeth kings, and setteth up kings: He giveth wisdom unto the wise, And knowledge to them that know understanding:”

God is Lord over all the nations: Daniel 4:32: “And they shall drive thee from men, and thy dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field: they shall make thee to eat grass as oxen, and seven times shall pass over thee, until thou know that the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will.”

God sets the bounds of the nations: Acts 17:26: “And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation;”

God strengthens the nations. Job 12:23: “He increaseth the nations, and destroyeth them: He enlargeth the nations, and straiteneth them again.”

He sends the rain- the sunshine- gives seed to the sower- bread to the eater- there is no reasonable explanation for the hatred of God.

THINK ABOUT THE GOODNESS OF GOD TO AMERICA:

June 28, 1787: Franklin: Mr. President

“The small progress we have made after 4 or five weeks close attendance & continual reasonings with each other---our different sentiments on almost every question, several of the last producing as many noes as ays, is methinks a melancholy proof of the imperfection of the Human Understanding. We indeed seem to feel our own want of political wisdom, since we have been running about in search of it. We have gone back to ancient history for models of Government, and examined the different forms of those Republics which having been formed with the seeds of their own dissolution now no longer exist. And we have viewed Modern States all round Europe, but find none of their Constitutions suitable to our circumstances.

In this situation of this Assembly, groping as it were in the dark to find political truth, and scarce able to distinguish it when presented to us, how has it happened, Sir, that we have not hitherto once thought of humbly applying to the Father of lights to illuminate our understandings? In the beginning of the Contest with G. Britain, when we were sensible of danger we had daily prayer in this room for the divine protection.-Our prayers, Sir, were heard, & they were graciously answered. All of us who were engaged in the struggle must have observed frequent instances of a superintending providence in our favor. To that kind providence we owe this happy opportunity of consulting in peace on the means of establishing our future national felicity. And have we now forgotten that powerful friend? or do we imagine that we no longer need his assistance?

I have lived, Sir, a long time, and the longer I live, the more convincing proofs I see of this truth that God Governs in the affairs of men. And if a sparrow cannot fall to the ground without his notice, is it probable that an empire can rise without his aid? We have been assured, Sir, in the sacred writings, that "except the Lord build the House they labour in vain that build it."

IT IS UNREASONABLE HOW MUCH OUR COUNTRY HAS TURNED ON GOD!

HAP HARRIS in the Augusta Chronicle stated, “How could any of this have come about without God's intervention? Each colony had its own agenda and the Founding Fathers were at great odds. However, there were two common threads which greatly helped sew everything together: God is the Sovereign Power and man has a God-given right to be free!”

yet on the contrast:

Isaiah 14:12: “How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations!”

B. there is no righteousness in the insanity of the nations

they set themselves against God

they take counsel together

they take out their vengeance on those who represent the LORD

“Let us break their bands asunder...”

David Guzik: “Those who oppose the LORD and His anointed think of God as a bondage-bringer. This attitude is evidence of spiritual insanity, because God is a bondage-breaker, not a bondage-bringer.”

James 1:16-17: “Do not err, my beloved brethren. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.”

Spurgeon: “To a graceless neck the yoke of Christ is intolerable, but to the saved sinner it is easy and light...”

Psalm 9:17: “The wicked shall be turned into hell, And all the nations that forget God.”

The Sovereignty of God and His plan to Judge Sin (2:4-9).

Psalm 2:4-9: “He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: The Lord shall have them in derision. Then shall he speak unto them in his wrath, And vex them in his sore displeasure. Yet have I set my king Upon my holy hill of Zion. I will declare the decree: The Lord hath said unto me, Thou art my Son; This day have I begotten thee. Ask of me, And I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, And the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession. Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; Thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel.”

The passion of God

He will laugh-

Psalm 37:13: “The Lord shall laugh at him: For he seeth that his day is coming.”

Psalm 59:8: “But thou, O Lord, shalt laugh at them; Thou shalt have all the heathen in derision.”

He will have them in derision- to mock; to deride

He will speak unto them in wrath

He will vex them- to cause to terrify

The person of Messiah-

What is the terrifying thing that will happen to the wicked? what is that which brings wrath? and derision? I HAVE SET MY KING-

vs. 2- they set themselves

vs. 6- I have set my King upon Zion

Who is this king of glory?

He is the Son of God

He was begotten of God- chosen-

He is the inheritor of the nations of the world

He will break the nations with a road of iron

He will dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel

How does the King win the war?

COLOSSIANS 2:13-15: “And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses; Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross; And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it.”

The King wins the battle through the Cross!

I Corinthians 1:18: “For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.”

The nations battle the One who came to set them free!

He came the first time to take all of the rebellion of the nations— all of its gross sins— all of its blasphemy— all of its anarchy against God— and He took it upon Himself!

BEFORE THE FATHER SETS HIS SON UPON HIS HOLY HILL IN ZION, HE SET HIM ON AN OLD RUGGED CROSS AT CALVARY!

Revelation 19:15-16: “And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.”

GOD’S PLAN INVOLVES THE SECOND PERSON OF THE TRINITY, THE ETERNAL SON OF GOD, WHO ISS GOING TO RETURN TO THE EARTH IN POWER TO PUT DOWN ALL REBELLION AND TO RULE IN RIGHTEOUSNESS.

Our Submission to God (2:10-12).

Psalm 2:10-12: “Be wise now therefore, O ye kings: Be instructed, ye judges of the earth. Serve the Lord with fear, And rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, And ye perish from the way, When his wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all they that put their trust in him.”

A righteous understanding of who this King of glory is will lead to

fear

joy- In this submitted, surrendered place they can REJOICE, yet with appropriate TREMBLING.

kiss/worship the Son

trust in Him