An angry sinner & A Holy God.

Introduction

I know you have seen more life than I have. You have seen wars, riots, a multitude of presidents, major legal decisions that have affected our country, significant cultural changes, the list goes on. One area I am sure you have noticed (if you have been a Christian long enough) is the prolific and constant assault on God. Its relentless.

Evil man unceasingly attempts to attack God’s existence, his people, his word, his church, his moral standard, his heaven, his creation of hell, his judgements, his miracles, his mercies, even his grace.

Man naturally hates God. Just as natural as it is for you to blink an eye and take a breath so it is just as natural for man to hate God and do away with him.

This is what you see in the world nowadays. Don’t be fooled, the topics that are brought up are a direct and personal assault against God and his standard.

Sexuality, gender, marriage, raising children, transgenderism, homosexuality, personal responsibility, stewardship of the environment, education, justice, ethnicity, what love is, the murder of babies in the womb, all of it.

Sometimes the opposition of the world against God is overwheleming. It can sometimes feel discouraging. But this psalm is a great Psalm to meditate over. It reminds us of who is really in control.

The exchange between evil man, natural man and God is very typical. It’s like the laws of nature. You can usually predict them.

I want us to look at this exchange between God and man this afternoon.

Or what is the realtinshp like between God and man.

Psalm 2 gives us 4 descriptions.

What does God do with all of this opposition? What is God’s posture?

God is all together calm, unimpressed. He doesnt flip out, yes he will judge these nations, but God is not overwhelmed.

God is sovereign. He is in complete control of every detail in the world. Including his enemies plot rage agaisnt him.

This is what you see in

Psalm 2

, nations raging against Yahweh and Yahweh’s response to this rage.

This exchange between God and man is so typical, its like a pattern.

The Plot against God 1-3

The first description is the plot against God.

Vs. 1-3

The plot against God opens up in the form of a question.

Why, Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain? We will get the answer in the following verses but look at what is said in the question first.

They are the nations and the peoples. They would have been anyone who was not from Israel. Which is to say the entire world. The nations as a whole and then personally, individual people. If I gave you a map you would see countless nations surrounding Israel. You have Israel and a multitude of nations. Every single nation this psalm says plots against Yahweh. Not only are they plotting but they rage. They rage against Yahweh. They are in an uproar. They are angry. To be honest with you, they hate God.

Romans 1:30

says men are haters of God.

They hate God.

They are restless ragers against God.

The scheming and plotting against Yahweh is to free themselves from Yahweh’s rule. (v. 3)

They might be angry with God and plot against God, but the Bible says their plotting is in vain.

Useless. It wont work. Foolish. It is an attempt that will never succeed.

I like how soon as this Psalm starts it says the plots and scheming of man is in vain.

Whatever they try to do, everything that you are about to read about, know from the outset, it is in vain. It is a failed mission.

Illustration: It’s like training for something, for years. Countless hours, and days put into something. Very costly sacrifices have been made for your future competition. If only you knew that it was in vain.

That is what it is for men who seek to overthrow and plot against God-it is in vain.

Like a hole in a bag, it will only fall through.

Their plotting is in vain and they even collaborate with one another against God.

v. 2

The kings of the earth set themselves,

and the rulers take counsel together, [1]

They have the same goal in mind, same ambitions.

Everyone who is not of God, they really think the same.

And notice they aren’t just finding a different way of doing life.

“They take counsel agasint the Lord and his anointed.”

You might here that sometime. People will say, “ok, that’s good for you.. If that works for you and makes you feel good about yourself then be a Christian, read the Bible.”

The bible makes it clear, there are two ways to live life.

By obedience to God, or in rebellion to God.

Jesus said, “If you are not for me then you are against me.”

Man is not neutral. Man is never neutrual.

They aren’t doing their own thing and God does his own thing.

They take counsel together agaisnt the LORD, and against his anointed one.

His anointed one is Jesus Christ. The ultimate anointed one.

What do they want?

They want to free themselves from all control and influence of God.

They want God out of the picture.

v. 3 says, “Let us burst their bonds apart and cast away their cords from us.”

At the end of the age there will be some who think they were Christians and finally meet Jesus and the Bible says the conversation will go like this,

“On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’

23 And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.”

These rulers and kings in

Psalm 2

would say,

“God you depart from us, we don’t want to know you, we want nothing to do with you.”

Leave us alone.

Lets burst their bonds apart, cast away their cords from us.

They think they are in bondage to God.

They think God is holding them back from enjoying their passions, desires, sinful cravings.

Let us stop God, we are tired of him. He’s a burden to us.

Do you ever think that way sometimes?

God is a burden?

Do you feel annoyingly restrained?

God is trying to restrain you from doing the things you want to do?

You know we all once thought that way before we came to know Christ as our Lord and saviour.

We had the same thoughts about God.

May we never think of God that way anymore.

Repent of such a thought.

They hate what God has put in place to restrain evil.

They hate the convicting conscious, so they ignore it.

They hate God’s word, so they deny it.

They hate the existence of God, so they believe he isn’t real.

They hate authority figures, so they rebel against it.

Does that sound familiar?

Does that sound like the world and the context that we currently live in?

The plot against God is real.

You see it in every nation; it ranges from the highest figures in the world, down to the common people like me and you.

They rage, their angry, they collectively come together and scheme of ways to cast away the control of God and his anointed one, Jesus Christ.

This is what you will always see in the exchange and relationship between God & sinful man.

The plot against God.

TRANSITION:

Lets look at the 2nd description. This is the Posture of God.

The Posture of God 4-6

“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.”

When men plot against Yahweh, what is Yahweh’s posture to this?

He laughs.

It’s comical to God.

I said it was a vain attempt, you still want to plot against me?

That’s humorous.

“He who sits in the heavens.”

The only one who resides in the heavens. The only one capable of being in the heavens and allowing access into heaven.

The only one who is above all things laughs at little man’s attempts.

All the continual conspiracies that have been aimed at God-God is unmoved.

His posture is unmoved, but he holds them in derision.

The Lord holds them in derision.

Derision: It is synonymous with mocking, scoffing, & taunting.

Like a childish threat toward their parent.

And though a child’s plot may seem like a silly joke, it is very serious to plot against God and then have God hold you in derision.

God might be unmoved, and he might laugh at man’s attempts to plot against him but that is not the only description of God’s posture.

v.5 Then he will speak to them in his wrath, and terrify them in his fury.

He laughs at them and mocks at them, then Yahweh gets serious, extremely serious.

Yahweh doesn’t just treat them like we treat fly’s.

You know what we do, shoe fly, and take a whack at them in hopes they go away.

No, Yahweh has a retaliation response.

He confronts them-

Directly

Personally

Swiftly

Fiercely

Notice too the bible says he will speak to them.

Speak

No obliteration, no fire and brimstone-yet.

He speaks to them.

When men in the Bible get in the presence of God, they are all together humbled.

It is as if they fall over and die.

The same is true when God speaks.

It is a terrifying thing, terrifying experience to have God speak to you in his all-out anger.

That is what you see in v. 5

“Then he will speak to them in his wrath, and terrify them in his fury.”

Yahweh speaks to them in his wrath, which is to say in anger-not gently-not cautiously, not timidly, in wrath.

This isn’t the hot-headed anger of some kind of uncontrollable father, or someone having road rage on i45.

This is holy anger from a Holy God confronting men who have continually plotted against him and sinned against him.

If God is this angry where is this anger of God.

Why hasn’t God responded like this yet?

For one notice the tense of the verb speak. Then he will speak; this is a future judgement. A future response from God.

Second, remember Jesus’ words in John 12:47

47I did not come to judge the world but to save the world.

Jesus’ first coming was a mercy mission, a salvation mission. His first appearance he came to save sinners his second coming will be like Psalm 2.

This is really a mercy from God that this hasn’t happened yet.

Everyday sinners meet with the mercy of God, because God has not fully spoken to them in his wrath.

This is the posture of God.

We have seen the plot against God, the posture of God, now we will see the plan of God.

vs. 7-9

The Plan of God 7-9

Psalm 2:7–9

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.”

The plan of God is to install his son as the one to execute his judgement.

When Psalm 2 would have been read the original hears would think the son would be King David.

The completed revelation found in the New Testament makes it clear who this son is.

It is Jesus Christ. God the father’s son is Jesus.

Remember Matthew 3

Matthew 3:17

Says,

17 and behold, a voice from heaven said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.”

Hebrews 1:5

Says,

5 For to which of the angels did God ever say,

“You are my Son,

today I have begotten you”?

Or again,

“I will be to him a father,

and he shall be to me a son”?

God the father has installed the son to be the one who executes his judgement on all who plot against him.

Also, when the bible says, today I have begotten you-this doesn’t speak of Jesus being created.

Jesus is God in human flesh, he was never created.

Colossians 1

says that all things were created through Jesus.

John 1

says that Jesus was with the father in the beginning of the universe,

John 17

Jesus said glorify me with the glory I had before the world existed.

When the father says today I have begotten you this speaks of Jesus’ resurrection.

Acts 13:33

30 But God raised him from the dead,

31 and for many days he appeared to those who had come up with him from Galilee to Jerusalem, who are now his witnesses to the people.

32 And we bring you the good news that what God promised to the fathers,

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.’ [2]

His resurrection, his being exalted to the heavens to sit down at the right hand of his father.

Jesus God with us, the anointed one who came from heaven to live a perfect life

and die on behalf of sinners who would believe in him

Rose from the grave 3 days later

Then ascended into heaven to sit down next to his father in an exalted position.

He has been given authority to execute judgement on behalf of the father.

That is the plan of God the father.

This has been the plan of God all along though.

In Genesis 3 the son is predicted to crush Satan,

Acts 3

22“Moses said, ‘The Lord God will raise up for you a prophet like me from your brethren; to Him you shall give heed to everything He says to you.

23‘And it will be that every soul that does not heed that prophet shall be utterly destroyed from among the people.’[3]

Isaiah 9

6For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us;

And the government will rest on His shoulders;

And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,

Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.

7There will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace,

On the throne of David and over his kingdom,

To establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness

From then on and forevermore.

The zeal of the Lord of hosts will accomplish this.[4]

Jeremiah 23:5

5 “Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, and he shall reign as king and deal wisely, and shall execute justice and righteousness in the land. [5]

The plan of God is to have Jesus as judge.

He is given all things to judge.

v. 8 says, 8 Ask of me, and I will make the nations your heritage, and the ends of the earth your possession.

And how does Jesus judge them?

v. 9

“ You shall break them with a rod of iron and dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel.” [6]”

The plan is for Jesus to judge them in a brutal, unrelenting, and fierce way.

This is the kind of judgment most people do not want to talk about.

It is the hard reality but necessary reality for all who have opposed and suppressed God for

the entirety of their lives.

To illustrate this

The command like a potter’s vessel dash them to pieces (kikelî yôṣēr tenappeṣēm) finds graphic depiction in the Egyptian execration texts. These texts illustrate the Egyptian practice of formally cursing persons and cities. The ritual involved writing the names of the person or city on a pottery figure and/or ceramic bowl, after which the curse was spoken and the bowl smashed.[7]

The plan of God is to install his son to judge rebels, break them, shatter them, and consign

them to eternal punishment.

Now, what is the 4th description like?

The relationship between evil men and God 4 descriptions are known.

The Plot against God

The Posture of God

The Plan of God

Now we see the Plea of God

Vs. 10-12

The Plea of God 10-12

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. [8]

The plea of God.

God is so beautiful. One of his charistirics that I have found to constantly shock me and overwhelm me is his willingness to forgive.

Really his readiness.

He doesn’t beg for us to admit our wrongs and sins.

He doesn’t need us to confess our sins for him to look more beautiful.

He’s willing and he’s ready to forgive people, anyone who is against him.

The mercy of God, the grace of God, the forgiveness of God, the plea of God is always a descritipion when it comes to his relationship with sinners.

Lets look at this plea.

It is directed toward leaders.

Kings and rulers.

There is no kind of person outside of God’s plea for them.

The rulers “top notch people” are usually the ones who are most in need of God’s plea.

And until rulers and leaders repent of their sins nations typically remain at a steady state of rebellion against God.

If a president repents and turns to God, if a governor repents and turns to God, a city mayor, judges, senates, if leaders repent and turn to God then you will see an increase in the standards of God beign upheld.

You will see abortion cease

Widows and orphans cared for

Families protected

The marriage seen as sacred

The support of the sexual industry go bankrupt.

Biblical justice will be seen.

The plea is directed toward the leaders of nations.

Specifically, what must these rulers do.

There are five commands given to them.

-Be wise (Reflect) Reflect on the seriousness of the situation. Be wise. Think through these realities that we have just read about. Use wisdom, have discernment. Reflect.

-Be warned (recognize) Recognize the warning that have been given to you. Be warned. Recognize that I am small and sinful, God is Holy, His son has been granted the authority to judge me and will judge me harshly if I don’t positively accept these warnings. Recognize.

-Serve the Lord (Realign) Serve the Lord, not yourself. Realign your allegiance to God and not to yourself or other idols. In all that you do, do in service to God. Realign.

-Rejoice (rejoice)-Celebrate his rule. Rejoice in the king of Kings and Lord of Lords. Take joy in God’s rule, not yours. Praise God who is worthy. Rejoice.

-Kiss the son (Revere) Kiss the Son. Revere God. Have Reverence for him. Kiss the son isn’t some kind of hug, a kiss on the cheek. It has the image of a conquered king bowing down in submission to the one who did the conquering. Worship God, Kiss the Son. Revere

Reflect, recognize, realign, rejoice, Revere-Kiss the Son les he be angry, and you

perish in the way, for his wrath is quickly kindled. [9]

The plea of God is a plea of the urgency for repentance.

In repentance is found all of these commands.

Conclusion

The plea of God is our plea as well.

It has been a constant plea of God. For those who are outside of Christ the plea is to run to Christ.

Those who have made schemes against God, schemed of ways to live your life without the control and guidance of God.

Those who have wanted nothing to do with God the plea is for you to look at Psalm 2.

Look at this warning, fear God and serve him by submitting to the Lord Jesus Christ.

Say you are sorry, for sinning against him. Turn from your old ways. Kiss the son lest he be angry with you.

Those are in Christ, Christians, rejoice in the sovereignty of your God, the full control that your God has. The nations and the peoples may plot but your God has everything under control. They rage against God and his rule, the odds may seem against God, everything looks dark and bleak-but God is in control. His son will one day judge the world, he will make all things new. And the son will reign supreme.

[1] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Ps 2:2. [6] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Ps 2:9. [7] Bruce K. Waltke, James M. Houston, and Erika Moore, The Psalms as Christian Worship: A Historical Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI; Cambridge, U.K.: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2010), 174. [8] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Ps 2:10–12. [9] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Ps 2:10–12.