Psalm 2: Who is really in charge of this World?

This second  Psalm provides us with a  wonderfully God centered  worldview  for times  such as these, when the world   is  so topsy turvy, and so disparaging and opposed to the  kingdom of  the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Many   Christians are fearful as they consider what the future might hold, and as they ask, “Why do the nations do this?” 

General Observations 

This Psalm was written nearly three thousand years ago, probably by David the king of Israel. It is a Messianic Psalm. We know this because this Psalm is directly applied to the Lord Jesus Christ in Acts 4: 25, 26, Acts 13:33 and Hebrews 1:5.  In the book of Acts 4:25ff the church had only just come into being, and already she was being persecuted. Two of the leaders of the early church, Peter and John, had been arrested. They had been examined and   condemned by the Jewish authorities. They had been warned not to preach and teach in the Name of Jesus of Nazareth. Then they were set free and they went back to their church   and reported what the chief priests and elders had said. We are told that the moment that the church heard this, they prayed, and in that prayer they were   quoting Psalm 2.

Outline  

1.  Vv. 1-3: The opposition against the kingdom of the Messiah

2. Vv 4-6: The divine   response and declaration to the madness of the world

3. Vv. 7 -9:  The LORD proclaims the new era of the reign of the Messiah  

4. Vv. 10 -12: Advice is given to the kings of the earth to fear the Messiah

There is obviously a historical background to this Psalm. It is not easy to figure out what occasion David was alluding to. There is also this mysterious references to a king who was greater than David (see also Psalm 110:1).

The best answer to this intrigue is that even though David was describing something that was happening in his own day, he was speaking prophetically. By faith he was speaking of what was going to happen when the Lord Jesus Christ, the greater Son of David, would come into this world. The rulers of Jesus’ day truly set themselves against   Him, and by implication, against God the Father. And today the nations, peoples, kings and rulers do the same. The true church has always found she raged against in the world. The eternal relevance of the Bible is hereby confirmed. Something that happened 1000 years ago has relevance and application to the church born at Pentecost. And 3000 years later it has relevance and application to our own day. A situation that has occurred in past distant history is used to explain the present.  

I.                        Vv. 1-3 : The opposition against the kingdom of the Messiah

The Psalmist starts with a question, “Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain? 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.” (Vv.  1-3)

This is really MORE than a question. The Psalmist is expressing his amazement. "Why are the nations doing this“? This is what we ask ourselves when we look at our present world - when we see a world opposed to biblical Christianity! We are not talking here about institutional Christianity. We are here talking about churches and individuals that uphold the gospel and gospel values. We are talking about those who preach that this Messiah King, the Lord Jesus Christ, is the ONLY way by which a person will be admitted into the kingdom of God the Father- the Creator God. We are talking about those who uphold kingdom values NOW. The law of God is written in their hearts, and they will uphold it. 

They will honour God in setting Him apart as holy. 

They will uphold a biblical view of creation. 

They will uphold a biblical view of sin – and they will uphold the only biblical cure for sin. 

They will shun idols- even the idols of the heart. 

They shall not use the Name of the Lord in vain. 

They shall set aside one day in seven to worship God. 

 Parents will be duly honoured. 

They will uphold the biblical view of marriage. 

They will uphold the sanctity of the family. 

They will stand for biblical ethics.  

They will uphold the biblical view of human sexuality and of gender identity. 

Murder will be called what it is- a shedding of blood. 

They will uphold the rights of the unborn to live. 

They will uphold the sanctity of life. 

Adultery will be called what it is – breaking up another marriage. 

Stealing, the giving of false witness and covetous hearts are taken seriously and dealt with accordingly.

The nations rage … the peoples plot against this rule of God and His anointed One, because this world is a fallen world. It lies in the power of the evil one.   This is what   David observes. That is what the early church was observing and mentioning in prayer to God. This is the truth about the history of the human race. Mankind is always restless-always tossing, and never quiet. That is why the Bible sometimes compares the human race to the restlessness of the sea.

Isa 57:20 says, “The wicked are like the tossing sea; for it cannot be quiet, and its waters toss up mire and dirt.” 

While there are periods when life seems relatively calm, there are many periods when it is like the raging of the sea. The 20^th century was tumultuous – First World War; Spanish flu; Second World War. God alone knows what raging the 21^st century may bring!  

Covid 19 may be only the tip of the iceberg.

Our earth is a restless place.  

That is how it was at the time before Noah’s flood! 

That is how it was before sinful and restless Israel was carried away by the Assyrians. 

That is what it was like before sinful and restless Judah was carried into captivity in Babylon. 

That is how it was before Christ was born, and that is how it was before and in AD 70, when Jerusalem was destroyed! 

That is how it was   before the time of the Reformation. 

That is how it is today, in our time. The nations rage. The people plot. They take their stand against God and His Messiah.   

This restless human sea is committed to tear apart the safety cords designed by God for our respective societies. Hardly anything that the Bible holds as sacred is sacred any longer. We have already observed that everything designed by God for our good is being raged at. It is plotted against by substituting the good order and the boundaries that the gospel creates, with cheap and deadly substitutes for the satisfaction that we should find in our relationship with God and God ordained human relationships.

But, …“the peoples plot in vain“  -  the kings  - the rulers  -  the wise men  of this world  - the leaders of society - the politicians, the educationalists, the philosophers, the newspapers, the social media  and other  opinion makers. You are aware of all these - what are they doing? 

They are mostly devising futile and empty schemes to cure this world’s ills.

They don’t like gospel solutions! 

They tell Bible believing Christians that their religion promotes hate-speech, stifles freedom of choice and stands against scientific thinking.   This is absolutely not true. Biblical Christianity commands us to speak the truth in love. Biblical Christianity has freed many peoples from dark oppression. Many Christians have been at the forefront of scientific discoveries.  This idea that we can live a happy and a good and a full life without God, and in defiance of His teaching, it is sheer madness. It is vanity! (Ecclesiastes)

II.                     Vv. 4-6 : The question: What does God think of this?

He who sits in the heavens laughs!  The Lord looks down upon this defiant world with derision, and not only derision, but with a great declaration of His almighty power:  5 Then shall he speak to them in his wrath, and terrify them in His fury   6 as for me I have set my king upon Zion my holy hill.”   

He will speak in His wrath and terrify them in his fury. All it takes is a little virus for us to understand that we are not almighty. We are not God. Every war, every pestilence, every famine, every disaster is a reminder that we can easily be shaken.

But that is nothing, when compared with the coming wrath that will take place when the Lord’s Messiah shall appear.

Who is this King set upon God’s holy hill?  

It is a reference to the Messiah. 

He is the One of whom the world in his day said, "He says that He is the Son of God - let's get rid of Him." And they joined together - they took counsel together, and they condemned Him and they nailed Him to a cross. 

They killed Him. 

They took down His body. 

They buried it in a grave. 

They rolled a stone over it and sealed it. 

They put soldiers to guard it. 

They said, "That's the end of Him, we've finished Him off!" 

But on the morning of the third day, God raised Him from the dead, and after 40 days He ascended into His glorious place from where He presently rules and from where He shall come to judge the living and the dead.  God says, “I have set my king on Zion my holy hill.  This is the God that the world is defying!  5 Then shall he speak to them in his wrath… - this arrogant world is under the fearful wrath of God! The Psalmist has shown us God’s reaction to all this   madness.  And God laughs at these little men that come with their ‘peashooters’ Him.

III.                   Vv. 7 -9:  The LORD  proclaims the new era of  the reign of the Messiah  

1. The resurrection of Jesus ushers in a new era (v.7). The  resurrection  of Christ ushers in the new kingdom of
2.  He is the ascended ruling king who has been given the nations as a heritage (V.8). In Revelation   5 & 7 we see the elect from every nation assembled before the throne. 
3. As for the faithless among the nations, a fearful judgement awaits them (v.9) He has planned a new kingdom in which there is no place for power brokers and self-driven men.  The true King of this world is the coming Judge who will deal with corrupt politicians and leaders.

IV.                  Vv. 10 -12: This requires a proper response. Advice is given to the kings of the earth to  fear the Messiah

1. Kings, rulers of the earth:  be wise; serve the Lord with fear; rejoice with trembling. Rulers are the key to how a nation is led. Let the nations learn to fear God by the example of their rulers.
2. Kiss the Son: Rulers and people of the world bow down to Him; own Him now, while He calls you to repent.  If you don’t do this you will   perish!
3.  Blessed are all who take refuge in Him:  Here is the gospel invitation and proper response. This is how we are called to live in this world. Under Christ’s rule and at peace with Him and with one another.