I'd like to begin tonight by asking two rhetorical questions. Generally speaking, do we see rulers and leaders in nations around the world today turning to the Lord in repentance? Are they desiring to seek His wisdom from Scripture rather than their own?
I think, generally speaking, we know the answer to those two questions, don't we? Well, I invite you to take your Bibles and turn to the book of Psalms. Psalm 2 complements Psalm 1, but before we take a look at that Psalm this evening, I want to review some important truths that Pastor Monroe pointed out to us three weeks ago when he began this series on Psalm 1. In Psalm 1, we learned that following God's Word brings blessing, whereas violating God's Word brings ruin. Eventually, God is going to separate the wicked from the righteous on the day of judgment, and we learned that Psalm 1 contrasts two different paths for individuals. The path of the righteous brings blessing, but the path of the wicked brings death.
Practically, he challenged us to ask ourselves this question, am I following God's Word? If so, the psalmist says metaphorically that we will be like a tree firmly planted by the streams of water that yields its fruit in the season. In other words, if we walk obediently before the Lord out of love for him, we will experience true joy and peace throughout our life regardless of our circumstances.
We will be blessed. That's God's promise to us. Look at Psalm 1, verses 1 and 2. Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers.
But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night. So we see Psalm 1 talking to us as individuals. Now Psalm 2 follows up with application to all the nations.
It is referred to as a royal psalm, like 10 of the other psalms, because the theme is the sovereignty of God, his rule over the universe, and points to our supreme king, the Lord Jesus Christ. It goes from the Lesser David through the Davidic dynasty, all the way pointing to the Greater David, our Lord Jesus Christ. Let me give you just a little background. In Acts chapter 4, we read that after Peter and John were released from the counsel of rulers and elders and scribes who were questioning God, they were Christ. It goes from the Lesser David through the Davidic dynasty, all the way pointing to the Greater David, our Lord Jesus Christ.
Let me give you just a little background. In Acts chapter 4, we read that after Peter and John were released from the counsel of rulers and elders and scribes who were questioning them for healing a crippled man in Jesus' name, they testified to their friends that the council commanded them not to speak or to teach in the name of Jesus Christ. But when they heard that, they lifted their voices to God and said this in Acts chapter 4, verses 25 and 26, Sovereign Lord, who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and everything in them, who through the mouth of our Father David your servant said by the Holy Spirit, Why did the Gentiles rage and the peoples plot in vain? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord and against his anointed.
From that passage we can deduce that Psalm 2 was written by King David. And in this Psalm, he strongly exhorts nations to abandon their rebellious attitudes and actions against the Lord and his anointed king. God desires rulers and leaders of nations to submit to the authority of his Son who will rule the nations with a rod of iron during the millennial kingdom. In fact, Revelation 19 and 15 says this of Christ, From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron. So follow along as I read through this magnificent Psalm, Psalm 2.
Why did 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. He who sits in the heavens laughs. The Lord holds them in derision. Then he will speak to them in his wrath and terrify them in his fury, saying, As for me, I have set my king on Zion, my holy hill. I will tell of the decree. The Lord said to me, You are my son, today I have begotten you. Ask of me, and I will make the nations your heritage and the ends of the earth your possession.
You shall break them with a rod of iron and dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel. Now therefore, O kings, be wise, be warned, O rulers of the earth, serve the Lord with fear and rejoice with trembling, 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 here in these twelve verses we see a straightforward, in poetic language, David gives us four clear scenes related to the revolt of mankind before God. Scene number one is seen in verses one through three here. It exposes the rebellion of the nations. Why did 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. We see here in verse one, Why did the nations rage?
David is expressing his amazement in the form of a rhetorical question. Why did the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain? He can't believe that the nations would say or plan something that's going to fail. Why would they do such a thing? He's expressing dramatic irony here by saying, Why did the nations bother?
Why would they do that? He's making it clear that the nations attempts ultimately will be in vain. They are agitated like the waves of the sea. In their anger they make all kinds of senseless noise.
That's the idea behind the word rage here. They react emotionally to God's sovereignty. When you think about it, kings down through the centuries, especially here in the Old Testament in that day, often considered themselves to be divine monarchs. Instead of turning to God and meditating on his law, as we learned in Psalm 1, the kings meditate on rebellion.
In fact, Psalm 24 verse 2 says, For their hearts devise violence and their lips talk of trouble. Why do they do this? Why have kings and rulers of nations down through the centuries done this?
I think we know the answer. Because of their arrogance. What's behind arrogance? The sin of pride. Why did Satan fall?
Because of pride. Verse 2, The kings of the earth set themselves and the rulers take counsel together against the Lord and against his anointed. The conspiracy he's addressing was a global rebellion against the Lord and his anointed.
We see examples of that throughout the Old Testament, like Pharaoh, the Babylonian Empire, what we've been learning in Esther, the Bedo-Persian Empire with King Ahasuerus. And then the Roman Empire, Herod the Great, and on and on it goes because man has always resisted God's authority. Notice their announcement in verse 3, Let us burst their bonds apart and cast away their cords from us. What are they thinking? We don't want to submit to a sovereign God of the universe.
No, we want to break their chains and throw off their fetters. They're expressing their desire to be free from the control of God. Instead of submitting to the Lord, they desire to worship themselves. How did Paul put it in Romans 1? Claiming to be wise, they became, what, fools, fools, worshiping and serving the creature rather than the Creator. But God, speaking through the prophet Hosea and expressing his love for his prodigal people, put it this way, I led them with cords of kindness, with the bands of love.
I became to them as one who eases the yoke on their jaws, and I bent down to them and fed them. The great shepherd looking after the sheep of Israel. Jeremiah, in trying to find one righteous person among the leaders in his day, said in Jeremiah 5, 5, I will go to the great and I will speak to them. For they know the way of the Lord, the justice of their God.
But they all alike had broken the yoke, they had burst the bonds. Man doesn't want to submit to the Lord. And yet we know from the New Testament, the teaching of the Lord Jesus, come to me all you are what? We can heavy laden and take my yoke upon you and learn from me for I am gentle.
And my yoke is easy and my load is light. Just the opposite. But here we see the nations rebelling, leaders rebelling, not wanting to submit to the Lord. Now in the book of Daniel, I'll give you a couple of examples here. We see Nebuchadnezzar come onto the scene and he was a very proud, as you recall, Babylonian king early on who made a golden image of himself and commanded everyone to fall down and worship him and worship the image, the golden image. And whoever didn't fall down was thrown into what?
The fiery furnace. The people did not worship him. But as you recall, God eventually humbled Nebuchadnezzar by removing his kingdom from him until his reason returned and he came to realize that the most high rules the kingdom of men and gives it to whom he will. His arrogant son, Belshazzar, followed in his footsteps and two decades later, after his father's death in 539 BC, we read in Daniel chapter 5 verse 1 that he held a great feast for a thousand of his lords and drank wine in front of the thousand. So take your Bible and go over eight books to the prophet Daniel. Daniel chapter 5, this is a good illustration of what happens when leaders resist the Lord. We think about Nebuchadnezzar and his humbling.
Now his arrogant son Belshazzar followed him, verses 2 through 5 in Daniel chapter 5. Belshazzar, when he tasted the wine, commanded that the vessels of gold and of silver that Nebuchadnezzar his father had taken out of the temple in Jerusalem be brought, that the king and his lords, his wives, and his concubines might drink from them. Then they brought in the golden vessels that had been taken out of the temple, the house of God in Jerusalem, and the king and his lords, his wives and his concubines drank from them. They drank wine and did what?
Praise the gods of gold and silver, bronze, iron, wood, and stone. Immediately the fingers of a human hand appeared and wrote on the plaster of the wall of the king's palace opposite the lampstand, and the king saw the hand as it wrote. Now what's going to happen here?
Do you recall? Skip down to verse 17. They called then and brought Daniel in to interpret the handwriting.
Notice what he says. Then Daniel answered and said before the king, let your gifts be for yourself and give your rewards to another. Nevertheless, I will read the writing to the king and make known to him the interpretation. O king, the most high God gave Nebuchadnezzar your father, kingship and greatness and glory and majesty. And because of the greatness that he gave him, all peoples, nations, and languages trembled and feared before him. Whom he would, notice, he killed, and whom he would, he kept alive. Whom he would, he raised up, and whom he would, he humbled. But when his heart was lifted up and his spirit was hardened so that he dealt proudly, he was brought down from his kingly throne and his glory was taken from him. He was driven from among the children of mankind, and his mind was made like that of a beast. And his dwelling was with the wild donkeys. He was fed grass like an ox, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven until he knew that the most high God rules the kingdom of mankind and sets over it whom he will.
Now pause there for just a moment. I want to go back to Daniel 4, 35, when Nebuchadnezzar did repent. Notice what he says here, which pertains to Psalm 2 about God being sovereign over all the nations. Nebuchadnezzar testifies, Daniel 4, 35, all the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing. And he does according to his will, among the host of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth, and none can stay his hand or say to him, what have you done?
God is sovereign. Nebuchadnezzar came to realize that. Now back to verse 22 of chapter 5. And you, his son, Belshazzar, have not humbled your heart, though you knew all this. But you have lifted up yourself against the Lord of heaven, and the vessels of his house have been brought in before you. And you and your lords, your wives and your concubines have drunk wine with them. And you have praised the gods of silver and gold or bronze, iron, wood and stone, which do not see or hear or know. But the God in whose hand is your breath, and whose are all your ways, you have not what?
Honored. Then from his presence, the hand was sent and this writing was inscribed. And this is the writing that was inscribed, Minai, Minai, Tekel and Parson. This is the interpretation of the matter, Minai. God has numbered the days of your kingdom and brought it to an end.
Tekel, you have been weighed in the balances and found wanting. Perez, your kingdom is divided and given to the Medes and the Persians. Then Belshazzar, notice this, gave the command. And Daniel was clothed with purple, a chain of gold was put around his neck, and a proclamation was made about him that he should be the third ruler in the kingdom. Interesting now, Psalm 1, individual, Psalm 2, the nations, Psalm 1, Daniel, blessed is the man who does not what? Walk in the counsel of the wicked. He will be like a tree firmly planted.
Daniel was raised up, clothed with purple, a chain of gold put around his neck. He was blessed even in the midst of this difficult situation. Ah, but Belshazzar, you rage against God. You resist him.
You won't bow to his sovereignty. Psalm 2, the rebellion of the nations, what happens to him? Verse 30, that very night Belshazzar, the Chaldean king, was what, killed.
Quite a contrast, isn't it? Righteous man Daniel, Belshazzar, judgment came. God is in sovereign control and yet the nations rage and want to rebel against him. Do we see those traits, beloved, in our leaders today in this world with the wars that are going on, the election season upon us here in the United States, people out for their own interests because they choose not to bow their knee to our sovereign God? Well this Psalm, David's making it very clear here, rebellions at the very core of the unregenerate heart. Going all the way back to Adam and Eve, as Solomon says, there's nothing new under the sun, is there?
Man wants to rebel and be autonomous. So we see the rebellion of the nations in verses 1 through 3. Scene 2 expresses the resolution of the Lord.
Let's look at those in verses 4 through 6. He who sits in the heavens laughs. The Lord holds them in derision. Then he will speak to them in his wrath and terrify them in his fury saying, as for me I've set my king on Zion, my holy hill. Here God laughs at the unregenerate. Here's divine contempt we see, or mockery. You're boldly shaking your fist against me in heaven, but such an attempt to take over is bizarre and insane that the Lord, notice, holds them in derision, ridicule.
He holds them. This scene in heaven should give us assurance that God is, as we sing, a mighty fortress is our God, a mighty fortress. He's unassailable by the forces of flesh and blood on a human level. Notice his divine laughter turns into fury. God's holiness makes him to judge sinners. Verse 5, he will speak to them in his what? His wrath, speaking words of burning indignation toward those who will not follow him. In fact, in Psalm 5, 5 David writes this, the boastful shall not stand before your eyes.
You hate all evildoers. Then David in Psalm 7 verse 11 says, God is a righteous judge and a God who feels indignation every day. John talks about that in his gospel, John chapter 3 verse 36. He who believes in the Son of God will have life, but he who does not obey the Son of God, the wrath of God abides on him.
He shall not see life. Notice in verse 6 we see God's response to man's insane attempts to overturn his eternal plans by declaring, I have set my king on Zion, my holy hill. Here he's declaring and referring to his chosen king, none other than our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. Notice he says, I have set him on Zion, my holy hill. Here's a clear reference to the holy city of Jerusalem, both in an earthly sense and a heavenly sense. In the earthly sense, referring to the earthly temple area in Jerusalem, as well as the heavenly sense, the declared throne of God, that Jesus is seated currently at the right hand of God interceding for us.
He has set him on my holy hill. And ultimately these words look forward to the return of Christ to earth and his kingly rule during the 1,000 year reign from Jerusalem as we see depicted in Revelation chapter 20 verses 1 through 10. Well that then leads us to scene number 3 here in verses 7 through 9. Here we see the establishment of the divine rule of the Lord, the divine rule. I will tell of the decree the Lord said to me, you are my son, today I have begotten you, and ask of me and I will make the nations your heritage and the ends of the earth your possession.
You shall break them with a rod of iron and dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel. Notice here in this third scene, as it begins, the speaker shifts. This time our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ is speaking. I will tell of the decree all that the Father planned and purposed in eternity past, Christ has fulfilled and will fulfill in time and in history.
I will tell of the decree. Here Jesus is speaking and here is what God says. God speaks, God the Father speaks again to his Son in verses 7b and verse 8. The Lord said to me, you are my son, today I have begotten you, ask of me and I will make the nations your heritage and the ends of the earth your possession. Here we see a clear reference to the Father-Son relationship in the Trinity.
They've existed from all eternity. Their essence is the same and it conveys that essential oneness between the Father and his Son. Today I have begotten thee. And these statements speak of his incarnation and resurrection.
We see that from the New Testament. Regarding his incarnation, Hebrews 1, 5 and 6 says, for to which of the angels did God ever say, excuse me, 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. And again, when he brings the firstborn into the world, he says, let all God's angels worship him.
Referring to this passage, Paul puts it this way in Galatians 4, 4 and 5, but when the fullness of the time came, God sent forth his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, in order that he might redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons. Speaking of his incarnation, today I have begotten you. There's also a reference to his resurrection.
Paul declares in Acts chapter 13, verses 30 to 34, he says this, but God raised Jesus from the dead 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. And we bring you the good news that what God promised to the fathers, 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. And as for the fact that he raised him from the dead, no more to return to corruption, he has spoken in this way, I will give you the holy and sure blessings of David. Powerful statements about the Lord Jesus, our great and supreme King.
Well that leads us then to scene number 4. God extends his invitation to take refuge in him to the nations, verses 10 through 12. Here the psalmist implores rulers to turn to the Lord and embrace him.
To come and embrace him before Christ's wrath is unleashed on them. Verse 10, now therefore, O kings, be wise, be warned, O rulers of the earth. Serve the Lord with fear and rejoice with trembling.
Kiss the son, lest he be angry and you perish in the way, for his wrath is quickly kindled. Are all who take refuge in him. Now there's six admonitions here by the invitation of God, which applies of course to all the nations and applies to us as individuals, as well as we saw in Psalm 1. Notice 10a, be wise, be warned, serve the Lord, rejoice in trembling. What does Solomon say in Proverbs chapter 1?
What's the beginning of wisdom is what? The fear of the Lord. Rejoice in trembling.
Fear God. Notice in verse 12, kiss the son. That's symbolic referring to submitting to King Jesus nations, bow your knee to him.
Kiss the son, submit to him, lest he be angry and you perish in the way, for his wrath is quickly kindled. But blessed, notice how it ends like Psalm 1, blessed are all who take refuge in him, which is a fitting conclusion as we learn from Psalm 1. You see how Psalm 2 and Psalm 1 go hand in hand to individuals and to the nations. God will bless those who find refuge in him, whereas the wicked will indeed perish.
Judgment is coming. So down through the millennia, men and women have sought to overthrow the sovereign rule of our Lord. But we've learned from this Psalm that no matter how determined the revolt of depraved humanity may be, it will never succeed in tearing down the authority of our Supreme King. And even Pastor Monroe mentioned this morning in his message, Jesus said, I will build my church and the gates of hell will not prevail against it.
Nothing can thwart God's plan. He also mentioned this morning, too, and I appreciate it, you know, many people today, we look to the United Nations political leaders for their hope. But there is no hope apart from Christ. We recently, a group of us, took a trip to Pennsylvania and went to the Sight and Sound Theater to see the play on Daniel, and theologically they did a good job. And at the end of the play, as we read and saw depicted Nebuchadnezzar and Belshazzar and Daniel in that play, at the end of the play, one of the actors came forward and was very clear with the gospel to say, we want you to know that there is no other way to heaven but through faith in Jesus Christ.
And if you're here tonight, come down and we'd like to talk to you about that. And as a theologian, I was pleased to hear that, the biblical cry for people to come to Christ. Now, even though the context here, as we've seen, is directed to the leaders and nations as a whole to repent and follow the Lord, what are some things each of us need to consider in light of looking at Psalm 2?
Let me give you a few things to think about by way of application. In your Christian life, where have you sought to resist God's rule in your life? Is there an area in your life that you have not submitted fully to the Lord Jesus?
I want you to think about that for a moment. Is there a closet of skeletons somewhere in the attic of your Christian walk, a hidden sin, that you're resisting to allow God to be authority over where you've resisted Him? May I encourage you to repent of that, to follow Him as we see in Psalm 1 and 2, to obey Him in all things. Maybe some of you are here tonight, or those of you listening to me on livestream, ask this question, have you truly embraced Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior? Because as we see from this Psalm, judgment's coming. Christ is our Savior, but He's also a God of wrath, a God of justice.
And sooner or later, because of His holiness, He has to punish sin. Have you truly embraced Jesus Christ as your personal Savior to those of you who may be listening that maybe haven't truly bowed your knee, as Belshazzar didn't, to the Lord Jesus Christ? And as we approach this election season here in the United States in just a few weeks, how are you doing at praying for our world leaders? We as Christians need to spend much great time in prayer to pray for them as Paul admonishes us in Timothy's epistle. To pray for our world leaders, that they would stop rebelling against the Lord, to bow their knee and look to our Heavenly Father for wisdom and guidance, that they would truly come to saving faith. In light of that, ask yourself this question too, in light of this Psalm, who do I need to witness to regarding our Savior?
Maybe there's somebody in your life that could be a political figure as well, that you have not witnessed to. Let me encourage you to pray about that, and the next time God gives you an opening or an opportunity to witness, to do so, to take advantage of that. Let me end by a quote here from Spurgeon in another Psalm. We can take hope, as we've been hearing and studying in Esther, that God is in sovereign control and that we place our faith and hope in Him. Charles Spurgeon put it this way, what a great message to us as Christians.
Walk with God and you cannot mistake the road. You have infallible wisdom to direct you, and where do we find that infallible wisdom? Here in Holy Scripture. You have infallible wisdom to direct you, permanent love to comfort you, no matter what our circumstances are, and eternal power to defend you. It's interesting, Peter tells us to always be ready to make a defense for the hope that's in us, yet with gentleness and reverence. God will defend us no matter what, just like He did with Daniel in the lion's den, and Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, when Nebuchadnezzar threw them into the fiery furnace. But we see God's in sovereign control of all of that. Let me end with Psalm 18, verses 49 and 50.
David here is rescued from the hands of his enemies, including Saul. Take great comfort here to us as believers in Christ, Psalm 18, verses 49 and 50. For this I will praise you, Lord, among the nations, and sing to Your name. Great salvation He brings to His King, and shows steadfast love to His anointed, to David and his offspring forever. Beloved, that includes us.
We're the offspring. God is with us, and His steadfast love will always be with us, and we can praise Him among the nations. We as Christians have the true hope. The Lord Jesus Christ, in our troubled world, desperately needs a Savior. And Psalm 2, King David reminds us of that, that God is sovereign, but we have the hope of the gospel, that we need to be about His business, to proclaim that to the ends of the earth, that Jesus Christ is the great and supreme and sovereign King. So let's be about His business as a church body here at Calvary.
Let's pray. Heavenly Father, we take great hope from this Psalm, trusting in Your sovereign hand and rule of all the nations. And even though we see our world in such turmoil, we as Christians can take great comfort in what we've learned here, that though man rebels against You, we have the hope of the gospel. Help us as David invites the nations to repent and follow Christ. Help us as individual Christians in our neighborhoods, our workplaces, in our schools, or wherever You have us on this earth, to proclaim the glories of Christ, of our great Savior, as we sang, our great merciful Savior, the one whom someday every knee will bow and every tongue will confess, Jesus Christ as Lord. Help us as believers in Him to be about Your work to give hope to this dying world through Christ, for it's in His magnificent and holy name that we pray, amen.
