Book One (1:1-40:).

Psalms 2:1-12

Reading:

Songs: Tis So Sweet To Trust In Jesus

Theme:

INTRODUCTION

B. Throughout the centuries there have always been those who have stood against the rules of society and encouraged others to follow.

C. It is no less true in the church. a basic understanding of the mind set of the worldly minded toward God’s will and God’s reaction might help us to avoid straying from God’s will.

D. The second psalm is clearly Messianic (predictive of the Messiah), but . The author of Psalm 2 is not explicitly stated in the Psalm, but we can know from Acts 4:25 that David is the author.

Body

I. VOICE OF THE WORLD (2:1-3)

Their Identity

A. Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing ... (2:1-).

KJV

1 ¶ Why do the heathen <01471> rage <07283> (8804), and the people <03816> imagine <01897> (8799) a vain thing <07385>? {rage: or, tumultuously assemble} {imagine: Heb. meditate}

2 The kings <04428> of the earth <0776> set <03320> (8691) themselves, and the rulers <07336> (8802) take counsel <03245> (8738) together <03162>, against the LORD <03068>, and against his anointed <04899>, saying,

1. The general answer to why “heathen rage and the people imagine a vain thing” is because the source of their rage and vain imagination - the devil, had stirred them up to oppose the cause of God (v 1).

a. heathen, Strong’s - 01471. ywg GOWY go’-ee; rarely (shortened) yg goy go’-ee; apparently from the same root as 01465 (in the sense of massing); a foreign nation; hence, a Gentile; also (figuratively) a troop of animals, or a flight of locusts:— Gentile, heathen, nation, people.

TWOT-326e AV-nation 374, heathen 143, Gentiles 30, people 11; 558 n m 1) nation, people 1a) nation, people 1a1) usually of non-Hebrew people 1a2) of descendants of Abraham 1a3) of Israel 1b) of swarm of locusts, other animals (fig.) n pr m 1c) Goyim? =" nations"

b. people, Strong’s - 03816. Mal L@OM leh-ome’ or Mwal L@æowm leh-ome’; from an unused root meaning to gather; a community:— nation, people. - perhaps the Jews.

2. Specifically it is “the kings of the earth” and “the rulers” are seen as those who cause the spiritual problems of the world, when they encourage independence from God, perhaps by the inappropriate laws they make (v 2).

3. In context the anointed referred to the messiah.

Their Purpose

B. Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords ... (2:3).

3 Let us break <05423> <00> their bands <04147> asunder <05423> (8762), and cast away <07993> (8686) their cords <05688> from us.

1. The counsel they took together against the Lord and his anointed was to break all allegiance to and control of God over their lives.

a. The effort of those who do the devil's bidding, knowingly or unknowingly, is to loosen the restraint of God’s word on man’s conscience.

(1) Such actions are the discouragement to all who seek to live godly but find themselves deceived into sin or lured into it with their eyes open.

(2) Such actions are the destruction of those without the gospel.

b. God restricts people for their own in their freedoms for their own good and for the good of other people.

c. Just as the government restricts us in our freedom to drive by setting laws that restrict us to driving on one side of the road only, in one given direction only, because if we just drove where we pleased it would create chaos, death, and destruction, so God restricts us that all might be equal and each might respect the other person, each doing only those things that are proper.

d. The common way that the world carries attempt to “break their bands asunder” is in the moral realm.

(1) In their lust, the wicked claim God's rules make people miserable and so they seek to be done with the rules God has imposed.

(2) When people throw off moral restraints, they take a stand against God, against his anointed and against one another, having no real consideration of the other person accept generally, what can be gotten out of the other person.

2. The Book of Acts helps us partially to understand the reason for ungodly rulers were in such an uproar toward God.

a. Following Peter’s gospel sermon in chapter two, thousands of people obeyed the word and rejected any other spiritual rule of authority, besides Christ and the church (Act 4:5-17).

b. The governmental and religious elite of that day did not accept Christ as the authority in matters of religion, much less as the cornerstone for salvation.

c. Instead they set out to thwart the plans of God and when that didn’t work they tried to quiet his apostles and then other Christians.

d. Both Herod and Pilate gathered with those who tried to destroy Christ, but, in so doing, they fulfilled God’s purpose which we understand from what the apostles declared in returning to their own, and evaluating the situation (Act 4:23-31).

e. They quoted Psa 2:1-3 as a fulfillment to the situation they had experienced.

f. When we are prohibited from speaking the truth or living it in our lives, let’s think of the Psa 2:1-3, the situation the apostles had experienced and determine that we will remain bold in the proclamation of the gospel.

Transition: It is not uncommon in the Psalms that the speaker changes without announcing it. That is what we notice in Psalms Two. However, it is obvious who is the new speaker. In the rest of the verses we are given a glimpse of the situation from God’s point of view.

II. VOICE OF GOD (2:4-12)

His Attitude: The Voice Of God The Father

A. He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh ... I set my king upon my holy hill (2:4-6).

4 He that sitteth <03427> (8802) in the heavens <08064> shall laugh <07832> (8799): the Lord <0136> shall have them in derision <03932> (8799).

1. In verse four given us is God the Father’s response to the outrage.

2. God laughs and derides the futile plans of men (vs 4; Psa 37:17, 59:8).

a. God laughs when men try to stop His plans because it is impossible (Ecc 1: 15; 7:13).

b. When people decide that they can live their lives without regard for God, they do what is so ridiculous that it is laughable (Jer 10:23).

c. Regarding the proclaimed atheist, the Psalmist wrote, "The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God (Psa 14:1; 53:1).

d. Children there is a God and you would do well to consider him in your thoughts and actions, in church, in your families, in public.

e. Young people there is a God and you would do well to consider him in your thoughts and actions, in church, in your families, in public.

f. Adults there is a God and you would do well to consider him in your thoughts and actions, in church, in your families, in public.

g. The Hebrews writer declared it is a “fearful thing to fall into the hands of a living God (Heb 10:31).

5 Then shall he speak <01696> (8762) unto them in his wrath <0639>, and vex <0926> (8762) them in his sore displeasure <02740>. {vex: or, trouble}

3. God’s intention (as it is even for us) was to speak to such people in his wrath.

His Method

6 Yet have I set <05258> (8804) my king <04428> upon my holy <06944> hill <02022> of Zion <06726>. {set: Heb. anointed} {upon…: Heb. upon Zion, the hill of my holiness}

4. God's intention was to depose those rebellious rulers and replace them with his own king.

a. He was to reign from Zion and crush the feeble declarations that the rulers had made (cp. Dan 7:13-14).

b. set, Strong’s - 05258. Kon nacak naw-sak’; a primitive root; to pour out, especially a libation, or to cast (metal); by analogy, to anoint a king:— cover, melt, offer, (cause to) pour (out), set (up).

TWOT-1375,1377; v AV-pour out 12, pour 4, cover 3, offer 2, melteth 1, molten 1, set 1, set up 1; 25 1) to pour out, pour, offer, cast 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to pour out 1a2) to cast metal images 1a3) to anoint (a king) 1b) (Niphal) to be anointed 1c) (Piel) to pour out (as a libation) 1d) (Hiphil) to pour out libations 1e) (Hophal) to be poured out 2) to set, install 2a) (Qal) to install 2b) (Niphal) to be installed

08804 Stem - Qal See 08851

Mood - Perfect See 08816

Count-12562

c. This king was one chosen and established by God, not men.

d. The place where the king was to have been established, was Zion.

(1) Zion could refer to two possible places:

(a) Zion is a figure of speech referring to Jerusalem (Isa 2:3, I Kings 8:1).

(b) However, the other Zion is the one where the king was established.

(2) This Zion was a figure of speech referring to the church of Christ (Heb 12:22-23).

5. In verse seven the speaker changed from God the Father to God the son.

Ruler: The Voice Of God The Son

B. ... I will declare the decree: the LORD hath said unto me, Thou art my Son ... (2:7-9).

7 ¶ I will declare <05608> (8762) the decree <02706>: the LORD <03068> hath said <0559> (8804) unto me, Thou art my Son <01121>; this day <03117> have I begotten <03205> (8804) thee. {the decree: or, for a decree}

8 Ask <07592> (8798) of me, and I shall give <05414> (8799) thee the heathen <01471> for thine inheritance <05159>, and the uttermost parts <0657> of the earth <0776> for thy possession <0272>.

9 Thou shalt break <07489> (8799) them with a rod <07626> of iron <01270>; thou shalt dash them in pieces <05310> (8762) like a potter’s <03335> (8802) vessel <03627>.

1. It was the Son of God who was to be set up as king (vs 7).

a. Jesus is the son of God (cp. Mat 3:17).

b. This passage is a direct prophecy of Christ,. (Acts 13:33; Heb 1:5-6, 5:5).

2. The Psalm described the extent and power of the messiah’s, the king’s, Jesus’ monarchy (vs 8-9).

a. Christ’s kingdom (the church) is over all kingdoms (Rev 11:15).

(1) That places Christ as Lord over all nations and all peoples (Acts 2:36, Rev 19:16).

(2) He will crush the unfaithful (Jer 23:29, Heb 4:12, Jer 18:1-11, Rom 9:20-23).

b. Christ will give to the faith to sit with him on his throne (cf. Rev 2:26-27; 3:21).

3. As in verse seven the speaker changed In verse ten from God the Son to another speaker.

The Speaker: The Voice Of God The Holy Spirit

C. Be wise now ... Serve the LORD ... Kiss the Son ... (4:10-12).

10 ¶ Be wise <07919> (8685) now therefore, O ye kings <04428>: be instructed <03256> (8734), ye judges <08199> (8802) of the earth <0776>.

11 Serve <05647> (8798) the LORD <03068> with fear <03374>, and rejoice <01523> (8798) with trembling <07461>.

12 Kiss <05401> (8761) the Son <01248>, lest he be angry <0599> (8799), and ye perish <06> (8799) from the way <01870>, when his wrath <0639> is kindled <01197> (8799) but a little <04592>. Blessed <0835> are all they that put their trust <02620> (8802) in him.

1. As with other scriptures, the Spirit tells us how to view these things.

2. The best thing any nation, any person could do, is to stop trying to declare themselves autonomous from God, by their behavior, and recognize that real happiness comes only when we put your trust in God (Rom 7:4, Php 4:4).

Conclusion:

To be blessed citizens in God’s kingdom, we must trust, fear and obey the Lord (vs. 12; Php 3:20-21).

Sources:

Wayne Plath, What Kind Of Fool

Doug McIntosh, A Psalm for the Discouraged, God’s Prayer Book:, Learning How to Live and Pray >From the Psalms

in charity through Christ, Raymond Wiseman