Psalms

How many of you feel overwhelmed? How many of you find it difficult to sleep at

night? Are you anxious, or worried or feeling a sense of hopelessness? If this is

you, today’s message is for you. And this is not to say that this message isn’t for

anyone else in here. Someday, when we find ourselves feeling any of these very

natural and normal emotions, I hope you will be able to remember the content of

today’s sermon because it will hold you and sustain through difficult times and

uncertainty.

You know, I think this is why, throughout the course of my time in vocational

ministry, there has always seemed to be a fascination with the end times. There

have been people who have said, hey we need more sermons about the end times

and all the prophecies that will be fulfilled. I had a phone call with someone about

a year ago (they don’t attend here), they have a study room in their house

dedicated to eschatology (the last things; the end times). They even had a figurine

of the seven headed dragon mentioned in the book of Revelation. And I will agree,

these things are fascinating and it should peak our interest. I encourage you to go

and study the book of Revelation. It’s fascinating. I actually taught a Bible study

here going through the book of Revelation.

However, here is what I want you to know. If your study of the end times is

motivated only by the desire to connect dots and make sense of it all and to have

it wrapped up nicely and neatly and tied with a bow, that’s the wrong approach. If

your fascination of the end times is driven by an anxiety that needs to be quelled,

that’s the wrong approach.

Here’s who you should look to if you are seeking a cure for your anxiety or

concerns regarding the end times…Jesus. Whether it’s your study in the book of

Revelation or the book of Daniel or Ezekiel or Isaiah, they all point to one person…

Jesus. And I say that, because no matter where we fall on the eschatological

spectrum, we can all agree on the fact that Jesus is returning, and He will bevictorious. That is where we find our peace and our hope. Today’s sermon is going

to be all about those two things. Peace and hope.

On December 17th of 2023, I preached a sermon called, “Peace in a Restless

World.” Just as people in ancient Israel looked around at the world around them

and asked the question, “How can there be peace?” many people today still have

that same question. And the answer then and now, has and always will be Jesus.

Our psalmist foreshadows this in our passage for today. Let’s look at the context in

which we will find ourselves here in Psalm chapter 2.

Psalm 2:1-3

Why do the nations rage

and the peoples plot in vain?

2 The kings of the earth set themselves,

and the rulers take counsel together,

against the Lord and against his Anointed, saying,

3 “Let us burst their bonds apart

and cast away their cords from us.”

Now, we have to remember that this is Old Testament Israel here. Israel was God’s

chosen people through which the promised Messiah was to be born. And here we

find that there are nations raging and plotting; against who? The Lord and His

Anointed. Throughout the course of ancient history, we have seen how the

surrounding nations have tried to wipe Israel off the face of the earth e.g. the

Amalekites, the Canaanites, the Moabites and the Midianites. And every single

time they’ve failed. It is safe to say that if one came against the nation of Israel,

they were coming up against God. That’s why the psalmist asks, “why do the

nations and peoples plot in vain?”

And then he goes on to say that these rulers and kings come together in a little

huddle and plot out their plans against God. There is nothing more vain than that.

And I want to draw our attention to something else here in verse 2. Who is his

Anointed? Some scholars seem to think that it is talking about King Solomon or

anyone whom God has anointed to be king over Israel. Others seem to think that

this “his Anointed” is referring to none other than Jesus. I believe the mostwholistic way to look at this verse is to conclude that it could be referring to both,

the earthly kings as well as the promised Messiah, Jesus.

I’ve heard it described to me this way. Looking at Scripture, especially in light of

the Old Testament in its relation to the New Testament, is like looking at a

mountain range. You see the peak which is nearest to you, but also the one

behind it in the distance. The existence of the one doesn’t negate the existence of

the other. And so a verse that we read, can be true of one thing in relation to its

current historical context, and also be true in another sense in a future context. A

5th Century BC Israelite may have understood it to be earthly kings that were

described here. The 21st century reader can, and rightly so, conclude that this is a

reference to Jesus. And I take time to mention this, because I had a professor in

college that did not like it when we looked at the Old Testament this way i.e. a

New Testament lens. For me, I can’t but help read through the books of the Old

Testament and find Jesus everywhere and I believe that’s the design because the

whole story from beginning to end, Genesis to Revelation is all about Jesus.

And so, we have these earthly rulers plotting against God and his Anointed. Not a

good plan. Even today, we see leaders and rulers striving to move people away

from Christian principles. There was a time in our country when it was the

consensus that God was our provider and sustainer.

In 1620, the Mayflower Compact was framed as a covenant with both God and

one another which affirmed their belief that their new civil society was under

God’s ultimate authority. It was this agreement that was the precursor to our

Declaration of Independence and Constitution. And so, the phrase, “In God We

Trust”, wasn’t just something our government thought of in 1956, but had been

the prevailing American sentiment throughout its history.

And I want to make one thing clear. No, I am not saying that The United States of

America is Israel. There are quite a few people who think so. But that would be a

great error. However, although we are not Israel, there are some parallels that we

can draw as a way to not only know what our Bibles are talking about, but feel it,

because it’s real.

Just as in ancient times, leaders and rulers were striving to take God out of the

picture. Today in our modern contemporary society, there are those who havedevoted their lives to taking God out of the picture. It’s no wonder why we see the

moral degradation of society spiraling ever downward. But I do not say these

things in order that we may be discouraged or worried or anxious. My purpose is

quite the opposite. Here is the truth that has stood the test of time and will hold

true forevermore.

Jesus is on the throne.

Our psalmist told us. All of these plans that go against God and his purposes are

all in vain. They’re nothing. Nothing catches him by surprise. So no matter the

circumstances, 2 millenia BC or today, Jesus is on the throne.

Here’s what the kings and rulers say as given to us in verse 3. “Let us burst their

bonds apart and cast away their cords from us.”

These people didn’t want to live by God’s statutes. Why? They perceived them to

be enslaving, to be under bondage and it’s something they wanted to free

themselves from? Sound familiar? There’s a YouTube channel that I find

fascinating. He’s an Atheist that was once a devoted Christian and he talks about

all the reason why he left Christianity. And he’s a kind man and genuine and I get

that feeling from him whenever I watch his channel. The reason why I watch, is

because I want to understand why some people object to Christianity or leave the

faith they once claimed as their own. It’s heartbreaking. I remember one

particular video, where he said that, once he left Christianity he experienced

something completely unexpected. For him, he thought life was going to get

harder and harsher but, in his own words, he says, “I felt the most free that I’ve

ever felt in my life.”

Here's the thing. When someone does this, they are only trading one set of bonds

for another. The cords which the evil men in Psalm 2 are referring to that they

want to be loosed from are the only bonds in the world where they would

experience true love, true peace, and true compassion. I’m not going to shy away

from slavery terms because that’s the terms that are used in our Bibles.1 Corinthians 7:22

22 For he who was called in the Lord as a bondservant is a freedman of the Lord.

Likewise he who was free when called is a bondservant of Christ.

Those who are in Christ, are his servants. We are his possession. And there is no

one else in the entire world that I would rather belong to.

These kings and rulers can be likened to little children. They don’t want to submit

to God, because they don’t like the fact that they have to stop doing things they

want to do. They want to worship other gods. The 10 Commandments tell us that

that won’t fly. When a child wants to watch tv all day and we tell them no, they’ll

throw a fit. To them, they at us and think, well they don’t love me. It is love, true

love, that knows what’s best for them that sets in place those restrictions. When

God tells us, hey, don’t have any idols, or don’t commit adultery or don’t do this

or that, it is not out of a desire to exercise his power in an arbitrary way. He cares

for us and loves and knows that if we do those things that he tells us not to, we

will bring ruin upon ourselves.

Commentary

“To free ourselves from God’s restraints is to subject ourselves to a bondage from

which there is no escape.”

The idea that one can have true freedom apart from God in any era, is not merely

illusion, but delusion.

In the next section of our text, we see God’s response which I find fascinating.

Psalm 2:4

He who sits in the heavens laughs;

the Lord holds them in derision.

I don’t know if you’ve ever seen the ridiculous sport called slap fighting or slap

boxing. Two opponents stand opposite of one another and they take turns

slapping each other in the face until one is either knocked out or can’t continue.There are some videos where one of them takes a huge swing at their opponent

and lands a direct hit. And you know what the opponent does? They smile. If I was

the one who landed the slap, and my opponent just smiles at me, I’m done. I’m

out of there.

What God is doing here is a much better and greater picture of this. People can

land as many shots against God as they want. It won’t phase Him. But the real

reason God laughs here is found in this word derision. It is contempt for what’s

being done. It’s not going to end well for those who go up against God. It brings to

mind Hebrews 10:31.

31 It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

One of the questions that one may have is, “how can God be capable of wrath

when He is a God of love?” How can wrath and love be worked out

simultaneously? It seems like one has nothing to do with the other. But it’s

possible. All one needs to do is look to the cross. The cup of wrath poured out on

Jesus while he took on the sins of the world, our sins, while he hung there on the

cross.

And it is only until we understand the strength of God’s wrath that we begin to

understand the depths of God’s love. It hurts me to see my own children in pain. I

cannot imagine what God must’ve felt when he saw His Son suffering on the cross.

And the cynical out there may be asking a very valid question. Why would God

force his Son to suffer like that? That sounds like child abuse. We have to

remember that Jesus went to the cross willingly.

John 10:18a

18 No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to

lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again.”

So, if you have a difficult time reconciling the wrath of God with the love of God,

just look to the example of the cross. It’s all right there.Psalm 2:5-6

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.”

Here, we can have in view (possibly) King Solomon. However, we cannot deny the

messianic language that we find here. We can certainly read this as God

establishing Jesus as King over His everlasting Kingdom.

Psalm 2:7

I will tell of the decree:

The Lord said to me, “You are my Son;

today I have begotten you.

What we see here is very similar to words used in an adoption ceremony in those

days. You are my son, and I will be your Father. We see a very similar phrase in

God’s covenant to David regarding his son Solomon.

2 Samuel 7:14

I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son.

With these words, there would be no doubt who God has placed in authority over

the Kingdom of Israel.

Now, we can see more clearly the direct connection to Jesus, as he was born

through the Davidic line. Jesus, the King of kings and Lord of lords.

In Acts 13:32-33, Paul says in his sermon,

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.’

Psalm 2:8

Ask of me, and I will make the nations your heritage,

and the ends of the earth your possession.

Again, looking at this through the lens of Messianic prophecy, Jesus’ kingdom has

been established and the entire world is under His authority. Therefore, what the

psalmist prophesied here in this chapter, has been fulfilled through the

establishment of Jesus’ kingdom and his enthronement seated at the right hand of

God. And let there be no doubt that Jesus is reigning right now, on His throne.

Recall when Stephen peered into heaven right before his stoning, and saw Jesus

standing at the right hand of God! I’m sure that Stephen knew better than anyone

else, that in that moment before he drew his last breath, that everything was

going to be okay. Why? Because he knew without a doubt that Jesus was on the

throne.

Psalm 2:9

You shall break them with a rod of iron

and dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel.”

Now this is some pretty striking language. And it’s meant to be that way. There are

a couple possible meanings of this that the psalmist had in mind.

In that time, it was a common practice for the inauguration ceremonies of kings to

have a ritual where the names of all the nations under their authority, the nations

over which he claimed sovereignty, would be written on clay tablets. The king

would then smash these tablets with a rod or a scepter signifying his power and

authority.

The common western way of reading this verse would make it difficult for one to

arrive at the same conclusion the psalmist had in mind without the proper

context. Verse 9 is merely a continuation of the theme presented in the previous

verses, that the King that God has established is given all authority and no one will

be able to stand against Him. But make no mistake, if one were to come up againstGod or His Anointed, he is no better off than those tablets that were turned to

dust.

The last section of this chapter ends on a positive and hopeful note. Up to this

point, it’s been pretty heavy. As God desires all people to be faithful to Him, verses

10-12 gives the kings and rulers a chance to turn from their opposition toward

Him.

Psalm 2:10-12

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.

Blessed are all who take refuge in him.

I love the connection here between wisdom and fear of the Lord. Where have we

seen this before?

Proverbs 1:7

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge;

fools despise wisdom and instruction.

Proverbs 9:10

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom,

and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight.

If you want to be wise, fear the Lord. And it is this kind of fear that is one of

reverence. It is giving God the respect He is due. We live in a world today that is so

busy doing, relatively speaking, insignificant things compared to what God has

already done and will do. And we think we’re so great. That’s what happens when

we live in a culture that is turning away from God. We forget. And then humanityis elevated to a place in our minds where only God should be. We don’t fear God

anymore, but we should. And that is wisdom. The same is true for us today as it

was for those in our reading.

Kiss the Son. Pay homage to the Son. Respect him, honor him. If you don’t nothing

good can come of your rebellion. And the psalmist ends with this.

“Blessed are all who take refuge in him.”

Piano to play here.

This is true for the people of God, those who are already counted among the

faithful, and it is true for those who have yet to turn to Him. That’s our hope. Yes,

God’s justice will be carried out against the wicked, but He’s giving them a chance

to turn away from their wickedness. The promise of blessing is for the wicked if

they simply give up their old ways and follow Him. It doesn’t have to end in their

destruction.

This is a reality fully realized now in the Christian age (post-Pentecost) that anyone

who turns to Jesus, God’s only begotten Son, the Son of the promise, will find

salvation. This is an open invitation to anyone. There is hope for you still.

In this world we can have peace. Trust me, I read the news headlines and it’s

enough to make me feel like I don’t even want to go outside again. It makes me

want to guard and shield my children maybe even to their own detriment because

of the fear that can so easily invade our hearts. When we look around, yes we see

evil and it’s heartbreaking and gut-wrenching. But let us not be discouraged. Why?

Because we know who sits on the throne. We know that one day, evil will receive

its due. The wicked cannot stand in the final judgment. God will have the final say.

And in knowing that and believing that, we can truly have peace.