THRU THE BIBLE EXPOSITION

Psalms: God's Nurture Of The Inner Man In The Life Of Faith

II. Trusting God To Establish His Chosen Ruler Despite His Rebellious Foes

(Psalm 2:1-12)

I. Introduction

A. Scripture tells how many of God's messengers or rulers have faced rebellious foes, what can occur even today.

B. We thus view this psalm for its application both re: God's mortal chosen rulers and re: the Messiah as follows:

II. Trusting God To Establish His Chosen Ruler Despite His Rebellious Foes, Psalm 2:1-12.

A. The Davidic Covenant promised that whenever a king in the line of David obeyed the Lord, God would treat Him as His son, alternately chastening him for sin or blessing him for obedience to the Law, 2 Sam. 7:12-17.

B. Thus, as a royal psalm for the Davidic kings, Psalm 2 applied to all such kings, but ultimately to the FINAL Davidic King, the Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ (Bible Know. Com., O. T., p. 791) as follows:

1. Psalm 2:1-12, as applied to upright mortal human rulers chosen of the Lord to lead, teaches as follows:

a. The psalmist asks why do the Gentile nations (giom, Kittel, Bib. Heb., p. 977; Robert B. Girdlestone, Syns. of the O. T., 1973, p. 256-257) "throng tumultuously" (ragash, Ibid., Kittle; B. D. B., A Heb.-Eng. Lex. of the O. T., p. 921) and the "peoples" ('amim, Ibid., Kittel; Ibid., Girdlestone, p. 257), even the people of Israel, plot in vain, Psalm 2:1 ESV.

b. The kings of the earth set themselves and the rulers take counsel together against the Lord and His anointed ruler (Psalm 2:2 ESV), saying, "Let us burst their bonds apart and cast away their cords from us," rebelling not only against the ruler anointed of God, but thereby against God Who set him up, Psalm 2:3.

c. God Who sits enthroned in the heavens then laughs at these rebels, and "Adonai," the Hebrew word for "Sovereign" as Sovereign of the universe, ridicules them, Ps. 2:4; Ryrie St. B., KJV, 1978, ftn. to Ps. 2:4.

d. The Almighty Sovereign God of the universe then speaks in His wrath, terrifying the rebellious in His fury in saying, "As for me, I have set my King on Zion, my holy hill," Psalm 2:5-6.

e. The ruler thus chosen of God then speaks in Psalm 2:7-9 ESV, saying, "(7) I will tell the decree [of Jahweh]: Jahweh ["I AM," Ibid., Kittel] said to me, 'You are my Son,'" the legitimate ruler chosen by God according to the Davidic Covenant; "'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.'"

f. Thus, the psalmist warns the rebellious nations and peoples to be wise and be warned, Psalm 2:10.

g. Specifically, they should serve Jahweh (Ibid., p. 978) with respect and rejoice with trembling versus continuing with their current insubordinate course of action, Psalm 2:11.

h. Indeed, they should "Kiss the Son," an Ancient Near Eastern practice of paying homage to a ruler (Ibid., Bible Know. Com., O. T., p.792), for failing to submit to God's appointed ruler would bring them under the wrath of Jahweh Who had set that ruler in power, and that would make them perish, for God's wrath is quickly kindled in such cases of insubordination, Psalm 2:12a,b.

i. The psalm closes with the promise of blessing for all who take refuge in the Lord, therefore also for those who submit to the rule of His chosen ruler on earth, Psalm 2:12c.

2. Also, Psalm 2:1-12, as applied to the ultimate chosen Messiah of the Davidic Line, teaches us as follows:

a. When the Gentile Roman soldiers and the Jewish Sanhedrin opposed Jesus and crucified Him, Psalm 2:1-3 was fulfilled, for they set themselves against Him to reject His rule according to Acts 4:25-28.

b. However, at Christ's resurrection and ascension, Psalm 2:7 was fulfilled as He was declared to be the Son of God with power, a messianic title, Ibid., p. 793 with Acts 13:33 and Romans 1:4.

c. The Father at Christ's Second Coming will fulfill Psalm 2:8-9, 12c when He asks the Son to ask for His inheritance and brings Him back into the world to judge His foes and bless those who trust in Him, Ibid.

Lesson: When God sets up a messenger or ruler, He requires all subordinates to submit to that party's leadership.

Application: (1) If the Lord assigns us an oversight position, may we not retreat from performing our duties there or resign from the role just because we are unjustly opposed, but let God handle all rebellious foes, for He has a reason for having put us in that role. (2) If we are subordinates to God's messenger or ruler, may we heed him in God's role for him lest we face God's discipline. (3) May we all submit to and trust in the Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ, God's Ultimate Ruler of the world, that we might escape God's discipline and enjoy His rich blessing.