Psalm 2: The King of kings

Lately a lot of folks have been asking me about the coming presidential election here in America. Every time I hear the question, I think of Psalm 2.  Actually, I always remember it in the old “Old” King James: “Why do the heather rage, and the people imagine empty things.  The kings of the earth take their stand and the rulers counsel together against The Lord and against His Holy One!”  This is what I hear in my head when I think about the election and the state of the world in general.  Aside from that, Psalm 2 has a lot of good stuff about God and His love for us:

1 Why are the nations in an uproar
And the peoples devising a vain thing?
The kings of the earth take their stand
And the rulers take counsel together
Against the Lord and against His Anointed, saying,
“Let us tear their fetters apart
And cast away their cords from us!”

He who sits in the heavens laughs,
The Lord scoffs at them.
Then He will speak to them in His anger
And terrify them in His fury, saying,
“But as for Me, I have installed My King
Upon Zion, My holy mountain.”

“I will surely tell of the decree of the Lord:
He said to Me, ‘You are My Son,
Today I have begotten You.
‘Ask of Me, and I will surely give the nations as Your inheritance,
And the very ends of the earth as Your possession.
‘You shall break them with a rod of iron,
You shall shatter them like earthenware.’”

10 Now therefore, O kings, show discernment;
Take warning, O judges of the earth.
11 Worship the Lord with reverence
And rejoice with trembling.
12 Do homage to the Son, that He not become angry, and you perish in the way,
For His wrath may soon be kindled.
How blessed are all who take refuge in Him!

Hand of GodWe don’t know who wrote Psalm 2, but I believe it was David because of the content and the associated time to the writing of 1Chronicles.  David had recently learned that God would not allow him to build the temple to house the ark of covenant (1Chronicles 28) because he was a man of war and bloodshed (1Chronicles 28:3).  Psalm 2 starts out by pointing out the empty pursuits of the kings of the earth and the open rebellion against God.  This is true today as it has been throughout history, but more importantly we learn a lot about who God is in Psalm 2.

The Psalms are rich in telling us about the attributes, nature and character of God.  One of those attributes that stands out here is the Supremacy of God, that is to say His position of being first in all things.  Verse 9 brought to mind Romans 9:21-22 in which The Potter has designed some for honorable use and some for common use.  God as the one who ultimately rules over all is to be shown reverence or ultimately He will break you.  Along with the Supremacy of God, we also see the Kindness of God and the Mercy of God (2:12).   Despite the rebellion of the leaders of people, God is still providing an opportunity for repentance.

Psalm 2 shows us the relationship between God the Father and God the Son in verse 7.  Here we see the Supremacy of Christ and the clear reference to the Deity of Christ (verse 12).  The call to “kiss the Son lest He become angry” is recognition of the holiness of the Son and His divine authority.  The writer of Hebrews points us back to Psalm 2 in writing about the Deity of Jesus (Hebrews 1:5) calling us to worship Him (Hebrews 1:6), giving recognition that the Son is the creator of the universe (Hebrews 1:10) and that Jesus Christ the Son, second person of the Trinity is God eternal (Hebrews 1:8).

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