Psalm 2

(THE MESSIAH’S TRIUMPH AND KINGDOM)

Introduction:

This is our first Messianic Psalm and is one of at least ten, there are others that show the Messianic Age or Rule of our Redeemer, the blessed Lord Jesus Christ. The whole  thrust of the Holy Bible is to show man that he is fallen, that God has given us a way back into His presence for all eternity through His only begotten Son, and so the Law, the prophets and the Writings (the major part being the Book of Psalms) all point to Him as the only way of Salvation for all on this planet we call Earth.

Proposition:

Psalm 2 then presents to us a Cosmic Crisis and yet where we read of how –

God the Father speaks – in verses 1-6.

The Son of God speaks – in verses 7-9 and then

The Spirit of God speaks – in verses 10-12 we can see that

Mankind then to this day, for the better part rejects God’s only way of salvation (see John 3:16 and John 14:6). We simply see that the flesh just justifies the flesh in rejecting God’s way and man continuing to go his own way. This is why we saw in Psalm 1 how God shows us two types of men, one of them is righteous and recognises God’s sovereignty in his life. The other however, rejects God’s sovereignty and wishes to lead his life in an ungodly way, it is not a matter of ‘Thy will be done’ as our Lord professed in the Garden of Gethsemane, but my will be done. They echo the famous song sung by Frank Sinatra – ‘I did it my way!’

Body of Teaching:

We can break this Psalm done into three main parts:-

The Division of Mankind.

Here we see the heathen, the peoples of this world, their kings, their rulers and their judges in verses 1, 2 and 10. This because of their rebellious ways brings about –

The Derision of God.

We can see this in just one verse – ‘He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh.’ – v4.

It is futile to ‘kick against the goads’ as a young Pharisee called Shau’l shel Taursus (Saul of Taursus) who became His Lord’s great Apostle to the Gentiles after having gone to the Jew first. Saul is known to the Church as Paul, the gentile equivalent.

It is interesting to note that Paul was a Jew by birth, education and nationality, a Roman citizen by right but also understood Greek thinking and used all three in his apostleship to show that there is only one type of person – those who are ‘born again’ of the Spirit of God taken from Jew and Gentile (the only two classes of people God sees. (cf 1 Corinthians 10:32 ‘Give no offence, either to the Jews or to the Greeks or to the church of God.’) This is of course the Church but also foreknown as the House of God as Isaiah writes for the Lord and us in Isaiah 56:7b “for My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations.” It is then, all about the one new man that Paul writes of and explains about in Ephesians chapter 2 verses 11 to 19.

The Decision of the Penitent.

‘to put their trust in Him’ – verse 12.

Here is the right way, once our spiritual blindness is removed by the Spirit of God, then we realise that we are all sinners separated from God by our sins and so we become like the penitent thief and call Jesus ‘Lord,’ and ask to be remembered for the Kingdom that is to come. It is all about confessing and then consecrating ourselves and we do this by putting our trust in Him. By walking in holiness of life, the sanctification process is a daily one, we are to pick up our own cross, having died to self and to then follow Him on the pathway to life eternal.

Let us now look at Psalm 2 a little deeper and exegete (open up) the verses so that no one is without excuse!

PSALM 2.

(Psalm 2:1) Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing?

(Psalm 2:2) The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD, and against His Anointed, saying,

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

(Psalm 2:4) He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the Lord shall have them in derision.

(Psalm 2:5) Then shall He speak unto them in his wrath, and vex them in His sore displeasure.

(Psalm 2:6) Yet have I set My king upon My holy hill of Zion.

(Psalm 2:7) I will declare the decree: the LORD hath said unto Me, Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee.

(Psalm 2:8) Ask of me, and I shall give Thee the heathen for Thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession.

(Psalm 2:9) Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; Thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel.

(Psalm 2:10) Be wise now therefore, O ye kings: be instructed, ye judges of the earth.

(Psalm 2:11) Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling.

(Psalm 2:12) Kiss the Son, lest He be angry, and ye perish from the way, when His wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all they that put their trust in Him.

The peoples, tongues and nations are in view here as verse 1 clearly shows.

What is of interest is in verse 2 in that we see the human failing of all – the sinful nature and it is the leaders of the whole earth that want to come against the commandments of the Lord and His Anointed One, this of course is the Messiah. The Hebrew word Moshiach means Anointed One. So this verse was future and was prophetically fulfilled in Messiah Yeshua/Jesus.

Verse 3 shows the freewill choice of those who do not wish to obey God’s Word.

Verse 4 shows us God’s righteous response.

Verse 5 shows us God’s righteous judgement.

Verse 6 then declares the act of God within His plan of salvation for all.

This could have been King David were it not for the next verse where:

Verse 7 teaches that God has a Son (and revealed as the Angel of the Lord in our previous study) whose days are of eternity as Micah 5:2 teaches and which also shows the birthplace of Messiah, fulfilled by Yeshua/Jesus. The beginning of verse 7 does indeed show us David who declares the degree of the Lord so he is not writing of himself as the grammar shows.

We may note that this Psalm is attributed to David as the writer in Acts 4:25 states and is called the second Psalm in Acts 13:33.

Verse 8 now shows us the inheritance of God’s anointed One, the Messiah and Son of God who will rule the nations which many other passages of scripture confirm. David is never promised anywhere that he will have rule over all the peoples of the earth. Let us note the verse states – the uttermost parts of the earth for Thy possession. This is for the Messiah and Son of God alone. This is clear English or Hebrew in the original written form.

Verse 9 teaches that this will ultimately come through His return at the battle of Armageddon but until then those who submit freely are received.

Verses 10 and 11 shows this, in that the reader or hearer is asked to be wise and to obey.

Verse 12 is the crowning verse in several ways –

(Psalm 2:12) Kiss the Son, lest He be angry, and ye perish from the way, when His wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all they that put their trust in Him.

Conclusion:

1) We are to show homage to the Son and a kiss upon the hand shows submission and love. We are to love the Lord our God and then our neighbour as our self.

2) Rebellion would bring everlasting punishment and separation from the way. Let us once again note that Yeshua said He was, “The Way, the Truth and the Life.”

3) His wrath is that as of when He was the Angel of YHVH that destroyed the enemies of Israel and He is to do the same again in the future days as history repeats itself.

4) All those that trust in the Son of God are to be blessed. Those that believe on Him will have eternal life for He is the Resurrection and the Life. The Faithful and True Witness and the Lord of lords and King of kings.

Amen – so be it.

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