PSALM TWO
 

Psalm 2 describes in general, man's collective attempt to free himself, from the authority of the Godhead.

Verse one mentions two things concerning the evil of rejecting Divine authority and policy. It is given in the form of a question because from the perspective of the writer, the two expressions mentioned are totally futile and illogical. "Uproar" in the Hebrew speaks of a violent noise of rebellion. This is the creature elevating himself above the creator and considering himself independent. This is called creature arrogance.

The expression “devise emptiness” refers to the substitute policies put forward to replace God’s standards. These are the various expressions that come from religions, philosophy and politics which are designed by man to try to provide fulfillment and happiness in life.
But all of these fail as imperfect and inadequate. The result is still the same. Is. 57.21, "There is no peace, says my God, to the wicked." (Col. 2.8, 20-23)

Verse two describes the real problem with a one world government.
It is man’s distorted soul influenced by Satan, and totally antagonistic to the plan of God for the human race.

The kings and rulers, taking a stand together indicates organized attempts to unite in rebellion against God's design for order and stability in the world.

The phrase, “against the LORD indicates the ultimate direction of this
rebellion. LORD is actually the personal name of God which should be translated as Yahweh (or traditionally as, Jehovah), and here refers to God the Father as the authority figure in the Godhead.

The designation, “His anointed” refers to God the Son as the Messiah-savior promised in Genesis 3:15, and throughout the entire Old Testament. This is the Divine world ruler of Daniel 7:13-14, who will set up the government of God after the battle of Armageddon.

Verse three describes the attack on the unity of the Godhead in an attempt to remove Divine authority from over them. Any attempt at one world government has at its core, rejection or distortion of the true essence of God.  "Let us tear their union apart" is an attempt to undermine the unity of the Godhead through denial or distortion. This represents the religious organizations and philosophical systems of mankind that attempt to escape the authority of God's absolute standards of righteousness and divine morality.

Religion is man trying to relate to himself, the universe and God on his own terms, seeking personal merit and recognition for his efforts. And in many cases erasing God entirely out of the equation. Christianity is recognizing man's total depravity in the eyes of God, accepting the Divine solution and entering into a personal relationship with God on His terms.

The phrase, “and cast away their bindings from us" is an attempt to remove the hold that Divine authority and truth have on mankind. As long as man is under that authority and bound by that truth, he is responsible when he rebels and deviates, thus coming under divine judgment. Man is under Divine authority and has a basic conscience of Divine truth by natural design in his soul (Ec. 7.29; Rom. 2.14). When he rejects either, he is internally convicted and this produces a soul misery above and beyond the overt consequences of his morality sins.

Therefore, in order for man to be free from the natural conviction within his very core, he must totally remove Divine authority and truth from jurisdiction over him. This of course is impossible no matter how much he tries. Isaiah 29:15-16 puts our creature status in perfect perspective.  “Woe to those who deeply hide their plans from the LORD, and whose deeds are done in a dark place, and they say, 'Who sees us?' or 'Who knows us?' You turn things around (Lit - It is your perversion). Shall the potter be considered as equal with the clay, so that what is made should say to its maker, 'He did not make me.' Or what is formed say to him who formed it, 'He has no understanding. ' "

"He did not make me" indicates no authority over me.

"He has no understanding" indicates no truth or wisdom to which I am bound. No standards to convict me.

Verse four gives God's response to man's rebellion.

Divine sovereignty has designed a plan for the universe that no one can reverse. His omnipotence is not limited and His wisdom is not deficient. And since His total essence is perfect, He can only laugh at the rebellion of his creatures. It is not a cruel laugh. But a logical, matter-of-fact laugh expressed to those who having rejected His love, can now only face his justice.

Isaiah 43:13, "Even from Eternity I am He; And there is none who can deliver out of my hand; I act and who can reverse it?"

Isaiah 46:10, "Declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things which have not
been done, saying, ‘My purpose will be established, and I will accomplish all my good pleasure. '"

Verse five is the expression of Divine justice. It is Justice that depends on His absolute standards of righteousness and not on man's opinions and viewpoint.

His verbal rebuke is the consistent message throughout all of human history concerning God's character and plan.
Isaiah 46:8-9. "Remember this. and be assured; recall it to mind, you transgressors. Remember the former things long past, For I am God and there is no other; I am God and there is no one like me."

Even the witness of the physical universe itself, draws attention to God's power and Godhead.

Romans 1:20 - "For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and Divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse."

Psalm 19:1-4 - "The heavens are telling of the glory of God; and their expanse is declaring the work of his hands. Day to day pours forth speech, and night to night reveals knowledge. Their is no verbal speech, nor are their words; Their voice is not heard. Their line has gone out through
all the earth and their utterances to the end of the world."

And so God is justified in his judgment and the nations and kingdoms throughout history, which have felt His wrath in their eventual demise, deserved it. Thus, in the future, Satan's and man's greatest attempt will feel the same steel of God's sword wielded by Jesus Christ expressing the righteous wrath of the Godhead. Revelation 19:15, “And from His mouth comes a sharp sword, so with it He may smite the nations; and He will rule them with a rod of iron; and He treads the winepress of the wrath of the anger of God the Almighty.”

Verse six records the Father's statement concerning His plan.

"As for me," brings special attention to God the Father in contrast to the kings and rulers of the world. They are seeking to set up a one world rule, but God has already established His own ruler for the future, who will govern in absolute righteousness, justice and truth.

"Upon Zion, my holy mountain" refers to Jerusalem as the capital city of Israel, which also will be the capital city of Christ's one world government.

Israel is a nation created by God for a special function in history. Before Christ came, Israel was the recipient of the specific Messianic promises and the center of the Messianic message. Rom. 9.4

And in the future, Israel will become once again the hub of the world and the center of Truth and righteousness.

Verses 7-9 give the Messiah's quote of the Father in regard to his entrance into the world and his future status as king.

     The career of the Messiah is traced by mentioning three things.

(1)His incarnation: God the Son becoming man. John 1.14

(2)His victory during his earthly life and His Divine promotion to kingship.

(3)His return in judgment to rule with Righteousness, justice and truth.

It is His promotion to kingship that concerns us.

The Messiah was premised the nations of the world as his inheritance. But the actual reign depended on the success of his ministry on the earth. In his humanity he lived a perfect life of total obedience
to the Father's plan (the decree). John 17.4; 8.29
On this basis He was promoted to the status of a “king in waiting." This is called the ascension and session of Christ. Hebrews 10.12 with 1.13

This whole picture is found in Philippians 2:5-11

". . . Christ Jesus, who, although existing in the essence of God, decided that being equal with God was not a thing to be selfishly retained, but he emptied himself, by taking on the essence of a bondservant, being made in the likeness of men. And appearing in outward form as a man, he
subordinated himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore also God highly exalted him, and bestowed on him the reputation which is above every reputation, that at the reputation of Jesus every knee should bow, of those who are in heaven, and on earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."

Satan has temporary authority over the nations as indicated by Luke 4.6. And at the temptation of Christ by Satan, related in Luke 4, Satan actually offered those kingdoms to Christ prematurely in order to distract him from carrying out the Father's plan. Satan's offer at this time was to give Christ the authority, but then to establish himself as the sovereign of the universe, "If you will bow down before me." Luke 4:7.

This was just another attempt by Satan to establish a one world rule that would promote his own viewpoint and ignore the Divine absolutes of righteousness, justice and truth. But beyond that , it would discredit the plan and character of God and remove forever any possibility of Divine judgment being meted out upon Satan and his angels.

Verse ten is a warning to the nations to recover from their rebellion and to function in the world using God’s viewpoint and follow His policies. The command to “consider,” is exhortation to look at the facts of Divine truth, and “take warning” is a command to accept the truth that it is God’s justice that will evaluate and judge.

Verse eleven gives us the required response of the creature to the Creator.

From Adam to Moses, these representatives were called local or family priests and were responsible for passing on spiritual truth as they received it from previous priests or through direct revelation from God.  This of course included the messages of salvation through faith in the promise of a coming Savior as well as spiritual and moral standards for living here on earth.

From Moses until 70 AD, the representative was the national priesthood of Israel. It received from God specific rituals and regulations as teaching aides and had the responsibility of taking "the message of the Messiah throughout the world.

From 7O AD until the present time, the representative is what the Bible calls the body of Christ. All who have trusted in Christ as their savior are part of that body which is actually a universal priesthood.
The priesthood of the Christian church is responsible through its individual members to learn and pass on the claims of Jesus Christ. God has provided the content of that message in detail in the Bible.
The message of Christ comprises both the Old and New testaments and is a complete and perfect revelation from God of all that he has chosen for the human race to know concerning The Godhead and spiritual reality.

The basis issue of worship is summed up in Ecclesiastes 12:13.
"The conclusion, when all has been heard, is: reverence God and keep his commandments, because this applies to every person."

Fear God, is the attitude of respect and reverence for the authority of God. Psalm 2:11 reads, “worship the LORD in fear.”  That is, reverence, respect and proper recognition of WHO He is.

"keep his commandments" is knowledge and conformity to Cod's viewpoint and policy for every area of life.

In our overall context of one world government, the exhortation is to recognize and accept God's policy for the orderly function of the human race. And that policy is nationalism until Christ himself returns and establishes his own international kingdom.

Psalm 2:11 continues, “and rejoice with trembling.” The refers to the actual acceptance of Divine viewpoint and policy and the genuine inner happiness that results from following those standards.

Verse 12 is a general exhortation to the nations so they might go beyond creature awareness (humility) and enter into a spiritual relationship with God.
"do homage" is literally to kiss and refers to intimacy and personal involvement on a spiritual level. It means
to accept the person and work of God the Son as the Messiah Savior; The anointed one of verse 7.

The phrase, "lest he become angry" refers to the expression of Divine justice administered in time against rebellious individuals and nations. The ultimate rebellion of course, is rejection of Christ as savior. This will then perpetuate a humanistic, unbiblical, distorted perspective toward self, others and life in general. But a genuine acceptance of Divine truth which begins with personal trust in Jesus Christ will make available for that person, the viewpoint of the Godhead concerning all the issues of life.

"And you perish in the way," refers to an interruption of your normal life activity through some type of physical
judgment. In the case of a nation or kingdom, it would be administered through the 4 agents described in Ezekiel 14.12-20. Famine (economic deterioration), wild beasts ( symbolic for anarchy, crime etc.) sword (military setbacks) and plagues (health). This of course, is determined by God's perfect wisdom and timing.

Individuals usually suffer in association with the judgments upon their nations. But on a personal level, the law of natural consequences comes into play.
Psalm 1.4 characterizes their life as saturated with instability.
Jeremiah 17.5-6 is even more emphatic.
"Thus says the LORD, 'Cursed is the man who trusts in mankind and makes flesh his strength (security), and
whose heart turns away from the LORD, for he will be like a bush in the desert and will not see when  prosperity comes, but will live in stony wastes in the wilderness, a land of salt without inhabitant.'"
This is figurative language to describe an unfulfilled life filled with sorrow, regret and unhappiness.
Isaiah 57:21, There is no peace says my God to the wicked.”

“For his wrath may soon begin to burn," is a warning, that
communicates not only severity, but also unexpectedness of divine judgment.
God has His own perfect timing in which to express his perfect justice.
Psalm 37:12-15

From a world-wide and national perspective, human viewpoint interprets God's delay in judgment as God's inability to judge or indeed, even his non-existence. But this too is deception. 2 Peter 3:3-9.

"Know this first of all, that in the last days mockers will come with their mocking. following after their own lusts, and saying, 'Where is the promise of his coming? For ever since the fathers died, all continues just as it was from the beginning of creation.' For when they maintain this, it escapes their notice that by the word of God the heavens existed long ago and the earth was formed out of water and by water, through which the world at that time was destroyed, being flooded with water. But the present
heavens and earth by the same word are being reserved for fire, kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men. But do not let this one fact escape your notice, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slow about his promise, as some count slowness , but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to a change of mind.”       "

"How blessed" in the Hebrew means happy and refers to the inner peace and contentment that results from total trust in the person and work of Cod. First, from accepting His authority and then by learning and following his policy. It echoes the “blessing” of Psalm 1:1, “How happy is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, nor stand in the way of life of  sinners, nor sit in the seat of scoffers.”
See topic: happiness

Questions and comments are always welcome

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