A Prayer Through Psalms: Chapter 2

Psalm 2

1  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.”

4 He who sits in the heavens laughs;

   the Lord holds them in derision.

5 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.”

7 I will tell of the decree:

The Lord said to me, “You are my Son;

   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.”

10 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.

In this Psalm we have a theme of kings which are contrasted among each other. We have wicked kings, heavenly kings, and wise kings. Keep these different kings and contrasts in mind as we continue to analyze the Psalm commonly ascribed to david.

2:2- The political leaders of the world are gathering the nations together in order to declare war on "the anointed" which refers to the current King of Israel and Jesus Christ, the King of kings.

2:3- "Burst their bonds" is a metaphor for rebelling against the "anointed".

2:4-6- God does not recognize the authority and underwhelming power of the Rebels and responds by installing a "King on Zion (heaven)" who will be triumphant. While the Psalmist is most likely referring to an earthly king, the parallels to our Savior are uncanny. It's verses like these which remind us that the Bible truly is the inspired word of God.

2:7- "Son" also referring to a Davidic king and Christ at the same time. Jesus Christ was a direct descendant of David.

2:9- God used the Israelites to bring destruction upon the "rebels" in the same way Christ brought destruction to the power of sin.

2:12- To kiss the Son is to submit to a higher authority. The wise king submits to the King above all kings out of reverence to His power.

My prayer is that we will live our lives understanding the almighty power of the Son of God and submit to Him as the Wise kings do. I pray that we fully contrast the power of the earthly rebels to the Heavenly King and give our respect and praise to the one who deserves it above all else. Amen.