Kiss The Son

Psalm 2:1-12

Kiss the Son

Woodlawn Baptist Church

November 23, 2003

Introduction

A few weeks ago when we studied Psalm 1, you saw from the Scriptures that when you boil all of life down, all we are left with are the decisions we make for or against the Lord Jesus Christ. The psalmist showed us two ways in life: the way of the righteous and the way of the unrighteous, but then as we considered the righteous, again there were two choices: there are the wise, godly righteous and the unwise, ungodly righteous, or those who are saved but live like fools. In Psalm 2, the writer shows us what happens when the unrighteous are presented with the Messiah, and yet in spite of their unwise response, we’re going to see the Lord extending His hand of grace right up to the time of His return.

By way of introduction, there are three things I want to point out concerning this Psalm. First, there is some evidence in both Jewish and Christian traditions that there was a time when the second psalm was the latter portion of the first psalm. One of the evidences offered is found in the opening verse of Psalm 1, where the writer says, “Blessed is the man…” and then in the closing verse of Psalm 2, where he again says, “Blessed are all they that put their trust in him.” A second evidence is offered in Acts 13:33. Look there with me at what Luke writes,

“God hath fulfilled the same unto us their children, in that he hath raised up Jesus again; as it is also written in the second psalm, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee.”

I understand that at one time many of the ancient manuscripts actually said the first psalm, but as the two psalms were separated and numbered it was changed to say the second psalm. It wasn’t until just a few hundred years ago that the Bible began to be numbered like we have it today; so obviously some things have had to change as the numbering of chapters and verses was introduced.

Secondly, find Acts 4:25, hold your place there and look back at Psalms 1 & 2. There is no indication here as to who the author is, though when a psalm is unsigned it is usually assumed that David is the author. We don’t have to make that assumption here, for if you’ll read Acts 4:25, you’ll see that the writer was indeed David.

“Who by the mouth of thy servant David hast said, Why did the heathen rage, and the people imagine vain things?”

This is an obvious quote from the psalm we’re about to study. The third thing I want to point out is that this is what we call one of the Messianic psalms, meaning that it is prophetic in nature and is written concerning the Messiah who was to come. David conveniently divides Psalm 2 into four sections. First we’ll see the people’s response to the Messiah, second we’ll see God’s response to the people, third will be Christ’s response, and then we’ll see a very wonderful invitation.

The People’s Response

Verses 1-3 say,

“Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord, and against his anointed, saying, Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us.”

I think that Charles Spurgeon said it best when he preached this passage. He said that “we have, in these first three verses, a description of the hatred of human nature against the Christ of God.” Of course, the obvious reference is to those men who would act so violently and personally against Christ. Go back to Acts 4 and look again with me at verse 23. Here is an incident where Peter and John have just been released from the Sanhedrin.

“And being let go, they went to their own company, and reported all that the chief priests and elders had said unto them. And when they heard that, they lifted up their voice to God with one accord, and said, Lord, thou art God, which hast made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all that in them is: who by the mouth of David hast said, Why did the heathen rage, and the people imagine vain things? The kings of the earth stood up, and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord, and against his Christ. For of a truth against thy holy child Jesus, whom thou hast anointed, both Herod, and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles, and the people of Israel, were gathered together, for to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined before to be done.”