This morning we're going to work through Psalm 2. OT scholars call Psalm 2 a royal psalm. And what they mean by that, is that it's one of the psalms that centers around some aspect of the Davidic kingship.
This is a psalm that's really important to the NT. It's read as being true both about Jesus, and the church through Jesus (compare Revelation 2:26-28 with Psalm 2:9). It's a psalm that can be read at a number of different levels.
Today, I'm going to try to read it, mostly as it would've first been heard. I'm not saying this is "the" right way to read it, or even that it's necessarily the best way to read it. And I'm not going to pretend to do any more, than scratch the surface of what this psalm means for us today.
When we look about Psalm 2 as a whole, it's a celebration of a new Davidic king taking the throne. The closest picture we have to this is found in 2 Kings 11:1-12. So let's turn there, just to help us enter into the mood for this.
11 Now when Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son was dead, she arose and destroyed all the royal family. 2 But Jehosheba, the daughter of King Joram, sister of Ahaziah, took Joash the son of Ahaziah and stole him away from among the king's sons who were being put to death, and she put[a] him and his nurse in a bedroom. Thus they[b] hid him from Athaliah, so that he was not put to death. 3 And he remained with her six years, hidden in the house of the LORD, while Athaliah reigned over the land.
4 But in the seventh year Jehoiada sent and brought the captains of the Carites and of the guards, and had them come to him in the house of the LORD. And he made a covenant with them and put them under oath in the house of the LORD, and he showed them the king's son. 5 And he commanded them, “This is the thing that you shall do: one third of you, those who come off duty on the Sabbath and guard the king's house 6 (another third being at the gate Sur and a third at the gate behind the guards) shall guard the palace.[c] 7 And the two divisions of you, which come on duty in force on the Sabbath and guard the house of the LORD on behalf of the king, 8 shall surround the king, each with his weapons in his hand. And whoever approaches the ranks is to be put to death. Be with the king when he goes out and when he comes in.”
9 The captains did according to all that Jehoiada the priest commanded, and they each brought his men who were to go off duty on the Sabbath, with those who were to come on duty on the Sabbath, and came to Jehoiada the priest. 10 And the priest gave to the captains the spears and shields that had been King David's, which were in the house of the LORD. 11 And the guards stood, every man with his weapons in his hand, from the south side of the house to the north side of the house, around the altar and the house on behalf of the king. 12 Then he brought out the king's son and put the crown on him and gave him the testimony/decree. And they proclaimed him king and anointed him, and they clapped their hands and said, “Long live the king!”
There are parts of this story that aren't normal-- but this, I think, is basically what it looked like when a new Davidic king claimed the throne. The king, and the people, would go to the temple-- to Yahweh's earthly house-- and there the king would be given the "decree" by the temple priests. This decree (same word as Psalm 2:7) was probably something like 2 Samuel 7 or part of Psalm 89-- it included the promises Yahweh had made to David to protect him, and bless him, and give him victory over his enemies. The priests would proclaim the royal descendant as king, place the crown on his head, and anoint him with oil just as David had been. Then everyone would cheer, clap their hands, and say, "Long live the king."
When we read psalm 2, we should read it as what comes next. Imagine this new Davidic king, freshly crowned, freshly anointed. The people are cheering him, and celebrating his inauguration. The king rises to speak, and the people quiet down. Then, this new king confidently, powerfully proclaims psalm 2. Hear this psalm, as the king's words.
Verses 1-3:
(1) Why have the nations/Gentiles been restless,
while the peoples are plotting emptily?
(2) The kings of the earth are taking their stand,
while the rulers have conspired together
against Yahweh
and against His anointed one.
(3) "Let us tear apart their bonds,
and let us cast off from ourselves their cords/ropes."
Whenever a king dies, or a nation transitions to a new leader, that time is viewed as an opportunity for that nation's enemies. The new king maybe doesn't have the same power base. He maybe doesn't have the same trust of the people, and the nobles. His military may not fight for him in the same way that it did for his father. It's naturally a moment of uncertainty for the nation.
The kings of the earth assume that this new king is weak. They know that the best time to attack your enemy is when he is vulnerable-- and they think, that time is right now. So they've been conspiring in preparation for this moment. They've decided that this will be the time when they free themselves from being under the Davidic king.
This will be their Independence Day.
But their conspiracy is not simply against the Davidic king. They are also conspiring against Yahweh himself.
Let's reread verses 2-3:
(2) The kings of the earth are taking their stand,
while the rulers have conspired together
against Yahweh
and against His anointed one.
(3) "Let us tear apart... their ...bonds,
and let us cast off from ourselves... their... cords/ropes."
The nations want to be free, not simply of Yahweh's anointed one, but Yahweh himself.
How does Yahweh respond to this? The Davidic king tells us, in verses 4-6:
(4) The One Dwelling in the Heavens laughs,
the Lord mocks them.
(5) So He shall speak to them in his anger,
while in his fury He shall terrify them,
(6) and/but I, I have consecrated/installed my king over Zion-- my holy/dedicated mountain.
A new king, in this situation, might be tempted to panic. But not this king. This king knows that he doesn't stand alone against them. This king knows that he has been enthroned by The One Dwelling in the Heavens. Yahweh looks down at these kings, and what is his reaction? Yahweh laughs. He mocks their feeble resistance.
And then, what Yahweh will do next, is speak to them in his anger, and terrify them.
Let's reread verse 6:
(6) and/but I, I have consecrated/installed my king over Zion-- my holy/dedicated mountain.
I think the way we are supposed to hear verse 6 as what Yahweh says to these kings in his anger. Yahweh says to these rebels, "I-- I have installed my king over Zion."
Yahweh, in fury, tells the kings that they are rising up against HIS king, and HIS holy mountain.
Verses 7-9:
(7) I shall announce the decree of Yahweh:
He said to me, "My son you are. I today beget you.
(8) Ask from me,
and I shall make the nations your inheritance,
while your possession, the ends of the earth.
(9) You shall shatter them with a rod of iron,
as a vessel of the potter you shall smash them to pieces,
Here, the Davidic king announces the promises Yahweh has made to him. Yahweh, today, has marked the king as his son. When Yahweh said, "I today beget you," it's not referring to the king's birth. The king is very obviously an adult, being given promises by God. This language is adoption language.
Let's turn to 2 Samuel 7:8-14:
8 Now, therefore, thus you shall say to my servant David, ‘Thus says the LORD of hosts, I took you from the pasture, from following the sheep, that you should be prince[b] over my people Israel. 9 And I have been with you wherever you went and have cut off all your enemies from before you. And I will make for you a great name, like the name of the great ones of the earth. 10 And I will appoint a place for my people Israel and will plant them, so that they may dwell in their own place and be disturbed no more. And violent men shall afflict them no more, as formerly, 11 from the time that I appointed judges over my people Israel. And I will give you rest from all your enemies. Moreover, the LORD declares to you that the LORD will make you a house. 12 When your days are fulfilled and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring after you, who shall come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. 13 He shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. 14 I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son.
Now let's read Psalm 89:19-27. These are Yahweh's words about the Davidic king, and his descendants:
19 Of old you spoke in a vision to your godly one,[c] and said:
“I have granted help to one who is mighty;
I have exalted one chosen from the people.
20 I have found David, my servant;
with my holy oil I have anointed him,
21 so that my hand shall be established with him;
my arm also shall strengthen him.
22 The enemy shall not outwit him;
the wicked shall not humble him.
23 I will crush his foes before him
and strike down those who hate him.
24 My faithfulness and my steadfast love shall be with him,
and in my name shall his horn be exalted.
25 I will set his hand on the sea
and his right hand on the rivers.
26 He shall cry to me, ‘You are my Father,
my God, and the Rock of my salvation.’
27 And I will make him the firstborn,
the highest of the kings of the earth.
So, Yahweh has adopted the Davidic king as his son. In Psalm 2, as of today, the king has a special relationship with God that he didn't before. It's changed. He is God's son. And God is his Father in heaven.
And as part of this sonship, Yahweh offers the king the entire world. Let's reread Psalm 2:7-9:
(7) I shall announce the decree of Yahweh:
He said to me, "My son you are. I today beget you.
(8) Ask from me,
and I shall make the nations your inheritance,
while your possession, the ends of the earth.
(9) You shall shatter them with a rod of iron,
as a vessel of the potter you shall smash them to pieces,
Yahweh will give the Davidic king the nations. Yahweh will give him, as his possession, everything up to the ends of the earth. All the king has to do, to receive this, is ask his Father in heaven. When we add verse 9 to this, what we see is that Yahweh is offering him victory in battle against all of his enemies. Any nation that the king desires, he can attack, and he will shatter them. He will smash them to pieces, as you'd smash a clay pot. Yahweh will give his royal son whatever he asks for.
In verses 10-12, the Davidic king then turns to address these rebellious kings:
(10) and so then, O kings, have insight.
Be warned, O rulers of the earth.
(11) Serve Yahweh with fear/reverence,
and rejoice with trembling.
(12) Kiss the son,
lest he be angry,
and (then) you shall perish on the way.
For his anger burns easily.
Blessed are all who are taking refuge in him.
The Davidic king has no plans to become an Alexander the Great, or Ghengis Khan. He doesn't plan to claim Yahweh's promises that way. What he does, instead, is warn these earthly kings. He tells them, "Have insight. Understand who I am-- I am Yahweh's son, armed with great promises. Don't try to throw off Yahweh's rule. Instead, serve Yahweh with reverence. Rejoice over his rule, with trembling."
Now, "it does not come naturally to leaders to serve-- indeed, it is a contradiction. How can a leader be a servant? But leaders have to see themselves as standing in a chain of command in which they are not at the top. They [ME: should] serve God, and thus they [ME: should] lead with reverence" (Goldingay, Psalms, 102).
In verse 12, the king adds, "kiss the son-- give him honor-- so that "he"--I think we should understand "He" as Yahweh.. . "Kiss the son, so that Yahweh doesn't become angry, and then you shall die. For "his"-- Yahweh's (?)-- anger burns easily.
Yahweh has a really short fuse, when people oppose his son. So if you are considering rebellion against Yahweh, and against his son, you need to understand the path you are taking. You need to understand you will be fighting Yahweh.
The psalm then ends with this:
Blessed are all who are taking refuge in him.
So picture the Davidic king, speaking to you, the Gentiles-- the nations. Each of you has two choices. Your first option is to rebel against Yahweh, and his son. If you do this, you are going to lose. You will perish. Yahweh is the One Dwelling in the Heavens. He is incomparable. He laughs at you, and mocks you and your feeble attempts at resistance-- and in his fury, He will shatter you.
But this isn't what Yahweh wants. Yahweh doesn't want you dead. If this is what He wanted, there would be no warning. There would be no chance to repent. What Yahweh wants, is for you to understand how his Kingdom works. Have insight: understand Yahweh's power and authority. Understand how Yahweh has given that power and authority to his son. Submit to Yahweh's son-- the anointed one. Serve God with fear, and trembling-- but also with rejoicing. Yahweh is a good King. Yahweh blesses ALL who are taking refuge in him.
I said I wasn't going to talk about the NT very much. But it's impossible to read this, and not think about Jesus, right?
We confess that Jesus is the promised Davidic, Messianic king.
And we confess that Jesus did what no other Davidic king did-- He claimed the promise of verses 7-8:
(7) I shall announce the decree of Yahweh:
He said to me, "My son you are. I today beget you.
(8) Ask from me,
and I shall make the nations your inheritance,
while your possession, the ends of the earth.
Now let's read Ephesians 1:15-23 (ESV):
15 For this reason, because I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love[f] toward all the saints, 16 I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers, 17 that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, 18 having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, 19 and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might 20 that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, 21 far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. 22 And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things for the church, 23 which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.
Jesus is seated at God's right hand, and he has authority and power over everyone, and everything. And this power and authority extends not simply to the ends of the world, but to the ends of heaven.
The surprising thing about this is what Jesus had to do to claim this promise. Jesus didn't gain all of this power and authority through war or violence. He didn't smash his enemies with an iron rod. He didn't shatter them like clay pots. Instead, he was the one who had to die. He was the one who was led like a sheep to slaughter.
For Jews, this is THE stumbling block that keeps them from giving their allegiance to King Jesus. They struggle to accept that Jesus had to die, to gain this power and authority. But it was only through death-- his death-- that Jesus could gain power and authority over humanity's true enemies-- Sin and Death. It was only through his death that he could break the curse of the law.
For us, as Christians, how do we respond to all of this? How do we thank our king for what he has done for us? 2 Kings 11:12: We clap our hands; we rejoice; we say, "Long live the king!"
We serve God with joy, knowing that he is The One Dwelling in the Heavens. He is our anchor; our fortress; our shield. We kiss the son, in gratitude for what he has done for us.
I'd like to close by simply reading Luke 7:36-50:
36 One of the Pharisees asked him to eat with him, and he went into the Pharisee's house and reclined at table. 37 And behold, a woman of the city, who was a sinner, when she learned that he was reclining at table in the Pharisee's house, brought an alabaster flask of ointment, 38 and standing behind him at his feet, weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head and kissed his feet and anointed them with the ointment. 39 Now when the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would have known who and what sort of woman this is who is touching him, for she is a sinner.” 40 And Jesus answering said to him, “Simon, I have something to say to you.” And he answered, “Say it, Teacher.”
41 “A certain moneylender had two debtors. One owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. 42 When they could not pay, he cancelled the debt of both. Now which of them will love him more?” 43 Simon answered, “The one, I suppose, for whom he cancelled the larger debt.” And he said to him, “You have judged rightly.” 44 Then turning toward the woman he said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave me no water for my feet, but she has wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. 45 You gave me no kiss, but from the time I came in she has not ceased to kiss my feet. 46 You did not anoint my head with oil, but she has anointed my feet with ointment. 47 Therefore I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven—for she loved much. But he who is forgiven little, loves little.” 48 And he said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.” 49 Then those who were at table with him began to say among[h] themselves, “Who is this, who even forgives sins?” 50 And he said to the woman, “Your faith/allegiance has saved you; go in peace.”
When we read this story, we see ourselves. Right? We kiss the son's feet, in thankfulness. We are grateful that Jesus has forgiven us. We commit to Jesus, as our king. And we go through life, at peace with God, and his Son.
Go in peace.
Translation:
(1) Why have the nations/Gentiles been restless,
while the peoples are plotting emptily?
(2) The kings of the earth are taking their stand,
while the rulers have conspired together
against Yahweh
and against His anointed one.
(3) "Let us tear apart their bonds,
and let us cast off from ourselves their cords/ropes."
(4) The One Dwelling in the Heavens laughs,
the Lord mocks them.
(5) So He shall speak to them in his anger,
while in his fury He shall terrify them,
(6) but I, I have consecrated/installed my king over Zion-- the mountain of my holiness.
(7) I shall announce the decree of Yahweh:
He said to me, "My son you are. I today beget you.
(8) Ask from me,
and I shall make the nations your inheritance,
while your possession, the ends of the earth.
(9) You shall shatter them with a rod of iron,
as a vessel of the potter you shall smash them to pieces,
(10) and so then, O kings, have insight.
Be warned, O rulers of the earth.
(11) Serve Yahweh with fear/reverence,
and rejoice with trembling.
(12) Kiss the son,
lest he be angry,
and (then) you shall perish on the way.
For his anger burns easily.
Blessed are all who are taking refuge in him.
