I want to thank my friend Dan Raymond for help working through this message through Core 52.
INTRODUCTION
- As we enter week ten of Core 52, we are in message two of the Singing the Sacred section of our journey.
- We have songs for all moods and occasions; the Psalms follow the same pattern.
- There were songs to be sung to prepare you for worship.
- There are songs of thanksgiving.
- There are wisdom psalms.
- There are even what are called the Psalms of Lament, which are Israel's version of sad songs; they are what they sang when they felt like singing the blues.
- They had all these different kinds of songs for all these various occasions.
- One of the things I enjoy about the Psalms is the raw emotion displayed by the inspired writers; no emotion is off-limits.
One kind of song in the Psalms might be unfamiliar to us: the royal psalms.
- The royal Psalms are, surprisingly, songs about royalty.
- They are songs about the King.
- There are ten such royal Psalms– Psalm 2, 18, 20, 21, 45, 72, 101, 110, 132, and 144.
- This morning, we want to look at the first of the royal psalms, Psalm 2, and how it fits in with the overarching story the Bible is telling.
- We're tracing this story by connecting the dots of 52 of the most important verses in the Bible.
- A couple of those dots we've connected in just the last few weeks have to do with King David and how not only was he Israel's greatest King, but God used him to point the way to an even greater heavenly king, the King of kings, Jesus.
- What does Psalm 2 have to do with prophecy?
- Psalm 2 is written by David, which is verified in Acts 2:30, where David is called a Prophet.
- Most Bible scholars believe that not only is Psalm 2 a royal Psalm celebrating the King, but specifically, this song was used at the coronation of Solomon, and following Solomon, this song was used whenever a new king was installed on the throne.
- What's significant about this Psalm and our core verse this morning is that it refers back to God's promise to David in 2 Samuel 7 where God promises to be a Father to David's son.
- Now, remember how in Bible prophecy, it can be like a picture where there's something in the foreground and something even greater in the background. In the foreground here is Solomon, but the greater thing in the background is Jesus.
- There are about 1,817 individual prophecies in 8,352 verses., which comprise about 27% of all Scripture!
- There are over 300 Messianic prophecies, 60 of which concern His birth and 26 of which concern His death!
- Jesus fulfills them ALL!
- Peter Stoner, in his book Science Speaks, calculated the probability of seven passages (where He was born, the fact He would have a forerunner, His betrayal, etc.…) being fulfilled by one man to be only 1 in 100,000,000,000,000,000—that's one in one hundred quadrillion! 3 Moore, Mark E. Core 52: A Fifteen-Minute Daily Guide to Build Your Bible IQ in a Year (p. 69). The Crown Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.
- One hundred quadrillion is an incomprehensibly large number.
- To put it in perspective, Stoner calculated this number to be equivalent to covering the state of Texas two feet deep in silver dollars.
- If we painted one of those silver dollars red and asked a blindfolded person to wander across the state and randomly select one of the coins, his odds of picking the red one are the same as the odds of Jesus randomly fulfilling just these seven predictions. Moore, Mark E E. Core 52: A Fifteen-Minute Daily Guide to Build Your Bible IQ in a Year (p. 69). The Crown Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.
- In the way one might uncover buried treasure, the prophecies about Jesus reveal a beautiful tapestry woven throughout history, foretelling the arrival of the greatest gift humanity would ever receive.
- The prophecies about Jesus are like riddles that only make sense once the answer is known.
- As we gaze back in awe at their fulfillment, we see the intricate pieces of God's plan coming together perfectly, bringing hope and salvation to the world.
- Let's begin with Psalm 2:1-3.
Psalm 2:1–3 (NET 2nd ed.)
1 Why do the nations rebel? Why are the countries devising plots that will fail?
2 The kings of the earth form a united front; the rulers collaborate against the LORD and his anointed king.
3 They say, “Let’s tear off the shackles they’ve put on us. Let’s free ourselves from their ropes.”
SERMON
I. The people's rejection.
- Verse one starts with a great question: Why are the countries devising plots that will fail?
- The text discusses Psalm 2, focusing on the rebellion and opposition against God's anointed, identified as the Messiah, Jesus Christ.
- It refutes the misconception that Christ's reign will bring universal prosperity and righteousness, emphasizing the ongoing opposition to Christ's rule.
- The passage is interpreted as a reference to God the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ, with New Testament references supporting this.
- It also addresses the ultimate judgment and the call for kings and rulers to serve God.
- The psalmist questions why anyone would conspire against God, emphasizing the futility of such actions.
- The rebellious nations are described as raging and plotting evil.
- Rejecting the Lord's anointed King is seen as rejecting God himself, with a foreshadowing of the Messiah.
- When you look into verses 1-3, you see the contrast between God's sovereignty and the futility of human rebellion against Him.
- Verses 1-3 depict the nations plotting and rising against God and His anointed one, ultimately the Messiah.
- Despite the nations' conspiracies and the rulers' plots, the Psalm highlights that their efforts are in vain.
- The idea of breaking the chains and throwing off the shackles of God's authority is portrayed as an impossible and ultimately futile endeavor because God's sovereignty cannot be overcome by human rebellion.
- Why do people rebel against God?
- Why is Jesus so offensive to people?
Consider the story of Jonah in the Bible.
He rebelliously refused to obey God's command and ended up inside the belly of a great fish.
It's a humorous yet powerful reminder of what can happen when we choose to go against God's will.
- Why do we do it?
- Why do people get angry when you talk about Jesus?
Imagine a rebellious teenager who constantly defies their parents' rules and authority.
Despite being given clear guidelines for their well-being, they choose to go against them.
In a similar manner, when we rebel against God's loving commandments, we are choosing to go against the guidance and protection He has offered us.
- As a parent, you try to do what is best for your child, only to have them plot and scheme against you; that must be frustrating.
- Imagine how God feels; His love is so deep for us, yet here we are.
- In Verse two, David speaks of the anointed King.
- These verses can be understood as a prophetic foreshadowing of Jesus Christ, the ultimate anointed Messiah.
- The nations' and rulers' rejection of the anointed one reflects the broader theme of rejection and opposition faced by God's chosen ones throughout history.
- David prophesies how Jesus would be treated; when we reject Jesus, we reject God.
Matthew 10:40 (NET 2nd ed.)
40 “Whoever receives you receives me, and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me.
- This is why any faith that rejects Jesus as the Son of God is a rejection of God.
- The enemy fools us into thinking that God is enslaving us when the truth is that in Christ, we experience true freedom!
- Let's move to verses 4-6.
Psalm 2:4–6 (NET 2nd ed.)
4 The one enthroned in heaven laughs in disgust; the Lord taunts them.
5 Then he angrily speaks to them and terrifies them in his rage, saying,
6 “I myself have installed my king on Zion, my holy hill.”
II. God's acknowledgment.
- The context of when David may have written Psalm 2 sets the backdrop.
- David has a son named Adonijah, who has ambitions for the throne, and he openly flaunts it.
- Adonijah gets a priest and one of David's favorite military commanders on his side.
- Then, he gets this armored escort to follow him wherever he goes.
- He's got his own motorcade, but he's not even King yet.
- Adonijah called together all the royal officials and family members except those who were faithful to David and his designated heir, Solomon.
- They then offer sacrifices and anoint Adonijah as the next King of Israel.
- And David doesn't know a thing.
- The prophet Nathan gets word of what's going on.
- He goes and tells Bathsheba, David's wife and mother of Solomon.
- They then go in to see David and tell him what is going on.
- David tells them to take the faithful priest Zadok, anoint Solomon as the King of Israel, and bring him directly to David's throne.
- So, while Adonijah and his supporters are still feasting, they hear this trumpet blast from Solomon's party on their way to the throne, declaring that Solomon is the new King of Israel.
- Solomon's coronation was a big celebration, and Adonijah's supporters now realize the jig is up.
- They run their separate ways, acting like they didn't do anything.
- Adonijah himself flees to the temple and clings to the altar, begging that Solomon spare his life.
- That's how Solomon became King and narrowly escaped a coup attempt by his own brother.
- God knew what was happening and stopped it so God's plans would not be thwarted!
- As God looks down and sees the rebellion, verse 4 tells us that He laughs in disgust, and the Lord taunts them.
- That seems like an odd response.
- Verse 4 of Psalm 2 reveals that even as mankind schemes and rebels, God acknowledges their efforts from on high.
- He sees the futility of their plans and the arrogance of their hearts.
- Despite their rebellious nature, God's response is not one of fear or uncertainty but rather one of sovereign control and unwavering power.
- God laughs at Adonijah's attempts to circumvent God's will.
- They plot and scheme in vain, just like Adonijah trying to steal the kingdom from his brother.
- All of his power plays mean nothing to God.
- But it isn't just Adonijah.
- What about the petty power plays in our own lives?
- How often do we try to position ourselves for the best advantage?
- We put stuff on social media to make ourselves look better than we really are.
- We take 10 selfies, but we pick only the one that makes us look good.
- Then, we crop it and apply three different filters to present just the image we want others to believe.
- We send an email to paint someone else in the worst possible light.
- Is this really that much different from Adonijah running around with his little entourage, acting like he's King when he's not?
- How often does God look down on our little games of oneupmanship and laugh?
- How silly is it that we spend so much time, energy, and expense propping ourselves up and saying, "Hey, look at me?"
- Let's finish with verses 7-9
Psalm 2:7–9 (NET 2nd ed.)
7 The king says, “I will announce the LORD’s decree. He said to me: ‘You are my son. This very day, I have become your father.
8 Ask me, and I will give you the nations as your inheritance, the ends of the earth as your personal property.
9 You will break them with an iron scepter; you will smash them like a potter’s jar!’ ”
III. God's response.
- Verse seven goes back to God's promise to David in our David and Jesus sermon.
- This is God fulfilling his promise, in part, to David.
- I am becoming the Father to your son. I am making him my son.
- The phrasing here is very similar to the phrasing used in an ancient adoption ceremony.
- On Solomon's coronation, God adopts him, saying, "You are my son." God is now including Solomon in his covenant with David.
- This is not the end.
- God had a much bigger plan than David and Solomon.
- Remember, the nation of Israel would have no King as of 586 BC when the Southern kingdom fell.
- This Psalm isn't" just about the coronation of Solomon or any other earthly King.
- It is about the coronation of the Ultimate King, the King of kings, King Jesus.
- This Psalm is what we call a Messianic prophecy. It is a predictive foretelling of Jesus.
- From Psalm 2 We know this is bigger than David and Solomon.
- Verse 2 talks about the rulers of earth setting themselves against the Lord's King.
- The Hebrew word for King is the word for Messiah.
- In verse 7, we read, "You are my son," but he adds, "THIS VERY DAY I HAVE BECOME YOUR FATHER." (or TO FATHER YOU.)
- The phrase (I HAVE BECOME YOUR FATHER is used when a man physically impregnates his wife.
- This is the phase used when a woman gives birth.
- It means you physically come from me.
- You are a part of me.
- It could simply mean, "I will love you like you are my own physical son."
- But when we turn to John 3:16, we get the idea that something much bigger is happening in the background of this verse.
- The other hint of something bigger is the fact that the first part of Psalm 2 does not fit Solomon well.
- The kings and rulers of the earth set themselves against the Lord and His Anointed.
- This doesn't quite fit Solomon because it wasn't the kings of the earth who opposed him.
- It was his own kin and clan. His own countrymen.
- David ends this prophetic vision in verse 9, stating that the Messiah would break them with an iron scepter and smash them like a potter's jar.
- It sounds like something we read in the New Testament about Jesus!
Philippians 2:9–11 (NET 2nd ed.)
9 As a result, God highly exalted him and gave him the name that is above every name,
10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow —in heaven and on earth and under the earth—
11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father.
CONCLUSION
- Interestingly, this Psalm is referenced a few times in the New Testament.
- Verses 1-2 are found in Acts 4:25-26.
- Verse 7 is found in Matthew, Mark, and Luke.
- God spoke them at Jesus' baptism and again at the Transfiguration.
- Verse 9 is referenced in Revelation 2:27, 12:5, 19:15.
- Jesus is the fulfillment of the Old Testament prophecies!
- Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the Living God!
- Only Jesus has successfully claimed to be the Messiah!
- So what now?
