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Introduction: Denial of Reality
In the coverage of the 2003 invasion of Iraq, the Former Information Minister of Sadam Hussein’s regime stood out as someone in complete denial. His name was Mohammed Saeed al Sahaf. And as the US Forces invaded Iraq, here are some of the things he said:
There are no American infidels in Baghdad. Never. They’re coming to surrender or be burned in their tanks. Be assured. Bagdad is safe, protected. We have them surrounded in their tanks. Now even the American command is under siege. We are hitting it from the north, east, south and west. I triple guarantee you, there are no American soldiers in Baghdad. They’re not even within 100 miles.
This man became a cult hero in the United States. Web sites sprang up to list his utterances. His name became synonymous with an inability to recognise and say the obvious.
Now I don’t think any of us will ever know the full picture of what happened in Iraq. War is never the place to get the truth. But one thing is for sure. Between the former Iraqi information minister’s ‘information’ and actual fact was fixed a great gulf, across which nothing crossed.
We come to Psalm 2. And Psalm 2 likewise starts with a denial of reality. Psalm 2 is occasioned by vain hopes which have no relationship to fact. Psalm 2 evidences boastful utterances that have no substance once the true situation is known.
Here we are presented with a royal Psalm. It is a psalm that celebrates the establishment of God’s chosen King. This is wonderful news for God’s people, but horrible news for God’s enemies.
What is the original setting of the Psalm? We note that there is no author given for this Psalm. But Peter and John in the Book of Acts ascribe it to King David (Acts 4:25).
You spoke by the Holy Spirit through the mouth of your servant, our father David [...] (NIV)
The Psalm is given in the context of hostility from the surrounding nations. We know that over time David built an extensive kingdom and a number of vassal kings who brought him tribute. The whole story of David’s victory over them would have provided ample occassion for their plots against him. We notice that after David took Jerusalem and was installed king over all Israel, Tyre brought tribute, that the Philistines went looking for a fight (2 Sam 5:6ff). It is not unusual for Kings to jockey for position. New alliances and power blocks emerge after the establishment of a new and powerful king. And over the course of time David defeated the Philistines, Moab (2 Sa 8:1-2), Syria (2 Sa 8:5; 2 Sam 10:9), Edom (2 Sa 8:13-15), and Ammon (2 Sa 10:9ff), and they became his vassal kings.
So we should see that the Psalm speaks of a real God, a real-life King of Israel, and a real conspiracy of the nations against him. And everything points to David being that king.
We also notice that this is the Second Psalm. But some early bible readers (eg Origen, D) used to read Psalm 2 and Psalm 1 together. Psalm 2 and 1 were together the unit which introduced the whole book of Psalms. And that’s why some people think Psalm 2 has no heading. In that case, these Psalms tell us what all the Psalms are about. The Psalms are about us living a prosperous life, by meditating on God’s word. That’s Psalm 1. And the Psalms are about how to find refuge in a dangerous world. That’s Psalm 2. And so together they give us a blessing. Psalm 1 started off ‘blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked’ Psalm 2 finishes ‘blessed are all who take refuge in him’. So, together, we see in Psalm 1 and 2, the way of blessing in God’s world.
But before we see God’s blessing, we need to look at the conspiracy of the nations. Verses 1 to 3:
Why do the nations conspire and the peoples plot in vain? The kings of the earth take their stand and the rulers gather together against the LORD and against his Anointed One. 'Let us break their chains', they say, 'and throw off their fetters.' (NIV)
Here is an unholly alliance. A United Nations, in a way. For Kings and Princes comes together to talk of revolution. Regime change. Notice who they take a stand against.
The speak against The LORD, Yahweh, the God of Israel.
And they speak against his Anointed one. The Hebrew is ‘Messiah’, which in Greek is ‘Christ’. They stand against Yahweh and his Christ.
So in this Psalm, King David has received intelligence. He knows there are external threats against him.
And the surrounding Kings, at one level, are seeking something very reasonable. Freedom. Liberty. They are a coalition embarking on ‘Operation Enduring Freedom’. They seek liberty from David. And freedom from David’s God. And David hears this threat and relates it.
So how will the LORD and his Christ respond to this growing threat. David gives us the divine response in verses 4 to 6. And the first thing God does is laugh. Verse 4:
The One enthroned in heaven laughs; the Lord scoffs at them. (NIV)
There is nothing more disconcerting, so infuriating, as being laughed at. Not being laughed with. But being laughed at. You are a joke. And the best you can do and offer is a joke.
Like Mick Dundee. ‘That’s not a knife!’
Is this a side of God you have not seen? The mocking, deriding God, who taunts and teases his enemy.
This is what God has in common with the Australian cricket team in the days of Warne, McGrath and the Waughs. Not only that he always wins, but also that he sledges the opposition.
I remember when St George lost the grand final in 1993, I remember with horror the news pictures of the Brisbane team chanting, ‘St George can’t play’. Now, 20 years on, Alfie Langer, who led the song, admitted that they can. But at the time it was utter humiliation. Here is God laughing at the foolishness of his enemies.
It would be funny if it wasn’t so serious. For in the end it is no laughing matter. Verse 5:
Then he rebukes them in his anger and terrifies them in his wrath… (NIV)
For God has acted so that the machinations and back room deals are useless. God has already decided who will rule as King. Hence God’s anger. The nostrils of God flare out as he declares through his Messiah in Verse 6:
“I have installed my king on Zion, my holy hill.” (NIV)
God has already acted in his world. God’s act is to establish his Messiah as King. God chose the place, the mount of Jerusalem. And God chose the man, David. David is the Old Testament Christ, the Messiah. David is God’s King.
And to the pretenders, this knowledge is terrifying For the battle is the Lord’s. And the secret of David’s success lies in power of Yahweh, who took him from the pastures to shepherding his people.
David in Psalm 2 speaks like a man who has powerful backing, doesn’t he? David has boldness, and confidence, even what some might call arrogance. David has a well-founded basis to strut proudly. For Yahweh has established his unalterable decree. And David wants to let his enemies, who are God’s enemies, know. Let’s look together at verse 7:
I (King David) will proclaim the decree of the LORD He said to me, 'You are my Son; today I have become your Father' (NIV)
David is introduced first as God’s Messiah. The ruddy boy who came in from the fields so Samuel could anoint him with oil. Then as God’s King The victorious warrior who defeated the Jebusites and took the impregnable fortress of Jerusalem. And now it is stated that David is no less than God’s son. David shares that intimate relationship of Son to the Father with God. David dared to call God ‘Father’.
This Psalm reflects God’s promises to David in 2 Samuel 7. God promised David and his people rest from their enemies, a great name, and a home of their own. But he also declared that David would have a dynasty. David’s sons would rule after him. And David’s Dynasty would last forever. And the Son that built the temple would also share that special relationship. 2 Samuel chapter 7 verse 14 says:
‘I will be his father, and he shall be my son.’ (NIV)
And we know that the son who immediately followed David and built the temple in Jerusalem was Solomon.
Now, family membership has its privileges. For the son in this culture is the heir. And God is very rich. Verse 8:
Ask of me, and I will make the nations your inheritance, the ends of the earth your possession (NIV).
What parent wouldn’t give good things to their children? We who are evil know how to do that. We think someone is rich who owns a North Shore mansion. Well, God owns stars and planets, mountains and Island Continents. Whole nations and vast tracts of land. And he offers it all to his Son. Ask me, I’ll give it to you. To his Messiah, his king, his Son, God says. Ask for these rebellious nations, and you can have them. They are there for the taking. Just ask me.
If we wonder why later Davidic Kings didn’t inherit, perhaps it was because they didn’t ask. They thought the way to inherit the nations was worshipping the gods of the nations, not asking the God of Israel who owns the nations.
But the Messiah, the King, the Son would also be an agent of God’s wrath upon those nations. Verse 9:
You will rule them with an iron scepter; you will dash them to pieces like pottery (NIV)
Judgment and wrath is coming. The Christ does not rule for nothing. He will destroy nations in wrath and anger.
If you were to make a movie of David’s career, what rating do you think you would give it? G, PG, M, MA, What viewer advice statement? I guess it would say something like.
'The nine network recommends viewing by mature audience. It contains scenes disturbing for some viewers. It contains violence, bloodshed, battle scenes, destruction, mutilation. Men, women, children, livestock destroyed, cities razed.'
David was God’s instrument to judge the nations. His rule was of iron. He brought destruction and death, in conformity with God’s design. This might cause us moral problems, for we are shocked and horrified by such things. But David was simply the agent of God's wrath. And that is undeniably the David of the bible. A real man with real power and real blood on his hands. So much so that God did not let him build the temple.
But in light of these realities, there is only one response open to the vassal kings of the nations. So the last 3 verses, the last stanza of this song uttered by King David, is a warning. Come to grips with reality, the way your world is. Stop living in your own dream world. Understand your own situation and the power of God and his Son. Verse 10:
Therefore you kings, be wise, be warned, you rules of the earth. (NIV)
A good man knows his limitations. So know you will lose this fight. So don’t pick it. Verse 11:
Serve the LORD with fear and rejoice with trembling. (NIV)
Do the only sensible thing. Submit to God and worship him. Fear Yahweh. The fear of Yahweh is the beginning of wisdom. And here the fear of God will save the nations.
Isn’t it interesting to think that the kings are called to rejoice with trembling? It’s like when you go to the zoo and look at the lions and the tigers behind the glass, and the bears across moat. And you see how big they are. The hairs on the back of your neck stand up. You feel the cold shivers. And then you hear their roar, starting deep and low and continuing with great power, going through your body. It can be heard for miles. And you realise how some iron bars and reinforced glass save you from death.
Many of us know the C S Lewis Narnia series. One of the children asks about the lion Aslan. ‘Is he safe’ And the answer, ‘Oh no, he is not safe. But he is good!’
That is how we approach God. With trembling rejoicing. Trembling, knowing who he is, who we are, and what he can do. Rejoicing, knowing his goodness and mercy. As Psalm 130 says, ‘With you there is forgiveness, therefore you are to be feared.’
So there is only one alternative. Verse 12:
Kiss the Son, lest he be angry and you be destroyed in your way, for his wrath can flare up in a moment. Blessed are all who take refuge in him. (NIV)
Now if you look at a few English translations, you will notice some differences. Some translate the phrase ‘Kiss the Son’ as ‘kiss his feet’ (NRSV). Other commentaries understand it as ‘worship purely’ or even ‘obey the torah’.
The reason for the difference is that the word for Son in verse 7 is different from the word for Son in verse 12. The word translated in verse 7 is the normal Hebrew word for Son (ben). But the word in verse 12 is the Aramaic word for Son (bar, as in bar mitzvah). Bar also has other Hebrew meanings, hence the different translations.
So why does the Psalm switch to Aramaic? I think it is because with the rise of Assyria and Babylon, Aramaic became the language of the nations. So the Psalm calls out to the nations in the international language. It gives the Messiah a title universally understood by the nations around Israel. The Messiah is the ‘Bar’, the Son, for every nation. And so the Psalm bids the rebellious nations kiss him.
Here is the secret for international peace. Kiss God’s Messiah, God’s King, God’s Son. Make peace with him. Love him. Serve him. Submit to him. Come close to him. But remember, he is dangerous. He is not safe. But he is good.
Having carefully read Psalm 2 now in it's original context, we shouldn’t be surprised that the New Testament and the early Church sees Jesus all over it. They saw that it had application to David. It also has application to David's sons, more or less. But ultimately, it speaks of Jesus Christ, God's Son and Messiah for the whole world.
We see this in Acts 4:25-28. Peter and John have been released after being imprisoned for preaching the risen Christ. And they went to their Mission Focus Prayer Meeting. And they prayed this to God.
25You spoke by the Holy Spirit through the mouth of your servant, our father David: “Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain? 26The kings of the earth take their stand and the rulers gather together against the Lord and against his Anointed One. 27Indeed, Herod and Pontius Pilate met together with the Gentiles and the people of Israel in this city to conspire against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed. 28They did what your power and will had decided beforehand should happen. (NIV)
Here we have the conspiracy of the nations against God’s Christ. When Herod and Pontius Pilate, the Gentiles and the Jews, met, they plotted against Jesus Christ in fulfilment of the Psalm. For Jesus is the Christ
Jesus is the King also, enthroned in Jerusalem. As he rode into Jerusalem on a donkey that first Palm Sunday, he came to Zion as her King (Matthew 21:1-11). And Pilate brought him before the people and said ‘Behold your King’ (John 19:14). And as the gentile soldiers dressed him with the purple robe, the reed as a sceptre, the crown of thorns. They coronated him. And he was installed God’s King, on Zion, God’s holy Hill. And as he hung on the cross, Jesus Christ was indeed what the sign behind his head said, 'The King of the Jews'. Jesus is the King, installed on Mount Zion, by his death.
And Jesus is the Son. I could bore you with endless recitations of New Testament Scriptures that unequivocably say Jesus is the Son of God spoken of in Psalm 2. Jesus is called the Son of God at his baptism (Mark 1:11, Matthew 3:17; Luke 3:22), at his transfiguration (Mark 9:7 Matthew 17:5; Luke 9:35), and tt other times in his earthly life (Luke 1:32-33; John 1:49 where Jesus is identified as either the Son of David or King of Israel, and also Son of God), and most especially at his resurrection, where his Divine sonship was clearly demonstrated (Acts 13:32-33; Romans 1:4; Hebrews 1:4-5; Hebrews 5:5).
Death could not hold him. Jesus is the Son of God in a way that David never was nor could be. For to the Sonship of God that Jesus shared with David, Jesus added equality with God. In Christ Jesus, all the fullness of the deity dwells in bodily form (Colossians 2:9)
So friends, can I bid you to kiss the Son. No matter from what nation or language you hale. Here is the Son for all nations. His name is Jesus.
Kiss him with the homage and obedience and worship that he deserves. Draw near enough to Jesus Christ to feel the scratch of his bristles on his face. And rejoice with trembling.
For notice, what it says, For this same Jesus has wrath that can flare up in a moment. Who knows when he will return? He has a staff to shatter the nations as well as shepherd them. For David was a man of blood. And so too is Jesus. The first time, at his first coming, it was his own blood. But the next time, at his second coming, it will be the blood of the nations.
‘Out of his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. “He will rule them with an iron sceptre.” He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty. On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written:“KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS”. (Revelation 19:15-16 NIV)
I’m not making it up. I cannot just give you the nice, happy bits about Jesus. I think I need to also talk about Jesus’ temper. He has wonderfully restrained it up until this point. But one day he will visit his wrath on everyone who rejects his Kingship. This is the real Jesus, the only one there is. This is the one we must draw near to Kiss. Lest we meet him after his patience has run out and the time for the kiss has passed.
Friends, can I beg you, kiss the Son, or kiss salvation goodbye. There is no other way apart from the Son.
But for those who take refuge in the Son, and persevere in him, know this. You will share in the Messiah’s inheritance. You will inherit and possess and rule with the Son. For what Psalm 2 promises the Messiah, Jesus himself in Revelation 2 promises to every persevering Christian, every Christian who overcomes. Revelation chapter 2 verses 26 to 27:
To him who overcomes and does my will to the end, I will give authority over the nations - He will rule them with an iron scepter; will dash them to pieces like pottery.’ - just as I have received authority from my Father. (NIV)
Friends, let us not give up our allegiance to Jesus, come what may. For we will be richly rewarded. May we all be found as refugees sheltering within Jesus Christ, the King, the Son.
Let’s pray.
(2) English Translation
2:1Why do the nations conspire and the peoples utter vanity. 2:2The kings of the earth take their stand and the rulers unite together against Yahweh and against his Messiah. 2:3 ‘Let us snap their bonds and throw off their ropes’
2:4The one sitting in the heavens laughs. My Lord mocks them. 2:5Then he will speak to them in his anger and terrify them in the outburst of his wrath. 2:6 ‘And I have installed my King upon Zion, the hill of my holiness’.
2:7Let me declare Yahweh’s statute. He said to me: ‘You are my Son [fn: The word for 'son', ben, is Hebrew.] I, today, have begotten you. 2:8Ask of me, and let me give then nations as your inheritance, and the ends of the earth your possession. 2:9You will break them into pieces with an iron sceptre. You will shatter them like pottery.’
2:10And now, Kings, consider! Be corrected, you judges of the earth! 2:11Serve Yahweh with fear and rejoice with trembling. 2:12Kiss the Son [fn: The word 'bar' is Aramaic for 'Son', not Hebrew], lest he exhale in anger and you (pl) perish along the way, for his angers burns soon. Blessed be all who take refuge in him.