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In Psalm 1, God inspired the psalmist to share with us two ways to live our lives: God’s way, blessed and eternally secure, and the ungodly way, blown away in the wind, without eternal merit or security.

Let’s hold on to that juxtaposition of God’s way and the ungodly way as we examine Psalm 2. As you read the psalm, I encourage you to read it twice, once from the perspective of the psalmist (not identified in the psalm, but attributed to David in Acts 4:25), a person awaiting the arrival of God’s Son for the first time and then again from your own perspective, knowing of Christ’s birth, life, death, resurrection, and ascension, and awaiting His second coming.

Here it is in the CSB version, but please feel free to read your preferred version (or multiple versions!).

1 Why do the nations rage

and the peoples plot in vain?

2 The kings of the earth take their stand,

and the rulers conspire together

against the Lord and his Anointed One:

3 “Let’s tear off their chains

and throw their ropes off of us.”



4 The one enthroned in heaven laughs;

the Lord ridicules them.

5 Then he speaks to them in his anger

and terrifies them in his wrath:

6 “I have installed my king

on Zion, my holy mountain.”



7 I will declare the Lord’s decree.

He said to me, “You are my Son;

today I have become your Father.

8 Ask of me,

and I will make the nations your inheritance

and the ends of the earth your possession.

9 You will break them with an iron scepter;

you will shatter them like pottery.”



10 So now, kings, be wise;

receive instruction, you judges of the earth.

11 Serve the Lord with reverential awe

and rejoice with trembling.

12 Pay homage to the Son or he will be angry

and you will perish in your rebellion,

for his anger may ignite at any moment.

All who take refuge in him are happy.

Psalm 2 (CSB)

Similar to Psalm 1, we see two ways presented by two characters: the nations and peoples who refuse God’s way and the psalmist who is wondering why they refuse God and warning them of the folly of not choosing God.

Let’s spend today reflecting on Psalm 2 from the psalmist’s perspective, the experience of someone who believes God’s promise of a Messiah, but was born before the time of Christ and so has not seen that promise fulfilled. As we do so, let’s draw on our understanding from Scripture that our forefathers in the faith thought of the Messiah, God’s Son as a physical king who would set up a physical kingdom on earth; we see this throughout the Old Testament but most prevalently in the New Testament as the people sought relief from the oppression of the Romans (and the countless nations that had subjugated them in the past). With that very physical thought in mind, let’s continue.

In verse 1, the psalmist poses a question, “Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain”? Raising many questions to God myself over the years, I imagine the psalmist was blown away by the number of people who refused to follow God and had to cry out to God for answers. In verses 2-3, he presents the perspective of those who rage against God, saying that they plot together, grumbling about the chains and ropes God and His Anointed One use to bind them.

Given the context of time, it appears that these people who rage and plot against God find His law, the Law of Moses at this time, to be oppressive and they wish to overthrow God and be free of His ways. Going back to the question in verse 1, we see that this troubles the psalmist. His use of “rage” to describe their behavior indicates that these people are being unreasonable in his eyes, and his use of “vain” to describe their plotting demonstrates his sincere belief in the power of God. It is pointless to go against God’s way and the psalmist wonders why anyone would do so. Clearly, the psalmist and these nations do not view God’s leadership the same way.

Have you encountered people who believe that following God’s way is oppressive? Are there times you have looked at one or more of God’s commands as chains or ropes that bind you? Does the rebellion of others confuse you? Does your own rebellion?

Let’s hold onto those questions as we move through the psalm.

In verses 4 through 9, the psalmist presents God’s response to those who rage against Him and His Son, His anointed King of kings. If you’ll bear with me though, I’m feeling led to jump ahead to verses 10 and 11 and then come back to these.

Verses 10 through 11 return to the psalmist’s voice, and we see again his perspective of God and faith in God through the plea that he makes to those who refuse God. He urges the leaders of these nations and peoples to be wise, to let God teach them, to serve and revere God, to recognize God’s awesomeness, to be so overjoyed with His leadership and so in awe of His greatness that they tremble with fear and joy. This kind of plea doesn’t come from a half-hearted follower. This is the kind of urging that comes from someone who is fully sold on the Lord’s righteousness, power, and goodness.

When you think of God or speak of God, do you tremble with joy? with reverence and awe? Are you eager to seek God’s wisdom and instruction? to share it and encourage others to seek it?

How do you think the leaders whom the psalmist spoke of received this message? Might the psalmist’s passion and urgency have convinced them to rethink their rebellion? Does your life and speech reflect such passion for God’s instruction, such a desire for others to follow Him with joy and trembling? How might such passion and urgency influence hearts and minds around you?

Whew. Those are questions I’m reflecting on myself even as I write the remainder of this post. Let’s circle back to verses 4-9 and God’s response.

In verses 4 through 6, the psalmist tells us that on His throne in heaven, God finds the rebellion of nations laughable. He alone is sovereign over all and it’s ridiculous to think people could overthrow God. I am reminded here of the story of the tower of Babel and the people’s attempt to reach heaven and gain glory for themselves (Genesis 11:1-9). God demonstrated He alone ruled earth and heaven by confusing their speech and scattering them to the ends of the earth.

Declaring God’s sovereign rule, the psalmist states that God’s response to these rebellious leaders, to the nations that refuse to follow Him, is that He alone has the authority to set a king on His holy mountain in Zion. The psalmist goes on in verses 7 through 9 to share that the king set by God is His Son, and that the Son will reign over all the nations and all of the earth will be His kingdom.

Knowing the promise God made to his forefather Abraham, the psalmist clearly awaited God’s promised king and, in context of verses 10 and 11, was concerned for those who refused to follow God and His Anointed One when He came to sit on His throne in Zion. Like the chaff scattered in Psalm 1, the psalmist shares that those who rebel against God will be broken like an iron scepter and shattered like pottery. Their rebellion will be easily defeated by the Anointed One, God’s Son.

Let’s close out with verse 12. Here, we see the psalmist’s vision of God’s Son as a ruler angered by rebellion and his vision of the rebellious being punished by death; they will die in their rebellion. This echoes what we read in Psalm 1:6, “the way of the ungodly shall perish”.

But unlike Psalm 1, the psalmist doesn’t end Psalm 2 with a grim warning.

Instead, he declares that all who take refuge in God’s Son are happy.

And we see again the psalmist’s delight in the Lord; his steadfast belief that following God’s way is the most secure way, a way of wisdom, filled with joy and awe.

Oh, friend, how I long to walk in the security and joy and awe of which the psalmist speaks!

And, oh, friend, how often I stage my own futile rebellions, childishly viewing God’s commands as chains and ropes, foolishly supposing I know better how to handle a situation than He does.

I have a feeling I am not alone in my two steps forward, one step back walk as I seek to follow God’s way. I know we’ve viewed this psalm from the psalmist’s perspective today, but I am thankful that you and I are able to walk in God’s way on this side of the cross, where grace abounds because of our King, the Son of God, Jesus Christ.

I think that’s a good place to pause for today. We’ll take another look at Psalm 2 tomorrow from this side of the cross. I’m going to close us out in prayer for now, but I hope you’ll scroll back up sometime today and take the time to reflect on the questions I’ve placed here and there in italics.

Prayer:

Sovereign God, Heavenly Father, You alone are righteous to rule over us. You alone are worthy of our service and reverence. We thank You, Father, for Your Son, our King of kings and Lord of lords. We ask You, Lord, to grow in us a love and a reverence for You that causes us to tremble with joy and awe. We ask You, Lord, to give us a heart that loves others so much that we are compelled with an urgency to share Your love with them, to encourage them to choose life by choosing You and Your way. Forgive us, Father, when we stage our own rebellions, when we think we know better than Your way. Thank You, Father, for Your Son Jesus who bore Your wrath and our sin on the cross, whose sacrifice erased the penalty of death for all who believe on His name. You are good, God and You are worthy of all of our praise. Blessed be Your name forever and amen.