today we will be focused on Psalm 2. I'll read through Psalm 2 then we'll have a brief prayer and begin the Bible study this morning. Psalm 2 beginning in verse 1, Why do the nations rage, and the peoples plot in vain? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together against the Lord, and against His Anointed, saying, Let us burst their bonds apart. and cast away their cords from us. He who sits in the heavens laughs. The Lord holds them in derision. He will speak to them in his wrath and terrify them in his fury, saying, As for me, I have set my king on Zion, my holy hill. I will tell of the decree. The Lord said to me, You are my son. Today I have begotten you. Ask of me and I will make the nations your heritage. and the ends of the earth your possession. You shall break them with a rod of iron and dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel. Now therefore, O kings, be wise. Be warned, O rulers of the earth. Serve the Lord with fear and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the sun. lest he be angry and you perish in the way. For his wrath is quickly kindled. Blessed are all who take refuge in him. Let's go to the Lord in prayer. Heavenly Father, we thank you this morning for the opportunity to come together and to pray and to approach your holy scriptures. Lord, we are thankful for this opportunity to obey you and to come together and lift up the needs of the congregation and those beyond the congregation. Lord, as we now enter into this short study in Psalm 2, we ask that Your spirit would be here among us. I am the weak speaking to the weak. We cannot do anything correctly, Lord, unless you help us. We need you so mightily this morning to help us to listen and to help me to speak effectively. Lord, we pray that your spirit will be at work as we speak these words and we run through Psalm 2 this morning. In the name of Jesus, we pray. Amen. Well, this morning we return to the Psalms. Several weeks back I had the pleasure of teaching through Psalm 1 and we discussed the blessed man, the man who resists the downward pull of sin, perfectly delights in the law, is utterly unlike the wicked and prospers in all that he does. And we discussed that Psalm 1 is really part one of a two-part story. That is to say that the anointed king that we just read about in Psalm 2 really is that same blessed man from Psalm 1. We see the entirety of the Psalter encapsulated right here in these two opening Psalms. They're placed intentionally at the beginning as a primer of sorts that can help us to unpack and understand the remaining 148 that come after. I'll remind you that the Psalter is a cohesive, intentionally designed gift to God's churches. And here at the beginning in Psalm 1 and 2, we see straight away the central figure of all 150, Jesus Christ. He is the point. He is the crown jewel. He is the purpose. And so today we seek to dive into Psalm 2 and better understand this covenant-keeping King. And it's a liberating message. We didn't see last time in Psalm 1 a moral checklist that we have to attain to earn our salvation or please God. We saw the characteristics of our Savior. The only one who has ever fulfilled those conditions perfectly. This morning as we come to Psalm 2 we don't see a mandate to go and conquer or claim the nations. We see the inheritance of our majestic conquering Savior. He is the sole hero of the Scriptures. Today we will see that the heavenly kingdom is established with certainty but it doesn't mean that it will be set up tamely. We remember from Psalm 1, we have to keep this in mind, that everything this figure does in Psalm 1 and 2 that we are discussing, he is prosperous. He is successful. It doesn't say that in all he does he gets an A for effort. Here's the question. If he prospers, why the resistance that we read about in verses 1 through 3? And what should our response be to this resistance? We'll see two ways, two responses presented before us in Psalm 2 this morning. And it's actually a very straightforward structure. We have four groups of three verses. Verses 1 through 3, the voice of the foolish raging nations. Verses 4, 5, and 6, the voice of God in heaven. 7, 8, and 9, the voice of the anointed king. And the final three verses, 10, 11, and 12, the voice of wisdom. So let's begin. The first section, the voice of foolish, raging nations. Psalm 2 is opening for us this morning with a profound rhetorical question. Why do the nations rage and the people's plot in vain? It's highlighting the futility of humanity's rebellion against God. The nations rage and they are scheming and conniving. It's highlighting the fact that they are driven by malice, pride, a deep-seated resistance to God's authority. The plotting. Yes, it is done skillfully. It is deliberate, but it's ultimately worthless. It cannot stand against the sovereign Lord. In verse 2, we see the kings and the rulers of the earth uniting together in defiance against the Lord and His anointed. Despite the differences, despite their differing agendas, they've set aside old rivalries to counsel together in rebellion. It mirrors that ancient enmity between the seed of the serpent and the seed of the woman. They're solidifying their stance. They are setting themselves against the Lord and His rule, digging down, entrenching, preparing for a fight. Top executives, influencers, military commanders, global elite, tenured professors, the collective that we see is reminiscent of Babel, boldly striving to throw off divine authority. And by the time we reach verse 3, the goal of the rebellion becomes crystal clear. Let us burst their bonds apart. They reject the Lord's law. It is a restraint on their appetite and their desires. Autonomy at all costs. Despising the yoke of Christ, viewing it as intolerable, failing to see the freedom and joy that it offers to the redeemed. The raging and plotting that we're talking about here is pretty well captured in Acts 19 when we see a plotting Demetrius stirring up the silversmiths into a riot in Antioch and Pisidia because Their money was threatened. Their power was threatened. The rebellion that we're seeing here in Psalm 2 is not a casual one, not an idle one, but it's an intentional premeditated. It is a widening of the stance, dropping your center of gravity, ready to fight. The motivation is clear. Freedom on their own terms. How much power is enough? A little bit more. Always a little bit more. This mirrors the sinful tendencies of every single human heart. We too, we too once resisted God's rule before being rescued by grace. As futile as this rebellion is, it reflects the tragic folly of those who reject the Lord and His Anointed One. So now let's turn our attention to that King in Heaven The voice of God in heaven, verses 4, 5, and 6. The tone of the psalm shifts dramatically as we move from the raging of the nations to the calm authority of heaven. Verse 4 presents a striking contrast. He who sits in the heavens laughs. The Lord holds them in derision. Earthly rulers rage and conspire. God remains untouched and unshaken. Seated upon His throne, can there be any doubt If heaven and earth ever truly come into conflict, can there be any doubt as to the victorious outcome? Unlike creatures who are tossed about by circumstances, God is perfect and complete in himself. He's looking down from his exalted position. He has them well in hand. The rebellion provokes his righteous laughter, not because he finds it amusing, but because he derides them. The heavenly laughter is followed by speech in verse 5. He will speak to them in His wrath, terrify them in His fury. We're still seeing the dignity and the stillness of God even as it gives way to the power of His Word. With His voice alone He shatters and scatters. These rebellious rulers are not ignored. They are objects of God's righteous wrath. The plans are in vain, but they're not inconsequential. They won't be ignored. They have provoked the Lord, and the consequences of their actions is just and terrifying. In verse 6, the Lord declares the culmination of His sovereign will. As for me, I have set my king on Zion, my holy hill. The pronouncement silences the rebellion. The very thing that these nations came together and conspired to prevent, it's already done. Before these rulers and kings and influencers and people were even born, God had entrusted, called, and installed His King. You can rant and rage. You can protest and cry. You can riot. It changes nothing. This king that we see is no ordinary corruptible monarch. He is the perfect Messiah. The blessed man of Psalm 1, whose delight in the law sets him apart, we see him here commissioned by the Father, fixed in place, unrivaled by any earthly power. For us believers, this declaration is a refrain full of hope. It reminds us that while the barking of the wicked is loud at times, God's purposes are unshakable. No rebellion can change the reality of the anointed king's reign. And so let's switch to looking at what this anointed king has to say. Verses 7, 8, and 9. So we have another speaker change and we hear from the anointed king himself in verse 7. It begins with a declaration of divine authority. I will tell of the decree. The Lord says to me, you are my son. Today I have begotten you. The decree is unchangeable and established before the foundation of the world. It affirms the Son's eternal nature, His divine appointment as King. This King that we're reading about, His authority does not arise from human lineage. It wasn't as if He was adopted in. He was begotten by the Father. He has the eternal nature of being the Son of God. This establishes the king's inheritance and dominion. In verse 8, the father is doing what? He's inviting the son to ask for the nations as his heritage and the ends of the earth as his possession. This king's rule extends well beyond Israel. It may be seated in Zion, but it extends worldwide, encompassing all peoples and all nations. This isn't a political reign, but it's a high priestly work. He redeems, he preserves, He intercedes for His treasured people. In verse 9, The tone takes a shift into judgment, still speaking from the voice of the anointed king, but it says, you will break them with a rod of iron and dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel. Look at the disparity in strength, the rod of iron, unyielding, and the brittle pottery, the fine china. It's emphasizing here, even in the nouns that are used, the futility of resistance against the king's rule. Yes, this is a shattering of rebellion, but there's also a redemptive element to this as well. Just as the shepherd's staff may discipline for the purpose of restoration, it contains a redemptive aspect. That king's breaking work extends to the hearts of sinners, demolishing the rebellious fortress inside of them and bringing them to life. Psalm 2, and particularly in these verses, anticipates its fulfillment in Christ. Yes, when David was writing this, he likely had the events that were happening in his day and in his time in mind when he was writing this down, but the ultimate fulfillment we know is found in the Messiah. The New Testament frequently cites Psalm 2 to emphasize Christ's exaltation. For example, in Acts 13, Paul is connecting this decree to the resurrection, showing that Christ's authority as king is confirmed by His triumph over death. In Hebrews 1 and Hebrews 5, it's highlighting Christ's priestly role and His divine appointment, contrasting Him with that temporary Old Testament priesthood. In both of those chapters in Hebrews 1 and 5, Psalm 2 is referenced. This actual verse, you are my son, is referenced. We are seeing the eternally divine Son. appointed and declared as the king, evidenced by the resurrection. We see the Savior ask for his people in the high priestly prayer. We have to have a strong target lock on Christ to truly understand what's happening in Psalm 2. I'll remind you the king of Psalm 2 is the same blessed man of Psalm 1. He delights in the law. He prospers in all that he does. He is the ascended king. He's the true heir of the Abrahamic promises. And he will not forget or abandon his inheritance. His judgment is just. If verses 1 through 3 remind us of our own rebellious hearts, and verses 4, 5, and 6 remind us of God's sovereign power, verses 7, 8, and 9 ought to bring to us the healing balm of Christ's work, choice, protection, appointment. Yes, the nations may rage, but He looks at them and He says, you are mine. Final three verses, 10, 11, and 12, the voice of wisdom. So what do we do now? We've looked at all of this. Into what does the voice of wisdom say to us? It's a powerful exhortation coming back and being addressed directly at those rebellious rulers and kings of the earth. Now, therefore, O kings, be wise. Be warned, O rulers of the earth. We know that wisdom is more than intellectual knowledge. It's a call to adopt a lifestyle of reverence and submission to the Lord's authority. True wisdom, as defined for us in wisdom literature, comes from being instructed by God, sitting under His law, letting it inform you, guide you, change you. This counsel levels the playing field. No matter your rank, no matter your status, all are accountable before the Creator. In verse 11, calls for a proper response to this wisdom. Serve the Lord with fear. Rejoice with trembling. This is not a demanding, begrudging duty, but it's a worshipful obedience marked by awe and reverence. Rejoicing in the Lord is central, yes, but it's coupled with a trembling, a recognition of His holiness and power. This isn't a shallow lip service. This isn't self-centered penance. This is a call to delight in the completed work of Christ, just like that blessed man from Psalm 1 delighted in the law of the Lord. Verse 12 intensifies the command, kiss the son, lest he be angry and you perish in the way. Honor him, submit to him, be reconciled to him as the anointed, ascended king. This is a gesture and posture of humility directly opposed against the setting of themselves against the Lord to fight against him. We are now called to submit to him. Cease the struggle, bow the knee, Rejection leads to destruction, for His wrath is kindled quickly. But the psalm ends with hope. It doesn't end on fire and brimstone alone. It ends on hope. Blessed are all who take refuge in Him. The door to the ark remains open, inviting sinners to find safety and joy in submission to the King. This final blessing, obviously, we know that it echoes the opening of Psalm 1 because both of these are to be the gateway into the entire Psalter. Just as the wicked in Psalm 1 perish, so do those who reject the Son in Psalm 2. It's side by side for us. This is a moment of decision because the foolishness of rebellion has been exposed. The sovereignty of the anointed king has been proclaimed. The invitation is clear. Cease this fighting. Bow willingly. Serve with reverence. The patience of God is immense, not infinite. As in the days of Noah, the opportunity to enter the ark will not last forever. So how then should we pray in light of Psalm 2? Well, we see some comparison and contrast here. Psalm 1 contrasts between the righteous man and the sinner. Psalm 2 contrasts between the raging disobedience of the sinful, the scheming world, and the sure exaltation of the anointed king. In Psalm 1, we see the wicked driven like chaff. In Psalm 2, they're broken like fine china. Psalm 1, the righteous man is delighting in the law and prospering next to streams. Psalm 2, the anointed king inherits and judges the entire earth and its inhabitants. Remember both Psalm 1 and 2 are the double doors for us as we enter into the Psalter. The congregation mentioned in Psalm 1 are those who take refuge in him. Can there be peace in the midst of a world such as the one that we live in? Yes. There is only one place in the refuge of Jesus Christ.