Well, please go with me to the reading we had to Psalm 2, and you might describe it as the history of the world in 12 verses. It's a Psalm of David. Verse 2, we're told that he's the Lord's anointed. The word for that is Messiah, Christ. It's a title. It means that David is God's chosen king. So this is a psalm about the Lord and his king. And from Jerusalem, from his capital city, and from Mount Zion, where his throne was, David ruled. And he ruled over an empire. And it was a golden age of blessing. Under David's kingship, the nations thrived. Wickedness was outlawed. There was justice and righteousness, steadfast love and faithfulness. It was a reign of light and love and liberty, unique among the empires of the ancient world. And yet we read in 2 Samuel chapter 10 that the nations rebelled. There was a rebel coalition to overthrow David's rule. And Psalm 2, this poem, this song, tells us what happened. So please have Psalm 2 open in front of you. It's on page 448 in the Church Bibles. And we have three things to say, three points. And point number one is four pictures, because the psalm breaks up into four pictures. You may have heard of the Bayeux Tapestry. It's this embroidered 11th century cloth, and it depicts the victory of William the Conqueror in his conquest of England. Well, before the Bayeux Tapestry, we have Psalm 2, and there are four pictures. depicting David's victory over the nations. So let's look at the pictures together. Picture number one, and that's verses one to three. 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. So you get the picture, here are nations raging, people plotting, there are kings readying themselves for battle, rulers are conspiring, there's a great conspiracy against David's rule. And it's not just against David, because we're told verse 2, against the Lord and against His anointed. Because David wasn't just another king. He was God's chosen king. He was God's visible representative on the earth. In other words, David ruled in the Lord's name. To bow to David was to bow to the Lord. And therefore, to rebel against David is to rebel against the Lord. They're against the Lord and against His anointed, saying, let us burst their bonds apart and cast away their cords from us. Now, who could find fault with David's rule? Girls couldn't be sold into prostitution. Human sacrifice was outlawed. Judges couldn't take a bribe. It was the royal law. And the commands of David the king, they were good, they were wise, they were just, and yet here in the rebellion, those laws are regarded as bonds which constrain you, cords which hold you back, and therefore they want to be broken and snapped and free. It's fallen human nature in the roar. A sense of, who is the Lord to tell me what to do? I'll choose for myself. I'll decide what's good and what's evil. Whatever the ruin and misery that may bring, let us burst their bonds apart and cast away their cords from us. The nations despise the Lord's King. The nations despise the Lord's rule and its madness. That's why it begins with a question. It's asking, How can this possibly be? Why do the nations rage? It's not simply making a statement, they rage. But why do they do it? Under this beautiful, enlightened rule, where they really have liberty. Why? Why rage? Why plot, and plot in vain? Why rebel when you've never been so free? Why break David's yoke when it means placing your neck under the yoke of tyrants and madmen? And why do it when you're not just rebelling against David, you're rebelling against David's God? It's only going to end one way. Why do it? It's madness. So picture number two, verses four to six. He who sits in the heavens laughs. The Lord holds him in derision. Then 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. So the nations are raging against God. They've declared war on him. They're about to let slip the dogs of war. What's the Lord's response? Is there panic? Dismay? Well, verse 4, he who sits in the heavens laughs. The Lord holds him in derision. The Lord laughs out loud. Why do human beings laugh? Because it's part of the image of God. God is the one who laughs because what they're doing is just too absurd for words. And as God laughs and he looks at this little rebellion, he says, is that the best you can do? And God only has to speak one word and they're running for their lives. Then 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've installed David on Zion. Zion's a, it's a, it's a hill where there's a palace and a throne. That's where I've installed David. He's my chosen king. And the sense of it is, when God says it, end of story, come to peace with it. God, through David, his king, is establishing a kingdom upon a rebel earth, kingdom of God. And that kingdom will conquer all. And God is saying to the rebels, there's nothing you can do about it. God always has the last laugh. Let's go to picture number three. David himself now speaks. Verse seven to nine. 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, you shall dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel. At David's coronation, The Lord said to him, you are my son, today I have begotten you. In other words, said God at coronation, you're my adopted son, David. You're my appointed heir. You will be my representative upon the earth. And it will be through you that I will advance my rule. And through you, I will end humanity's rebellion. And through you, I will heal a broken world. I will tell of the decree, says David, I'm saying what God said. The Lord said to me, you are my son, today I have begotten you. I will tell of the decree. Again, the sense is the Lord has spoken. What he said cannot be unsaid. All of which means David only has to ask and God will give him the world. Verse eight, ask of me. And I will make the nations your heritage, and the ends of the earth your possession. The king will conquer all. And what of those who refuse to bow the knee, who continue to rebel? Well, verse 9, you shall break them with a rod of iron, and dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel. It's very graphic, isn't it? You go into the garden, you get, not plastic flower pots, you get the ones that are made of pottery, you line up your flower pots, you get a rod of iron, and you just smash them! Smash them to smithereens! It's very vivid, isn't it? To rebel against the Lord's King, to rebel against the Christ, is to destroy yourself! Because this is the kingdom that will outlast the years. and so to the final picture. Number 4, verse 10-12, Now therefore, O kings, be wise, be warned, O rulers of the earth. Serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son, lest He be angry, and you perish in the way. For His wrath is quickly kindled, blessed are all who take refuge in Him. You see what he's saying? If God's kingdom is unstoppable, if God's King will triumph, then fighting against Him, resisting Him, rebelling against Him, is only going to go one way. It's going to end in your defeat. Actually, it's going to end in your destruction. So be wise, be warned, lay down your arms. Surrender to the King. Bow the knee. It says, kiss the Son, the senses of in devotion, in homage. It's saying, come under His rule, come under His wise, good, healing rule. You'll find it's a rule of light and life and love. Blessed are all who take refuge in Him. But if you refuse, all that remains is His wrath. And once His wrath breaks, it will be too late. So four pictures, moving quickly through the psalm. So point number two, the real picture. Okay, this psalm celebrates David's victory over his enemies. But if you look at it, the language is just too big for David. David ruled over a tiny kingdom, not verse eight, the ends of the earth. And maybe he didn't want to get on the wrong side of David, but David's long dead. So can we dismiss the warnings that are given in verse 10? Be wise, O kings, be wise, be warned, O rulers of the earth. If Psalm 2 is about David only, the language is too big. It's like a toddler wearing a man's suit. It just doesn't fit David. It's too big for him. And that, of course, is because the suit is made for someone else. So who does the suit fit? Well, it fits great David's greater son, the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the Lord's anointed. He is this world's true king. He is the rightful ruler. Now, I've used this illustration before, but we used to play Subbuteo. Anybody else still play Sibutio? It's quite like Sibutio, but it's a tabletop game. You play it, it's a football game. You play it on the table. Okay. And you have two goals and a little ball and each side has 11 figures and they've got weighted bases and you flick the players and you control the ball and you try and score and see who can win Sibutio. But is it real football? Well, it's just a copy, isn't it? It's not the real thing, but it's a bit like the real thing. And maybe playing Subbuteo, you get an idea of what the real thing is, or maybe if you like the real thing, you enjoy playing Subbuteo. Psalm 2, David is the Subbuteo. Jesus is the real thing. What happened in David's day throws light on the real story, the real picture, because Jesus is the Christ. He's the King to end all kings. He is the Son of God, clothed with power and glory. And it's His kingdom that will conquer all, and His reign that will have no end. And He is the one who deals with our rebellion and restores the blessing of God. And ultimately, He's the one who unites heaven and earth, and blessed are all who take refuge in Him. So Jesus, the carpenter, from Nazareth. At His baptism, He's declared to be David's heir. So, Matthew tells us, Matthew 3, verse 16, And when Jesus was baptized, immediately He went up from the water. And, behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on Him. And, behold, a voice from heaven said, This," hear the echoes of Psalm 2, "'This is My beloved Son.'" with whom I am well pleased." What was the decree? You are my son, today I have begotten you, my beloved son. It's saying here is David's heir. Here is the one anointed beyond measure by the Spirit of God. At this stage, he's the king, but he's the uncrowned king of which Psalm 2 speaks. He's God's son. He's the King. But of course, as the people of God begin to discover, He's God's Son in the ultimate sense as well. He's God's King, but He's also the uncreated Son of God. And wherever Jesus goes, what happens? Well, we're told, Matthew 11, that the blind receive their sight. the lame walk, and lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised, and the poor have the good news preached to them." What's going on? Well, the king is taking charge, and when the king takes charge, the curse is driven back, and the blessing of God is restored. And people who are in the grip of powerful, destructive forces from which they cannot break free, under the rule of the king, they're released. And we begin to see what it looks like when the king takes charge. And of course, he's the king of love. And he opens his arms to a broken humanity, and he says, come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Think about that. To open His arms to the whole world and say, if you come to Me, I will give you rest. This is the King. But what happens? How does the world react to the Lord's anointed, to the rightful King? Well, we know, nations rage, peoples plot, kings of the earth set themselves, rulers take counsel together against the Lord and against his Christ, saying, let us burst their bonds apart and cast away their cords from us. When they witnessed the beauty and majesty of the king, and when they said, no one has ever spoken like this man, And when they saw his wonderful works, think of it, even the dead are raised, not even death puts you beyond the sound of his voice or the grip of his hand. How do they react? They reacted with rage and plots and opposition and ultimately a great conspiracy where former enemies found common cause against the Lord and against His anointed, His Christ. And so the Jews and the Gentiles and the Sadducees and the Pharisees and Herod and Pilate, it's the world in microcosm, isn't it? And they united to put the King to death. Let us burst their bonds apart and cast away their cords from us. You see, they'd had enough of Jesus' warnings. that are enough of hearing Jesus saying, woe to you, that are enough of His questioning and His blasphemies, and enough of His humility and weakness and meekness, and enough of the compelling power of His presence, and of His calls to repentance, as though He reigns over us. Well, we'll give Him a throne. And so they nail Him to a cross. And over His head, what do they do? They write the accusation. This is Jesus, the King of the Jews. Here is David's heir. And we've nailed Him to a cross. And they laugh. Matthew 27, and those who passed by derided him, wagging their heads and saying, ha, you who destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, save yourself. If you are the son of God, if you are David's heir, if you are the one of Psalm 2, well, come down from the cross. So also the chief priests and the scribes and the elders mocked him saying, he saved others, can't save himself. He's the king of Israel, let him come down now from the cross. And we will believe in him. He trusts in God. Let him deliver him now, if he desires him. For he said, I am the Son of God. And mocking the king, they've nailed him to a cross. But who had the last laugh? As Peter will tell the Jerusalem crowd on the day of Pentecost, it was all in the plan. because it's by the death of the king that the king will save his people. That's what kings do. They ride to the rescue of their people. So by his death, he rescues his people. And by his death, death will lay dead at his feet. And by his death, he'll triumph over those dark powers that are at work in this world. As it says, he'll disarm the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame. They thought they'd outflanked the king. They thought that he was disgraced, defeated, dead, but God had the last word. And on the third day, he rose from the dead. And listen to how Paul speaks of that resurrection. in Romans, concerning His Son, who was descended from David, according to the flesh, and was declared to be the Son of God in power, according to the Spirit of holiness, by His resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord. His resurrection was the declaration that here is the King. Here is this world's rightful ruler. Here is the Son of God. At His resurrection, Jesus therefore steps out with a new authority. Resurrection, ascension, coronation, crowned King of kings, Lord of lords, sitting on the very throne of God. There He is on the real Zion. Not the little banana-shaped hill that was in Jerusalem, but the real Zion, heaven itself. the real holy hill, and from His throne He sends down His Holy Spirit to advance His rule in the lives and the hearts of people from all nations, and to build His kingdom, and to restore the blessing of God. and to save a rebel humanity from sin and death and hell. Ask of me and I will make the nations your heritage and the ends of the earth your possession. Which is why 2,000 years later, his kingdom has spread across the world. And there are more Christians in more nations than there have ever been. And sometimes it's in the teeth of persecution After all, the world crucified the king, so they're going to come after his subjects. And the day is coming when every knee will bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. So point number three, let's apply this. As we wrap things up, let's apply it. First of all, a word of comfort. Now brothers and sisters, are we a beleaguered remnant just sort of hanging on? After all, the nations continue to rage, they spit on His name, they break His commands, they turn on His people, and we can feel despondent. Everything seems against us, sometimes even our own children. But listen. And I really mean listen. Can you hear? Can you hear the laughter? He who sits in the heavens laughs. The Lord holds them in derision. He's laughing out loud. The sense is convulsions of laughter. Almost as though God can't stop laughing. Is God losing any sleep? There's no panic in heaven. The Lord's not despondent. Laughter is powerful, isn't it? Sometimes it is the best medicine. Because the idea of the Lord losing, the idea of his purposes faltering, the idea that his plans are being thwarted, that God is, as you were, having to dodge the stones that are being thrown at him from the prophets, priests, and politicians, well, it's just too absurd for words. In fact, there are no words, there's just laughter. God is laughing, he who sits in the heavens laughs, he holds them in derision. And brothers and sisters, the Lord wants you to hear him laugh. Because on the one hand, it exposes the madness of his enemies, but also it's of great comfort to us. If God was panicking, we'd think how it'd be for us. But God is laughing at the absurdity of the rebellion. That is a comfort, isn't it? The one who's in charge is laughing at the absurdity of it all. As you know, the Roman emperors, they butchered Christians in their tens of thousands because the Christians said Jesus is Lord, because they refused to worship Caesar as a God. They wouldn't say Caesar is Lord because they gave their allegiance to the true king and not to the parody who was Caesar. So they were butchered in their tens of thousands all over the empire for centuries. But of course, the blood of the martyrs became the seed of the church. And while the Roman Empire is no more, the kingdom of Jesus continues to grow. And the emperor, Julian the Apostate, did his utmost to stamp out the kingdom of Christ and to restore the worship of pagan gods. But on His deathbed, He said, Thou hast conquered, O thou Galilean. So, we don't lose heart. The laughter of God is a comfort. It's telling you that the outcome is assured. Now, that doesn't mean we're making light of the suffering of God's people. We're not doing that. But we do know how the story ends. What did Jesus say? Luke chapter 6, verse 21. He said, blessed are you who weep now, for you shall laugh. It's a word of comfort and a word or maybe a call to action. Just come with me to Acts chapter 4. Acts chapter 4. Now, Peter and John have just been forbidden to speak in the name of Jesus. And the church in Jerusalem is facing growing opposition. In fact, this is the first major setback that the church has faced. So what do they do? Well, they pray. But look at what they pray. So, Acts chapter 4, verse 23. When they were released as Peter and John, they went to their friends and reported what the chief priests and the elders had said to them. And when they heard it, they lifted their voices together to God and said, Sovereign Lord, who made heaven and earth and the sea and everything in them, who through the mouth of our father David your servant, said by the Holy Spirit, now they quote Psalm 2, why did the Gentiles rage and the people's plot in vain? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord and against His anointed. For truly in this city they were gathered together against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed of Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, to do whatever your hand and your plan are predestined to take place. And now, Lord, look on their threats and grant your servants to continue to speak your word with all boldness. while you stretch out your hand to heal, and signs and wonders are performed through the name of your holy servant, Jesus." See what's going on there? They're filled, aren't they, with a vision of the sovereignty and power of God. But what really energizes them is the promise of Psalm 2. It's like a springboard. It's like an electric pulse going through that prayer meeting. Psalm 2, the kingdom of Jesus is unstoppable. They are trying to stop us, but you've said the kingdom of Jesus is unstoppable. So they pray down the promises. And what happens? The kingdom advances, verse 31, and when they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken. They were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the Word of God with boldness. The church, their first major setback, where do they turn? They turn to Psalm 2, because Psalm 2 is a call to action. It's a call this morning to Amy and Park, to pray. to pray for the coming of the kingdom in the hearts and the lives of those we know and love and strangers too and everyone, and to proclaim the good news. It wasn't just that they prayed for the coming of the kingdom, they were filled with the Spirit of God and they went and they made the Word of God known with boldness, because He who is in them is greater than he who is in the world. Now, brothers and sisters, in the United Kingdom, nothing works, does it? What's happened the last few years? Nothing works. Everything is broken. You feel this United Kingdom runs on square wheels. But God's kingdom is not broken. Not broken at all. And therefore the promise, if they turn to Psalm 2 then, we turn to Psalm 2 now, the promise of Christ's victory, of the coming of His kingdom, of the advance of His rule, cannot fail. So Lord, send down your Spirit. Fill your people with the very breath of heaven. And all the brothers and sisters, our prayer meetings would be shaken. And that we would be filled with a holy boldness to speak the Word. Who knows what might happen if we as a church pray? A word of comfort, a call to action, and then finally a plea. And it's a plea to turn to Jesus. Because some of you know this very well. But actually, you don't know the Lord. And that's why the word just bounces off you. It's a hard surface. And it asks you a question this morning. Why? Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain? It's just saying to you, why? Why rebel against the Lord Jesus Christ? The beauty of Jesus, the wonder of His rule, the one who is altogether lovely, the one who says, come to me and I will give you rest, the King of love. Why rebel against Jesus? It's madness. And you can't win. Your everlasting destruction is assured if you say, I will not, I will not, I refuse, I refuse. Well, verse 9, you shall break them with a rod of iron and dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel. So the Lord says to you this morning, verse 10, be wise, be smart, be really smart, be one step ahead of yourself. Be one step ahead of your prejudices. Be one step ahead of your hard heart. Be one step ahead of the stupidity of the last months and years. Be wise, be warned. Serve the Lord with fear and rejoice with trembling. Because God really is God. So we should tremble. For God in Jesus Christ welcomes And He welcomes and saves and rescues and heals and changes men, women, boys, and girls who've gone their own way. And He says, I know you've gone your own way, but come to Me so you'll rejoice with trembling. So verse 12, kiss the Son. It means you have to bow the knee. It's a kiss of submission. It's a confession from the heart that Jesus is Lord. Kiss the son lest he be angry and you perish in the way for his wrath is quickly kindled. Blessed are all who take refuge in him. See what he's saying? He's saying a storm is coming. Sometimes when you climb a mountain, the storm clouds are hidden. But when you get to the top and you look out, you can see. Great dark clouds approaching. Psalm 2 is a bit like that. It says, get up onto a high point. Can you see? Can you see? The clouds are approaching. The dark storm clouds of God's anger are approaching. They're mustering. They're approaching. Soon they will be overhead. And once those clouds burst, there's no turning back. And it's wrath to the uttermost. And of course the Bible then speaks of the dungeon of outer darkness, where rebels are punished forever, because that's what they've chosen. Hell's bolted from the inside. I will not submit. I will not surrender. And so Psalm 2 is saying to you, come to Jesus Christ. Come to the foot of the cross. Come to the place where the wrath of God has been, and you will be safe from the wrath to come." The only safe place is at Jesus' feet. God is slow to anger. So when it says His wrath is quickly kindled, it doesn't mean that God flies off the handle, that's not what it's saying. God really is slow to anger, but it's saying this, it's saying, don't play games with God. You don't know what you're getting into. Don't presume on time you may not have. The sense of quickly kindled me. Once his anger breaks, that's it. It happens suddenly, and when it happens, there's no way back. Don't force God to say to you, enough. You've destroyed yourself. Don't court disaster, says Psalm 2. And therefore, the only safe place is to come to Jesus Christ. And you know, the gospel's beautiful. It doesn't say, I've got to try and believe things that are unbelievable and try and do things that I can't do. It's simply saying, I've messed up, I can't put any of this right. You know what I'm like, Lord? I am just a rebel, and I love my sin, and I've gone my own way. But Jesus Christ died on that cross for condemned rebels. So, Lord, save me, and change me, and forgive me. Come to Jesus Christ. It is the only safe place. Outside Him, says Psalm 2, is only wrath. So come to Jesus Christ. And don't delay. Don't count on time that may not be given to you. Come now. And after all, the attractiveness, the sweetness, the welcome, blessed, truly happy, are all who take refuge in Him. Let's pray. Heavenly Father, we thank You for this psalm. We thank You, the Lord. We can climb, as it were, a high hill. And we can see the history of the world in 12 verses. We can see into the future. We can see all that will happen. And we can see how it will end in the triumph and the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ. Lord, we pray that if we are your people, that Lord, you might reassure us and comfort us and stir us to action today. And Lord, if we are yet outside of Christ, Lord, we thank you. But the arms that are open are nail-pierced hands, and they're willing, they're welcoming, they're calling, they're embracing. Oh, that you grant us the grace to run into the open arms of the Lord Jesus Christ this day, because we ask it in Jesus' name. Amen.