This past December 31 I preached Psalm 2 for my church, Immanuel Nashville. We anticipated 2024 being a year of upheaval, unrest, and uncertainty so we needed to look to the One who sits on his throne and laughs as the nations rage. On this uneasy election day, may this message be biblical ballast for you.
Psalm 2
December 31, 2023
This new year feels different from previous years to me. From what I’ve seen on social media and heard in conversations with some of you, it feels different to a lot of us. Not too many years ago we tended to look forward to the new year with anticipation and excitement. It would be a time of new starts, new opportunities, the best year yet–“this is my year.”
Some of you may be approaching the new year with that kind of optimism, but I think recent years took some wind out of our sails. We may want to be optimistic about the new year, but we’ve learned to approach it with trepidation. If you’ve been bitten by a dog before you tend to approach other dogs with much more caution, and the last few years have had some teeth.
2024 is an election year, and if recent history has told us anything it’s that political discourse and direction in America leaves little room for sunshiny optimism. Many of us are battening down the hatches, pulling in the sails, and preparing to ride out the storm of vitriol and division.
Significant moral cultural battles are being fought in government, in educational institutions, and within the media over matters of gender, sexuality, free speech, religious liberty, and more.
Globally, wars rage between Israel and Palestine and between Russia and Ukraine–and there is plenty of unrest elsewhere.
And that’s all out there. Meanwhile, each of us has our own turmoil–emotional, physical, relational, mental, financial. If I took an anonymous poll of this room the results would be daunting. We’re looking ahead and wondering how we’ll navigate challenges and life changes. The new year doesn’t bring a new you. The turning over of the calendar doesn’t magically repair all that is broken in our nation, our world, and our hearts. So yeah, it’s harder than it’s ever been to look ahead and say “this is our year.”
But just as the relentless manic optimism of several years ago was out of touch with reality, so too is downtrodden pessimism we are tempted toward. Yes, the world is in chaos. Yes, it is overwhelming. But as followers of Jesus, we have a firm foundation to stand on and an unassailable hope to cling to. In fact, we have the only firm footing and reason for hope as we look ahead to uncertainty and upheaval. That’s what we’re going to spend this morning looking at, from Psalm 2, which Omar just read for us.
PSALM 2 – CONTEXT
Psalm 2 is a coronation psalm for a new king in Israel. It is full of promise and blessing for the Lord’s anointed king. But even though this psalm would have celebrated a king of Israel from David’s line, no earthly king ever fulfilled its words, nor could they. David himself didn’t in all his military successes. Solomon didn’t with all his wealth and wisdom. And certainly none of their heirs did either.
Instead, Psalm 2 looks to multiple horizons–the earthly king, and ultimately the heavenly one–as a fulfillment of God’s covenant to David in 2 Samuel 7, particularly verse 16 – 16 And your house and your kingdom shall be made sure forever before me. Your throne shall be established forever.’” And when an OT promise or prophecy says “forever” we should lift our eyes to Jesus.
So Psalm 2 is a longer, greater promise than one just for the kings of Israel For where did the line of David culminate? In a king conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of a virgin mother in a stable in the city of David who was the Messiah–the deliverer–for all peoples, not just Israel.
This morning we’re going to focus on that king and his reign over all the earth through the lens of this psalm. It is arranged in 4 stanzas of three verses each and each one will serve as a point of my message, with one concluding point to cap it off–so 5 points total.
STANZA 1 – Rebellion against God will fail
1 Why do the nations rage
and the peoples plot in vain?
2 The kings of the earth set themselves,
and the rulers take counsel together,
against the Lord and against his Anointed, saying,3 “Let us burst their bonds apart
and cast away their cords from us.”
We can see four crucial things in these verses.
First, the nations rage and rebel against God.
“The nations and peoples” refers to anyone who does not submit to God as king. This language of plotting and taking counsel is a picture of the intense, purposeful rebellion against God in the world. The world seeks to free itself from the authority of God. They feel it as oppression, as bondage.
Isn’t this exactly what we see and feel around us–the reason for our unease and feeling overwhelmed? We see and feel rage and opposition and rebellion against God in the world around us. These verses speak of the large scale–national, global, collective rebellion against God. We see it in false religions, tyrannical governments, godless laws, and oppression of the weak and vulnerable. And it’s equally as true for individuals who refuse God’s authority.
In our country, this rebellion expresses itself as profound individualism–I am my God, I determine my best life now, I dictate my future, I select my sexuality. In the words of William Ernest Henley from his poem, Invictus, “It matters not how strait the gate, How charged with punishments the scroll, I am the master of my fate, I am the captain of my soul.” This posture, this supreme value, pervades the halls of government and directs the cultural tide in which we live. In short, what Adam and Eve did in the garden of Eden, seeking to be God and not need God, has become an agreed-upon cultural value.
Second, this rebellion is against Jesus.
Notice the phrase in verse 2, “against the LORD, and against his Anointed.” Anointed is capitalized because it speaks of the Messiah, the heavenly king, Jesus Christ. This rebellion, this rage in the world around us, is against Jesus. He is the king, the one whom the world hates to be subject to. Nobody is neutral toward Jesus, no matter what they say. There is only submission to him as King or rebellion against him.
Third, these verses show that Christ already rules.
He is not seeking to gain control or authority–he already has it. Do not miss this. These verses do not portray a contest for power. They portray a furious rebellion against the One who already holds power. This is what is going on around us. We are not wondering if Christ will gain control or get the upper hand. He absolutely has it.
The world around us sees submission to Christ as captivity, as the loss of self, the loss of autonomy or freedom or happiness. That’s why verse 3 three speaks of “bursting the bonds” and “casting off” the rule of Christ. They rage at the idea of being ruled and judged and loathe the idea of needing a savior. Make no mistake, Jesus is the Anointed One who rules with power. That is the overarching context for Psalm 2, and for our 2024.
Fourth, we see that the outcome is not in question.
There is no suspense. When the psalmist asks “why do the nations rage?” he isn’t fretting or worried; he is baffled and incredulous at their foolishness. He is asking “What are you even doing? Why would you bother with this insanity?” They rage and plot in vain; it is right in verse 1. This is not a fair fight or a contest between two evenly matched opponents. The psalmist is not crafting a story in which tension builds until victory is won in climactic battle. He is telling us the end at the beginning. God wins. The Anointed Messiah rules.
This brings to the second stanza and my second point.
STANZA 2 – God is unworried, not uncaring
4 He who sits in the heavens laughs;
the Lord holds them in derision.5 Then he will speak to them in his wrath,
and terrify them in his fury, saying,6 “As for me, I have set my King
on Zion, my holy hill.”
Here is God’s response to the world’s rebellion: he laughs. He laughs because his plans and power are certain. He laughs because he sits in the heavens, ruling over all. He laughs because he has set in place his Anointed King to rule.
These verses might sit uncomfortably with some of you because they make it sound like God is distant and callous, or even mean and mocking. Let me see if I can ease your discomfort. The description of God as “in the heavens” doesn’t describe his distance from our troubles. He is not like a president who retreats to a bunker or to Camp David when the White House is threatened. He is not sheltered behind his protective walls while the world burns. Rather the phrase “in the heavens” signifies that he is holy, utterly untouched by the crazy of this world. He is not dragged down or frazzled or marked or stained. No–notice his posture: he sits in the heavens because he is relaxed, unworried on his throne.
But does it make God sound uncaring or heartless, or even unkind because of his derision of his enemies? Or like he is amused at the suffering and trouble in the world? Notice what he is laughing at. He laughs at the audacity and pride—the vanity and foolishness of the rebellion. God is unbothered at the threat, but not uncaring at the pain it causes. He doesn’t laugh at the chaos and suffering they cause. Scripture is full of descriptions of God’s compassion and mercy and defense of the vulnerable.
In fact, his laughter is not a reason to mistrust him, but a reason we must trust him. He laughs because he is unworried, and who wants a worried God? All the plots and powers and schemes and rebellions of this world do not phase him a bit. They do not derail his plans, hinder his work, or dampen his love.
As one who came of age in the 90s and was a rabid sports fan, I have indelible memories of watching Michael Jordan (the greatest ever, sorry young folks) play basketball on TV. Growing up in Minnesota, I was a Timberwolves fan–and they were very very bad for a very long time. One game against the Bulls, a guard named James Robinson (who you have absolutely never heard of), torched the Bulls in the first half, hit a bunch of threes and the Wolves led going into half. Early in the third quarter, Robinson was really feeling himself and started talking trash to Michael. Michael smiled, then chuckled . . . and my heart sank. I knew it was over then. He proceeded to pull his jersey up over his mouth to mask the promises of utter destruction that he intended to unleash. He went on to dismantle the Wolves and lead the Bulls to victory. This is a silly example of how the one who holds the power can laugh at a little bitty threat then pivot to dealing out appropriate wrath.
In verse 5, we see God move from laughter to wrath, from derision to fury–because he is just. He will not abide rebellion or upheaval against his holiness or Anointed king. He speaks in direct response to the rebels and declares his means of putting down the rebellion: He established his King.
In the third stanza we see the king unveiled.
STANZA 3 – God’s Anointed One is the eternal king
7 I will tell of the decree:
The Lord said to me, “You are my Son;
today I have begotten you.8 Ask of me, and I will make the nations your heritage,
and the ends of the earth your possession.9 You shall break them with a rod of iron
and dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel.”
You’ll remember that I said this was a coronation psalm for a king, and what we hear in this stanza are words that no earthly king ever fulfilled. The sonship of an earthly king of Israel was one of status appointed by God because of the role. It was a status given at coronation and lost by death or disqualification. But in these verses we are hearing words meant for the Messiah–the holy, eternal Anointed king.
He does not merely gain his sonship by being appointed as king, but is the Son of God and has been for all eternity. This coronation didn’t make him a Son, it made him manifest as the Son. We see this come to fruition in the New Testament in the incarnation of Jesus when he became flesh and dwelled among us and in his ascension to heaven where he sits at the right hand of the Father to rule.
We see in verse 8 that as the Son, Jesus asked of the Father and received an inheritance of nations, the whole earth. This beautifully foreshadows the request he made of the Father in John 17:5: “And now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed.” In the words of John Calvin, “the Father will deny nothing to his Son which relates to the extension of his kingdom to the uttermost ends of the earth.” We see Jesus confirm this in Matthew 28 when he declares “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations.” This is how his kingdom grows and how the nations are brought in–the making of disciples.
And Jesus doesn’t merely inherit the whole earth, he is also God’s instrument of judgment. Verse 9 says He will break them with a rod of iron. All these scheming, plotting, rebelling powers that so overwhelm us are but brittle pottery to him.
We are so accustomed to speaking of the mercy and gentleness of Christ and of his sacrificial saving work. And for good reason! Those aspects of Jesus are magnificent; without them we would have no salvation. But we cannot make the mistake of downplaying the fierce, majestic holiness of Jesus for the sake of his mercy. They are not at odds! He laid down his life at the cross for undeserving sinners, and he ascended to heaven to sit at the right hand of the father where all things are placed under his feet. From there he will return, in God’s perfect timing, to cast down all evil and to judge the unrepentant. Jesus the merciful is Jesus the just. Jesus the gentle is Jesus the judge. And he is worthy of all praise and honor for both, which is what we find in the fourth stanza.
STANZA 4 – God summons all people to serve Christ
10 Now therefore, O kings, be wise;
be warned, O rulers of the earth.
11 Serve the Lord with fear,
and rejoice with trembling.
12 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.
In light of what we’ve seen of the world’s rebellion and the kingship of Jesus, you might expect an ultimatum here–“So get on your knees and plead for mercy.” Instead, God does the unexpected and gives a summons, the firmest of invitations to become subjects of his Son’s kingdom: “Be wise and be warned.” This is jarring in its mercifulness. Jesus is giving a way of repentance to the peoples and a way of reconciliation to his enemies. Why?
Because Jesus does not revel in the destruction of enemies. He revels in rightful worship by his subjects. He wields wrath to defend and restore what is good, but He is the embodiment of the Father’s love. So even here he calls those who have rebelled against him to repent, to turn from their rebellious ways, and come under his perfect, merciful rule.
In verse 11 we see the rebels–those who rage and plot–being summoned to “Serve the Lord with fear and rejoice with trembling.” This calls for an about-face–to hold Jesus in proper awe and submit to him in every aspect of life. It is to give over authority and command of your life to him and to walk in his way. And this is the summons for all people–to find freedom under the rule of king Jesus.
And to rejoice with trembling is the paradigm for true, deep worship. It is not lip service nor is it surfacy praise. It is the whole-self response to perfect mercy and perfect holiness. We overflow with praise and gladness because of all God has done for us in Christ. And we tremble because of the greatness and majesty and holiness of Christ. The very things that move us to sing and smile should also silence us and move us to overwhelming awe. This is the proper response to the greatness of our King.
And the summons ends in verse 12 with “Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and you perish in the way, for his wrath is quickly kindled.” Remember, this is a summons to those who have stood in rebellion against God, so this is not the kiss of affection but of fealty–bowing before the king to kiss his ring. Those words “lest he be angry. . . for his wrath is quickly kindled” serve as a reminder of the decisive moral judgment of the king toward those who refuse to submit to him. Jesus is patient. He is slow to anger (why do you think he has refrained from wiping rebellious people from the earth for so long??). But the patience of Jesus does not eliminate his decisiveness and rightness in wrath. He is summoning the peoples to life, giving the nations a chance to submit to him. And any who won’t will face his holy judgment.
Friends, we may not like to talk of wrath and judgment. We may prefer a version of Jesus that is all warmth and softness. But in this fallen, chaotic world, we need a mighty and righteous king–and we have one. This is a comfort to all who follow Christ. He is not holding threats of condemnation over the heads of those who love and serve him. His wrath is not a threat to those in his kingdom, but rather our protection. We serve a king who is strong enough to laugh at his opposition, humble enough to come down to rescue us, patient enough to summon us from our rebellion, and just enough to punish those who refuse his summons.
Point 5 – Blessed are all who take refuge in him
What is the summation of all this? The last line of Psalm 2 tells us: “Blessed are all who take refuge in him.”
Wrapped in that little word “blessed” is wholeness, gladness, happiness. It is all the things that we once thought a new year or new you would bring us, but they never did. And here it is, the very thing our souls ache for. And we find it by taking refuge in Christ. How do we do this?
Jesus is our King! Serving him is taking refuge. Giving our lives to him, submitting wholly to him, staking all our hope on him, trusting in his perfect power and patience is refuge in every circumstance, come what may..
- He is a refuge because he laughs in the face of a chaotic, rebellious world.
- He is a refuge because he does not forget our troubles or take evil lightly.
- He is a refuge because he sits on his throne in majestic holiness.
- And He is a refuge because he set aside that glory to step into this world of upheaval and unease and injustice and sin and anxiety and “made peace through the blood of his cross.” (Colossians 1:20)
- He is a refuge because at the cross he defeated sin and death.
- And he is a refuge because no man-centered, self-aggrandizing power scheme can touch him and he will deal mightily with every evil and injustice in his perfect timing.
- He is not a distant refuge, rather He is an “ever-present help in times of trouble” (Psalm 46:1)
- And he does not offer theoretical hope or peace, rather “he himself is our peace” (Eph. 2:14) and has “caused us to be born again to a living hope through his resurrection.” (1 Peter 1:3)
Our King is unbothered and unworried even as he is immeasurably merciful and gracious. We fear him and we rejoice in him as we take refuge in him going into this new year.
