Psalm 2
PSALM 2
1–2 Psalm 2 opens with a picture of the world’s ungodly nations and their leaders “conspiring” and “plotting” against the LORD and against his Anointed One (verse 2). The psalmist is referring to the enemy nations surrounding Israel which conspired against God and against His “anointed” king9—that is, King David and his descendants.
For the post-exilic Jews, Psalm 2 offered tremendous encouragement, because it spoke of an “anointed one” who would come and subdue their enemies and reign over the entire earth (verses 8–9). After the Exile, the Jews had no king, and therefore they understood this psalm to look forward to a future king, a descendant of David, who would sit on David’s throne and reign forever.10 That descendant of David, of course, was Jesus Christ; Jesus is the fulfillment of the hope expressed in this psalm (Matthew 1:1; Luke 1:30–33).
For Christians, this psalm is equally meaningful; it reveals that Jesus will one day return to establish His rule over the nations—even to the ends of the earth (verse 8). And it promises blessing to all who take refuge in him (verse 12).
For the New Testament writers, those conspiring and plotting against God and His Anointed One (Jesus) were Herod, Pi-late, the Romans, and the Jews; they were the ones who conspired to put to death God’s Anointed One (see Acts 4:25–28).
3 The enemies of God and of His Anointed One conspire among themselves, saying, “Let us break their chains”—that is, the chains which God and Christ are using to restrain these enemies. SATAN would like people to believe that God’s laws are like “chains” restricting their freedom. But, of course, that’s a lie; God’s law is in fact the only pathway to freedom—and to life.
4–6 But up in heaven the Lord laughs and scoffs at these enemies;11 they can do nothing to thwart His purposes. From the beginning, His plan had been to make Israel His holy nation and to establish Israel’s king in Jerusalem—on ZION, my holy hill (verse 6). And God had done this, and there was nothing His enemies could do about it. Now God rebukes them in his anger (verse 5). God’s anger is not like human anger; it is an expression of His righteousness. God shows anger toward all those who refuse to abide by His law.
7–9 In verse 7, the Lord’s “anointed one” is speaking; he is repeating the Lord’s decree establishing him as king. The king says: He (the Lord) said to me, “You are my Son; today I have become your Father.” This great statement looks back to God’s promise to David that God would be a father to Solomon, David’s son, and that Solomon would thereby become God’s son (2 Samuel 7:14). But, more importantly,this statement looks a head; this promise refers not only to Solomon but also to a greater descendant of David, Jesus, concerning whom God said: “You are my Son” (Mark 1:11).
Verse 7 is quoted a number of times in the New Testament (Acts 13:32–33; Hebrews 1:5; 5:4–5). The Holy Spirit was clearly prompting the psalmist to write of a future Son who would sit on David’s throne and reign forever. And the New Testament writers knew that the psalmist’s words were fulfilled in Jesus. The nations were to be His inheritance, and He would rule as far as the rule of God Himself extended. He would rule with a scepter (verse 9), the symbol of royal authority (see Genesis 49:10).
10–12 Here the psalmist gives a warning to the kings and rulers of the earth who have been opposed to God. Let them serve the Lord with fear;12 let them kiss the Son, as a sign of submission. Otherwise, they will be destroyed.
But in addition to a warning, Psalm 2 also offers hope. Today we live in an age of grace; God’s final judgment has not yet fallen on the world. Men and women still have the chance to “kiss” the Son—to submit to Jesus—and be saved from destruction. Blessed are all who take refuge in him (verse 12). This is the main message of this psalm, and this is our main message to the world today. The PROPHET Joel gave the same message in different words: . . . everyone who calls on the name of the LORD will be saved (Joel 2:32; Acts 2:21).
