Day 4: Psalms 2:1-12
Psalm 2:1 Why do the nations rage, And the peoples plot in vain?
Lord, the nations fight against Your will and Your way. The prince of the power of the air has a strong stranglehold on them (Ephesians 2:2). But You, O Lord, are Creator of all (Isaiah 40:28), Sustainer of all (Colossians 1:16-17), Lord of all (Acts 10:36). You are greater than all (Isaiah 45:5). Indeed with all their plotting to destroy the truth they will always fail. Lord, they seek to stand against You, but there is no weapon that is formed against You that can stand (Isaiah 54:17). You are the Alpha and Omega (Revelation 1:8). You are Lord of all (Acts 10:36). Though they stand against You, they will finally fall and You shall prevail, O Lord (Jeremiah 1:19).
Psalm 2:2 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.”
Lord, they try to break Your rule over them. They despise Your commandments (Isaiah 5:24). They refuse to follow You. They are dead in their trespasses and sins (Ephesians 2:1). They bite the hand of Him Who has created them, provided for them and blessed them (Jeremiah 25:6-7). Father, please deal with their treachery.
Psalm 2:4 He who sits in the heavens laughs; The LORD holds them in derision. 5Then he will speak to them in his wrath, and terrify them in his fury, saying,
But You, O Lord, sit in the heaven of heavens above all. You laugh at their puny efforts to defy You. They are fleas and less than fleas with little voices. They are as nothing in their greatest rebellion against You (I Sam. 15:23; II Sam 23:6). You sweep them away as dust with a thought, a word, a wave of Your hand (Proverbs 17:11; Jeremiah 28:16).
You hold them in derision (Psalm 59:8). Lord, their plots and schemes are nothing. They think they prevail, but they fail. Lord, there are consequences to their evil. There are internal consequences in their mind, body, soul, and spirit (Rom 1:24-32). There are external consequences for their lives. There are eternal consequences for those who will not repent. But, O Lord, with all this turmoil You are still sovereign on Your throne. You reign and rule in spite of the chaos, over the chaos and even through the chaos, making even their wickedness serve Your appointed ends.
Psalm 2:6 “As for me I have set my King on Zion, my holy hill.”
Your King, Our Lord — King Jesus — reigns. Jesus, You alone are God’s eternal Son. You are the only begotten Son of the only eternal God. You are King of Kings and Lord of Lords (Revelation 19:16). You are the King over all the nations (Psalm 10:16). One day every knee will bow and every tongue confess that Jesus is Lord of all (Romans 14:11). You are my King and my God (Psalm 5:2).
Psalm 2:7 “I will tell of the decree: The LORD has said to me, ‘You my Son; today I have begotten you. 8Ask of me, and I will make the nations your heritage, And the ends of the earth your possession.”
Lord Jesus, the nations are Your inheritance. Some from every tongue and tribe and nation will be Your faithful, loving children (Revelation 5:9-10). You are the Savior of Your people all around the earth (Isaiah 49:6). Even as You promised Abraham that all the nations would be blessed through his seed, so Christ has come to bless all the nations of the earth (Genesis 12:3). Lord, You have fulfilled and are fulfilling Your promise as the gospel goes around the earth.
Psalm 2:9 You shall break them with a rod of iron and dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel.
Lord, if they will not repent, they will face Your wrath, the terrors of hell (Luke 13:1-5). Lord, You have repeatedly shown that You are a God who is willing to forgive, but also a God who punishes the wicked (Exodus 34:6-7; Matthew 8:10-12). We have forgotten and not understood the terrors of God. Sadly, for many there is no proper fear of God in their hearts or lives (Romans 3:16-18).
Psalm 2:10 Now therefore, O kings be wise; be warned, O rulers of the earth. 11Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling. 12Kiss 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 will rule over all the earth with Your scepter of righteousness (Hebrews 1:8), Your rod of iron, Your sharp sword (Revelation 19:15). O Lord, let the kings of the earth bow down to You and serve You. Let them give You kisses of honor and subservience, of love and respect.
All of us who trust You are blessed: blessed with life eternal, blessed with the knowledge and presence of God through the Lord Jesus Christ. Of all the blessings in the world, the blessings we have in Christ are the greatest, eternal blessings that all men need and should seek with their whole hearts (Ephesians 1:3). O Lord, there is a song that says “People who need people are the luckiest people in the world,” but the earnest truth is that those who know their need for Christ and find their needs fulfilled in Christ are the most blessed people in the world. There is no greater blessing than to know the eternal favor of the Triune God (John 17:3).
For all Your blessings, but especially for the blessings of redemption, sanctification and glorification, we give You thanks and praise forevermore.
In Jesus Christ alone, Amen!
Growing in Prayer 