Psalm 2: Hope in the Messiah (part 2 of 150)

Psalm 2 is, at first glance, one of those psalms where you are like, "hold the phone, what is going on here?" Given that the psalms are poetic and not in a narrative form sometimes there are those psalms that are referring to something else in a poetic manner.  The cool thing about Psalm 2 is that it not only refers to something and someone else, but it is one of those many passages that prove that the Old Testament stands as important as well.  I say this because common today, especially in the church, is this notion that the Old Testament is outdated and perhaps not as useful anymore now that we have the New Testament.  I mean, how many times do you go to church and the pastor is preaching a series in the Old Testament? Not impossible today, but not too often either. 

Psalms 2 is a great example of how the OT can be reference and great foundational support to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Wait, Jesus in the OT? Yes, this is what we call prophecy ;-). In fact, I go as far as to say that every book that is in our modern canon of which we call the Bible is in there for the purpose of pointing to our "messiah" our "savior" Jesus Christ. Why? Because God's word, by definition, IS Jesus Christ, the "word made flesh." (John 1:1).  This is very common and something that should be understood and cherished by someone who is seeking spiritual nourishment from God's word on a daily basis.

 

Reading Psalm 2 for me makes me think a lot of our situation as Christians in today's realm and modern times. Verses one and two sound very familiar to modern times: "Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain?"  Does this sound anything like today? Let's go on with some clarification in verse two: "Where the kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord and against his Anointed..." 

Many nations around our world right now are rising against Christianity, particularly muslim nations, and saying what would be similar to verse three in this passage: "let us burst their bonds apart and cast away their cords from us." 

In this modern "age of tolerance" Christianity is under attack. From the Psalm here I can say "Christianity" because of the fact that this word "anointed" is used. David, who wrote this, knows this as well, even though he didn't exactly know the way we do the man Jesus Christ. See, God made a covenant with David in 2 Samuel 7 that in his genealogy, his "line," the throne would never depart. In Isaiah 11 we are given some more insight of the "branch" from the "stump of Jesse" (David's Father). All this to say, the "anointed" in this passage is referring to the ultimate one anointed in the line of David, that being Christ, the Messiah. Though in David's context, he also is the "anointed" of the Lord, and I believe he was writing this both in a personal standpoint, where nations were rising against him, as well as a prophetic one referring to many generations and centuries of nations rising against Christianity and the gospel.

He actually, starting in Verse 4 and going through verse 9, prophesies and writes as if the Lord was speaking and commenting on the situation, (which he is, it's his word through David remember). The Lord is depicted as being in heaven almost chuckling, saying (paraphrased) "pshhh, no worries, i've established this throne and my kingdom: Zion. Nothing can destroy it."  The rest of this psalm is about how the everlasting kingdom of the anointed cannot be moved or destroyed and will in fact rule over and judge all other nations, and mightily so. The psalm ends with a call of warning basically saying, "align with the true KING and you will be blessed." 

That true king is Jesus. And his kingdom is being built day in and day out as people are coming to know him as their savior from their sins.  This Psalm acts as encouragement to all believers in the fact that the ancient truth is still true today: don't worry, if you have your allegiance with the truth King, take hope in him and do not let the "nations" who rise against you bring you to dismay, rather "take refuge in him." 

Prayer:

Lord, sometimes I allow my circumstance and the busyness of life to crowd in and get me down and doubting of your provision. Forgive me for doubting, and help me to believe in you more by faith. give me strength to stand proud of my relationship with you and know that even if I face persecution, I can hope in your kingdom to come in Christ, where there will no long be pain, or suffering, or weeping, or hardship, but rather joy, peace, and rejoicing for what you've done for us on the cross.  You are worthy of my praise and I submit my life to you. In Jesus name, amen.