September 6, 2025 - Psalm 2 - "God's Appointed King"

Psalm 2

"Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord, and against his anointed, saying, Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us. He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the Lord shall have them in derision. Then shall he speak unto them in his wrath, and vex them in his sore displeasure. Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion. I will declare the decree: the Lord hath said unto me, Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee. Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession. Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel. Be wise now therefore, O ye kings: be instructed, ye judges of the earth. Serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and ye perish from the way, when his wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all they that put their trust in him."

Psalm 2 is a Gospel Psalm. In just twelve verses, the Spirit of God sets before us the glory of Christ the King, the certainty of His reign, and the vanity of all who oppose Him. If ever we needed a clear picture of our natural condition and of God’s gracious provision in His Son, we find it here.

The Psalm begins with a question that echoes through every age: “Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing?” This is not an isolated rebellion, confined to one place or one time. It is the universal condition of fallen man. The kings of the earth, the rulers of nations, and the people themselves rise up together in defiance against the LORD. This is not merely history, nor is it only the story of “others.” It is our story. Apart from Grace, we are found in this very company — imagining vain things, resisting His rule, and refusing His yoke.

But notice the futility of such rebellion. “He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the Lord shall have them in derision." Men conspire, Satan rages, nations plot, but God is not unsettled. He is seated. He reigns in calm sovereignty. The defiance of the world does not move Him, nor does it frustrate His purpose. "And all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing: and he doeth according to his will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth: and none can stay his hand, or say unto him, What doest thou?" (Daniel 4:35). Here in this Psalm He declares, “Yet have I set my King upon my holy hill of Zion.” No matter the opposition, Christ shall reign.

This Psalm lifts our eyes to see the decree of God concerning His Son: “Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee.” These words cannot be confined to David or any earthly king. The apostles in Acts 13:33 understood them to speak of Christ Jesus, raised from the dead and declared to be the Son with Power. At Calvary, men thought to silence Him, but the Truth is that they were accomplishing the very will of God. All the while they were doing their will, they could do nothing more or less than what God had ordained should be done, Acts 4:28. In the resurrection, the Father vindicated the Son and gave Him elect sinners from all nations for His inheritance and the ends of the earth for His possession. The One Who was despised and rejected is now exalted and enthroned.

The Psalm then gives us a sobering picture: “Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel.” This is the certainty of Christ’s rule. He will not be ignored, and He will not be set aside. Every enemy will be subdued, either in judgment or in grace. We see revealed here the unshakable authority and final triumph of Christ over all who oppose His reign. The imagery of the rod of iron speaks of unyielding, irresistible power—Christ’s rule is not fragile nor uncertain, but firm, righteous, and invincible. The nations and kings that rage against Him are compared to a potter’s vessel, easily shattered and unable to resist His judgment. The contrast is striking: man’s proudest strength is but brittle clay before the dominion of the Lord’s Anointed.

Spiritually, this verse warns every soul of the futility of resisting Christ’s authority. He is set as King upon the holy hill of Zion, and all rebellion will be crushed. Yet, for His people, this same iron rod is their security, for it defends them against every adversary and guarantees the final victory of His kingdom. Christ said, "I will build my church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it," (Matthew 16:18). Thus, the verse both terrifies the proud and comforts the humble: to those who are brought to submit by His Grace and Power, His reign is peace; to those who rebel, it is sure destruction.

This brings us to the Psalm’s closing appeal: “Be wise now therefore, O ye kings: be instructed, ye judges of the earth. Serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son, lest He be angry, and ye perish from the way, when His wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all they that put their trust in Him.” Here the Gospel is pressed upon us with urgency. To “kiss the Son” is not to give Him a token acknowledgment, nor to offer Him a mere profession, but to bow in heartfelt surrender. It is to lay down our arms of rebellion, to take sides with God against ourselves, and to trust wholly in Christ — in His shed blood for the sins of His elect, in His perfect righteousness worked out on their behalf, and in His finished work that fully satisfied divine justice for them.

How gracious of God to end this Psalm, not with wrath, but with blessing. Though the nations rage, though our hearts by nature are filled with enmity, yet the Spirit of God calls us to Christ. “Blessed are all they that put their trust in Him.” Blessed, because in Him there is safety from judgment. Blessed, because in Him there is peace with God. Blessed, because in Him every promise of God is “Yea and Amen.”

Here, then, is the heart of the Gospel: our rebellion exposed, God’s sovereign decree declared, Christ crucified and risen, and the call to Christ in faith and submission. The raging of man is real, but it is vain. The decree of God is sure, and His King reigns. And for poor, needy sinners like us, there is a Refuge: "Blessed are all they that put their trust in Him."

So let us bow today before this exalted Son. Not with the kiss of Judas, not with the kiss of empty profession, but with the kiss of Faith and Love, given from hearts that God Himself has turned from rebellion to worship. May Christ be precious to us again and again, and may we rejoice that He reigns as our Savior and our King.