I spent a considerable amount of time looking at this one. Add to that, I had a week in there where I made the road trip from the Midwest to Texas to visit my parents. I did give the disclaimer that this is an act of obedience. The Psalms were never a favorite of mine but the Lord is guiding me to dive into each one. I see this one as a two-parter. I chewed on the first half (verses 1-6) for quite some time.
1 Why do the nations conspire[a]
and the peoples plot in vain?
2 The kings of the earth rise up
and the rulers band together
against the Lord and against his anointed, saying,
3 “Let us break their chains
and throw off their shackles.”4 The One enthroned in heaven laughs;
Psalm 2: 1-6 NIV
the Lord scoffs at them.
5 He rebukes them in his anger
and terrifies them in his wrath, saying,
6 “I have installed my king
on Zion, my holy mountain.”
I get a mental picture of someone in a college campus looking to share testimony or even preach. I admit this picture is something I have seen over and over in reels or short videos throughout the various social media sites. What stands out to me is the reaction of the nonbelievers. There is often a reaction of anger, violence and the usual expletives thrown at the one with the different views. As a follower of Christ, I know the point or the motivation of those there to witness to nonbelievers. I may or may not agree with their process, but i know what their motivation and desired end result would be. Often times the other side of the fence would identify with the LGBTQ+ community. These six verses describe the question I would have for that community. What is your desired outcome of the violent responses?
The first half of this Psalm asks the question: Why are you even going to try? Why mount up an attack when it will not be successful. The writer here, David, shows his extreme strength of faith as he questions Why do these nations even try? What I received from this text is there will be thought out efforts to thwart any advance one may have in the ministry of Jesus. They will “rise up and band together.” This banding translates to a plot, carefully thought out. In the society of today where we all have to be right, conversation, debate, and civility is all but lost. Yet, we (Christians) will continue to go out and share our testimony. Those that oppose it will mount up attacks, albeit verbal in todays climate. Why will the enemy’s efforts be thwarted? We have a powerful Lord that scoffs (vs 4) at them. He rebukes, or sends them away. This often happens in those sidewalk debates. There is usually a barrage of one sided name calling and a harshly exit.
Yet in all of this, there is grace.
7 I will proclaim the Lord’s decree:
He said to me, “You are my son;
today I have become your father.
8 Ask me,
and I will make the nations your inheritance,
the ends of the earth your possession.
9 You will break them with a rod of iron[b];
you will dash them to pieces like pottery.”10 Therefore, you kings, be wise;
Psalm 2: 7-12 NIV
be warned, you rulers of the earth.
11 Serve the Lord with fear
and celebrate his rule with trembling.
12 Kiss his son, or he will be angry
and your way will lead to your destruction,
for his wrath can flare up in a moment.
Blessed are all who take refuge in him.
We are assured of our place in His family as He calls us son. We are given a promise of life everlasting. Matthew 25 tells us the parable in which the Father welcomes the faithful servant saying: “You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!” (Matt 25:23) The promise of His reward. Those in the faith know that we do not earn anything but are given through the grace of God only. That grace also extends as a warning in verses 10 through 12. God does warn unrighteousness. I believe that warning applies for everyone. If one has Jesus as Lord and thinks all warnings disappear, I would ask them to read some of the Pastoral Epistles or Jerimiah 23!
The devotional takeaway here? Know what your goal is. Know the why to your what as Michael Jr, Christian comedian would say (great video on YouTube if you haven’t seen it). Know what it is you are trying to accomplish. Then you can rest on the promise that God is in charge, He will rebuke, He will say to those who faithfully follow Him “Well done good and faithful servant.” We can have victory in Christ Jesus! There are some seriously heavy promises! For those that my not have those promises, you still can. There is still a healthy amount of grace out there for you also! Take heed, allow Him to soften your heart and grant you the victory over those battles you have attempted on your own.
Biblical Bacon 