Devotions

Psalms 2:8  “Ask of me, and I will give nations as your inheritance and ends of the earth as your possession.

The Father gives the Son the right to ask for nations and people from all continents and cultures. How could he promise such a thing is God has surrendered his sovereignty to human “free will”? I struggle with this question. For me, it is much more of a comfort to believe that the reason I am a Christian is that Jesus asked, and the Father gave me into his hand. I don’t want my salvation to depend on my faithfulness. I want it to depend on his.

Psalms 2:7 I am announcing the LORD’s decree. He said to me, “You are my Son; today I have become your Father.

A decree from God is a decision made in eternity past which has permanent ramifications. When the first person of the divine trinity chose to relate to the second as Father to Son, it changed our destiny. It meant that the kings of the land will not succeed in their rebellion. The Son will rule ultimately. That is good news for all of us who choose to serve Jesus.

Psalm 2:6 And I personally have set up my king on Zion, my holy mountain.

Let the nations set up their leagues. God’s plan has not changed. His king will reign from Zion. In a world which is constantly building up and tearing down empires, there is comfort in knowing that the permanent kingdom is in his hands.

Psalm 2:5 Then he will speak to them angrily, terrifying them in his fury.

God is love, and his love will win, but God is under no obligation to overlook rebellion. Those who want to overthrow God’s rule will suffer his wrath. Final judgment will be terrible precisely because God is not willing to overlook sin and rejection of his Messiah.

Psalm 2:4 The one sitting in the sky laughs; the master mocks them.

The kings of the land think they have accomplished a great deal with their League of Nations in rebellion against God, his rule and his messiah. The psalmist reveals how ridiculous they are. The real sovereign does not need to ally with anyone else. It is humorous to think that the nations can avoid his rule.

Psalm 2:3 let’s break their yokes, and throw their harness ropes off of us.

The League of Nations decides to get rid of God’s yoke and leash ropes. They have stopped believing that Christ’s yoke is easy and his burden light.  Wrong move.

Psalm 2:2b And the rulers join together in a league against the LORD and his messiah.

A League of Nations conspire to rid each other of the religious bondage they feel they have experienced. This is a psalm, not a prophecy, but with all the secular humanism that permeates society today, one feels that it could happen. Of course, this psalm shows how ridiculous the idea is. We cannot escape the sovereignty of God.

Psalm 2:2a The kings of the land take their stand;

Unity is a good thing, unless it is unified rebellion against God. The psalmist is talking about planetary rebellion. All the political factions on earth unite against God’s legitimate rule.  What can God’s people do if their national leaders promote apostasy? Do not fear. Pray. God is always in control.

Psalm 2:1b And (why are) the peoples muttering empty thoughts?

Many of the philosophies in our world are ultimately futile, yet societies work tirelessly to uphold them. This strange behavior is part of a larger, malevolent strategy. The forces of darkness are indifferent to what is taught, as long as it obscures the message of the gospel.