Psalm 2 - Magnifying God's Anointed King

The Apostle Peter said of the Risen Christ & His Church:

"As you come to him, the Living Stone - rejected by men but chosen by God and precious

to him - you also, like living stones, are being Built into a Spiritual House to be a Holy

Priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. For in

Scripture it says: 'See, I lay a stone in Zion, a Chosen and Precious Cornerstone, and the

one who trusts in him will never be put to shame.' Now to you who believe, this stone is

precious" (1 Peter 2:4-7).

Peter is quoting from the Prophet Isaiah (28:16). Isaiah proclaimed that the Living God would "lay a stone in Zion, a chosen and precious cornerstone." He is speaking, of course, of the Lord Jesus who is the cornerstone of God's Spiritual Building, the Church. Both Old & New Testament believers look to Him for Salvation. When we are born again of the Spirit of God, there is born within our soul a holy affection toward the Saviour who bought us with his own blood and brought us to Spiritual Birth. Every genuine believer cherishes and adores the very thought of the Lord Jesus. This is why the Apostle Peter said: "Now to you who believe, this stone is precious."

Jesus is precious in the sight of God the Father. When he was baptised in the River Jordan by John the Baptist, God the Father gave this testimony concerning his Son:

"This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased" (Matthew 3:17).

Our own souls resound with this same testimony concerning our Saviour. He is our Lord, whom we love; we are pleased with him and delight in him. We hold him in such affection that we can truly say: 'To us he is precious'. All true believers can say with Solomon:

"My lover is mine and I am his … I found the one my heart loves. I held him and would

not let him go … My love is radiant & ruddy, outstanding among ten thousand … He is

altogether lovely (Song of Solomon 2:16; 3:4; 5:10 & 16).

Both Old & New Testaments believers share the same testimony concerning the Lord Jesus, the Messiah: "He is the altogether lovely one, the one who is precious to every believer."

In our own day, we long to catch a fresh glimpse of the glory of our Beloved Lord. But, we must recognise that believers from ancient times in the Old Testament shared that same love of the Lord Jesus, their Messiah. They longed to see his coming. They longed for a glimpse of his glory, even thousands of years before his birth. They rejoiced at the prospect of beholding the One whom their souls loved and longed for. With the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, the Psalmists and other Old Testament writers had a clear knowledge of the glory and majesty of Christ, their hearts burned within them as they contemplated his coming.

The Lord Jesus himself said (John 8:56):

"You father Abraham rejoiced at the thought of seeing my day; he saw it and was glad."

When we read the Psalms we soon realise that the Psalmists also had a Glorious Vision of the Coming Messiah. They rejoiced within their hearts at the very thought of his coming.

Before he Ascended into Heaven, the Risen Christ appeared to his Disciples and said:

"This is what I told you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is

written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets & the Psalms" (Luke 24:44).

Then the Lord Jesus opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures. He opened their minds to an incredible sequence of events that were foretold about the Coming Messiah in the

Old Testament Scriptures.

"He told them, 'This is what is written: The Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the

All the most important events in the Life of Jesus were written down in the finest detail in the Law, the Prophets and the Psalms. It is written down for our instruction and our inspiration. Luke says that the disciples were witnesses of these things. They were to be clothed with power from on high and preach these momentous facts about the Lord Jesus to All Nation (Luke 24:47-49).

Remember how Jesus had given the same instruction earlier to the two downhearted believers who were travelling on the Road to Emmaus (Luke 24:27)

Notice the effects of these two incidents on the lives of these followers of Jesus.

The two believers on the Emmaus Road were no longer downhearted. Their hearts burned within them as Jesus opened up the Scriptures to them (Luke 24:32). They got up and returned at once to Jerusalem to tell Eleven Disciples how that seen the Risen Lord face to face.

Jesus took the disciples to the vicinity of Bethany, where he was taken up into heaven. The disciples worshipped the Living Christ and then returned to Jerusalem with great joy. When they arrived in Jerusalem, continued worshipping and praising God at the Temple (Luke 24:52-53). This confirmation of the teaching about the Messiah of the Old Testament Scriptures, which had been fulfilled in Jesus of Nazareth, had literally transformed the lives of these disciples. They became Living Witnesses concerning the truth and power of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Even though Jesus had returned to Heaven to be Glorified with his Father, there was a vital sense in which he remained with his disciples. Jesus himself had given them the Promise that he would be "with them always, to the very end of the age" (Matthew 28:20). The continuing presence of the Lord Jesus ensured that the instruction given in the Law, the Prophets and the Psalms, continued to burn within their hearts.

Because of the intended scope of the present series of studies, we must confine ourselves to the teaching of what are referred to as the Messianic Psalms. The fact that certain Psalms are described as 'Messianic' must be accepted on the Authority of the New Testament and, indeed, on the authority of the Lord Jesus Himself. It is a very significant fact that of all the citations in the New Testament from the Old Testament concerning the Messiah, nearly a half of them come from the Psalms. Pictorial Descriptions of Christ mentioned in the New Testament, such as the Shepherd, the Rock, the Light and the Kinsman Redeemer are all given in the Psalms.

Harry Uprichard, an Irish Presbyterian Minister, says:

"Jesus quotes the Old Testament as the Word of God, uses its teaching to fire the Early

Church and, above all, gives us a key to understanding it. It is all about himself: Christ is

what the Old Testament is about - the Law, the Prophets and the Psalms, down to the

minutest detail, not just primarily, but totally and exclusively. Christ is written large on

every page and in every verse. He is the story-line of all Scripture, both Old & New

Testaments alike."

The Messianic Psalms give prophesies concerning the major New Testament teaching about the Person & Ministry of Christ. For example, Christ is proclaimed as the Anointed King in Psalm 2 & 132, the Second Adam in Psalm 8, the Righteous Sufferer in Psalm 69, the Dying Victim in Psalm 22, the Servant of Jehovah & the Perfect Sacrifice in Psalm 40, the Great High Priest in Psalm 110, the Spiritual Temple in Psalm 118, and the Victor over Death in Psalm 16 & 68.

This list is by no means an exhaustive list of references to the Messiah in the Psalms, but it does give some idea of the major prophetic themes.

Walter Chantry, in Praises for the King of Kings, writes about David's Psalms, saying:

"Three thousand years ago the Lord prepared a poet to give us remarkable revelations

about Jesus, the Messiah. The poet's colourful life equipped him with vivid impressions of

the ancient world. He experienced the noise & confusion of ancient battle-fields. The quiet

majesty & awesome power of the eastern monarch's throne room were familiar to him as

well. He was equally at home as a humble shepherd, gathering a flock of sheep around

him beneath the impressive glories of the heavens. Widely diverse experiences were

gathered up into the poet's mind & formed the resources of his talent of hymn writing.

David's psalms employ such grand imagery. Yet all the fascinating word-pictures

are used to express what his eyes of faith had seen of Christ. His subject is not ancient

ways of war, government & husbandry. The Psalms are pointing & crying, 'Behold your

God!' As the ancient artist strained his genius to the limit, the effort was carried along by

the Holy Spirit. His hymns are breathed out by God. Using David's talent, the words of

God reveal our Holy Lord."

This evening we'll consider Psalm 2, which Magnifies the Messiah as God's Anointed King.

The First & Second Psalms are intended to be an Introduction to the entire Psalter.

There is no direct inscription attached to this Psalm to identify the author. Nevertheless, the New Testament does tell us who composed this beautiful Messianic Psalm. Quoting from Psalm 2:1-2, Doctor Luke tells Theophilus how Peter & John said:

"Sovereign Lord, you made the heaven & the earth & the sea, and everything in them.

You spoke by the Holy Spirit through the mouth of your servant, our father David"

(Acts 4:24-25).

In other words, Peter & John are saying that Psalm 2 is the message of the Living God, Yahweh, concerning His Beloved Son, the Messiah. The Sovereign Lord controlled the composition of this Psalm to declare the Kingship of His Anointed One.

Psalm 2 is often described as 'a Royal Psalm'.

The central figure in this Psalm is displayed in all his glorious splendour.

He is the Christ, the Messiah, the Son of the Living God, Yahweh. The focal point of each section of this Psalm centres around a particular name of the Lord Jesus Christ.

• In verse 2 he is called 'the Lord's Anointed One', who has been

rejected by the rulers of this world.

• In verse 6 he is ascribed with the title of 'God's Chosen King',

who has been enthroned on Zion's Hill.

• In verse 7 & 12 he is described as God's Son, who is begotten of the father, but not created.
• The name Messiah, is of course, the Hebrew term which is translated into English as the 'Anointed One', and in Greek 'Christos', from which we derive the English name of 'Christ'.

Although this Psalm was written by King David about three thousand years ago,

it is still right up to date.

David was writing primarily for his own day & own generation. He was concerned about the situation and about the whole condition of mankind in his own time. He describes it and seeks to deal with it. David was doing that because he was a man of God. But, he was also doing something further. He was describing the State & Condition of the Whole Human Race!

In other words, this Psalm not only describes what conditions were like in the time of David - it is an equally valid description of what times were like during previous generations - and what they were like on many subsequent occasions - and, more importantly, what conditions are like today.

C H Spurgeon says:

"We shall not greatly err in our summary of this sublime Psalm if we call it The Psalm of

Messiah the Prince; for it sets forth as in a wondrous vision the tumult of the people

against the Lord's Anointed, the determinate purpose of God to exalt his own Son, and the

ultimate reign of that Son over his enemies. Let us read it with the eye of faith, beholding,

as in a glass, the final triumph of our Lord Jesus Christ over his enemies."

Harry Uprichard, an Irish Presbyterian Minister, says:

"Psalm 2 is a Royal Psalm. It celebrates the Greatness of the King of Israel. The historical

background may well be the occasion when David became king in Jerusalem (2 Sam 5).

David had come a long & perilous way to the throne, but finally he was acclaimed king

and the height of his power was attributed to the fact that God was with him. Because of

this, he became more & more powerful.

The Psalm is full of the majesty & sovereignty of Israel's king. It recounts this in a

number of ways, stressing, above all, the position of the king as a personal office

appointed by God. Indeed, the terms are such that it appears go beyond the limits of

human kingship & suggest Divine prerogative. Even among the Jews the 2nd Psalm was

regarded as Messianic … A 20^th century Jewish scholar, Jarchi, maintained, 'Our doctors

have expounded this Psalm of the Messiah' … The terms used to describe the king, the

fact that they are unlikely in their fullest expression to depict only David and his heirs, and

the way in which the New Testament writers interpret the Psalm all suggest that Psalm 2 is

Messianic. It is a prophecy of the coming Christ."

This Psalm can be divided into Four Sections:

It may be viewed as a fourfold picture of the battle between the Anointed One of God and his enemies. C H Spurgeon points out that this division is not only suggested by the sense, but it is also warranted by the Poetic Form of the Psalm, which naturally falls into four stanzas of three verses each. H C Leupold agrees and argues that the main theme of the Psalm is The Ultimate Victory of the Lord's Anointed - a though that is presented in four strophes of three verses each, each strophe being a distinct unit in itself. The vast majority of commentators divide up the Psalm in this fourfold manner, each suggesting various headings for the four sections.

The Psalm may divided under the following four headings:

verses 1-3 The King Anointed & Rejected

verses 4-6 The King Enthroned

verses 7-9 The King Empowered

verses 10-12 The King Received

Firstly: v 1-3 The King Anointed & Rejected

"Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain? The kings of the earth take their

stand and the rulers gather together against the Lord and against his Anointed One. 'Let us

break their chains', they say, 'and throw off their fetters.'"

This first strophe of the Psalm describes the bitter opposition of the enemies of the Lord's Anointed One. One writer describes this section as: "The Nations are Raging."

In verses 1-3, the godly eye of King David, the Greatest King & General of Israel's forces,

views this world as an enormous battlefield.

Verse 1 describes the troops as they make their plans to assemble for war.

The haughty kings of the earth are seen to be plotting against King David, just as they will plot against the Messiah. The nations express their intention of venting their furious rage against the Lord's anointed one.

Verse 2 details the officers' preparations for combat. They set their various regiments in battle formation and then meet for their Council of War. At the very outset of their first strategy session, this evil council of the rulers of the world's armies, name their common enemy - none other than the Lord's Anointed One.

Verse 3 records the actual words of the plotting military commanders, expressing the objective of their conflict with God's Anointed One -

"Let us break their chains, and throw off their fetters."

Unitedly and as individuals, the nations, people & kings of the earth agree on this single goal,

to defeat the Lord's Anointed One.

H C Leupold says:

"The first two verses are a unit. It refers to some particular event in which the hostility of

the nations displayed itself. What occasion was this? Almost any one of the later wars of

David might serve as a starting point for an experience of this sort. We believe that the

events recorded in 2 Samuel 8 or 10 would seem to agree best with the situation before us.

It is even possible, for that matter, that several such occasions are before the writer's eyes

simultaneously."

Harry Uprichard says:

"The historical background may well be the occasion when David

became king in Jerusalem (2 Samuel 5).

The precise historical incident which inspired David to write this Psalm is, in a sense, a secondary matter. One thing all commentators agree upon is that this Psalm is a prophesy concerning the Messiah, the Anointed One of God.

C H Spurgeon sums up this viewpoint by saying:

"We have in these first three verses, a description of the hatred of Human Nature

against the Christ of God."

Can you see the thinking of David as he views the scene before him?

He views the whole world as a vast plain on which a massive army is forming. This army actually consists of soldiers from the many armies of the world. Clothed in their different uniforms, 'the nations' gather together - all the nations of the world; all past, present & future kingdoms of this world are represented in this vast multi-national force. David sees a vision of all members of the Human Race from every generation and every nation on the march. He calls on all believers from around the world to survey this scene. He calls upon us to imagine ourselves being in the midst of this huge theatre of war. Indeed, whether people like it or not, we are all combatants in this war. We are either on the side of God's Anointed One, or on the side of the Lord's

arch-enemy, Satan.

Verse 1 asks the question:

"Why do the nations conspire and the peoples plot in vain?"

Those who are enemies of God's Anointed One are described as the nations or the peoples.

Leupold tells us that the Hebrew word for nations (goyim) is a word that usually bears a hostile connotation. The term peoples simply refers to persons of various nationalities.

These various nations & peoples may differ from one another and have little in common otherwise, but in matters of religion they have the common bond of hatred against the Lord.

Notice the word that describes the 'mood' of this vast army from the nations:

The A.V. asks the question: 'Why do the nations rage?

The Psalm begins in this very abrupt manner, with an angry interrogation. It is little wonder that the Psalmist begins his poem in this manner, because he saw before him a host of creatures who were up in arms against their God. The Psalmist was absolutely amazed that people should rise up in this manner against the Living God and his Anointed One.

There is a violence or noisy hostility in the gathering, as you might expect when men are spoiling for a fight. Shouts of anger & boasting about the outcome of the coming assault reverberate from the mouths of the whole army.

Walter Chantry says:

"The N.I.V. has chosen to translate the word 'conspire'. Although there is noise and

seeming chaos on the battleground, the venom of common hatred and unified zeal to

attack creates an order after all. Perhaps the best translation is that the nations

'tumultuously assemble'."

H C Leupold says:

"They 'stir up riots' or 'rage', or assemble tumultuously'. The verb ragash designates

any noisy or riotous assembly that practically seethes in antagonism."

David had a picture in his mind's eye of the Heathen Nations Raging against the

Lord's Anointed and his people. The picture is a host of people roaring like the sea,

tossed to & fro with the restless waves, just like the ocean in a storm.

King David learned from this incident in his own personal experience that the world, and the hostile forces in the world, hate the people of God with a hatred that is stronger than that which usually growths out of national antipathies or purely racial or nationalistic feelings.

Note how David says in verse 1 that: 'The peoples plot':

These men are not soldiers of fortune, seeking only their own advantage and wealth. They are

not ignorant conscripts compelled to fight in a war whose purpose they do not understand. As the various regiments, from armies around the world, come to the battlefield, they come with their cunning schemes: 'The people are plotting' the downfall of the enemy. All the men coming to this battle believe passionately in the purpose of this war. They are in full agreement with their military leaders about the ultimate aim of the battle. They share the contempt of their Generals for the enemy, the Lord's Anointed.

C H Spurgeon says:

"Note, that the commotion is not caused by the people only, but their leaders foment the

rebellion. 'The kings of the earth set themselves' (N.I.V. take their stand). In determined

malice they arrayed themselves in opposition against God. It was not temporary rage, but

deep-seated hate, for they 'set themselves' resolutely to withstand the Prince of Peace.

'And the rulers take counsel together'. They go about their warfare craftily, not with

foolish haste, but deliberately. They use all the skill which art can give. Like Pharaoh,

they cry, 'Let us deal wisely with them.'"

However, David says that 'the peoples plot in vain':

David is saying: 'Despite the fact that the nations are of one mind and purpose in this battle against their common enemy, they have no hope of success in the coming battle.

Harry Uprichard says:

"It is incredible that the nations and peoples so conspire. Their efforts will prove futile.

God will laugh and scoff at them from heaven. He will rebuke them and strike terror into

their hearts. The reason for this Divine Reaction is clear. The surrounding nations have

dared to attack God's Anointed King. They have plotted against the man chosen and

appointed by God. They will not do that and escape the consequences."

The One against whom the nations rage & conspire is identified as

'The Lord's Anointed One':

Anointing was a very important concept in the Old Testament.

It involved pouring oil over a person's head to denote God's choice for a particular task.

The oil represented the Spirit of God and was a symbol of Divine Appointment. It was a sacred act which required absolute obedience, because the participants recognised the fact that God's choice & authority lay behind the appointment being made.

In the Old Testament we read about Priests, Kings and, on occasions, Prophets being anointed in this divinely appointed manner. All three offices, of course, would be eventually combined in the Person & Ministry of Jesus Christ.

The Anointed One, or the Messiah, spoken about by David and other Old Testament writers point forward to the Christ of the New Testament.

The Jews gradually became aware that this name, 'The Anointed One', went far beyond David, to the One who is described as 'David's Greater Son.' Indeed, this is the main reason the Jews accepted the 2^nd Psalm as Messianic. The rage & fury of the nations against David is a well known historical fact among the Old Testament writers. Such rage and fighting spirit among the surrounding nations was a common occurrence in David's day.

David was a mighty warrior who had defeated the Philistines and many other nations. We read of David's victories over his enemies in 2 Samuel ch 8. The chapter closes with these words:

"The Lord gave David victory everywhere he sent" (2 Sam 8:14).

These enemies of King David did not take defeat easily. Afterwards, they were constantly plotting together to get revenge. There was a simmering angry rage constantly on the boil among Israel's neighbours.

Such plotting against David, God's 'Anointed One', would prove futile.

But he futility of such rage and opposition becomes even more clear when Great David's Greater Son is brought into the picture. It is not only futile; it is arrogant & sinful. All opposition to God's Messiah is ultimately doomed to failure.

Walter Chantry says:

"No wonder David began his hymn with the word 'Why?' It was not a 'why' of puzzlement,

but one of indignation & astonishment. He is shocked. It is all so senseless! So bizarre!

'The peoples plot in vain' (verse 1). What absurdity to declare war on the Living God and

His Messiah! Yet this antagonism merges all mankind into one co-ordinated militia. It

explains human thought & human action."

Chantry applies this passage to every generation, including our own generation, saying:

"David tells you, 'I have discovered the key to every part of human history.' There is one

mainspring that moves the senator in halls of government and the prostitute on the street. I

know what the business man on Wall Street and the homeless drug addict have in

common. I can tell you the driving motive shared by the Chinese school teacher, the

Marxist guerrilla in Africa and the American athlete. All of them hate the True & Living

God and are spurred by a passion to destroy his Messiah. All - all of humanity - is

galvanised for rebellion! It is shocking to the point of being unbelievable, but it is true."

H C Leupold, delineates the various words used to describe the enemies of the

Anointed One, the Nations, Peoples, Kings & Rulers. Then he says:

"Adding all this together, all sorts of groups and all sorts of individuals are indicated as

having engaged in all manner of hostile activity against the Lord. By listing these persons

and these activities the author indicates how manifold and strong are the currents of

opposition that he had observed. A very beehive of unholy industry is pictured. All this is

directed 'against the Lord and against his anointed.' … Never were grief and opposition

so causeless. Never were men more in the wrong than when they opposed him who was

their salvation."

Verse 3 tells us the reason why the nations of the world rebel against the Lord's Anointed:

"'Let us break their chains', they say, 'and throw off their fetter.'"

According to verse 2, these are the actual words of the Kings of the Earth as they take their stand against the Lord and against his Anointed One. Verse 3 states the rationale of these kings for molesting and bitterly opposing God & his Messiah.

The Rulers of the earth have reached a consensus:

They are unanimous in their objective of opposing the Lord's Anointed One.

According to v1, this statement represents the conspiracy in which every warrior is engaged.

Walter Chantry comments on verse 3, saying:

" All are determined to overthrow the Authority of God & his Christ. God's rule or laws

are unwanted. Terms are chosen which are charge with nasty anger & contempt. 'Chains

& Fetters' are accusatory words, suggesting that God is Harsh & Unfair, his Son is

Severe & Cruel. God's commandments are considered an insufferable bondage.

As sinners, who rebel against the commands of the Living God, they want to free themselves from what they see as the constraints of the Law of God.

They express the desire of wanting to 'break their chains'. In other words, they want to be free from the constraints of the Law in order to have their own wicked way. They want to be free to commit all manner of abominations according to the lusts of the flesh and the evil desires of their own sinful hearts. The thought being expressed in their minds is this:

"Let us be our own gods. Let us rid ourselves of all restraints."

In the second half of the verse they express their evil desire in another way:

"Let us throw off their fetters." (A.V. Let us cast away their cords from us).

The picture is one of a gathering momentum in their state of rebellion.

Not only do they want to break their chains, they want to cast them away far from them.

The idea is that they want to fling the Law of God as far away as possible. They want absolutely no constraints of the law anywhere near them.

Think of some examples of how people become hostile to the restraints of God's commands:

Society becomes violently hostile when Believers propose that God was serious when he made Sabbath-keeping a moral requirement for all the peoples of the earth. Many feel that it is some kind of Bondage to lose sporting events and other pleasures for even one day a week! They argue saying, 'We will not have that God of the Ten Commandments to reign over us.' They come out in open rebellion against the Law of God. They say: 'Surely God is not serious about forbidding us to take His Name on our lips as an empty jest or thoughtless oath. After all, its only meaningless words.' They argue that God is being too restrictive and believers are miserable kill-joys.

People argue that God cannot really mean it when he says we must be strictly honest on all occasions. Many men & women today cannot tolerate a law from God restricting intimate relationships to those of the same gender. They rebel against any suggestion that God seriously confines sexual relationships to the marriage bond. All these curtailments on the sinful actions & thoughts of men & women produce deep hostility & anger among people who live in rebellion against a Holy God. People today defiantly join the peoples & rulers of David's day by raising high their clenched fists against the Authority of the Lord God and his Anointed One.

The Psalmist David is saying that there lies in every man a deeply imbedded & stubborn refusal to accept God's Authority:

When God's Law comes into view this arrogant pride breaks into open defiance.

This is the reaction which Paul refers to in Romans chapter 8:

"The sinful mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God's law, nor can it do so.

Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God" (Romans 8:7-8).

It is a state of open rebellion and enmity towards the Living God. This is the common state of all human beings. The refined gentry and upper classes and the alcoholic or drug addict all share the same sinful mind that is hostile to God. The respected university lecturer & school teacher, alongside the pick-pocket & shoplifter are all alike united in their mutiny against the God of Heaven & Earth. All combine forces in this act of high treason against the Throne of God. They wage war in an attempt to gain their independence from the Most High God, his Anointed One and his Holy Law.

To summarise - these first three verses, this first strophe of the Psalm, describes the bitter opposition of the enemies of the Lord's Anointed One. The Nations are Raging and rebelling against the Lordship of the Anointed One. But, it will all be in vain, because, ultimately the Anointed One of God will be victorious. The world may seem to have its evil way, but it will all come to nothing.

We come now to a consideration of the use of this Psalm in the New Testament:

The New Testament quotes the 2^nd Psalm on a number of occasions.

Dr O Palmer Robertson, of Westminster Theological Seminary, says:

"Along with Psalm 110, Psalm 2 shares the honour of being the Psalm most often quoted

in the New Testament … The broad usage by the New Testament indicates that Psalm 2

has a variety of lessons to teach the new covenant believer. But the central message may

be summarised as follows: The Lord of the Covenant establishes his Messiah's Eternal

Reign despite the opposition of kings & nations."

Each time this Psalm is mentioned in the N.T., the writers provide insights into the Kingly Glory of the Lord Jesus Christ. They magnify the Glorious Nature of God's Anointed One. They provide valuable teaching concerning the Believer's daily experience of the Kingship of Christ.

Harry Uprichard refers to the lessons taught in New Testament application of this Psalm: "They focus on perspectives of Christ's Kingship from the Psalms which are not as clearly

evident in the Law & Prophets of the Old Testament. They give a challenging overview of

Christ's Kingship prophetically announced & dynamically fulfilled in the Sovereignty of

Jesus of Nazareth."

The Psalmist's description of the Anointing of the King is fulfilled in the New Testament teaching about Lordship of Christ.

In the present study, we'll confine ourselves to the context of a quotation of the First Two Verses.

In Acts 4:1-31, a passage where Psalm 2:1-2 is plainly quoted, the emphasis is on

the Lordship of Christ over the nations in a time of desperate need.

In this passage we see how the first two verses of the 2^nd Psalm are fulfilled in the Prayer Life of the Early Church. The Apostles & Early Believers used this quotation as the basis of their Prayer at a time when the Lord's Anointed One & his Church were being opposed by the world.

First of all, notice the context in which the Believers' Prayer of Acts 4:24-31 took place.

These Early Christians were, indeed, living in a time of desperate need. They were being persecuted for their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, the Anointed One of God.

The Apostles Peter & John had healed a Lame Man in the Precincts of the Temple in the Name of Jesus of Nazareth (Acts 3:1-10). Those who had witnessed the healing were filled with wonder & amazement at what had happened. As a result of this healing, and their Preaching to the crowd that gathered, the Apostles were arrested by the Captain of the Temple Guard, who was responsible for maintaining order in the Temple Courts (v1-4). They were summoned to the Jewish Court of the Sanhedrin, where they were reprimanded and commanded 'not to speak or teach at all in the Name of Jesus' (v17-18).

When Peter & John were released they went back to the company of believers and reported what had happened to them (v23). We are told that the moment the Church Members heard this news, 'they lifted up their voices with one accord & prayed to the Sovereign Lord' (Acts 4:24).

They realised that they were in a desperate situation, which could only be resolved by the Powerful intervention of the Sovereign Lord who Rules Heaven & Earth. So they began to pray this truly remarkable Prayer.

Almost as soon as they began praying they quoted from the 2^nd Psalm (v25-26 cf Ps 2:1-2):

Harry Uprichard says:

"Of the 134 words comprising this Prayer, 23 are quoted from the 2^nd Psalm"

We must ask ourselves why the Early Believers quoted this Psalm in Prayer?

The actual quotation they used provides us with the obvious answer to this question. These Believers were steeped in the Old Testament Scriptures. Many of them would have learned the Psalms from childhood. The Spirit of God revealed to them the exact quotation which applied to the very situation that faced them at this time. The portion of Psalm 2 they actually quoted focuses on the Anointing of the Psalmist's Messiah and the absolute futility of opposing him.

The Apostles & the whole of the Early Church, realised immediately that they were facing the same situation that King David had encountered a thousand years ago. The nations of David's day had rebelled against the one whom the Lord God had anointed as king of his people, Israel. David had also prophesied concerning the rebellion of the nations against the Messiah in future days. The Early Believers were absolutely sure that these Jewish Leaders, by persecuting the people of God, were actually rebelling against the Lord's Anointed - whom the Apostles served & worshipped. They realised that, what King David said about 1,000 years before their time, was equally true in their own day.

The Early Church's perception of the Lord Jesus through this Psalm is truly astounding!

• How did they view the Person & Work of Jesus of Nazareth?

• Who was Jesus and what was the nature of his work?

• How did they know that Jesus gave them the authority to heal the Lame Man?

These vital questions are all answered through their meditation on the 2^nd Psalm.

They were absolutely certain that Jesus of Nazareth is the 'Anointed One, the Messiah, the Christ.'

From Acts 4 we learn two things concerning the Early Christians perception of the Psalmist's teaching about the Anointed One of God:

1. Firstly, the Lordship of God's Anointed One is founded on his position

as the Second Person of the Trinity:

After quoting Psalm 2:1-2 these believers continued their prayer and

twice referred to Jesus as 'God's Anointed Servant':

"The people … conspire against your Holy Servant Jesus, whom you Anointed."

"Now Lord … Stretch out your hand to heal & perform miraculous signs & wonders

through the Name of your Holy Servant Jesus" (Acts 4:27 & 30)

Their whole prayer is vibrant with power & assurance as they expressed their belief in the Lordship of Christ. They had no hesitation in identifying Jesus as the 'Anointed One of God.'

The Apostle Peter made the Doctrine of the Sonship & Lordship of Christ clear in his sermon at the Temple Gate called Beautiful, after the healing of the Lame Man:

"Men of Israel, why does this surprise you? Why do you stare at us s if by our own power

or godliness we made this man walk? The God of Abraham, Isaac & Jacob, the God of

our fathers, has glorified his servant Jesus. You handed him over to be killed, and you

disowned him before Pilate … You disowned the Holy & Righteous One … You killed

the Author of Life, but God raised him from the dead. We are witnesses of this. By faith

in the Name of Jesus, this man whom you see and know was made strong … Repent,

then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may

come from the Lord, and that he may send the Christ, who has been appointed for you -

even Jesus" (Acts 3:12-20).

From these passages it is clear that the Early Christians believed in

the Divine Nature of Jesus of Nazareth.

• He is the One the God the Father has Glorified.
• He possesses the Divine Attributes of Holiness & Righteousness.
• He is the Author of Life, both physical & spiritual.
• In his Name Alone can men have the authority to preach Repentance & Forgiveness of Sins.
• He has been sent by God the Father and has been appointed as the One & Only Saviour.
• His Divinity is proved by his Power to Heal & perform Miraculous Signs & Wonders.

Persecution at the hands of the Jewish Sanhedrin did not cause them to waver from their Belief. In their Prayer, these Early Believers expressed their Belief in Jesus the Messiah,

and the Divine Nature of his Sonship within the Triune Godhead:

They addressed their Prayer to God the Father, who is Sovereign in Creation & Providence:

"Sovereign Lord, you made the heaven & the earth & the sea, & everything in them …

They (the Jewish Leaders) did what your Power & Will had decided beforehand should

happen"(4:24 & 28).

They recognised the fact that God the Spirit is Sovereign in Revealing the Truth:

"You spoke by the Holy Spirit through the mouth of your servant David" (4:25).

They proclaimed Jesus as God's Anointed Servant.

They stated quite categorically that it was through the Name of Jesus this Lame Man had

We shall look at Psalm 2:7 later, but, in the present study, we must note that the Early Believers clearly believed in the Lordship of the Son of who is mentioned in that verse.

They understood that Jesus of Nazareth is not only the Anointed One of Psalm 2:1-2, he is also the Son, of whom the Sovereign Lord declared:

"You are my Son; today I have become your Father" (Ps 2:7).

Jesus is both 'the Christ or the Anointed One' & 'the Son' of God.

Therefore, the Lordship of Jesus of Nazareth is firmly grounded in his Messiahship & his Sonship. These persecuted Believers of Acts chapter 4 were fearful & apprehensive, but they were also absolutely sure that the Lord God of Heaven & Earth would vindicate their belief in the Lordship of Christ - the One in whose Name they healed the Lame Man and the One whose Name they preached Salvation & Forgiveness of Sins. This assurance was strengthened by their confidence in quoting the 2^nd Psalm and understanding its relevance to their own situation.

By proclaiming these things, these Believers were Ascribing Deity to Jesus of Nazareth.

They were saying that the Lordship of the Anointed One is firmly founded in the Biblical Doctrine of the Trinity, that the Messiah is none other than the Second Person of the Trinity.

They were saying that Jesus, in whose Name Alone comes Salvation, is Co-equal with and of the same Substance, Power & Eternity, as God the Father and God the Holy Spirit.

Each one of the Persons in the Trinity possesses the Whole of the Divine Essence.

The Lordship of the Messiah is equal to the Lordship of the Father and of the Holy Spirit.

These believers proclaimed the Lordship of Jesus in the context of the Trinity:

They argued that it is God the Father who creates & provides; God the Spirit reveals the truth of the gospel, and God the Son redeems his people and saves them from their sin.

This is the force & import of the Early Christians proclamation of Jesus as

God's Anointed & Holy Servant.

From Acts 4 we learn two things concerning the Early Christians perception of the Psalmist's teaching about the Anointed One of God:

1. Firstly, the Lordship of God's Anointed One is founded on his position

as the Second Person of the Trinity.

2. Secondly, the Lordship of God's Anointed One is proved through the

fulfilment of prophesy concerning the rebellion of the nations

In this Prayer, the Early Christians declared their belief in that Jesus of Nazareth is

God's Anointed One, whose coming is prophesied in the 2^nd Psalm.

They proclaimed that Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified at the hands of a rebellious people,

is God's promised King. They showed how the Lordship of Jesus over all the nations is grounded in his Messiahship. It is firmly based on the Old Testament teaching of the Psalmist David that, because Jesus has been Anointed by God the Father, he is the King who will reign forever & ever. They expounded the teaching of Psalm 2:1-2 to prove that all the Old Testament prophesies concerning the Messiah find their fulfilment in the Person & Work of Jesus of Nazareth.

The Early Christians had no hesitation in applying King David's message concerning the Enemies of God's Anointed One to people in their own generation:

It is clear that the Early Church believed that King David was not only describing what was happening in his own generation, he was also giving a valid & accurate description of what was happening when the Lord Jesus Christ was in this world. David was describing the conditions prevailing in the First Century A.D. and, indeed, the state of the mankind in many other generations, and even the world at large in our own generation.

These Believers identified the enemies of Christ in a simple & straightforward manner:

They are ready to apply the opposition of the world to the Anointed One in terms of

the King's Enemies in Psalm 2.

King David said (Ps 2:1-2 & Acts 4:25-26):

"Why do the Nations rage and the People plot in vain? The Kings of the earth take their

stand and the Rulers gather together against the Lord & against his Anointed One"

These Believers applied this teaching to the situation in their own day & age, saying:

"Indeed, Herod & Pontius Pilate met together with the Gentiles & the People of Israel in

this city to conspire against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed" (4:27).

They were not engaging themselves in some kind of idle speculation. On the contrary, they believed that if Jesus of Nazareth is the Anointed King of the 2^nd Psalm, then 'the nations' and 'the peoples', 'the kings of the earth' and 'the rulers' must have their counterparts in their

own day & age. They could make such bold statements because they had Faith in the fact that the Word of the Living God is relevant to every generation. Their Faith in the Old Testament Scriptures caused them to use the 2^nd Psalm in their Prayer, knowing that it had been fulfilled in every detail. The Lordship of Christ over all the nations became relevant in their desperate need at this time of persecution, when the Apostles had been thrown into prison by the very people who had crucified God's Anointed One. As they prayed to the Living God, he revealed to them how this Psalm should be applied to the situation which faced them at that particular time in history.

These Early Believers did not belief in of the Lordship of Christ in some kind of theoretical or airy-fairy way. Rather, they believed that his Lordship must be applied to the realities around them. They saw the world around them as a battlefield where King Jesus must be seen to be victorious. The oppression & hostility which faced these believers was a real opportunity for Christ's triumphant Lordship to be displayed. These Christians had studied the Word of God and were inspired by the Spirit of God to interpret this Psalm in the light of the Lordship of Christ. This assurance of the relevance of God's Word in every generation stimulated their Praying.

Having applied the 2^nd Psalm in order to identify of the enemies of God's Anointed One in their own generation, they were inspired to pray that the nations' rage & plotting against

God's People would be thwarted & come to nothing.

They prayed that the onslaught of this evil generation would be in vain, just as the Psalmist prophesied. They prayed after the same manner as the Psalmist David, saying:

"Now, Lord, consider their threats & enable your servants to speak your word with

great boldness. Stretch out your hand to heal & perform miraculous signs & wonders

through the name of your holy servant Jesus" (Acts 4:29-30).

Immediately, the Lord God answered this prayer, indicating how their prayer had been uttered in accordance with the will of God and according to a true interpretation of the 2^nd Psalm. After they had prayed, we read how:

"The place where they were meeting was shake. And they were all filled with the

Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly" (Acts 4:31).

The Sanhedrin might threaten the followers of God's Anointed One as often and as severely as they wanted. In the face of the rage & oppression of God's enemies, the hearts of those who had personally experienced the Power of the Lordship of Christ would never fear, neither would their mouths be stopped. Instead, they would boldly continue to preach the Gospel of Christ as the Power of God unto Salvation, to all who would believe. These believers prayed that they themselves might have the courage to proclaim the message of Salvation through the Lord's Anointed One without fear. They prayed that the Living God would place his seal of approval upon their witness by granting further works of healing and others signs & wonders, through the Name of Jesus who had healed the Lame Man.

The assurance of Divine Favour & Help in this time of persecution came even as they prayed. The place where they stood shook with an earthquake as the Spirit of God came down upon them in Power. They were left in no doubt about the Power of God's Anointed King, who would compel all men to bow the knee to him. The Holy Spirit sent them forth to preach the good news concerning Christ with a renewed confidence.

In Acts 5 we see how the Lord God answered their prayer.

"The Apostles performed many miraculous signs & wonders among the people …

more & more men & women believed in the Lord and were added to their number"

(Acts 5:12 & 14).

The Sadducees, who didn't believe in the resurrection, were filled with jealousy & openly opposed the Apostles. They arrested the Apostles and had them thrown into prison once again. But, an angel of the Lord opened the doors of the prison during the night and set them free. They were arrested once again, and were brought before the Sanhedrin, who commanded them not to teach in the Name of Jesus. The Apostles refused, saying,

"We must obey God rather than men!" (5:17-29).

Yet again they were empowered to speak boldly to these Religious Leaders who opposed the Anointed One of God, saying:

"The God of our fathers raised Jesus from the dead - whom you had killed by hanging him

on a tree. God exalted him to his own right hand as Prince & Saviour that he might give

repentance & forgiveness of sins to Israel. We are witnesses of these things, and so is the

Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him" (Acts 5:30-32).

The Apostles Preached in this way because they were firmly convinced that Psalm 2:1-2 was still relevant in their own day & age. They believed the message of King David, who said:

"The peoples plot in vain" against the Anointed One of God.

The Rulers of the Nation of Israel plotted against God's Anointed One and had him killed by hanging him on the tree of Calvary. But, their plotting was in vain, because the

"God of their fathers raised Jesus from the dead".

These Rulers tried to put to death the One who is the Son of the Lord of Glory. But, death could not hold him. That same Lord of Glory

"Exalted him to his own right hand as Prince & Saviour that he might

give repentance & forgiveness of sins to Israel".

God bestowed the utmost honour upon the very One they plotted against. God invested his Anointed One with the authority of Prince & Saviour. The One whom they opposed, became the source of blessing to both Jews & Gentiles alike. He would bless his people with the

grace of repentance & the gift of forgiveness. The authority of the Sanhedrin was great, but greater still was the Power & Authority of the One who had commissioned the Apostles to Preach the Good News of Salvation in his Name.

The Apostles said:

"We are witnesses of these things, and so is the Holy Spirit,

The Apostles were not only heralds of the Good News of Salvation, but they were also witnesses of the Life & Ministry & the Death & Resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth. They were witnesses under the direction of the Divine Witness, the Holy Spirit. They possessed the witness of the Spirit within their own spirits - the Spirit whom God the Father had given them as a Guarantee of their own Salvation. It was this same Spirit of God who gave them the Power & Authority to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ to All Nations.

Secondly: verses 4-7 The King Enthroned

Thirdly: verses 8-9 The King Empowered

Fourthly: verses 10-12 The King Received

see Chantry p37f