The Reign of the LORD’s Anointed
Messenger Dox
Call to worship:
pastor kevin mcguire
Acts 4.23-31
song:
Jesus Messiah
Historical reading:
pastor michael champoux
Apostles Creed
song:
Lord I Need You
Confession & Pardon
pastor Andrew loginow
song:
Doxology
song:
O Great God
Sermon:
pastor brett eckel
The Reign of the LORD’s Anointed
As Pastor Zack mentioned last week, we are continuing our Summer Elder Series this morning preaching Christ through the Psalms. These homilies are a part of the first of 5 books that makeup the Psalms or otherwise referred to as the Psalter (Pss1-41). The Psalter has been used for centuries as the prayer and song book of God’s people. As one commentator put it, “The psalms are transparent, passionate, emotive, personal, and genuine, and they provide believers with language with which to express their own deepest emotions and passions.”[1] Calvin referred to the Psalter as “An Anatomy of all the Parts of the Soul.”[2]
READ PSALM 2
In 1994 Disney released the classic motion picture The Lion King.[3] This film has meant a lot to so many of us. For some it is the greatest Disney film of all time. For others it was a story that captivated our imaginations and told a love story about a king and a kingdom that we somehow intuitively understand. For some you were drawn back to stories from Shakespeare and from the Bible that allowed your imagination to once more be lit up. For my oldest son the live action remake was his first movie in the theatre.
Like any other classic Disney movie, The Lion King has a bunch of incredible songs that most of us can sing in our sleep. Have you ever wondered why this is? Why can we remember songs we heard on the radio this week but struggle to memorize large texts? This is because songs stick with us in ways that large texts or quotations may not. This morning I want to turn your attention to one of the songs from The Lion King that touches on some key aspects that Psalm 2 has for us and that is the rebellious anthem of the chief villain Scar’s “Be Prepared.”
Listen to the following exchange from Scar and some of the hyenas who are raging and plotting against the rightfully appointed king:
S: Be prepared
H: for what?
S: For the death of the king
H: why is he sick?
S: No fool, we’re gonna kill him and Simba too
H: Great idea, who needs a king? No king, no king, la-la-la-la-la
S: Idiots, there will be a king
H: eh but you said
S: I will be king stick with me and you’ll never go hungry again
Here lies dilemma of our text. Who gets to be king and whose kingdom are we standing behind. Psalm 1-2 “introduce the entire Psalter” pointing to two key themes for the rest of God’s prayer and song book, the first being the ways of the righteous and the wicked which Pastor Zack taught us to last week and the second being the theme of the Lord and His King.[4] Psalm 2 speaks into the rebellious impulse we have and have seen among the nations when it comes to responding to the Christ.
As we look into Psalm 2 one thing we ought to take note of that this Psalm is one where we see explicit Christ-centered interpretations by New Testament writers. In Acts 4 and 13 the author offers a Christocentric interpretation of the second Psalm. When we read this song/poem we must read it in light of who Jesus is as the Son of David, the Messiah. A second thing we gather from the NT is that Peter and John ascribed authorship to David (Acts 4.25). We began today by asking the question of who gets to be king and whose kingdom are we standing by. When the first and second Psalms kick off the Psalter we are stuck with a compelling question of who is this king?
Last week we were introduced to the contrast of the man who follows God and delights in his words. This week we will see that this King whom God has set will reign over the whole earth. Who is the one man who lived and delighted in the law? Who is this Son of God who is given reign over the nations?[5] Jesus is both the righteous man from Psalm 1 who walks in the ways of righteous and Jesus is the Anointed one of Psalm 2 who will rule forever.
The Psalter kicks off with this big idea which shapes and molds the rest of the psalms and it is this: Through Jesus Christ, the Son of David and keeper of God’s Law, God will save his people. Everything else in the song and prayer book of God serves this end as it shows how the Son of David will come and do what God’s people could not.
RAGING AGAINST THE ANOINTED (v. 1-3)
Why do the nations rage
and the peoples plot in vain?
2 The kings of the earth set themselves,
and the rulers take counsel together,
against the LORD and against his Anointed, saying,
3 “Let us burst their bonds apart
and cast away their cords from us.”
Look at our song with me today starting in v. 1.
Why do people do the things they do? The nations in this song stand in continuity of the ways of the wicked from the previous song of Psalm 1. Steven Lawson aptly points out that “Psalm 2 portrays this ongoing rebellion of a lost world against God and his Son.”[6]
The nations rage, they are agitated, they are furiously motivated to act. They boil up and yet the plot in vain. In v. 1 – the Hebrew for “plot” is the same word in chapter 1 translated as “meditates” – chapter 1 talks of the one who meditates on God’s word contrasting here with those who meditate or plan against God.[7] Meditation itself has seen somewhat of an appropriation within the Western World as people devote time to mindfulness. Such is the case here. just as the man who delights in the words of God, so the nations meditate in vain – that is they mindfully plan. This is further demonstrated on how their raging and plotting takes place. The Psalmist tells us kings of the earth set themselves up and the rulers take counsel (v2).
We do not want to miss two important things here and that is such raging and gathering is not merely individual but is global in scope. It is not merely individual it is communal. It is not merely personal but political. The powers that be rage against God and his Anointed, not just individuals. And when we look at this first stanza as it were we see that the world rages war against God, but they will not gain the final victory.[8]
Looking at v.3 we see an acting out of the rebellious scene. What does this rebellion look like? The rebellion and rage are kingdom specific. Remember the first Psalm we read last week which is closely tied reminded us of the righteous man and the importance of delighting and meditating on the words of God. Dr. Jim Hamilton argues from the Psalms that the one who meditates on the law of the Lord from chapter one is contrasted with those who seek to break the bonds/chords of God’s law and promised kingdom.[9] This song points to God and his Anointed King. The rage spills out in a desperate call to challenge the King and his ways. the bursting of bonds and chords is that relationship between God and his Anointed. The word Anointed here is the same word for Messiah and the term for which derive Christ.
John Calvin even points out that people may not have “openly avowed themselves rebels against God” but perhaps even believed god to be on their side.[10] We must be very careful to remember that we were once enemies of God (Ephesians 2). Many have even thought of themselves to be in good standing with God while being an enmity with God. So ask yourself is the battle cry of your life to waive the banner of Christ and his Kingdom or is it to seek to break the bonds of God and his Messiah in order to place yourself there?
Pastor Zack mentioned last week that if you go have a conversation with a handful of people about Jesus you will see that Jesus changes things. I want to challenge us this morning to contemplate which Jesus we are discussing. Here the Son of David is portrayed as King and one that will rule despite the hostile attempts of national and political leaders to opposed him. This is not only immensely practical but is urgent. There are countless times in our own lives where we are tempted to join those around us for that which is popular when we need to be delighting in the ways of Christ. There may even be those among us whom are being lured by the testimony that Jesus looks like us only deified. God’s response to such rage is comedy and fury.
THE PLAN OF THE ANOINTED (v. 4-6)
4 He who sits in the heavens laughs;
the Lord holds them in derision.
5 Then he will speak to them in his wrath,
and terrify them in his fury, saying,
6 “As for me, I have set my King
on Zion, my holy hill.”
Look back with me to the second stanza of our song in v.4
In v. 4-6 – God in response to the plotting and rebellion of the kings and rulers of this world is to laugh. God holds them in derision. Do not get this wrong it is not merely that God thinks such rebellion is hilarious rather such rebellion is akin to a child thinking they can take on the military in combat. This would be like the toddler child of Michael Jordan puffing out their chest and telling their dad in his prime they could take him one-one-one. Except all of these analogies themselves are a bit silly.
God is sovereign over all things and the very breath by which the nations rage and plot is breath given to them and sustained by the God they hate. So why is this comical to God? Because the kings and rulers of this world are impotent to overthrow, or thwart God’s plans and God has a plan. Despite their efforts the King has been set on Zion the holy hill. God holds them in derision. He is disgusted at the sight of such rebellion and his response to such rebellion is Jesus.
In v. 6 – David’s son would be the true king who is set on Zion. Calvin offers us a Christ-centered interpretation of this song. While lengthy it is too good not to quote in full. Calvin says this:
But it is now high time to come to the substance of the type. That David prophesied concerning Christ, is clearly manifest from this, that he knew his own kingdom to be merely a shadow. And in order to learn to apply to Christ whatever David, in times past, sang concerning himself, we must hold this principle, which we meet with everywhere in all the prophets, that he, with his posterity, was made king, not so much for his own sake as to be a type of the Redeemer.[11]
David was self-aware that he was speaking of a future heir for whom their kingdom would have no end. Dr. Al just spoke to us about the Davidic Covenant a few weeks ago in our Bible Hour class. David was promised that his heir would rule and reign in peace and righteousness and this kingdom would have no end. The scope of this reign David knew to be global and eternal.
David’s kingship pointed forward to the True King who would be set on Zion and rule over the nations. The nations have raged and plotted against the Messianic rule of the Son of David and God’s response is that of severity. If you think that God is not a God of justice please take heed the warnings of the Psalms and the Prophets. God will not be mocked, nor will God ultimately be challenged. God will not be mocked nor challenged by the ways of the wicked nor by the rulers and counselors of this world.
THE REIGN OF THE ANOINTED (v. 7-9)
7 I will tell of the decree:
The LORD said to me, “You are my Son;
today I have begotten you.
8 Ask of me, and I will make the nations your heritage,
and the ends of the earth your possession.
9 You shall break them with a rod of iron
and dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel.”
Look now with me to the third stanza of this song.
The plan of the Anointed on Zion has been set and the decree comes down. This language of LORD saying the David “you are my son” points to the particularly close relationship within Jewish religion that God would have with the Anointed. David here understands that when he uses this language of being the son of God that this refers to the anticipated Son of David. The ESV makes the choice to use “Son” instead of “son” to show this designation. This future Son of God, Son of David, is the explicitly identified in the NT as being Jesus Christ (see Acts 13). Other such uses of the son of God language in the NT are often believed to be citing the language of Psalm 2 such as Hebrews 1.5
In v. 8 we see the promised gift of an inheritance of nations made to Jesus as the True Son of David. We know from the NT that Jesus has won a great victory and that he has indeed been given the gift of the elect. Revelation 5.9-10 reminds us of the truth of this promise as Jesus has gathered people from every tongue, nation, and tribe to build his kingdom.
While v. 8 speaks of the inheritance Jesus obtains as the Messiah v. 9 demonstrates his reign. Matthew 18 shows a prime example of how Jesus having resurrected from the dead has now been given all authority in heaven and earth. There is no sphere in this world for which Christ does not reign whether that is China, Brazil, Japan, Norway, U.S., etc. and his reign is sure. In Revelation 12.5; 19.15-26; 2.26-27 we see that Jesus reigns with an iron scepter and does so from a position of power. His judgements are indeed shattering to those who do not follow him.
In v. 9 here the destruction is also a theme picked up from Psalm 1.6 for those who will not obey and follow God and His King. In Psalm 1 it is the way of the wicked individual which leads to destruction and in Psalm 2 it is the wicked nations in which God’s King Jesus will bring destruction upon.[12]
THE WARNING OF THE ANOINTED (v. 10-12)
10 Now therefore, O kings, be wise;
be warned, O rulers of the earth.
11 Serve the LORD with fear,
and rejoice with trembling.
12 Kiss the Son,
lest he be angry, and you perish in the way,
for his wrath is quickly kindled.
Blessed are all who take refuge in him.
This final stanza is so crucial for us this morning.
In v. 10-12 Steven Lawson remarks that, “All unbelievers are called upon by the Lord to bow before the Son before it is too late.”[13] The Bible in countless places both OT and NT demonstrate the love and grace of God. But the warning is sure. The warning goes out to kings to be wise. While it is important not to miss the distinction made here of kings and rulers to individuals there is an important sense in which we need to heed this warning at a personal level.
We’ve been warned. So I ask you this: what idolatry project in your life is tempting you to abandon Christ and to begin to rage against him? What in your life is tempting you to go down a path that says Y is more satisfying than life with Christ? Have you even begun to contemplate the echoes of God’s laughter and scorn, his derision and correction?
As someone who has spent the better part of the last 13 years studying theology, philosophy, and apologetics I promised you that if you ever begin to doubt whether God loves you there is no more sure affirmation than the nail pierced hands of your Savior and an empty tomb.
So be warned! Follow the way of the righteous, delight in his will and walk in his ways. Calvin said “The beginning of true wisdom is when a man lays aside his pride, and submits himself to the authority of Christ.”[14]
So brothers and sisters serve and rejoice. That is what we are called to do as Christians who have received the gospel by faith alone in Christ alone. We have noted here before that the Reformed tradition has always defined faith with three facets: knowledge, assent, and trust. (KAT).
You must know the good news of the gospel – that God is holy and creator, that we have all fallen into sin and perpetually live our lives unto our own glory and therefore justly deserve eternal judgment, that Jesus Christ was born, lived, a sinless life, died as our substitute, was buried, and on the third day rose again from the dead and has since ascended to the right hand of the Father where he sits and reigns at the right hand of the Father where the offer of salvation goes out to all who will believe.
But it is also not good enough, or as our song mentions today wise enough, one must also assent that this news is true – that the content is not arbitrary but that indeed news is indeed good, true, and beautiful. You must agree that these things happened. But that alone will not grant you the possession of faith because at that point you still find yourself ultimately seeking to burst the bonds of God and his Anointed.
You must place your trust in Christ alone to save you, this is the third facet of faith. You must Kiss the Son. Knowledge, assent, and trust – that is faith. And the call goes out to you today. The Psalmist cries out “be wise!” – as one musician once put it in a contemporary song: “I swear to god we’re gonna get it right if you lay your weapons down.” Brothers and sisters, lay your weapons down you cannot win and God will not be mocked. Afterall Christ Jesus sits at the right hand of the Father reigning and will come again for us. Repent, believe, rejoice, serve.
I would fail you this morning if I did not spend time to highlight that this song does address this warning to the kings of this world. It must be made clear that the Messiah is not only the king of our hearts but is the king of the world. Vladimir Putin, Kim Jong Un, President Biden, the Paramount Leader of China, kings and rulers of the past, present, and all those to come, they have received their warning. God will not be mocked. May we always choose to waive the banner of Christ and his kingdom for that is where our allegiance lies. Jesus gets to be king because he is and we are delighted to stand with his kingdom. Let’s live like that is true.
In v. 12 – Kiss the Son – we get a poetic picture that is at times foreign in our current culture. Why kiss the son? What does the Psalmist mean by that? To Kiss the Son is to acknowledge Jesus as King, to pay homage and to submit to his rule.[15] God will not put up with injustice and here again is a call to those faced with Christ with the option to rebel or to submit.
Again, we implore you if you’re here today and not trusting in Jesus to consider the King on the throne. The gospel is true, it is reasonable and good, and if you place your trust in him you will fall in line with the saints of old who have lined up to Kiss the Son. Jesus will reign with peace and righteousness as the Davidic Covenant laid out. He will not let sin go undealt with. Jesus is angry with sin and if you do not believe and trust in him you will parish in the way.
Jesus stands by the broken not the elite, Jesus stands by those in need not those who don’t want his help. Jesus will not stand in the face of oppression, sin, suffering, and death and merely wink at it. He paid the price of his own life. That is how sure you can be today that God takes sin seriously. None of us here are only kind of bad, we’re the kind of bad that cost Jesus his life. He reigns and from the perspective of broken sinners that is good news for we too will one day finally experience the shalom his kingdom promises in full when he returns. Then and now, blessed are those who take refuge in him.
3 Pastoral Exhortations from Psalm 2
Before we head out of here today I want to conclude by noting three crucial aspects of this song/poem.
1. Psalm 2 is Christ-centered – Psalm 2 shows us the Son of David, God’s Anointed Messiah, and King. As we read in our Call to Worship holy Jesus has witnessed the rage of the nations and Jesus is still alive as they have collectively fallen one by one. This song is about Jesus of Nazareth. This song carries within its own content the Christ who is Holy Jesus. The New Testament makes this clear in Acts 4 and 13 as well as good hermeneutics.
2. Psalm 2 is Eschatological – that is Psalm 2 points us forward to the culmination of God’s kingdom. The kingdom of Christ, that which was promised to David’s Son shows that God’s opposition to the wicked is politically motivated – not merely individual but global and final. This song/poem makes clear that while the nations rage there is no dualism here. God laughs because his ways are set and victory sure. Jesus we know reigns at the right hand of his Father. The battle rages on but the war is won. [LION KING EXAMPLE]
3. Psalm 2 is Missional – this song ends with letting the reader know that the wrath of God’s Anointed is quickly kindled and blessed are those who believe in him. To Kiss the Son is to acknowledge the king of kings and your rightful place under his rule. Psalm 2 tells a story and those who will believe have a place in his kingdom.
CONCLUSION
I mentioned earlier that the big theme of the Psalms was this: Through Jesus Christ, the Son of David and keeper of God’s Law, God will save his people.
Every bit of that is important. Today our four stanzas showed us how the nations rage against God and his Anointed, God’s plan and reign of the anointed, and the wanring of the Aoninted which all point us to this big point. Jesus Christ is the Son of David in Psalm 2 just as he is the righteous one of Psalm 1. Jesus is the keeper of God’s Law and Jesus is the one who saves the elect.
The song Be Prepared is but one example that reminds us of our rebellious desire to unseat the rightful king and place ourselves on his throne. One of the reason the story of The Lion King has struck a nerve is that we instinctively know kingdom language. We know what it means to strive to be on top and to seek glory. Jesus accomplished the Father’s plan and sits at the right hand of the Father so that you can receive his blessed hope and peace. Believe the gospel by faith today. This morning we implore you, Kiss the Son, be wise, be prepared. Lets pray
[1] NIV, Zondervan Study Bible, General ed. D.A. Carson (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2015), 968.
[2] Calvin’s Commentaries, Vol. IV (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 2009), xxxvii.
[3] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Lion_King
[4] NIV, Zondervan Study Bible, General ed. D.A. Carson (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2015), 970.
[5] James L. Mays, Interpretation: A Biblical Commentary for Teaching and Preaching, General Ed. Max Anders (Louisville, KY: John Knox Press, 1994), 45.
[6] Steven J. Lawson, Holman Old Testament Commentary, General Ed. Max Anders (Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holmam Publishers, 2003), 21.
[7] NIV, Zondervan Study Bible, General ed. D.A. Carson (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2015), 979.
[8] Calvin’s Commentaries, Vol. IV (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 2009), 12.
[9] From sermon series preached by Jim Hamilton on the Psalms. https://youtu.be/BkoC0x5mwi0
[10] Calvin’s Commentaries, Vol. IV (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 2009), 13.
[11] Calvin’s Commentaries, Vol. IV (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 2009), 11.
[12] NIV, Zondervan Study Bible, General ed. D.A. Carson (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2015), 980.
[13] Steven J. Lawson, Holman Old Testament Commentary, General Ed. Max Anders (Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holmam Publishers, 2003), 22.
[14] Calvin’s Commentaries, Vol. IV (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 2009), 23.
[15] The Reformation Study Bible, General ed. R.C. Sproul (Ligonier Ministries, 2005), 740.