Psalm 2
Why do the nations conspire and the peoples plot in vain? The kings of the earth rise up and the rulers band together against the Lord and against his anointed, saying, “Let us break their chains and throw off their shackles.”
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Therefore, you kings, be wise; be warned, you rulers of the earth. Serve the Lord with fear and celebrate his rule with trembling. 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.
Have you ever heard an old familiar song and then later in the day you realize you cannot get it out of your head? Psalm 2 is like one of those songs that seem to resonate through the generations with a familiarity that does not fade with time. Even though the song is thousands of years old and the original events surrounding David’s rule have long passed, it is still as relevant today. Jesus, the Son of God, is the fulfillment of this psalm and the text describes the rulers of the nations who reject His Lordship. This song is a strong appeal for the nations to acknowledge God’s rule through Jesus Christ. It is the backdrop of the world stage we are living in right now.
God created us and we as humanity rebelled against him and have continually been building our own kingdoms and societies apart from Him. Yet God in His mercy sent His Son Jesus Christ to pay for the sins of all people and whoever receives this act of mercy is forgiven and welcomed back into the Kingdom of God. Jesus will one day reign as King on earth judging the nations punishing those who have stubbornly rejected his mercy and rewarding those who have remained faithful to Him bringing in paradise to the earth itself.
In the meantime, God is calling each individual, ruler, and nation to acknowledge the reign of Jesus and to receive His forgiveness.
Let me ask you, during the recent pandemic and social turmoil, are you seeing the leaders and people in your nation sorrowfully repenting and turning to God, or are you seeing them double down on their plans? Has Jesus been mentioned as any part of the solution by our governments, media, education, scientific, and corporate leaders? Has God been lifted up and revered or is the human spirit and will being glorified? Finally, how are God’s people being viewed? Are followers of Jesus seen as the ones carrying a favorable message or are we being blamed because “Rome is burning”? What will happen when God resists human efforts to fix things? Who will be held responsible?
As leaders and people groups move farther and farther from the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, we can expect increased chaos, turmoil, and confusion in spite of best efforts to prevent such things. It is simple, one cannot hope to produce life in society when rejecting its Author!
I would remind you my friends what song we are living in, and to look at the signs of the times. There are people, rulers, and nations conspiring against the Lord trying to take Him out of society. We should fully expect these same people to take advantage of tumultuous times to prevent the gospel from being preached and to ensure that wholesome ways of living are marred or removed from the culture. These efforts will likely be veiled as for the good of all. Overlooking these realities of evil and the depravity of man results in a naïve view of the circumstances. People will become more and more susceptible to fear tactics, manipulation, and coercion because they have not put themselves under the King's protection and made themselves subject to the prince of the air.
We need to pray on behalf of the nations that they would turn to Jesus and that God would strengthen us and create a boldness in us to share that He is the answer to all that ails this world right now. We need to know that God laughs at these efforts to supplant Him and will in the end show Himself victorious!
Jesus reminds us that His return is coming soon as victorious King and despite how things may look, the end of the story is Him bringing justice to the earth and rewarding those who are faithful to Him (Revelation 19-22). Whatever we face, the Lord is with us and will stay with us showing Himself faithful again and again. He gives us a joy that shines through because we are dearly loved and no longer carry the weight of God on our shoulders! We are forgiven, we are His children, and we have true hope for the future that cannot be shaken!
Let’s remember Psalm 2 is a song for today and align ourselves with the One and only true King, Jesus, the lamb of God, who has and will overcome!
