Latest / Reformed Thinking / Why Do the Nations Rage? God’s Anointed King Reigns (Psalm 2) | John F. Walvoord et al.

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Why Do the Nations Rage? God’s Anointed King Reigns (Psalm 2) | John F. Walvoord et al. · Reformed Thinking

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Picture the most formidable military alliance in human
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history. The nations have gathered
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together, They have the weapons, they have the numbers and they
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have the brilliant strategic minds.
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Yeah, they have it all planned out.
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Right. And they have an absolute,
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unified hatred for the sovereign boundaries placed upon them.
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They look up at the heavens, plant their feet on the earth,
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and declare total, unapologetic independence from God.
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They are completely ready for war.
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Exactly. And God's response to this
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massive, coordinated global threat is well, it is not panic.
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He does not summon the angels for emergency briefing.
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He has not scrambled to adjust his plans.
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No, his response is laughter. It is just wild to think about.
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Welcome to Reformed thinking. Our mission for this deep dive
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is to unpack a highly specific, very detailed analysis of Psalm
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2. We are drawing from the Bible
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Knowledge Commentary authored by John F Woolward and his
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colleagues. It is such a great source text.
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It really is. Now, many readers of the New
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Testament know Psalm 2 because it is quoted so often in
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relation to Jesus Christ. But our source material brings
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us back to its gritty historical origin as an Old Testament royal
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Psalm. Right.
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Those royal psalms were utilized by Davidic kings for coronation
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celebrations. And you know, these ancient
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coronations were not just polite ceremonies.
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No, not at all. They happened in the face of
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intense, violent political opposition.
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You had these surrounding Pagan nations looking for any moment
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of weakness to strike. That context is key, and as
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adherence to the Westminster Confession, we're going to look
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at this text through a specific theological lens.
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We want to see how this ancient script illustrates God's
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absolute sovereignty over earthly rulers.
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Absolutely. It highlights the undeniable
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certainty of His divine decrees. OK, let's unpack this by
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starting right where the text starts.
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We are looking at the human rebellion in verses one through
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3. We are moving from the joyous
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setting of a royal coronation to an immediate, harsh conflict.
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The contrast is pretty sharp right out of the gate.
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It is verse one expresses sheer amazement from the writer.
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He asks. You know, why do the nation's
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conspire and the people's plot in vain?
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It is a question of sheer bewilderment.
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Yeah, because when you think about the math of the situation,
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why would earthly kings plot a political overthrow that is
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categorically destined to fail? It is like an Ant colony
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declaring war on a fleet of bulldozers.
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That is a great way to put it. They are organizing their
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military strength and pooling their resources for an operation
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that the text says is entirely futile.
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What's fascinating here is the specific terminology used in the
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original text. We are talking about the target
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of this massive unified rebellion.
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The source highlights the Hebrew word Messiah.
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Which translates to Messiah. Right, Yes, Messiah and its
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Greek equivalent in the Septuagint is Christos or
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Christ. Now, in the historical context
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of the Old Testament, the concept of Messiah was not
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exclusively an end times figure. That is a common misconception
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today. It really is.
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Back then, every king who was anointed by a prophet with holy
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oil was technically a Messiah, an anointed 1.
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This physical act of pouring oil over the head of the new king
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was a tangible visual representation.
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A representation of God's Spirit resting upon him.
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Spot on. So when a Davidic king sat on
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the throne and obeyed God, his rule was not just a solitary
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political endeavor. His reign carried the absolute
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authenticity of God's election and the full backing of God's
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might. And that divine backing is
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precisely why the opposing nations plans were rendered
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completely futile. Yes, they fundamentally
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misunderstood the nature, the battlefield.
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They thought they were plotting against a human monarch trying
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to take advantage of a transitional period in Israel's
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leadership, Which? Politically speaking, makes
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sense. Right in the ancient Near East,
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a transition of leadership was the prime time for vassal states
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to rebel. They would withhold their taxes
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and launch military strikes because the new king was
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untested. But they were not taking a stand
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against a young, vulnerable politician.
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No, they were taking a stand against the Lord Himself by
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opposing His anointed representative.
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From a secular military standpoint, plotting against a
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small nation like Israel might have seemed like a calculated
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reasonable. Risk.
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But theologically, the rebellion was mathematically guaranteed to
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fail. They were opposing the
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unchangeable sovereign decrees of the Creator of the universe.
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The psychological state of these rebellious nations is
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illustrated so vividly in verse three.
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They are recorded as saying, you know, let us break their chains
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and throw off their shackle. They expressed this intense,
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burning desire to be free from political control.
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And if we look at the imagery here, it is visceral.
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They feel tied down by heavy, restrictive ropes.
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They really do. They look at God's sovereign
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boundaries, the moral and political order he has
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established through his anointed King, and they interpret that
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order as intolerable bondage. They do not see a righteous
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framework designed for human flourishing.
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They just see oppressive chains that must be violently broken.
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And when you look at the world stage today, this human instinct
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to cast off divine authority is nothing new.
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No, it is a predictable recurring historical pattern.
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People still look at the boundaries God has established
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in creation and label them as restrictive shackles.
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It is a fundamental misdiagnosis of reality.
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They think true freedom is found in absolute autonomy, throwing
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off the rules of the Creator. And that misdiagnosis of reality
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is a core feature of the human condition.
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Outside of saving grace, the source material explains that
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the nation's wish to be entirely free of the political and moral
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control. Of the Lord they want to be free
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of his anointed king too. Exactly.
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They view absolute autonomy as the highest possible good.
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They failed to realize that true freedom is actually found in
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submitting to the righteous rule of a benevolent Creator.
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Their resolution to break the chains is a declaration of
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absolute independence, and in the framework of Reformed
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theology, that is the very essence of sin.
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It is the creature attempting to usurp the throne of the universe
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and declare themselves the ultimate authority.
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It reflects the doctrine of total depravity.
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Really. How so?
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Let's break that down for the listener.
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Well, the natural mind is completely at enmity with God.
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It views His perfect law as an assault on personal liberty.
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But as we move from the chaotic war rooms of these earthly kings
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up into the heavenly throne room, the contrast is
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staggering. It really is.
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While the earth is in an absolute uproar with general
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shouting and armies marching, Heaven remains entirely
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undisturbed. Here's where it gets really
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interesting. The pivot in the text is just
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brilliant. The text pivots from the loud,
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chaotic plotting of the Pagan kings to the calm, seated
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posture of the Lord in verses 4 through 6.
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Verse 4 gives us this striking imagery and honestly, it is a
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bit jarring. It definitely catches you off
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guard. Yeah, because God is not pacing
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the floor of heaven in a panic. He's not wringing his hands or
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calling an emergency meeting of the angels to figure out a
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counter strategy, the text says. He sits and thrown high in
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heaven, and he laughs. Which is such a bold statement.
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It is now when the text says God lasts.
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My immediate thought is a mythological Greek God on that
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Olympus finding human misery entertaining, but the source
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uses the term anthropomorphism here.
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Right, which clarifies things quite a bit.
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Yeah, it tells me this is not about God being amused by our
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struggles. It is a mechanism to explain his
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untouchable authority. How does this concept apply to
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God's reaction in this specific passage?
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Anthropomorphism is a theological category that refers
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to stating God's actions, thoughts, or reactions using
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human terms. We do this so that finite minds
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can comprehend the infinite. Because God is infinite spirit.
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Exactly. He does not have a physical
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human body, vocal cords, or lungs to produce physical
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laughter. Furthermore, in Reformed
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theology we hold to the doctrine of divine impassibility.
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Meaning God does not experience fluctuating emotional states.
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Right. He doesn't have reactive
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passions the way humans do. He is never caught off guard or
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surprised. So when the psalmist writes that
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God laughs and scoffs at the nation's, it is an
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anthropomorphic description. It is designed to convey his
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complete and utter contempt for their evil feudal plan.
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Yes, he sits enthroned, which is a posture of absolute security,
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rest, and unchallenged authority.
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A king only sits when his enemies are vanquished.
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If there is a threat, the king stands and prepares for battle.
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Precisely. And from that exalted vantage
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point, God discerns the sheer, staggering foolishness of their
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opposition. The source points out that this
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laughter is not a sign of amusement or frivolity.
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It is the expression of divine derision.
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The Lord sees the puny rebellion of earthly kings as entirely
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ridiculous when weighed against His infinite might and
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unalterable decrees. It is the absolute absurdity of
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finite dust trying to overthrow the eternal sovereign.
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The response from heaven does not stop at divine derision,
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though. God moves from laughter to a
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definitive statement of rap. The source notes that God speaks
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to them in his burning anger, terrifying them.
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And verse 6 summarizes this perfectly.
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God says, you know, I have installed my king on Zion, my
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holy mountain. God's response to an
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international military rebellion is not to open diplomatic
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negotiations. No, he does not offer political
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concessions at all. And he certainly does not try to
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find a middle ground with the Pagan kings.
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He simply issues a sovereign decree.
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He installs his king and that action alone shuts down the
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rebellion. And the location mentioned here
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is incredibly significant. I think it's easy to read the
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word Zion and assume it is just an abstract spiritual metaphor
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for heaven, but the source gives a very detailed history of the
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word Zion that grounds it in gritty physical reality.
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It really grounds the text. Can you break down that
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geographical and historical progression for us?
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The history of Zion as outlined in the text is quite remarkable.
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It grounds God's actions in real time and space.
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The term appears 40 times in the Book of Psalms alone.
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That is a lot of references. It is.
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Originally, Zion was a Jebusite or Canaanite stronghold.
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It was a physical, dusty city built on a steep hill,
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considered completely impregnable by its inhabitants.
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But then David comes along. Right.
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According to Second Samuel chapter 5 verse 7, David
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conquered this specific stronghold by utilizing the
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city's water shaft to launch a surprise attack.
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He took a Pagan fortress and made it the city of David.
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And over time, the meaning of the word expanded.
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Yes. Later on, Zion referred
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specifically to the temple area built by Solomon.
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Eventually, the term became synonymous with the entire city
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of Jerusalem. And the text also notes that
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Holy Hill is used as a synonym for this location.
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Yes, it does. What we see here is God claiming
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a specific historical geographical piece of dirt to
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establish his earthly representative.
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God's sovereignty is not just an abstract spiritual concept.
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It physically disrupts human politics.
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By installing his king on Zion, God is making a tangible
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historical footprint. In Reformed theology, we
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understand that God's decrees are effectual.
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Meaning they accomplish exactly what he intends.
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Right when he establishes his king on that specific hill, he
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automatically subjugates those who oppose that king.
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The installation of the monarch is simultaneously the defeat of
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the enemies. The source notes that this was
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true historically with David and his descendants.
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And it will also be true at the end of the age with David's
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greater descendant, Jesus Christ.
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So the Lord has spoken from heaven, bringing the chaos of
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the earthly kings to a halt, simply by declaring that his
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king is firmly installed on a physical hill called Zion.
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And now the installed king takes the microphone, so to speak.
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He steps up to declare his specific right to rule in verses
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7 through 9, but right away in verse 7 we run into a phrase
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that often brings up a common theological pushback.
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This is a big one, yeah. The king recites the decree of
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the Lord, saying, You know you are my Son today I have begotten
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you. For a listener who might be
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familiar with the New Testament application of this voice to
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Jesus, they might encounter arguments.
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Arguments from groups asserting that the word begotten implies
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the Sun was a created being. Exactly a being who had a
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starting point in time. People point to this verse and
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say look it says today I have begotten you.
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Which means there was a day when the sun did not exist.
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It is a very common misunderstanding.
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Based on the historical context provided in the source, how do
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we dismantle this point of confusion?
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The source systematically dismantles that misunderstanding
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by grounding the verse entirely in its original Old Testament
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historical context. The decree mentioned in verse 7
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refers directly to the Davidic covenant.
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Specifically, the promises God made in Second Samuel Chapter 7,
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verse 14. Right in that monumental
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covenant, God declared that he would be a father to the Davidic
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King and the King would be his son.
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Whenever a descendant of David ascended to the throne in
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Jerusalem, God described their new affiliation as a father son
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relationship. Therefore, the expression son
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took on the meaning of a messianic political title.
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Yes, when the text says today I have begotten you, the word
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today refers specifically to the coronation day of the earthly
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King. The word begotten is an extended
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covenantal metaphor. It describes the king becoming
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God's adopted son in a legal, political and covenantal sense.
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Yes, to represent God's rule on earth.
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It absolutely does not refer to physical birth, nor does it mean
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the King was created out of nothing on that day.
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The newly crowned king is appropriating this messianic
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title to demonstrate to the rebellious nations his
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legitimate divine right to rule. It is a statement of authority,
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not a statement of biological or ontological origin.
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When the New Testament applies this to Jesus, it is applying
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this royal title of absolute authority to Him.
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Which we will see clearly when we look at the typological
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fulfillment later. That context changes everything.
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It frames the relationship not in terms of biology or creation,
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but in terms of covenantal authority and royal adoption.
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And the significance of this status as God's anointed son is
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immediately clear in verse 8. Because verse 8 deals with the
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royal inheritance, a son naturally inherits his father's
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estate, but in this case the father owns the entire universe.
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He really does, the Lord tells the King.
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Ask me, and I will make the nation's your inheritance, the
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ends of the earth your possession.
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This is a staggering reality. This king is inheriting the very
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nations that were actively plotting his downfall in verse
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one. They thought they could break
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the chains and establish their own autonomy.
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But instead they are being handed over as legal property to
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the king they despised. They are just an inheritance
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waiting to be claimed. If we connect this to the bigger
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picture of the ancient Near Eastern world, the way the
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subjugation is carried out is quite terrifying for the rebels.
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What does the source say about that imagery?
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The source describes the imagery in verse 9 where the king is
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told he will smash the rebellious people with a rod of
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iron. This imagery is highly likely
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drawn from Egyptian execration customs.
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Egyptian execration customs. That sounds intense.
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It provides A vivid historical parallel.
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To understand the gravity of this picture, a powerful
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Egyptian pharaoh sitting on his throne.
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As part of a ritual to assert dominance, he would take clay
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votive jars. Pottery that had the names of
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rebellious cities inscribed on them.
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Yes, nations or specific enemy leaders, often written in red
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ochre ink. To demonstrate his absolute
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authority and to symbolize the total destruction that awaited
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those who opposed him, the Pharaoh would take his heavy
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royal scepter. And he would violently,
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physically smash those clay jars into pieces in front of his
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court. Exactly.
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The text explains that verse 9 describes the very beginning of
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the anointed King's rule. It is a rain that is initiated
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by putting down rebellion with a massive crushing blow, just like
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those execration jars being pulverized into dust.
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I want to pause and look at the linguistic nuance the source
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brings up regarding that crushing blow.
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The text points out the specific Hebrew verbs used in this
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passage, RA, A and napya. Those verbs carry a lot of
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weight. They do.
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The source mentions that the New International Version, along
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with the Ancient Greek Septuagint translates this
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action as rule, resulting in the phrase You will rule them with
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an iron scepter. But the source argues that the
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English word rule simply fails to capture the violent reality
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of the original Hebrew text. Right.
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Those specific verbs translate far more accurately to shatter
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or dash to pieces. It is not about administrative
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governance over the rebels. It is not about setting up tax
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brackets or diplomatic envoys. No, it is about the complete,
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sudden and irreversible destruction of their rebellion.
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It is much like that clay jar turning to dust under a heavy
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iron rod. A clay jar cannot be put back
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together once it meets an iron scepter.
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Given this terrifying reality of a shattered rebellion, the
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psalmist pivots to offer these rebellious kings a final, urgent
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ultimatum. And that pivot is absolutely
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crucial to the entire message of the Psalm.
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It really is. The text moves from the
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declaration of absolute shattering judgment to an urgent
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plea for wisdom. In verses 10 and 11, the
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psalmist exhorts the foolish nations to submit to the king
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before his wrath is kindled. So what does this all mean for
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the listener? We are looking at the commands
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given to the earthly kings. Use wisdom, abandoned foolish
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rebellion, and worship the Lord with fear and trembling.
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It's a call to a complete lifestyle change.
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But I have to ask, how can rejoicing and trembling exist at
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the exact same time? Usually we think of those as
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totally opposing emotional states.
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It is a paradox for sure. Yeah, you rejoice when you are
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happy, relaxed and secure, and you tremble when you are
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terrified for your life, but the psalmist binds them together as
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the only correct response to God's sovereignty.
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The source analyzes these prescribed religious responses
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of the righteous. They are being told to lead
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lives characterized by submission rather than their
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previous arrogance. And lives filled with exultation
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rather than the gloom of their impending destruction.
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Yes, they are being invited to switch sides before the iron
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scepter falls. It implies a state of
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overwhelming awe. You rejoice because you are
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under the care of a perfectly righteous sovereign who has
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secured, cured the universe. But you tremble because you
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recognize the sheer magnitude of his wrath against sin.
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Exactly. And the unbelievable might he
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holds. It is a posture of absolute
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reverence. But that brings me to verse 12,
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which frankly sounds completely out of place in an ancient
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military standoff. The text commands the kings to
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kiss the son. Are they supposed to hug it out
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with the king they just tried to overthrow?
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It sounds like a strange request.
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It really does. Why is a royal Psalm suddenly
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demanding a display of affection?
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This raises an important question regarding the specific
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act of submission demanded here, and the source unpacks A
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fascinating linguistic mystery to explain it.
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I love a good linguistic mystery.
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Let's hear it. Well, the word used for sun in
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verse 12 is bar, which is an Aramaic word, rather than the
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typical Hebrew word for sun, which is been.
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Because the presence of an Aramaic word is highly unusual
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in a predominantly Hebrew poetic text, ancient scholars often
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translated it differently, didn't they?
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Yes. They did.
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For instance, the famous translator Jerome knew that the
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letters for bar also form a Hebrew word meaning pure.
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So in the Latin Vulgate he translated the phrase as give
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pure worship or worship impurity.
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He entirely avoided the phrase kiss the sun.
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He did. However, the source argues that
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an Aramaic term is actually quite fitting and deliberate.
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Here, the psalmist is directly addressing foreign nations.
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And Aramaic was increasingly becoming, I mean, the lingua
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franca. Yes, the international language
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of diplomacy and trade in the ancient Near East.
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By using an Aramaic loanword, the psalmist is making a
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culturally subversive move. He is addressing the foreign
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invaders in their own international language.
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Issuing a taunt in an invitation they cannot misunderstand.
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Exactly. Furthermore, the cultural
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imagery of the kiss is a well documented act of homage in the
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ancient world. The source cites First Kings
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chapter 19, verse 18 and Hosea chapter 13 verse 2.
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To demonstrate that kissing, whether kissing the feet of a
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monarch or kissing an idol, was a physical, public demonstration
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of loyalty. It was a sign of submission to a
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sovereign. It was not a display of casual
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affection. It was the formal signing of a
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treaty with one's posture. That makes incredible sense.
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The foreign kings are being addressed in a language they
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would immediately recognize, and they are being told to offer a
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recognized cultural sign of complete, absolute submission.
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They have to publicly bow and pay homage.
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And the urgency of this command is directly tied to the
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suddenness of the wrath that will fall if they refuse, the
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text says. Lest he be angry and you be
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destroyed in your way, For his wrath can flare up in a moment.
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The source asked an interesting question about this wrath.
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Is this wrath coming from the Lord, or is it coming from the
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newly installed king? Because the text notes that the
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nearest grammatical antecedent is the king, the anointed son
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who wields the iron scepter. Right.
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But it concludes that in the context of the Psalm, the two
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persons are entirely inseparable.
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That inseparability is a massive theological point, particularly
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within Reformed theology's understanding of the Godhead and
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the mediatorial work of the Sun. It is huge.
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A person submits to the Lord by submitting to his anointed Son.
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If the earthly kings do not submit, the anointed king will
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destroy them. Because the Lord, in His angry
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every opposition to their autonomous plans, has decreed
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that His Son will have the throne.
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You cannot bypass the Son to make peace with the Father.
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Submitting to the Son equals taking refuge in the Lord.
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Only in the Son is there safety from the wrath of God.
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This concept of taking refuge in God occurs continually
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throughout the Psalms. But here it is explicitly tied
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to the person of the anointed King.
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If you want the Father's refuge, you must kiss the Son.
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The wrath of the Father and the wrath of the Son against
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rebellion are unified. Just as their offer of refuge is
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unified. That brings us to what I think
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is the most thrilling part of this analysis.
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Well, this entire song meant one very specific thing.
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For an ancient Davidic king facing a regional uprising in
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the Middle East, the apostles saw a much larger fulfillment.
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A cosmic fulfillment? Yes, we are bridging the Old
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Testament historical context directly to the New Testament
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application. I want to highlight Peter's
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realization in Acts chapter 4, verses 25 and 26.
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The source notes the sheer irony of Peter's application of Psalm
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2. It is amazing.
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Peter looks at the Jewish leaders, the Sanhedrin, the men
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who conspired with the Romans to crucify Jesus, and he explicitly
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identifies them as the Pagan kings and nations, plotting in
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vain. The religious elite of Israel,
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who thought they were defending God's honor and protecting the
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temple are categorized by Peter as the rebellious heathens
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trying to break God's chains. It completely flips the script.
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The irony is striking, and it shows the brilliance of the New
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Testament's typological interpretation of Scripture.
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The source meticulously traces this typological fulfillment
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through several New Testament books.
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To show how the early church understood Jesus as the ultimate
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reality to which Psalm 2 pointed.
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Right. For instance, Hebrews chapter
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one verse 5 and Acts chapter 13 verse 33 apply this coronation
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Psalm directly to Christ's exaltation.
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However, they do not apply it to his physical birth in Bethlehem.
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No, they apply the divine decree.
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Today I have begotten you specifically to His resurrection
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from the dead and His subsequent ascension to the Right Hand of
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the Father. Furthermore, Romans chapter one
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verse 4 tells us that Jesus was declared to be the Son of God
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with might by his resurrection from the dead.
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So the resurrection is the ultimate cosmic coronation day.
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It is the moment the Father publicly vindicates the Son,
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declaring his absolute victory over sin and death.
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And installs him on the heavenly Zion, the true and eternal holy
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Hill. The Resurrection proves that the
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rebellion of the Crucifixion was entirely in vain.
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The source goes even further into the New Testament, pointing
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to the Hebrews chapter one, verse 6.
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Regarding the Father bringing the Son again into the world,
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this is a direct reference to the second coming of Christ.
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And from a Reformed perspective, the application here is crystal
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clear. The second coming of Christ will
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mean absolute, unmitigated wrath for all who continue in the
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rebellion against God. And against his anointed king,
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it will be the final, terrifying fulfillment of the iron scepter.
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Dashing the clay jars to pieces, the kings of the earth will find
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their autonomy shattered. But simultaneously it will mean
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immense joy, perfect peace, and eternal refuge for all who by
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faith have submitted to God God's ordained plan.
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God's sovereign plan from eternity past is to rule the
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cosmos through David's greater son, Jesus Christ.
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The Davidic title of Sun, which started as a political adoption
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metaphor for ancient monarchs in Jerusalem, finds its final
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designation in Jesus. He is the King of Kings and Lord
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of Lords. It is a staggering demonstration
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of the continuity of Scripture. The local historical gritty
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conflicts of David's line involving Jebusite cities and
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Philistine armies were orchestrated by God.
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They provided the exact vocabulary and imagery needed to
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describe the cosmic reign of Jesus Christ.
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The feudal plotting of ancient Canaanite kings against a
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monarch in Jerusalem was a shadow of the feudal plotting of
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humanity against the Lord of Glory.
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And just as the ancient Pagan kings were given an urgent
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ultimatum to kiss the sun and find refuge before the iron
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scepter fell, that same ultimatum stands today for every
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single person the. Decree of the Lord stands firm.
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The king is installed on the holy hill.
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The clay jars of rebellion will be shattered.
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The only variable left is whether one will respond with
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arrogant, doomed rebellion or with trembling joy and
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submission to the king. As we wrap up this analysis,
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let's briefly recap the progression we have traced.
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We started in the mud and noise of human rebellion.
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Looking at the foolish, doomed plots of earthly nations trying
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to cast off God's authority. Because they viewed His
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righteous boundaries as oppressive chains, we then
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looked up to see God's sovereign reaction, His absolute derision
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and laughter from the throne. And his unshakeable effectual
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decree to install his king on the physical hill of Zion.
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We listen to the king declare his divine right to rule and his
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authority to shatter opposition like clay jars with an iron
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scepter. Finally, we heard the urgent
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call for all rulers to abandon their pride.
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To submit with a kiss of homage in the very language of the
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nations, and find refuge in the sun.
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Which finds its final fulfillment in the resurrection
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and future return of Jesus Christ.
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So I want you to consider your own posture today.
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Are you resisting the sovereign decrees of God in your life,
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viewing His boundaries and moral laws as chains that you need to
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break? Or have you found the only true
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refuge by submitting to the Sun? I will leave you with this final
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thought to Mull over on your own.
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If the Sovereign Lord sits enthroned and laughs at the most
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coordinated, formidable political and military
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rebellions in human history, how might that reality reshape your
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daily anxieties? About the seemingly
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uncontrollable cultural shifts, national politics, or personal
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crises in your own life today. If he holds the raging nations
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in absolute derision, surely he can hold your circumstances in
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his completely sovereign hands. Thank you for joining us for
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this deep dive on reformed thinking.
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Keep reading the scriptures with the theological eye and we will
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see you next time.