Latest / Reformed Thinking / Why Do the Nations Rage? The Reign of God’s Anointed King (Psalm 2) | David Brown, et al.

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Why Do the Nations Rage? The Reign of God’s Anointed King (Psalm 2) | David Brown, et al. · Reformed Thinking

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You know, when you walk through a Museum of ancient history, the
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sheer volume of fallen empires is just it's staggering.
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Oh yeah, it really is. Like you look at the cracked
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marble busts of emperors, the rusted weapons of generals, the
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faded decrees of kings who thought they ruled the universe,
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and now they're all just artifacts covered in dust.
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Right. Just sitting in glass cases,
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yeah. There is this universal human
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instinct to build an invincible Kingdom, you know, to secure
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absolute control and to throw off any authority above our own.
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We see it in the ancient world and, well, we see it in the
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modern world too. We definitely do.
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But then you open the text of Scripture and you get a
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completely different perspective on all that human striving.
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Welcome to reform thinking. Today we are taking a deep dive
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into a very specific, highly significant source.
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David Brown's commentary, critical and explanatory on the
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whole Bible. Yes, and we are going to focus
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our lens entirely on his analysis of Psalm 2.
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So for you listening right now, whether you are studying for a
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theology class, prepping for a Bible study, or just
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intellectually curious about Reformed interpretations of
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Scripture, this deep dive will extract the most significant
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Nuggets from this commentary. And we should state upfront that
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we are viewing this text through a very specific framework.
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Right. A reformed Protestant lens,
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Yeah. Looking specifically at God's
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absolute sovereignty and the mediatorial Kingdom of Jesus
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Christ, which is right in line with the Westminster Confession.
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Which is so crucial. But before we get into the
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specific arguments and the theology, we need to understand
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the architecture of the text we are examining.
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The commentary points out that the authorship and the numbering
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of this Psalm are actually verified later in the New
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Testament. Right, that validation gives us
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our starting coordinates. Brown's commentary highlights
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that we do not have to guess who wrote this Psalm or where it
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belongs in the Canon, because the New Testament writers tell
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us directly. Which is so helpful.
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It is in Acts chapter 4 verse 25 and then again in Acts chapter
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13 verse 33. The apostles attribute these
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words to David under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.
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So it was not ambiguous at all. Not at all.
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And this gives us a brilliant example of a core reformed
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hermeneutic which is letting Scripture interpret Scripture.
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The New Testament authors function as the interpretive key
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for the Old Testament. Yeah, the reformers were totally
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adamant that we do not read the Old Testament in a vacuum.
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We read it with the lights turned on by the apostles.
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Spot on, and Brown also points out the highly poetical
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structure here. The Psalm is organized very
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neatly into four stanzas of three verses each.
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So this is not a chaotic rant. It is a meticulously structured
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poem conveying weighty theological truths.
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The commentary notes that while the imagery might have been
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suggested by the warlike events of David's own historical reign,
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the fulfillment of these scenes is found only in the history and
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character of Jesus Christ. The author of Hebrews confirms
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this by quoting Psalm 2 directly in Hebrews chapter 1 and chapter
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5. So we are looking at a text that
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uses the historical reality of David's Kingdom as a launching
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pad to describe something infinitely larger.
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OK, we'll for impact this, think of David's warlike reign.
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You know his historical battles and victories as a miniature
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architectural model, right? Like when an architect is
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designing a massive skyscraper, they first build a small
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prototype out of balsa wood or plastic.
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If you look at the model, it looks like a building.
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It has doors, windows and a roof.
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Yeah, it has the basic shape. But it is just a tiny prototype
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pointing toward the massive finished structure.
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David's reign, with its literal battles and earthly victories,
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is That miniature architectural model gives you the shape and
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the contours of the kingship. But the finished towering
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skyscraper, the true fulfillment that the model is pointing
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toward, is Jesus Christ. That's a great way to put it.
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Yeah, the commentary is telling us that we cannot look at the
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balsa wood model and think we have seen the full vision.
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We have to look at the towering reality of Christ's mediatorial
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Kingdom. And the blueprint of this Psalm
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starts by showing us the specific rebellion happening
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within this framework. Exactly.
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The first 3 verses which make up the 1st stanza detail the
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futility of human rebellion. The commentary breaks down the
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specific language used here. In verse one, the word heathen
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refers to nations generally, while people literally means
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peoples were races of men. And the imagery Brown describes
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as pretty intense. It really is.
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It's that of a tumultuous assembly, raging with fury like
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a raging sea. And for you, the listener
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picture standing on the edge of a Cliff during a hurricane,
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watching the ocean just tear itself apart, that is the visual
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of the nations here. The visual of the raging sea is
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terrifying if you are standing on the shore.
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It represents chaos, uncontrollable energy and
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destructive intent. The nations are furious.
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They are boiling over with an aggressive hostile energy.
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Yeah, it's not a calm disagreement.
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No, in the ancient Near East, the sea was often a symbol of
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untamed chaos, the forces of disorder pushing against the
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order of creation. So when Brown points out this
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imagery, he is highlighting A collective global uprising
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against the divine order. Wow.
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But then in verse 2, the commentary notes a shift in the
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action. The text moves from the loud,
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chaotic crashing of the waves to something much more calculated.
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Oh right, the kings and rulers take counsel, which literally
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translates to sit together for deliberation.
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Their target is not just a political rival.
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Their target is God and His. Anointed his anointed, yeah.
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In Hebrew, that word is Messiah. In Greek, it is Christ.
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Brown's commentary takes a moment here to explain the
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concept of anointing. Let's get into that because it's
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so central. It is in the Old Testament
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economy, anointing was an emblem of the Holy Spirit's gifts
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conferred on specific individuals for specific
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offices. OK, like who?
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While prophets were anointed, as seen in Isaiah 61, to speak the
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truth of God to the people, priests were, as we read in
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Exodus 30, to mediate between the people and God, right?
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And kings were anointed, like Saul and David in First Samuel,
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to rule and defend the people. What is spectacular about Jesus
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Christ and what the Westminster Confession articulates so
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clearly is that Christ holds all three of these offices
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simultaneously. Yes, prophet, priest and king.
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Exactly. He is the ultimate prophet,
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priest and king. He speaks the final word, he
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offers the final sacrifice, and he rules with absolute
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authority. And the rebellion is directed
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straight at him. Straight at him.
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And the culmination of this worldwide rebellion against him
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is vividly portrayed in the historical events of Christ's
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trial. You have Pilot, you have Herod,
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you have the Jewish rulers, and you have the furious mob.
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They all come together in a localized, intense display of
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this global rebellion. So wait, let me ask you a
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pushback question here. Sure.
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Why do you think the rulers sit together to deliberate?
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I mean, if it is a furious raging sea, you would expect
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like chaotic violence, right? Not an organized committee.
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Yeah, it seems like a clash of images.
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It does. The imagery of a raging sea
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suggests a riot, a complete loss of reason.
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Yet the text says they sit together to deliberate.
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They are pulling up chairs, drafting documents and having a
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quiet meeting. It seems like a massive
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contradiction in the text. How do we reconcile the
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screaming ocean with a quiet boardroom?
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That contrast is entirely deliberate on the part of the
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psalmist, and Brown's commentary helps clarify the psychological
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reality behind it. The raging sea represents the
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internal state of the rebellious human heart.
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It is chaotic, angry, and relentlessly hostile toward God.
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But human beings are rational creatures.
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When that internal chaos seeks to accomplish its goal, it
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organizes itself. It becomes calculated.
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The rulers sitting together represent the
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institutionalization of that rebellion.
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Institutionalization. That makes so much sense.
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It is not just a random riot in the streets, it is organized,
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calculated treason at the highest levels of society.
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The kings of the earth are using their intellect, their legal
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systems, and their political influence to legitimize their
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hatred for the divine order, and the historical fulfillment of
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this is striking. You look at Pilate and Herod,
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these were men who historically hated each other.
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Right, they were bitter enemies. Totally.
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They were political rivals with entirely different
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jurisdictions, competing interests and a long history of
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mutual contempt. But in this specific culminating
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trial against the anointed, against Jesus Christ, they
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unite. It's amazing how that works.
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Enemies become friends when they share a mutual hatred for the
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sovereignty of God. They set aside their petty
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earthly squabbles because they recognize a much greater threat
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to their autonomy. They sit in their committee
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looking at the moral law of the universe, looking at the decrees
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of the Creator, and they come to a unified conclusion.
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And that conclusion is found in verse 3.
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The commentary points out that these rebels avow their
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rebellion in actual words. They say let us break their
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bands asunder and castaway their cords from us.
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Such a vivid picture. It is, Brown notes.
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The bands and cords denotes the restraints of government.
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They look at divine law and see a prison.
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They view God's loving, orderly rule not as safety but as
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shackles. It is a striking psychological
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reality. Human autonomy demands absolute
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freedom from divine constraint. To the rebel heart, the law of
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God is not a guardrail keeping them from driving off a Cliff.
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It is a rope tying them down. They want to Cut the Rope, even
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if it means plunging into the abyss.
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Yeah, they'd rather fall than be tied up, right?
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And for you listening, think about how relevant this is to
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our modern moment. We live in an era that defines
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freedom as the absolute absence of any external constraint.
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Any moral absolute, any divine decree is viewed socially and
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culturally as a band or a cord that needs to be broken so the
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individual can be truly free. That.
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Is so true. We are watching the kings of the
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earth, and honestly the culture at large sit in a massive
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committee meeting voting to castaway the cords of the
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Creator. It is the exact same spirit of
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rebellion that David wrote about 3000 years ago, just wearing
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modern clothes. The natural inclination of the
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fallen human heart is to view divine authority as an
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imposition. The Westminster Confession
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speaks clearly about this total depravity, the idea that every
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part of human nature is corrupted by the fall, including
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our desires and our reasoning. Yeah, our minds are skewed.
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When the human mind is alienated from God, it interprets his law
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backwards. It sees light as darkness and
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order as oppression. The rebellion is total, but
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while the nations are having their chaotic committee meetings
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on Earth, passing their resolutions and declaring their
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independence, the scene shifts drastically in the second stanza
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of the poem. Which takes us to verse 4.
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Right. The commentary moves us from the
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noise of the earth to the reaction of heaven in verses 4
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through 6. Verse 4 states that God is he
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that sitteth in the heavens. It's just sitting there.
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Yeah, Brown describes his posture as being enthroned in
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quiet dignities. There is no panic in heaven.
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God is not pacing the floor wondering how to handle the
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rebellion of Pilot Herod or any modern empire.
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No sweating. Exactly.
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The kings of the earth are sweating, debating and plotting,
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but God is seated. The posture of sitting implies
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that his work of establishing His throne is already finished.
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His rule is undisputed. He doesn't even need to stand
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up. No.
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And instead of launching A preemptive strike or calling for
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an emergency council, the text says he shall laugh in supreme
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contempt at their vain rage. He is the sovereign Lord.
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The laughter of God here is not a laugh of amusement.
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It is a laugh of absolute derision at the absurdity of the
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creature trying to unseat the Creator.
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I want to focus on that phrase you use from the commentary.
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Quiet dignities. I love that.
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That's a great phrase. When you watch a political
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crisis unfold on the news, the leaders involved are never
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quiet. They are holding emergency press
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conferences. Their advisors are leaking
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stories to the press. The stock market is crashing.
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It is all noise and frantic movement.
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Pure chaos. But heaven is marked by quiet
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dignities. Let me offer an analogy here.
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It is honestly like watching a group of toddlers in a nursery
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trying to stage a military coup against the government.
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That's a funny image. Right.
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The toddlers are in the playroom throwing blocks, holding a very
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serious committee meeting, and declaring that they are now in
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charge of the nation's military and economy.
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The sovereign adult running the country does not panic.
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The adult does not reach for a weapon, call for emergency
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backup or negotiate a peace treaty with the toddlers.
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Right, because it's ridiculous. The adults simply laugh.
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It is a laugh that highlights the utter absurdity of the
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attempt. The disparity in might is so
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vast that the rebellion is categorically ridiculous.
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That is the picture the commentary gives us of God
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sitting in the heavens. The quiet dignities of heaven
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are completely undisturbed by the raging sea of the nation's
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God is not threatened by human autonomy.
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That captures the dynamic perfectly.
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The creature simply does not possess the capacity to dethrone
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the Creator. But God does not remain silent
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forever. In verse 5, the commentary notes
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that God speaks. His righteous indignation and
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contempt are roused. And as Brown points out, for God
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to speak is for Him to act. In Reformed theology, we place a
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massive emphasis on the efficacious Word of God.
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Alike in creation. Yes.
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Brown draws a Direct Line back to Genesis chapter one, verse 3,
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where God speaks light into existence out of the darkness.
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His word is causative. When God declares a thing,
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reality instantly reorganizes itself to conform to His decree.
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So when God speaks to the rebellious nations in His wrath,
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it is not just a verbal warning. It is an action that brings
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about their ruin. The text says he will vex them,
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which the commentary explains means to agitate or terrify
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them. The sheer weight of his spoken
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decree shatters their false sense of autonomy.
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That brings us to verse 6. And then we hit verse 6.
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This is the turning point of the entire Psalm.
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The word yet at the beginning of the verse means and in an
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adversative sense, despite all your plotting, despite all your
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raging, yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion.
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Brown's notes on the phrase I have set are fascinating.
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It refers to anointing or firmly placing, but there is a Hebrew
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illusion here to casting an image in a mold.
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That concept of casting an image in a mold is incredible.
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Think about ancient metallurgy. When a metal worker pours molten
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bronze into a mold, it is a fluid liquid fire.
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But once it fools and hardens, the shape is absolute.
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Once it is set, you cannot undo it with your bare hands.
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You cannot argue with the bronze, you cannot vote in a
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committee to change its shape, and you cannot intimidate it
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into melting back down. It is permanently, unshakably
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installed. That is what God is saying about
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His cane. The earthly rulers are down
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below in the dust, drafting their little documents to break
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the bands. But God has already poured the
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molten bronze of His decree. The king is set.
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Set in stone or metal in this case.
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Right. The authority of Jesus Christ is
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not up for democratic vote. It does not require the consent
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of the governed. It is a cast iron reality of the
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universe. And Brown mentions that Zion is
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the selected abode of the Ark, David's seat, and a type of the
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Church itself. So this king is installed
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specifically to rule from and for the benefit of his people.
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It's such a comforting thought for believers.
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It is so. The blueprint of the Psalm has
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moved us from the chaos of the earth to the laughter of heaven,
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and now to the unchangeable installation of the king.
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And after this king is permanently cast in the mold on
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Zion, this king steps forward in stanza 3 to announce the core
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law of his reign. Stanza 3, covering verses 7
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through 9, introduces the voice of the mediatorial King himself.
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Up until this point, we have heard the narrator describing
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the nation's, we have heard the nation's speaking their treason,
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and we have heard God the Father declaring His decree.
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Now the son speaks. Yes.
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Verse 7 begins with the king declaring the fundamental law of
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his Kingdom, which involves the avowal of his sonship, the text
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reads. I will declare the decree.
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The Lord hath said unto me, Thou art my son.
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This day have I begotten thee. OK, this is a heavy verse.
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Extremely heavy, The commentary takes a moment here to provide a
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rigorous defense of a crucial theological concept, the eternal
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sonship of Christ's divine nature.
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This is a vital distinction. Reformed orthodoxy.
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We confess that Jesus Christ is the eternal Son of God, not
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created but eternally begotten of the Father.
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Brown clarifies that when the New Testament quotes this verse,
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such as in Acts 13.33, it does not imply that the resurrection
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somehow created Christ's sonship.
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Oh, that's an important detail. Rather, as Romans 1.4 shows, the
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resurrection declared a truth that was already existing.
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The resurrection manifested his divine nature to the world.
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It was a public vindication. OK, keep going.
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Then in verse 8, the king reveals the scope of his
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dominion. The Father tells the son to ask,
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and he will receive the heathen for his inheritance, and the
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uttermost parts of the earth for his possession.
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The Kingdom is coextensive with the earth.
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It denotes absolute universality.
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So nowhere is off limits. Nowhere.
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There is no square inch of the globe, no political office, no
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corporate boardroom, and no private living room that falls
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outside the jurisdiction of this king.
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And verse 9 describes the dual reality of this reign.
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For his enemies, there is terrible severity, symbolized by
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a rod of iron and utter destruction, described as being
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shivered like a Potter's vessel that cannot be mended.
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For his people, however, there is grace.
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OK, here is where it gets really interesting, because that phrase
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in verse 7 is a very common stumbling block for people
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reading the Psalms and honestly, for anyone studying Christology.
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Oh, for sure. If the text says this day has I
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begotten thee, that implies a specific starting point on the
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calendar. A day has 24 hours.
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It happens in time. How do we reconcile the phrase
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this day with a concept of eternity?
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That's the big question. Because of Christ is the eternal
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Son of God, having no beginning and no end, how can there be a
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day he is begotten? It sounds like the text is
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saying there was a time when the Son did not exist and then on a
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specific Tuesday God created him.
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But we know from the entirety of Scripture and from the
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theological framework of the Westminster Confession that the
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Son is uncreated, Co eternal with the Father.
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He's very God, a very God, right?
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So how does the commentary help us parse the calendar language
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of this day against the backdrop of an eternal reality without
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falling into heresy? The commentary addresses that
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tension by leaning heavily on the Apostle Paul's
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interpretation in Romans chapter one, verse 4.
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The phrasing This day have I begotten thee is not describing
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the origin of the sun's divine essence.
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The divine essence has no origin.
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It is eternal. Instead, the commentary explains
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that this passage is describing the inauguration of Christ as
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the mediatorial King in his human nature.
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Oh, I see. Think of it like a royal
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coronation. When a Prince is crowned king in
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a public ceremony, the ceremony does not create his royal blood.
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He was royal from birth. That makes perfect sense the.
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Coronation is the public declaration, the official
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historical moment where His authority is manifested to the
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world and legally recognized over the realm.
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In the same way, the resurrection of Jesus Christ was
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the historical day where His eternal sonship was publicly
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vindicated and declared with absolute authority.
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So the resurrection is the key here.
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Yes, Romans 1.4 says he was declared to be the Son of God
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with might according to the spirit of holiness, by the
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resurrection from the dead. The resurrection was the
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coronation day, so this day refers to the historical
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manifestation, the inauguration of His mediatorial reign over
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the nation's, not the beginning of his divine existence.
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Which protects the divine nature.
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Exactly. This ensures we do not view the
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divine nature as a created thing, which would compromise
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the entire biblical witness of who God is.
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Christ is taking up His rightful earned authority as the God man
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who conquered death. Amazing.
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And because this inaugurated king now holds universal
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dominion, carrying a rod of iron that can shatter opposition like
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a fragile clay pot, the final three verses of the Psalm pivot
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stanza 4 presents a direct ultimatum to the kings of the
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earth. We're looking at verses 10
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through 12. Now, since this unstoppable king
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has been installed and since his dominion covers the uttermost
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parts of the earth, there is no place for the rebels to hide,
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nowhere to run. They cannot retreat to a
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different country because the king owns all the countries.
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They cannot flee to the sea because he owns the sea.
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So the text offers a demand. Verse 10 says, Be wise now,
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Therefore, O ye kings, be instructed, ye judges of the
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earth. The commentary notes that this
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is an appeal to rulers generally to be examples of penitent
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submission. Think about the narrative arc
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here. They started the Psalm by
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leading the rebellion by sitting together in their committee to
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plot treason and break the bands of God.
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Now the tables are completely turned.
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Right, the molten bronze is cast.
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Exactly. The decree has been spoken, the
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bronze has been cast, and they are commanded to use their
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leadership to model submission instead of rebellion.
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And then we reach verse 12, which contains the famous
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command. Kiss the son, lest he be angry,
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and you perish from the way when his wrath is kindled.
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But a little blessed are all they that put their trench in
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him. That's a powerful shift in tone.
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It is, the commentary explains, that to kiss the son implies
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submitting to the authority of the son.
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To perish from the way means suddenly and hopelessly facing
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destruction. The phrase kindled but a little
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means his wrath can flare up in a very short time, but the
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alternative to destruction is to put their trust in him, which
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means to take refuge in him. If we connect this to the bigger
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picture, the contrast presented in this final stanza is
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incredibly stark. On one hand, you have utter
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destruction. The image of the shattered
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Potter's vessel from verse 9 carries over into the warning of
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verse 12. Which is terrifying.
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It is. In the ancient world, a Potter's
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vessel was cheap clay. If it dropped and shattered, you
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did not try to glue the hundreds of tiny pieces back together.
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You swept it up and threw it in the trash.
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It is a permanent, irrecoverable ruin that is the fate of those
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who maintain the rebellion against the Sovereign.
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The rod of iron does not bend, it breaks whatever refuses to
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yield. Wow.
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But there's the other hand. Right.
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On the other hand, you have the promise of sure happiness and
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safety. Taking refuge in the sun means
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recognizing that the very King you were fighting against is the
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only one who can shield you from the righteous wrath of God.
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The commentary includes a very striking final note here.
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Let's hear it. Brown observes that men still
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cherish opposition to Christ in their hearts today.
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The raging of the nations is not just an ancient historical
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reality involving Pilot and Herod.
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It is a present, ongoing reality in the human heart.
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It's. Still happening right now.
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Yes, ruin is inevitable without trust, while happiness in his
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favor is absolutely sure. The ultimatum is binary.
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There is no neutral ground. You were either taking counsel
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against the Lord, or you are kissing the son in penitent
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submission. You are either the shattered
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clay or you are safe in the refuge.
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Think about that phrase, kiss the sun.
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To our modern ears, that might sound purely affectionate, like
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kissing a family member or a child.
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But in the ancient Near East, kissing the garment or the feet
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of king was a formal, public act of total fealty.
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It was an admission of complete subjugation.
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That wasn't a hug. Let me give you an analogy.
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Imagine a defeated general from a rebel army walking into the
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throne room of the victorious king.
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The defeated generals army is decimated, his rebellion is
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crushed and he has been captured.
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He walks down the long aisle of the throne room, unbuckles his
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sword, lays it on the marble floor, drops to his knees and
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kisses the signet ring of the king.
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That paints a clear picture. It is a visible total surrender
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of personal autonomy. It is an admission that the
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rebellion is over, the war is lost, and the only hope for
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survival relies entirely on the mercy of the sovereigns sitting
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on the throne. That is what it means to kiss
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the sun. It is laying down.
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Your sword is giving up the delusion that you can run your
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own life or rule your own universe.
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That's a heavy realization. So what does this all mean for
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us, For you, the listener? We have moved from the ancient
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kings of David's era to the historical trial of Christ with
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Pilate and Herod. And now the commentary brings it
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right to our front door, mentioning modern hearts
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cherishing opposition. How do we apply this massive
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cosmic theology of the mediatorial Kingdom to our daily
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lives? When we talk about kissing the
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sun, what does that look like on a Tuesday morning?
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The application requires us to examine our own posture toward
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the authority of Christ on a microscopic level.
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As Reformed theology teaches, God's sovereignty is not just an
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abstract concept for academic debate.
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It is a reality that claims total jurisdiction over every
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aspect of human existence. Every single aspect.
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It dictates how we spend our money, how we speak to our
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spouses, how we conduct our business, and what we entertain
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our minds with. When the commentary notes that
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men still cherish opposition in their hearts, it forces us to
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ask where we might be viewing God's commands as bands and
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chords. Oh, that's convicting.
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It really is. It is easy to look at the
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chaotic headlines of the world, the literal raging of nations,
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and see the rebellion out there in the political sphere.
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We can point fingers at corrupt governments or secular
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institutions and say look at them raging against God.
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But the harder task is recognizing the quiet rebellion
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inside. The internal committee meetings.
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Exactly. Whenever we prefer our own
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wisdom over the revealed Word of God, whenever we attempt to
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govern our own morality, we are participating in the spirit of
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that first stanza. We are sitting in our own little
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committee declaring our independence, where you're
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looking at a clear biblical command regarding forgiveness or
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purity or generosity, and we are saying, let us castaway these
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cords. Wow, we do that so often.
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But the beauty of viewing this text through the Reform lens is
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recognizing the all-encompassing offices of Christ that we
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discussed earlier. Because He is our prophet, He
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speaks the truth of our condition, exposing our
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rebellion. Because He is our King, He has
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the authority to conquer our rebellious will and bring us
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into submission. And he's our priest.
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And most comfortingly, because he is our priest, he provides
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the refuge that the final verse promises.
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The rod of iron is terrifying for the enemy, but for the
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citizen of the Kingdom, the absolute might of the King is
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the guarantee of our eternal safety.
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His strength is our shield. That brings us full circle.
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We started by looking at the chaotic rebellion of the
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nation's a furious sea of human autonomy crashing against the
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shores of divine law. We saw the organized treason of
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humanity trying to break free from the Creator.
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We covered a lot of ground. We did.
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Then we saw the quiet dignities of heaven, where the Sovereign
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Lord does not panic but simply laughs at the absurdity of the
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mutiny. His word acts, His decrees are
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permanent, and he casts his King into the mold.
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We witnessed the permanent installation of the mediatorial
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King, whose resurrection declared his eternal sonship to
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the world and inaugurated a Kingdom that covers the
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uttermost parts of the earth. The full scope of his reign.
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And we ended with the Stark ultimatum to lay down our
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swords, kiss the sun in total submission, and find a refuge in
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him, avoiding the rod of iron that shatters the clay vessel.
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It is a breathtaking progression from the noise of human
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rebellion to the quiet safety of divine refuge.
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As we wrap up this deep dive into David Brown's commentary, I
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want to leave you with a final thought to Mull over, building
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on that striking note about men still cherishing opposition in
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their hearts. It's a question we all have to
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face. If the uttermost parts of the
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earth belong entirely to this mediatorial king, if his
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jurisdiction covers every square inch of reality, where in your
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own life are you still trying to set up tiny rebellious kingdoms?
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Where are you looking at God's living rule as bands and chords
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to be thrown off rather than the very guardrails that keep you
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safe? Thank you for joining us for
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this deep dive on Reformed thinking.