Deeper Commentary
Psa 2:1 Why do the nations rage, and the peoples plot a vain thing?- The question "Why?" may be purely rhetorical, as if to say that their raging is in vain because they are fighting against God and His anointed. As noted on :2, this Psalm has multiple later applications; but the primary application may have been to David as the Lord's anointed (:2) feeling under threat of Gentile invasion, but calming himself with the realization that he as Yahweh's faithful anointed would be preserved. He had learnt that in his wilderness years, surrounded by Saul's forces; and as in our lives, the lessons are repeated in different contexts in our later years.
Consider how many different applications the NT gives to Psalms 2 and
110. There is a tendency amongst some personality types to turn every
disagreement over interpretation of Scripture into a right : wrong, truth
: error scenario. Matters relating to basic doctrine are capable of being
dealt with like this. But to turn the interpretation of every Bible verse
into a conflict area is a recipe for ecclesial disaster. So often the
debate becomes personal, with a brother sure that he is right and
the other wrong, and the other must be shown to be wrong. This leads
inevitably to pride, and there is the possibility that the other party is
degraded and feels abused by the other. We simply have to accept that much
of Scripture is open to various levels of interpretation, which if placed
side by side would appear to be contradictory. .
Psa 2:2 The kings of the earth take a stand- In the sense of military
confrontation (s.w. 1 Chron. 11:14). The picture of Jerusalem surrounded
by armies with the Christ within it has specific reference to the last
days. But the exact chronology of latter day events is impossible to work
out ahead of time, for the purpose of Bible prophecy is not to provide
world history in advance. Rather, when these things come to pass, then we
shall know. The same scene is found in Revelation when Gog and Magog
surround the Lord Jesus in Jerusalem and are destroyed; I have argued in
commentary on Revelation that this refers to events around the Lord's
return and not later.
And the rulers take counsel together, against Yahweh, and against His Anointed saying- See on :1. The Greek word “Christ” means ‘anointed’. This Psalm is quoted in the New Testament more than any other Scripture. It’s applied in various contexts- e.g. to the Roman and Jewish rulers trying to destroy Christ at His death (Acts 4:26); to the resurrection of Christ (2:7 = Acts 13:33; Heb. 1:5); to the opposition to Christ’s people as they preached the Gospel (Acts 4:25) and to the situation soon after His return, when the rebellious nations will seek to overthrow Christ’s rule (2:9 = Rev. 2:27). What this shows is that Old Testament scripture can have multiple interpretations, in the same way as different people at different times can find the same Scripture speaking personally to them; and as we can find a single Bible passage amazingly relevant to us in different contexts and various times of our lives.
Psa 2:3 Let’s break their bonds apart, and cast their cords from us-
The primary application would be to peoples once under David's domination
desiring to rebel and even attack Jerusalem.
But David may have in view the rulers of the earth / land
gathering together against him at the time of Absalom's rebellion. David
considered that his return to Zion as king (:6) was therefore his
justification by God. Although the subsequent rebellions of Sheba an
Adonijah showed this wasn't in fact the case. David lost his focus on the
future Son who was to reign eternally, and liked to apply those promises
to himself.
Psa 2:4 He who sits in the heavens will laugh. The Lord will have them in
derision- One application of this Psalm was to Hezekiah being
surrounded by the Assyrians in Jerusalem. God's view was that the faithful
daughter of Zion had laughed at and derided the Assyrians (Is. 37:22). But
here we read that this was true of God. The faithful remnant, the daughter
of Zion, were scared of the Assyrians at the time, and hardly seemed
confident. But God imputed His confidence and attitudes, His
Spirit, to that of His weak but faithful people.
Psa 2:5 Then He will speak to them in His anger, and terrify them in His
wrath- Connecting this with :12, this appears to be a conditional
statement. God's anger could have been turned away had they reverenced His
Son.
Psa 2:6 Yet I have set My King on My holy hill of Zion- If the idea
were simply of 'seating' then an appropriate word would have been used.
But the Hebrew used here for "set" is usually translated 'to pour',
'sacrifice' (s.w. Ps. 16:4) or 'cover'. Clearly there is a suggestion of
the sacrifice of God's Son on a hill near Zion. From this point, the
speaker becomes His Son (:7).
Psa 2:7 I will tell of the decree- The same phrase used of declaring
the covenant (Ps. 50:16). The new covenant was declared in the death (:6)
and resurrection of the Son of God; and here we have Him as it were
proclaiming that new covenant.
Yahweh said to me, You are My son. Today I have become your father- This is given various applications in the New Testament, especially to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus (Acts 13:33 cp. Rom. 1:4). This would be appropriate to the allusion to the Lord's death noted on :6. But the application to Hezekiah in Jerusalem continues; the same words are used for how Hezekiah felt that "this day" (s.w. "today"), the children are come to the birth, but there is no strength to bring them forth" (Is. 37:3, s.w. "become your father"). Yahweh was strong enough. The righteous remnant, the primary fulfilment of the "suffering servant" prophecies, could have been brought forth after the enemies surrounding Jerusalem were destroyed. But they were not, and instead of 'inheriting' the Gentiles (:8), Hezekiah didn't "ask of Me" for that, and rather made covenants with them involving accepting their gods. The great potential possible wasn't realized, and so the Psalm was reapplied to the things of the Lord Jesus.
There is no recorded moment when God said these words to the Lord Jesus, although He surely did (Heb. 1:5). Presumably we have here a unique insight into the words spoken by the Father to the Son on the resurrection morning; it is perhaps appropriate that they aren't recorded historically. The moment was too intimate.
On the level of David, I would suggest that he is here misapplying the promises of 2 Sam. 7 about his future Messianic Son to himself. He considered that his reigning in Zion was a sign that he was the chosen son. But he wasn't. His focus upon the future Lord Jesus wandered, and came back to self focus.
Psa 2:8 Ask of Me, and I will give the nations for your inheritance, the
uttermost ends of the earth for your possession-
See on :7 for the potential reference to Hezekiah.
God promised Abraham a very specific
"inheritance...
possession"
in Canaan
(Gen. 17:8; Dt. 4:21; 32:49). And yet this
promise seems to be interpreted in later Scripture as referring to the
world-wide Kingdom which will be established at the second coming
(e.g. Rom. 4:13 speaks of how Abraham was promised that he would inherit
the world; Ps. 72 and other familiar prophecies speak of a world-wide
Messianic Kingdom, based on the promises to Abraham). One possible
explanation is found in Psalm 2, where the Father seems to encourage the
Son to ask of Him "the heathen [i.e., not just the Jews] for
thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth [not just
the land of promise] for thy possession" (Ps. 2:8). Could it be that due
to the Lord's spiritual ambition, the inheritance was extended from the
Jewish people to all nations, and from literal Canaan to all the
earth? This is not to say, of course, that fundamentally the
promises to Abraham have been changed. No. The promise of eternal
inheritance of Canaan still stands as the basis of the Gospel of the
Kingdom (Gal. 3:8), but that promise has been considerably extended,
thanks to the Lord's spiritual ambition.
Psa 2:9 You shall break them with a rod of iron, you shall dash them in
pieces like a potter’s vessel- Quoted about the Lord Jesus and those
in Him, in Rev. 2:27. As He will rule the world with a rod of iron (Ps. 2:9) and
brake the nations to powder at His return (Dan. 2:44), so will each of
those in Him (Rev. 2:27). And notice how Ps. 2:1,2, a prophecy about
opposition to Jesus personally, is appropriated to those who preach Him,
because they are in Him (Acts 4:25,26).
Psa 2:10 Now therefore be wise, you kings; be instructed, you judges of
the earth- The judgment upon the nations of :9 doesn't have to
happen; if they are wise and are "instructed". True wisdom is to repent;
knowledge in the Hebraic sense refers to relationship with God, rather
than technical knowledge of information. In fact the first sin was to
partake of the fruit which would apparently make men "wise" (Gen. 3:6). It
was a short cut to 'wisdom' in the sense of relationship. And too often
the same mistake is made today, whereby knowledge is confused with the
wisdom and instruction of repentant relationship with God.
Psa 2:11 Serve Yahweh with respect and rejoice with trembling-
That trembling, joy and respect is what arises from realizing that they
should have been condemned (:9), but the outcome had been changed because
they had the wisdom to repent. This mixture of joy, humility and certainty
in His grace is very persuasive in our witness; when it is evidenced
within the very fibers of the being of those saved by grace through faith.
Psa 2:12 Give sincere homage to the Son, lest he be angry and you perish
in the way, for His wrath will soon be kindled. Blessed are all those who
take refuge in Him-
As explained on :10, the judgment upon the nations of :9 doesn't have to
happen; if they are wise and are "instructed" in repentance. The urgency
of the appeal is because "soon" the wrath of the Son is to be poured out.
This appears therefore to be effectively the text of our latter day
appeal, as we take the great commission to the nations which have been
given to Him (see on :8). The implication is that none will survive the
judgments to come unless they repent. But I suggested on :9 that the
people in view are those who have already had a chance to respond to the
Gospel, and not the ignorant world.
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