The Supremacy of the Lord's Anointed

Like many of the psalms, Psalm 2 has two layers of meaning. Both have to do with the concept of the Lord’s Anointed One, but one is the shadow and the other the substance. The immediate meaning that the ancient Israelites would have thought of as they sang it is God’s promise to David to build him a house and for his lineage to rule in Israel forever. The second, greater meaning is how Jesus is the true Anointed One who reigns over the world.

1) Conspiracy against God. “Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD and against his Anointed, saying, ‘Let us burst their bonds apart and cast away their cords from us’” (Ps. 2:1-3).

 

The kings of every nation gather together angrily to plot against God. This is not about any particular event in history or the present day, but instead portrays the spirit within the nations. They do not submit themselves to God’s power but look to resist and free themselves from what they perceive as bondage. Though they aim their hatred at God’s Anoi
nted (i.e., David and the kings that would follow him), God considers this a direct rejection of Him. Israel received special protection from God as a condition of the covenant He made with them.

 

The application is even stronger today. The nations rage against the kingship of Jesus and constantly promote evil. Though they mock Jesus, their plotting is vain.

 

2) God laughs at His enemies. “He who sits in the heavens laughs; the Lord holds them in derision. Then he will speak to them in his wrath, and terrify them in his fury, saying, ‘As for me, I have set my King on Zion, my holy hill’” (Ps. 2:4-6).

 

The image of God laughing contemptuously is an uncomfortable one for us. Isn’t God loving and gracious? Of course He is, but the situation described in this psalm does not call for patience. The nations have boldly set themselves against Him, so they will face the terror of His wrath. The Anointed One is set up as king by the power of God, so the nations will only be able to overcome Israel if God’s favor is removed.

 

Jesus never loses the Father’s favor. After His death and resurrection, He was exalted to His rightful place as King of heaven and earth (Phil. 2:8-11). All who reject Him in life will fall to their knees in terror in the judgment but will not find mercy.

 

3) The promise to God’s Anointed. “I will tell of the decree: The LORD said to me, ‘You are my Son; today I have begotten you. Ask of me, and I will make the nations your heritage, and the ends of the earth your possession. You shall break them with a rod of iron and dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel’” (Ps. 2:7-9).

 

This part of the psalm is strongly connected to 2 Samuel 7:8-16. God promised to David that He would build up a house to Himself in David’s family. Israel will have peace among the nations and God will treat David and his offspring as His sons. Israel never experienced the fullness of this promise due to their repeated rebellion against God. But whenever they were faithful, they had dominion over the nations around them and no one was able to stand in their way.

 

Jesus is the Son of God in a way far beyond even what David experienced. He exercises total rule over the earth and has power to shatter the designs of man. Israel may not have attained the fullness of the power that they were promised, but Jesus cannot be resisted without eternal consequences (Rev. 19:11-16).

 

4) Warning the kings and nations. “Now therefore, O kings, be wise; be warned, O rulers of the earth. Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and you perish in the way, for his wrath is quickly kindled. Blessed are all who take refuge in him” (Ps. 2:10-12).

 

The kings and nations are called to stop their plotting and to submit themselves to God and His Anointed One. If they will live righteously and live at peace with God, they will not face His wrath. We do see in Israel’s history that the destinies of nations were often decided on their determination to seek peace with Israel or fight against them.

 

Of course, this point is seen more clearly when we apply it to Jesus. The only way we can avoid the wrath of God is to seek peace with Jesus. Our fate will hinge on the choice we make in this life. Will we continue our evil plots to resist God, or will we fear and tremble and submit wholly to Him?