The Messiah-Son
The second psalm in the hymnbook of God’s people is significant in that there is no inscription given. This first of the Messianic Psalms is attributed to David in Acts 4:25. It is quoted seven times in the New Testament.
At first reading, you notice that there are four different speakers in the psalm. The nations, the Father, the Son, and the Spirit all speak. Its twelve verses divide into four paragraphs, each having three verses, and each having a different speaker or voice.
The position of man
The first paragraph describes the position of man. In a word, rage. The question is asked, “Why do the nations rage and the people imagine a vain thing?” That’s a good question for the world we live in today. Man assumes the position of rank. Kings and rulers set themselves and take counsel together. Normally, nations are not in agreement, but here they are. They are united against the Lord and against His Anointed. As the early church prayed, stating that, “Herod, Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles, and the people of Israel were gathered together” against the Lord (Acts 4:27). Finally, in verse three, we hear their words, “Let us break Their bonds in pieces and cast away Their cords from us.” To the worldling, it sounds like freedom, but, in reality, it’s lawlessness. Man’s position is one of rebellion.
The provocation of the Father
The second paragraph depicts the provocation of the Father. He sits in the heavens and laughs! Every mouth will be stopped, and all the world will become guilty, and God will have the last word (Rom. 3:19)! When God speaks, He will hold them in derision, speak to them in His wrath, and distress them in His deep displeasure. It’s still a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God (Heb. 10:31)! What will He say? In opposition to the kings of the earth who have set themselves, He declares, “Yet I have set My King on My holy hill of Zion.”
The power of the Son
The third paragraph presents the power of the Son. It gives us a rare glimpse into the relationship between the Father and the Son. There are only a few conversations of the Godhead recorded in the Word of God. At creation we read, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness” (Gen. 1:26). Also, at the prophetic commission in Isaiah 6:8, “Whom shall I send and who will go for Us?” The prophet overheard the private conversation within the Godhead. This is another of these rare occasions. The Son of God tells us what the Father has said to Him. The eternal Son of God, become Man, has been declared King and awarded the nations as His inheritance and the ends of the earth for His possession. They are His by this decree, and He will bring them under His sway! The Father has committed all judgment to the Son, that all should honor the Son just as they honor the Father (Jn. 5:23). That One in whom is all the Father’s delight will reign eternally.
The persuasion of the Spirit
In the last paragraph, we see the persuasion of the Spirit. We hear a voice that bears no name—just as the Spirit of God would have it, for He will not speak of Himself. His message is clear and convicting, which is His normal ministry according to John 16:8-11. He graciously calls. He speaks to the mind, “Be wise, O kings. Be instructed, you judges of the earth.” He speaks to the will saying, “Serve the Lord with fear.” He speaks to the heart, “Kiss the Son.” There’s an urgency in the words of His closing appeal, “When His wrath is kindled but a little.” There’s a blessing to be found for all those who put their trust in Him. Just as Psalm 1 opened with the Blessed Man, Psalm 2 closes with the blessing of those who trust in that Blessed Man.