Christ in the Psalms - Psalm 2

seyiodus (61)in #flaminghelpers • 6 years ago

Psalm 2: The establishment of God's kingdom

In the NBG'51 translation, we find the inscription above Psalm 2 "The Messianic King". This psalm describes a time in which Christ reigns ("the Lord and his anointed one") and especially the reaction of the world to it. "Christ" is Greek for anointed, while Messiah means the same in Hebrew. In the Scripture the anointed is the king or the high priest; in this case, the King who rules on behalf of God. But we need the New Testament to understand that this is about the future kingdom of peace and not about any king in the Old Testament. The psalm describes a situation in which all nations unite in a battle against God and the Messiah. They have decided that they do not want to be ruled by God and His Son. The psalmist is not mentioned here by name, but in the New Testament, it is clear that in the 1st century King David was seen as the writer who received this revelation from God (see Acts 4: 25-26). The apostles use this psalm to show that long before it was recorded that the nations would reject Jesus. That is not true in the end time, but they wanted to show how that rejection was already taking shape.

Psalm 2 consists of four parts, which in most translations are represented as four verses. In each part, there is another speaker. The first part, verses 1 to 4, describes the situation and lets "speak the world". God speaks in the following verses (4 through 7). Verses 7 through 9 let the King speak for themselves. Finally, in verse 10 to 12 a psalmist's call follows "the world" to be wise.

The world speaks

"What causes the raging of the nations, the noise of the nations? To nothing."(Vs 1).
In Hebrew, this is a rhetorical question, with the suggestion that it is meaningless. The NBV indicates this with a kind of answer: "To nothing". Hebrew poetry has the so-called parallelism, where the same is said in two successive lines, but in other words. We also find that here: the raging of the nations and the noise of the nations. And also in the following verse: 'The kings of the earth are in opposition' and 'the world powers are tying together'. Their resistance is directed "against the Lord and his anointed one". The question arises when this happens. If the Lord and his Anointed One had been ruling for a long time, it would be unlikely that the earthly rulers would still be in office.

God speaks

In the next verse, the psalmist takes us away from the tumultuous nations to the throne of God. "He who laughs in heaven laughs, the Lord ridicules them" (vs 4). But the spot turns into anger: God will carry out his judgments. The nations are frightened by God's wrath. We find an echo of this in Revelation:
"The twenty-four elders ... worshiped God with the words, We thank you, Lord, our God Almighty ... for in your great power you now take the kingship upon you. The nations raged in anger, but now you let your anger rage. The time has come to pass judgment on the dead; and to reward your servants, the prophets, as well as the saints and those who, young and old, are in awe of your name; and also to destroy those who destroy the earth "(Revelation 11: 16-18).

In Revelation, it is about the founding of the Messianic kingdom of peace, when the earth is restored from all destruction that man has brought upon it, and when the dead are raised and judged, with a blessed future for those who have remained faithful to God. They thank God for the kingship that God now takes on, and they refer to the many promises that God will do this. One of them is this Psalm 2: "I myself anointed my king, on the Zion, my holy mountain" (vs 6).

Who is more familiar with the NBG'51 translation, where it says: "After all, I have set my king over Zion, my holy mountain," many wonders why this "stated" in the NIV is translated "anointed." It is a different Hebrew word for 'anointed one' in verse 2. It is a word that actually means pouring out the blood of a sacrifice but then also naming a leader to a task. The naming of a king happened through anointing. However, this is more about the appointment than about anointing itself. The translations are divided between 'anointed' and 'I myself appoint a king'. A link between this' pouring out 'and Jesus' sacrificial death is probably not what is meant here. The psalm more likely refers to the prophecies that describe how God's kingdom will rule from Jerusalem. David was promised that someone from his line would be appointed king by God to reign from Zion for eternity. The angel that appears to Mary refers to this promise: "He will be called Son of the Most High, and God, the Lord, will give him the throne of David his father ... his kingdom will have no end" (Luke 1: 1). 32-33).

The Anointed One speaks

I want to announce the decision of the lord. He said to me: "You are my son, I have begotten you today" (vs 7). We see here a further reference to the promise given to David. In addition to the promise of an eternal kingship, God said to David: "I will be a father to him and he will be a son to me." But it sounds more specific now: not now as a Father, but actually begetting, a word that is always connected to a real birth. These are also the words that God spoke, both at the baptism of Jesus and at the glorification on the mountain, with which God indicated that Jesus is the Son who will reign on the throne in Zion to fulfill the promise to David. Jesus had to suffer and die, but at the same time is the true Messiah who will rule the throne. In the New Testament, therefore, Jesus is also described as King, but without reigning. Perhaps similar to his ancestor David, who had already been anointed a king, but was initially persecuted by the ruling king.

This verse is also cited in the New Testament, where it is shown how these words refer to Jesus. Paul says, "We proclaim to you the good news that God has fulfilled his promise to our forefathers in behalf of their children - for our benefit - by bringing Jesus to life. This is what the second psalm wrote about: "You are my son, I have begotten you today" (Acts 13: 32-33)." In the letter to the Hebrews this verse, together with the promise to David, is used to show how much higher the position of Jesus is than that of the angels: "To whom of the angels did God ever say:" You are my son, I have begotten you today?" Or, "I will be a father to him, and he a Son to me"? (Hebrews 1: 5). God has promised him the kingship, whatever is written in the psalm: "Ask me and I will give you the nations, the ends of the earth owned" (vs 8). The word property is often used for the inheritance that God gives to his people when He speaks about the promised land, derived from the promise to Abraham that this land would be eternally his property (Genesis 17: 8 - the same word). Examples of this can be found in Deuteronomy 4:21. But here in the psalm, the whole world is given to the Son as an inheritance. Examples of this can be found in Deuteronomy 4:21.

This stanza ends with the words 'You can break them with an iron staff, break them like an earthen pot' (vs 9). Where the NBV says 'you can', we will see 'in the NBG'51'. Given the context, it also seems more likely that it will (have to) happen. This is further enhanced by the fact that these verses are quoted in Revelation. In the Bible, the leaders of God's people are often described as pastors, so Jesus also describes himself as the good shepherd. The word staff probably refers to this, only now not as a shepherd who cares for the flock, but now to punishment, a staff of iron instead of wood. In addition to a shepherd's crook, this word also means a scepter that accurately represents the authority of the one who governs.

A call to the world

Psalm 2 ends with an appeal to the world to be wise and to recognize the King, and with that also his Father. "Therefore, kings, be wise, be warned, leaders of the earth. Subject yourself, show the Lord your awe, trembling your tribute"(vs 10-11). The time is coming when the whole world will have to acknowledge that God is the only true ruler who leads and directs everything. He has determined that his Son will rule from Zion to all over the world. That will only happen at Jesus' return. But then the world as a whole has the choice to accept or reject it. At his first arrival, He was rejected, without directly visible consequences for who did this. This will be different at the second coming. Then rejection will not remain without consequences. Then He appears with an iron staff and they are broken as pottery.

But in addition to this world population, the psalm also mentions those who hide with him. These are the believers from all times who may share with him. It is Jesus himself who says in Revelation (with reference to this psalm): "He who overcomes and follows me to the end, I will give authority over all nations. He will shepherd them with an iron shepherd's crook; they will be shattered like pottery. I give him power, as my Father has given to me"(Revelation 2: 26-27).