We'll read the entire psalm. This is the word of God. Why do the nations rage and the people's 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. 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. 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. 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. There ends the reading of God's word. Let's pray together. Almighty God, we do thank you for your word and the power of it and the truth of it. And now we pray that you would use the humble means that you've ordained for communicating your word and preaching. We pray that you would bless the preaching of your word. Please help the preacher and please help all of us who are here to hear well and to respond appropriately to what you have to say to us this morning. We come to you in Jesus name. Amen. When I began to consider what to preach on the first Sunday of a new year, and I began to consider the condition of our world, a world that is in turmoil, a world where there are wars taking place and all kinds of movements of man and governments taking place, some quite disturbing. as I considered our nation as we transition into new leadership and we have our own, plenty of our own domestic problems, and then when I considered our own personal lives and the uncertainty, at least from our perspective, of what the year might hold, I was drawn to Psalm 2. Now when it comes to the kings and nations mentioned in the psalm, I thought this would be a great psalm to preach on Capitol Hill. I wasn't invited there, so I'm bringing it to us this morning. Here's how I want to approach it. This morning, I'm going to approach the big picture. The big picture. The universal picture that involves everyone. The kingdom of heaven. The nations on earth, the people, judgment and mercy that comes, the big picture of Psalm 2. And then the Lord willing this evening, more of the devotional aspect, what it means to find refuge in God and to find peace with him, those who trust in God, more of a devotional sermon this evening. This is David's visionary psalm, and it's very important for him to have this vision as the king of Israel. This is probably used for his coronation, maybe his coronation, maybe other kings of Israel, but it points to something much bigger. It's very important for David and the other kings to see this because it's humbling. It's humbling. It puts their position as a worldly king, even the king over Israel, in its place. Puts David in his place. Giving a check to both pride and fear that might come as the leader of God's people. Because it opens up a much bigger picture, a much bigger interaction between heaven and earth. Greater is the kingdom that's discussed here than any earthly kingdom could ever be. And so the big picture points us to heaven and the interaction of heaven and earth together. It's one of the most quoted Psalms in the New Testament, which is kind of a giveaway that it has a lot to do with Jesus. And it will help us to keep that in mind, and it will help us to keep a healthy focus in a tumultuous world if we keep our eyes fixed on Jesus. Well, first of all, the players. Let me introduce you to the players in the psalm. You might say players. We're invited to observe what's going on and to respond. The scene to me is almost like a renaissance, one of those old renaissance paintings where you have this glorious this glorious scene of heaven above everything maybe with images of cherubim and seraphim and perhaps the Christ in glory or something like that in the heavens and then underneath that the earth with man doing what man does kind of going about his business sometimes just regular business other times some very wicked business but i have that kind of picture in mind and yet yet A painting could never capture, even if it was a motion painting of some sort, motion art of some sort, could never capture the reality of what's going on here. It's beyond capture. Psalm begins with the narrator or the author asking a very good question, and the question is simple, why? Why? Why do the nations rage and the people's plot in vain? Why? Why do the people rebel against their Creator God? Why are they pursuing such a vain thing? Why are they being so foolish? It's deadly. It simply makes no sense to rebel against God, our Creator, and our Sustainer, and our Provider. But that's what fallen man does. And so the narrator has this great question. I might name that Renaissance painting something modern with one simple word under the painting, why? Why? It doesn't make any sense. And nonetheless, nevertheless, nations and people rage against God and plot against Him with this collective mindset, wanting to throw off any subjection to God. any sense of his authority. And so we have the narrator who's observing these things, we have the nations who are involved in this rebellion, and then we have a father figure who is Yahweh himself, who's God. And when he looks down on the ways of man, he finds such puny man and his efforts, this impudence, he finds it laughable. Not funny, because it's actually quite tragic, but it's ridiculous, the fight against God. And then the next one we meet is a son. And he's a son in this psalm, a son who is three things in this psalm, all the same person. He's God's son. He is the anointed one, translate back into Hebrew, anointed, Meshiach, Messiah. The term for that in the New Testament, in case we've forgotten, is Christ. And so we have God's Son, Christ, and he's also at the same time God's King. And so those are the players, except for this one group, this selective passive group, that's taken their refuge in the Son, in opposition to all the others in the earth. So now let's look at their actions. Again, the narrator is taking it all in and he's inviting us to take it all in ourselves. Make these observations. Look at the ways of man and look at who God is. And you look at the world and its powers and its governments and the individuals that make it all up and you recognize that they're in rebellion against God and it's been constant since the fall. And it manifests itself in all different ways. Unbelief is the bottom line. Sometimes that's organized in governments and institutions. But it all comes from a natural hatred of fallen man for God. And again, that hatred is more pronounced in some than others. When it's organized into nations, there are some nations who are clearly anti-Christian and try to do all they can to stomp out any remnant of Christ's work. They simply can't do it. Then there are nations that simply use the name of God over them, but it's only in name. It's nominal. All of it's rebellion against God. The same is true for individuals. Some are clearly in rebellion against God, constantly shaking their fist in his face, and others go about their lives maybe morally good people, and yet, because they haven't submitted to the authority of the Creator, they're a part of this rebellion. And this rebellion is described as certain chaos. You might not like the style of music that Handel wrote. But anyone who listens to Handel has to recognize that he is a musical genius. His most famous work by far is Messiah. And when he gets to this point in Messiah, why do the nations rage? It's chaos. If you listen to it, it's rapid moving. It's chaotic, it's intense, it almost causes anxiety. It's unpleasant, it's unnerving, it makes you anxious, it's jolting. Why do the nations rage? But then the response from heaven is very clear and crisp and powerful. He shall dash them to pieces like a potter's vessel. It really is a musical phenomena, the whole thing. But that part pertains to this. These raging nations under the sovereign God, watching all along, man in his efforts, in all of his pursuits, ignoring God, which means rebelling against God, which means throwing off God, which ultimately means setting himself up as God. Goes right back to the garden. And so we have the nations raging, and then we have the father, again, who's looking at the puniness of man, and he holds it in derision. Reminds me of a little toddler who might want to box with you. And you can put your hand on his head, and there's no possible way he can reach you when you hold him out from you. Of course, this is a much bigger, far more serious picture, but it's laughable. It's ridiculous. And so we have the father. And he's in this conversation with the son. We go from this turmoil, this fight of mankind against heaven, we go from that turmoil to the calmness, serenity of heaven. One devotional writer says, let's lift up our eyes to God. He sits upon his throne on high. While earth is all disquieted, Wild and mad, in menace, he reigns in repose. And he has a conversation with this son. And he declares who he is and he makes a promise to the son. Ask of me and I will give you the nations as your inheritance. Ask and it's yours. He says, today you have become my son. And that may be a little confusing. It's helpful if we remember that in heaven, it's always today, you might say. But then when Jesus comes to earth, it verifies that he's the same one in heaven, now on earth, when those very same statements are applied to him time and time again, Psalm 2 in the New Testament. And so then we have this son who's the commissioned heir. heir of nations, and he will subdue the nations through both judgment and salvation. There's some question about the passages, about breaking them with a rod of iron and dashing them in pieces like a potter's vessel. The best understanding that I have is that that is a discipline, that is an intensity that will cause many to repent. Surely it's judgment, but that sense of judgment will cause many repent. God will give that. The Father will give that to the Son. He simply needs ask for the nations. Typical Spurgeonese, God's anointed is appointed and shall not be disappointed. What God promises the Son, he gives the Son. And again, there's the blessed group. Passive, simply secure in the midst of it all, refuge in the Son. But then we have the narrator again. Calling out to all who will hear, kiss the sun lest he be angry. Bow down in awe and submission as you would to the most powerful, majestic ruler on the face of the earth. Bow down in submission. bow down in reverence, bow down in awe, bow down in adoration. And here's the irony that not a one of us and not a single Christian would bow down that way before any earthly ruler on the face of the earth. This kind of obeisance, this kind of submission, this kind of adoration is reserved for God alone. And so those who have kissed the sun understand that. But there's a warning, kiss the son, lest he be angry. Well, how does this play out for the people of God? If you think about in David's day, the confidence that this would give him and the people of God, that there is something greater above the scene. If you read in the Old Testament, the wars and the trouble and the intrigue and the sinfulness and the perversion, the false religion and all that that sets up against itself, up against God, how comforting it would be for God's people to come to this psalm. and rest in the truth that God is in heaven and he has a ruler who will reign forever. They could only anticipate the promised fulfillment of the promised everlasting kingdom. But then this eternal sun, the sun forever comes to earth. And the contrast is shocking. Because we, when we watch Jesus on earth, we think of him as most of the time mostly meek and mild in his demeanor, in his humiliation. But here we have a judge, and he's one in the same person. And it's not as if he lost all his power. He didn't lose all his glory. It's not as if it's not there, but he put it aside for a moment in time to bring heaven and earth together for our sakes. That's what he came to do. A couple of passages that will help us if you want to turn to Matthew 22, beginning in verse 41. Many places we could turn to find out where the psalm is. We can't look at them all. We'll just look at a few. But here's one where Jesus is testifying to who he is. To those who should have recognized who he was. Matthew 22, beginning in verse 41. Now, while the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them a question. Saying, what do you think about the Christ? Whose son is he? They said to him, the son of David. He said to them, how is it then that David in the spirit calls him Lord, saying the Lord said to my Lord, sit at my right hand until I put your enemies under your feet? If then David calls him Lord, how is he his son? And no one was able to answer him a word, nor from that day did anyone dare to ask him any more questions. points right to this psalm. And surely by birth, he is the son of David, but he's the son of God. And he's unashamed to testify that to these people. And that's the testimony to us as well. Well, that's before the nations conspire in a very real way against the Lord's anointed, against the Christ, against the Messiah, against Jesus. And the nations of the earth represented here, backed up by the kingdom of darkness, come together. And in a fulfillment in the most specific, profound way, we see the nations come together, conspiring against Yahweh and against Christ. And we will see, if we were to read further into the gospel, that at ground level, these forces strike the heel of the Christ. They strike the heel of the Christ. It's behind the serpent. The serpent is behind it. But the nations come together. And here in this little microcosm, we see it illustrated. The people of God, Israel, and Rome, which is the most powerful nation on earth at the time, come together. And those two together were necessary to crucify the Christ. It's so repulsive in a way, genuinely repulsive, when you see Herod, who's supposed to be representing the people of God as the presumed king of Israel, and Pilate, who is representing Rome We read, through this persecution of Christ, Herod and Pilate became friends with each other. That very day, before that, they had become enemies, conspiring together to crucify Christ. We recognize that even the scheme of man and the kingdom of darkness is under the sovereign plan of God. And while the nation, so to speak, struck the heel of the Christ, he crushed the serpent's head in the very act of dying. And then he rose from the dead. And in that we learn that he's verified as the incarnate Son of God through his work. And he ascends to the right hand of glory. And we know that he will come to judge. Through the ages, we've seen the rising and falling of many who've set themselves up against God, rising and falling of many nations of many people. But we do know that in one day, every knee will bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. He's reigning and ruling now. If you look into Revelation where heaven is opened again, You can read about Jesus Christ, this same Christ, the Son of God reigning, Jesus, the Son of God, Messiah, King of heaven. The very opening of Revelation, Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, firstborn of the dead, ruler of the kings of the earth, to him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood. Well, this gives great confidence to the church, the continuing church, confirming that he is the self, same one who is at the right hand of the Father. Again, we can't look at all the passages, but I do want you to turn to Acts 4. Persecution is already kicking in. The enemies of God don't just come against God and try to throw off Him, but they come after God's people. And the believers are beginning to be persecuted. Acts chapter 4 beginning in verse 23. They've been Arrested, now they're released. When they were released, they went to their friends and reported that the chief priests and the elders had said to them what they had said to them. And when they heard it, they lifted their voices to God and said, Sovereign Lord, who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and everything in them, who through the mouth of our father David, your servant, said by the Holy Spirit, why did the Gentiles rage? And the people's plot in vain. The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord and against his anointed. For truly in this city there were gathered together against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, to do whatever your hand and your plan had predestined to take place. And now, Lord, look upon their threats and grant to your servants to continue to speak your word with all boldness while you stretch out your hand to heal and signs and wonders are performed through the name of your holy servant, Jesus. They knew that the Jesus they served was alive and ruling and reigning in heaven. And they refer in this prayer to that psalm, to our psalm. And the result is they want more boldness in their witness, even in the face of persecution. Well, that's available to all who believe, all who take refuge in him. This gospel going out that we see take place in Acts is a calling of the nations and the people to repent. And the gospel message in Psalm 2 is kiss the son. Kiss the son, lest he be angry. The world trifles with Christ. The world mocks Christ. The world throws his name around like it's nothing. The world takes so lightly the awesomeness of Christ. ignorantly denying the devastating results of rejecting him. Jesus himself warned. He warned the people saying, this is specifically to Caiaphas and the council, question is, are you the son of God? And here's what Jesus says, from now on, They're about to crucify him. From now on, you will see the son of man seated at the right hand of power and coming on the clouds of heaven. So many implications. So many truths surrounding this. Everything bound up in our salvation. The tragedy is under wrath. What's being missed is the goodness of God and mercy in Christ. Man needs to pursue that, man needs to know that, while mercy might still be found. But for those who believe, the last passage we'll turn to, Romans chapter one. The very introduction of a letter that is actual proof of the fact that the nations are gathered in. Here you have a church in Rome, And if you look at the names at the end of Romans, you find a collection of people, Jews and Gentiles. But I love the way that everything's tied together just in this introduction. Listen closely and recognize at least the setting and the impact of Psalm 2. Paul is a servant of Christ called to be an apostle set apart for the gospel of God. which he promised beforehand through his prophets in the holy scriptures concerning his son, who was descended from David according to the flesh and was declared to be the son of God in power according to the spirit of holiness by his resurrection from the dead, Jesus our Lord, through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith for the sake of his name among the nations. including you who are called to belong to Jesus Christ. To all those in Rome who are loved by God and called to be saints, grace to you and peace from God, our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ." What a great encouragement, what a great comfort to these Christians living in Rome in the time in which they lived, and that comfort and promise comes to us as well. And so there is a sovereign God, there is his everlasting kingdom, and there's one king, and he's to receive all the glory. And it behooves all souls to kiss the sun while he may be found in submission and adoration. And it behooves the church to continue the mission of the Great Commission as God gathers in his people from the nations. Here's a prayerful song. Pity the nations, O our God, constrain the earth to come. Send your victorious word abroad and bring the strangers home. We pray thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. The Lord willing again tonight, we'll look at the great comfort very personally this affords to all who find refuge in him. Let's pray. Lord, you are the awesome God. And we thank you so much that you open our eyes to eternal truths, and even in your word this morning, open our eyes to the glory of heaven. Lord, opening our eyes to who you are, Yahweh, eternal God, opening our eyes to who the Son is, the Christ, the King of heaven, our Lord Jesus. We thank you for these wonderful