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Psalm 2:7-12  I will proclaim the LORD’s decree:  He said to me, “You are my son; today I have become your father.  Ask me, and I will make the nations your inheritance, the ends of the earth your possession.  You will break them with a rod of iron; you will dash them to pieces like pottery. ”  Therefore, you kings, be wise; be warned, you rulers of the earth.  Serve the LORD with fear and celebrate his rule with trembling.  Kiss his son, or he will be angry and your way will lead to your destruction, for his wrath can flare up in a moment.  Blessed are all who take refuge in him.

Psalm 2 is a beautiful relational psalm.  There is no rubric to tell us it is a Psalm of David, but it has been traditionally, and with good reason, assumed to be so.  The Apostles Peter (in Acts 4:25) and Paul (in Acts 13:33) both quote from it, treating David as the author, and its content and expression are undeniably Davidic.

Although it has many applications in the life and reign of David, it is probably a Coronation Psalm (cf “today I have become your father”) as it speaks of God’s ‘anointed’ (Messiah) King.  We can see in the very personal language, references to God’s ‘decree’ given through Samuel to David re Solomon and his building of the Temple, “I will be his father, and he will be my son.  When he does wrong, I will punish him with a rod wielded by men, with floggings inflicted by human hands.  But my love will never be taken away from him, as I took it away from Saul, whom I removed from before you.” (2 Samuel 7:14-15).

So the LORD God acknowledges maintaining a very personal ‘Father-Son’ relationship with his Anointed King in David’s line, and this is obviously foreshadowing and anticipating the coming of the perfect ‘Anointed King’ (Messiah) in David’s line, the Lord Jesus Christ.  So, in its ultimate fulfilment, we see God’s Eternal Plan of Salvation (consistent with what we saw yesterday dealing wiith the Promise of the New Covenant in Jeremiah 31:33-34), working itself out in terms of the Trinity, with the Father and the Son working in harmony together.

It is good to note, as this Psalm makes clear, God’s Plan of Salvation culminates in Jesus’ return in power as Judge and King over every nation on earth, claiming all Creation as his rightful ‘inheritance’ and ‘possession’ for, as the Apostle Paul says: “‘Who has ever given to God, that God should repay them?’ For from him (God the Father) and through him (God the Holy Spirit) and for [to – Greek ‘eis’] him (God the Son) are all things.  To him be the glory forever! Amen.” (Romans 11:35-36)

On the basis of this, David gives very wise advice to all mankind: “Therefore, you kings, be wise; be warned, you rulers of the earth.  Serve the LORD with fear and celebrate his rule with trembling.  Kiss his son, or he will be angry and your way will lead to your destruction, for his wrath can flare up in a moment.  Blessed are all who take refuge in him.” (verses 10-12) It’s not rocket science. 

– Bruce Christian