A Study of Psalm Two and The Resurrection of Christ
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He Arose as King
by Roy and Jerusala Daniel:
“He died a substitute for sinners, but he arose as king.”- Roy Daniel
Although the actual Psalm does not state authorship, Acts 13:33 shows this Psalm to be written by David.
Psalm Two is one of the most amazing chapters in the whole Bible. Spurgeon called it “THE PSALM OF MESSIAH THE PRINCE.” It starts with the world at war. The awful reality is that mankind (except those truly saved) is lined up in open rebellion against the Son of God.
1) Verse One to Three --- War Against the Son:
Ps. 2:1-3 “Why do the heathen rage and the people imagine a vain thing. The kings of the earth set themselves and the rulers take council together, against the Lord and against his anointed, saying, Let us break their bands asunder and cast off their cords from us.”
There is something vain that people are doing. This means it is useless. It will fail! Mankind is at war with God. It is not just the common people who are involved in this war; it is leaders of nations and governments who follow Satan in their open rebellion against the Son of God. So-called ‘Christians” stand in government office and use the “separation of church and state” cliché to justify backing laws that benefit sinners and immorality. They don’t want to be under the authority of Jesus, God’s Son. Many people in their open rebellion against the Son claim He does not exist --- or if He does, then they say He was not the Son of God. Others say they believe in God, but act as if He doesn’t exist. They say they are free under grace, yet they are bound by a life of sin.
2) Verse Four to Five – The Wrath of Almighty God:
Ps. 2:4-5 “He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: The Lord shall have them in derision. Then shall he speak unto them in his wrath and vex them in his sore displeasure.”
There is everlasting judgment rushing towards these sins. God is going to speak in wrath. Some people see some of God’s wrath while on earth (before the real deal), but others die after enjoying the pleasures and riches of this world and suddenly wake up to face God spiritually bankrupt on the Judgment Day. Enoch said “Behold the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints, to execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which they have ungodly spoken against him. --- Jude 14,15. It is because we know the terror of the Lord that we persuade men. Jesus is coming soon and as an old saint said, “When he comes again --- He comes to judge.”
3) Verse Six to Seven - He Arose and Was Declared King:
Ps. 2:6-7 “Yet have I set my King upon my holy hill of Zion. I will declare the decree: the Lord hath said unto me, Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee”
Spurgeon said of this verse, “Jehovah's will is done, and man's will frets and raves in vain. God's Anointed is appointed, and shall not be disappointed.” These verses are life changing. If the context is understood, the above scriptures can change your whole Christian experience. Historically some Jewish kings used to have Psalm 2 quoted when they were declared king (i.e. at the coronation). However it has much deeper significance than the mere crowning of a mortal king. Verse seven in context speaks of Christ’s resurrection. We find undeniable proof for this in Acts 13: 29-37 where Luke makes use of Psalm 2:7 in connection with the resurrection. The word begotten does not speak here of a physical birth, but of the beginning of the declared kingship through the resurrection. What many people don’t know is that at the resurrection God declared His Son to be king. Verse seven implies Jesus himself declared what His Father declared after he arose. I love Romans 1:4 which when speaking of Christ states, “And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead.” Psalm two states clearly that God has set his king upon his holy hill of Zion which is written in connection with the resurrection (vs. 7).
What Christ’s Kingship and Resurrection Mean for us Practically:
a) Jesus did not rise defeated:
Jesus died as the substitute for sinners. The fact he rose as king proves that he did not rise defeated by sin, but rose victorious. All power is given unto Him. This is something that Jesus himself declared! We should declare it to this world that lives in rebellion to the Son. Jesus lives and He is king. Men must be commanded in Christ’s name to repent and surrender to the king, believing in Him so as to receive forgiveness and eternal life!
b) We can have part in His resurrection life:
Because he lives, we can live also. If Jesus had only died for our sins, it would have meant little to us. Forgiveness would have been bought, but life could not have been imparted. Man has two problems. He is spiritually dead, a born sinner. Secondly, man has done sin. Christ has died so the sins we have done can be forgiven, but we cannot be made alive without Christ’s life in us through Himself. Jesus came that we might have life and have it more abundantly. He that hath the Son hath life. He Arose, Hallelujah, Christ Arose!
c) We don’t have to work towards Him, but out from Him:
There is nothing more wonderful than the abundant life in Christ. The law which lead to death was working towards God, but could never reach Him. Our sin made the law a curse. In Christ we don’t work towards God, we work out from His Son! For instance, when we read the Bible, it is not to do a work so as to eventually reach God through much reading and then be blessed. Rather, from the moment a born-again Christian opens the Bible in the morning and reads because he is in Christ, he is spoken to, fed, and blessed. It is our choice to read the Bible and obey it, but it is His work to open up the Bible feed us from it and give us grace in Christ to obey it. According to Hebrews we have to come to the place of rest in Christ through faith where we cease from our own works and rest in Jesus. This is not a heathen apathy where we do not have discipline, make moral choices, or think logically, but in everything we do, we must rest in Christ. We do not work toward God, but out from Him.
The flesh doesn’t want such a rich and powerful life in Christ and so tries to bring us into the bondage of our own works again. 2 Cor 3:15-18 states: “But even unto this day, when Moses is read, the vail is upon their heart. Nevertheless, when it shall turn to the Lord, the vail shall be taken away. Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. But we all with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.” Unsaved people like the Jews have a veil over their hearts when reading the word. At Salvation that veil is taken away in Christ when we turn to the Lord. From that moment we are no longer reading a book as much as possible (i.e. working towards God) to be more Holy, but rather as we read with a submissive heart then because we are in Christ the word is like mirror of God’s glory, and we are changed moment by moment into that same image as we read resting in Him. God changes us with resurrection power through the Holy Spirit, and this is possible not because we read the Bible for 10 hours a day, but because we read the Bible in Christ without a veil.
I love to read the Bible, and I believe in discipline. The world is very busy, so we should make time for God’s word and secret prayer. However, I remember some time back I went through a month or so where I did much for God, but read little of His word. In a sense I felt like a backslider. I felt condemned as if I would have to read at least three hours of the Bible before I would be spoken to by God’s word again. The flesh was whispering “work towards God.” The thing is, I didn’t have to read three hours before the veil would be taken away again. The veil was already away in Christ. I merely had to rest in him as I read the Bible. I did so and found from the very first verse God spoke to me and fed me. He loved me, and the moment I wanted to spend more time with Him, He was there speaking and feeding. This was through Christ, not through how many chapters I read. Sure, I did read for more than an hour then --- and was blessed the more I read! The quantity of blessing came from how much I read, but the quality came from the moment I started reading because I did not rest in what I could do, but what Christ has already done. The veil is taken away in Christ.
D. L. Moody remembers the day when the veil was taken away in his life. He basically remembered a day when the Bible was a dry book to him. The next day it was alive. He said he understood the secret. He had been born again. He then said these words: “First I had to surrender.”
d) He arose and ascended to prepare for His Bride:
One of the greatest blessings is that as Christians we are Christ’s bride. Like a woman waiting eagerly for the wedding day, we are to wait daily for the imminent return of our loving Saviour Jesus Christ. In Genesis 22 we read of how Abraham offered his son Isaac. This is one of the clearest pictures of Christ’s death and resurrection in the Old Testament. The 3 days from the time that God commanded Isaac to be sacrificed until God provided the ram in his place is a picture of the 3 days that Christ was dead. The fact that Isaac carried his own wood was a picture of Christ carrying His cross. The parallels are endless. Isaac didn’t have to die. God gave a replacement. One of the interesting things is that the next time we read of Isaac is when he sees his bride for the first time. Christ arose and ascended to heaven, and when He comes again, He comes to receive His bride. The bride should be preparing and living for one moment. That moment is the coming of her risen, victorious king. We should be attempting by God’s grace to keep ourselves pure and unspotted from the world and showing God’s love to all mankind. John 14:2: “In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.” That is what the risen Lord has been doing for 2000 years. He has been preparing a place for His bride!!! We should be preparing our lives for Him.
4) Psalm 2:08 God has Given the Son Power:
Psalm 2:08 “Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession.”
Mat 28:18 "And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.
Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen."
When someone becomes king of a nation, he is given power called jurisdiction. Christians are part of Christ’s kingdom. Col 1:13: God “…who hath delivered us from the power of darkness and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son.” In Luke we read “thus it behooved Christ to suffer, and to rise again from the dead the third day: and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.” (Luke 24:46, 47.) We should not fear man. The fear of man bringeth a snare. We should fear God. All Power is given to him. We can go with authority and declare to the nations in rebellion against God (that think they have power) that the King has commanded all men everywhere to repent and receive remission of sins. The enemies of Christ can kill and torture His children, but they cannot touch the spiritual life they have as they rest in and obey Christ. John 16:33 states: “These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.” The enemies of Christ may feel powerful for a while and even kill the servants of God, but they can’t touch the peace with God we have that is in Christ our King.
5) Ps. 2:9-12b God is Coming to Crush and Punish Sinners --- Therefore Kiss the Son:
Ps 2:9-11 “Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel. 10 Be wise now therefore, O ye kings: be instructed, ye judges of the earth. Serve the Lord with fear and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and ye perish from the way when his wrath is kindled but a little. “ Jesus is coming soon to crush sinners. The false God that men have made up that forgives people without repentance or being on the narrow way will give way to the true Jesus on the Judgment day and convince people of the ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed. They will be thrown into the lake of fire and after 10000000000 years in the fire of God’s wrath against sin, eternity would not even have begun. That is why God in love cried out “Kiss the Son.” In other words: Surrender! To kiss is not unwilling homage to the king. It means to embrace Him, depend entirely on Him, kiss Him and not be ashamed of the fact.
a) The Ungodly must kiss the Son:
I have a friend who was once a deep sinner in the world. He became radically saved through Jesus Christ, but he had a brother who came to live with him (some time after salvation). His brother was a terrible sinner and came home in a state from parties. My friend had been witnessing to his brother about Christ, but it seemed he would never be changed. Then one day he looked at his brother and said, “The whole world is split in two. Satan is leading a rebellion against God’s Son Jesus Christ. You are part of Satan’s rebellion. The only way out of that rebellion is to surrender to Christ.” That worldly brother had never seen it that way before. He had thought he was just enjoying himself. He never saw himself as part of a rebellion. He never knew that he was part of “we all like sheep have gone astray, we have turned everyone to his own way.” (Isaiah 53.) He thought he was enjoying life. God’s Spirit started to take hold of his heart, and he came under conviction. He came to a point of desperation and surrendered to Christ trusting Him to forgive him and make him a cleansed child of God. In a moment, through Jesus Christ, he was saved.
b) Religious people must kiss the Son:
It is not only deep sinners who must kiss the Son. People who go to church each week and read the Bible, sing hymns and much more are also on the way of rebellion if they have not been saved through faith in Jesus alone. So many people go through life with so much they do for Christ. They even trust him through hard times to keep them going, but they are living in rebellion because they have rejected God’s way of salvation through the new birth. They do good works and believe in God, but they have not taken the step of faith to come to God through Jesus Christ as sinners to be saved.
c) False Evangelicals must kiss the Son:
Not only must the ungodly and religious kiss the Son, but many who have said a prayer to be saved must too. So many people who have prayed for salvation have never been saved. Some came with the wrong attitude. They prayed to be saved so as to go to heaven, but did not come in repentance over their sinful heart that does not love God and their sinful deeds against God which deserve the flames of God’s eternal wrath.
d) All who do not have biblical fruit must kiss the Son:
All who do not have biblical fruit of salvation must kiss the Son. Many people have amazing things that happen to them. They can cast out demons and heal people and speak in tongues, but they do not have biblical fruit. We read in Mat 7:22 “Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.” Even if you say you know Jesus, does Jesus know you? Is there biblical fruit of salvation? Do you love Christ’s commandments (not the commands of men)? Do you love the world? If you do, God says you don’t love the Father. Do you love the brethren (those that love God)? Do you experience the working of God’s Spirit in your heart when you read the Bible? Note: It is true that as a Christian you will not understand everything in the Bible the first time through after salvation. We know that everyone makes mistakes in interpretation at times. There are also times when you feel tired. This is how God made your body. Yet, when you know God, it is as if a light is shining on certain verses and God is opening them up to you. Not a physical light, but the light of understanding, because according to 2 Cor. 3 a veil is taken off your heart. Do you have this biblical fruit? Well, if you don’t, you need to question your salvation and kiss the Son. Note: It is important not to mix up biblical fruit with man’s standards. Some people make up their own standards that people must have to be saved. This causes hurt and confusion and is a grief to God.
Prodigal son:
In the Bible we read of the prodigal son. He ran away and became a deep sinner. Eventually poverty stricken, he worked in a pig sty. One day he came to his senses and realized he was foolish. That is what all rebels have to do. Come to your senses. Realise you are foolish. He decided to go back to his father. Notice his attitude. He did not come proudly. He came willing to be a servant in his father’s house. He came to surrender to his father’s authority. We have to realize that is the only way to come to God. We have to come in surrender! When he came like that, his father saw him afar off, and ran and hugged him, and declared him to be alive, and had a feast for him. That is what God will do to sinners who come in surrender to Him through Jesus Christ. He forgives. You are made alive. You are made a son of God. Oh How blessed are all they that put their trust in Him. One last warning: You can’t just reform and build a nice clean house next to the pig sty. You have to come to the Father through the Son. You have to come to Him for mercy. You have to surrender. You have to kiss the Son.
6) Ps. 2:12c – Blessed are They that Put their Trust in Him:
Ps. 2:12c “Blessed are all they that put their trust in him.”
“Blessed” is a beatitude which means "extreme level of happiness or bliss."
Christians through faith in Christ (not the law or our own works) are children of God. We were once children of Satan. We are saints where we were once sinners. We are alive where we were once dead. We are holy where we were once filthy. All this is possible through faith in the Jesus who died for our sins and rose triumphant as King. We are saved by grace through faith and that not of ourselves it is the gift of God. In case you are wondering if it is worthwhile to rebel against God, here (according to Charles Spurgeon) is what happened to the Roman Emperors who warred against the Son by warring against His saints:
Charles Spurgeon: “Of thirty Roman emperors, governors of provinces, and others high in office, who distinguished themselves by their zeal and bitterness in persecuting the early Christians, one became speedily deranged after some atrocious cruelty, one was slain by his own son, one became blind, the eyes of one started out of his head, one was drowned, one was strangled, one died in a miserable captivity, one fell dead in a manner that will not bear recital, one died of so loathsome a disease that several of his physicians were put to death because they could not abide the stench that filled his room, two committed suicide, a third attempted it, but had to call for help to finish the work, five were assassinated by their own people or servants, five others died the most miserable and excruciating deaths, several of them having an untold complication of diseases, and eight were killed in battle, or after being taken prisoners. Among these was Julian the apostate. In the days of his prosperity he is said to have pointed his dagger to heaven defying the Son of God, whom he commonly called the Galilean. But when he was wounded in battle, he saw that all was over with him, and he gathered up his clotted blood, and threw it into the air, exclaiming, "Thou hast conquered, O thou Galilean." Voltaire has told us of the agonies of Charles IX. of France, which drove the blood through the pores of the skin of that miserable monarch, after his cruelties and treachery to the Hugenots.” ~ William S. Plumer, D.D., L.L.D., 1867.
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