The Nothing of the Nations – Psalm 2

The Nothing of the Nations – Psalm 2
June 10, 2007 AM
By Pastor Lee Hemen

Quick, name the most important thing President Millard Fillmore did during his administration. Okay, I’ll make it easier: What about Presidents Taft or Harding? Unless you are a history wonk you could not readily name even one important thing for any of these men. By the way, Fillmore took over the office of President when Taylor died. He was never elected. Taft not only served as President but he was also the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, Solicitor General of the United States, a federal judge, Governor-General of the Philippines, and Secretary of War before being nominated for President! However, President Harding was often quoted as saying, "I am not fit for this office and never should have been here." So much for great nation builders.

The Bible makes it clear that great men or great nations are established by the will of God alone. Take for instance the Roman Emperor Diocletian (245-313 AD). He was such a determined enemy of Christians that he persecuted the church ruthlessly. He had a medal made that read: “The name of Christianity being extinguished.” He also had two monuments built on the frontier of his empire with these inscriptions: “Diocletian Jovian Maximian Herculeus Caesares Augusti for having extended the Roman Empire in the east and the west and for having extinguished the name of Christians who brought the Republic to ruin,” and “Diocletian Jovian Maximian Herculeus Caesares Augusti for having everywhere abolished the superstition of Christ for having extended the worship of the gods.” Most of you did not know who Diocletian was until I told you, yet we all know who Jesus Christ is! In fact, shortly after Diocletian’s death, Christianity became the “official” religion of Rome! The Hebrew people understood that nations and kings were established by God. Here in this Psalm the writer exhorted the pagan nations around Israel to abandon their rebellious plans against the Lord and His anointed king and to submit to the authority of the one whom God has ordained to rule the nations. It teaches us about the nothing of nations. Let’s see what I mean…

READ: Psalm 2

The Psalmist quickly relates something quite startling for his readers. He tells us that…

I. The plans of people are nothing to God! (vv. 1-3)

1. God is the one who builds nations or kings, people or places! It was inconceivable to the writer that a ruler or nation would try to “conspire” or “plot” against God! He understood that every king anointed by God or His prophet was a “messiah,” an “anointed one.” If he obeyed God his rule had the legitimacy of God’s election and the support of His power. This is why the plans of other nations whose leadership was not anointed were futile. Yet, these other nations wished to be free of the political, and therefore the spiritual, control of God’s “anointed” king. Their expression of rebellion against God’s ruler describes their perceived bondage as if they were restricted in what they could do. They wanted to be “free” of God. The writer is describing perfectly for us the exact problem an ungodly world has toward God and His anointed Jesus Christ. The world literally “rages” against God’s plan and they “plot” or imagine vain things against Him! They rage and are angry with Jesus Christ, who is King of kings and Lord of lords! King David would later write, “The Lord foils the plans of the nations; He thwarts the purposes of the peoples. But the plans of the Lord stand firm forever, the purposes of His heart through all generations.” In fact, he would dramatically declare, “Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, the people He chose for His inheritance.” (Psalm 33:10-12) Paul would teach that “In Him [Jesus] we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of Him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of His will!” (Ephesians 1:11) We discover that in all of their angry plotting and empty scheming, the plans of people are nothing to God!

EXAMPLE: Rising 6.3 miles from its base on the ocean floor and stretching 75 miles across, Hawaii's Mauna Loa is the largest volcano on Earth. But I learned last night from a History Channel TV show called “The Universe,” that on the surface of the planet Mars stands Olympus Mons, the largest volcano yet discovered in our solar system. The altitude of Olympus Mons is three times higher than Mt. Everest and 100 times more massive than Mauna Loa. It's large enough to contain the entire chain of the Hawaiian islands! Long ago, David looked up at the night skies and stood in awe at the wonder of his Creator's universe. He wrote, “The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament shows His handiwork” (Psalm 19:1). As space probes explore more of our solar system, they will continue to discover unknown wonders. But whatever they find is the work of the same Creator. David would sing, “When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him?” (Psalm 8:3-4) No wonder that the plans of people are nothing to God!

Here in this Psalm we also discover that…

II. The plans of God are eternal! (vv. 4-9)

1. God’s plans always carry eternal significance! Can you imagine a holy, all present, all powerful God watching what His creation was up to and not seeing what was happening? Too many folks think that God does not care or does not know. That He is disconnected in some way and left His creation running on its own. Nothing could be further from the truth! It also carries with it the idea like New Agers who sanctimoniously declare, “I am god!” when in fact they are just one sin-stained speck among billions of other sin-stained specks. Humorously the Psalmist writes, “The One enthroned in heaven laughs; the Lord scoffs at them.” It would be quite humorous if it was not so deadly serious. People often wonder why they go through their own problems they have brought about in life. The Psalmist gives us a partial insight. When God is deliberately ignored He “rebukes them in his anger.” Many want to be their own “god” to do what they want when they want: “It’s my life and I’ll do what I want!” The Psalmist rightly states that God has “installed” the king of His choosing. The one He desires to rule over our lives “on Zion, my holy hill!” He is God’s “Son,” the nations are His “inheritance,” and “the ends of the earth [His] possession.” He will “rule them with an iron scepter” and “will dash them to pieces like pottery!” Paul would write “Therefore God exalted Him to the highest place and gave Him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” (Philippians 2:9-11) While the schemes of men are momentary, the plans of God are eternal.

EXAMPLE: Did you know that the ancient kings and pharaohs would often have clay pots with the names of rebellious nations or cities inscribed on them brought before them? Then, they would dramatically smash each one to represent that they, as maker of the pot and ruler of the city or nation, could destroy it by smashing it to pieces! Jeremiah was told to go and buy a clay pot and in front of the elders and leaders of Israel he was to “break the jar while those who go with you are watching, and say to them, ‘This is what the Lord Almighty says: I will smash this nation and this city just as this potter’s jar is smashed and cannot be repaired.’” (Jeremiah 19:10-11) We love to plot and plan our lives, trying to think of every contingency, yet our best laid plans can be smashed in a moment because we forget that this life is temporary, but the plans of God are eternal.

And, finally, we find within this Psalm the wonderful truth that…

III. To know God is to know your place in the world! (vv. 10-12)

1. God is God and we are not! In view of all that the Lord had determined for His “Son,” the psalmist exhorted the foolish nations to submit to the king God had chosen before His wrath was kindled. He tells them “be wise,” “be warned,” “serve the Lord with fear and rejoice with trembling.” The words “serve,” “rejoice,” “fear,” and “trembling” are a picture of God’s people in loving worship. “They are to lead lives of submission, not rebellion; lives characterized by fear and trembling, not arrogance [and selfishness]; lives filled with exultation, not the gloom of oppression.” (The Bible Knowledge Commentary by Walvord and Zuck) In fact the Psalmist tells his readers to do something extraordinary. They are to immediately “kiss the Son, lest He be angry and you be destroyed in your way.” This is a concept they would immediately comprehend. In their day and age if you did not pay proper respect and homage to the ruler of the land, his wrath could “flare up in a moment” and you and your entire family could be wiped out! Your heritage, future generations, would be gone entirely in a second because of your foolishness and arrogance. Herein is a spiritual truth: All who do not know Jesus as Savior and Lord, need to understand their position before God. Jesus would say, “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on him.” (John 3:36) Paul warned that “because of your stubbornness and your unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of God’s wrath, when His righteous judgment will be revealed!” (Romans 2:5) Yet there is hope, the psalmist would sing, for “Blessed are all who take refuge in Him.” Those who come to King of kings and take Him as their Sovereign will find refuge. To know God, through Jesus Christ, is to know your place in the world!

EXAMPLE: New things often scare the living daylights out of us. New homes, new places to live, new schools, new classmates, new parents, new jobs, new friendships, or any “newness” in life. I guess it is the fear of the unknown. I believe that one of the greatest obstacles we face in following Jesus Christ is fear of the unknown. We yearn to know in advance the outcome of our obedience and where He is taking us, yet we are given only the assurance that He is with us and that He is in charge. And with that, we venture into the unknown with Him. Scary! Yet He is the ruler of the universe and Creator of all things, certainly we can therefore trust Him with our lives? Perhaps it is because we like to be in charge of where we go and what we do? However this Sovereign king provides for us a place of refuge, security, and hope. “If it were not so, I would have told you,” He related. (John 14:2) In fact, He related, “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me.” (John 14:1) To know God is to know your place in the world.

Conclusion:
The plans of people are nothing to God, the plans of God are eternal, because to know God is to know your place in the world!

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