In light of contemporary political and social and religious conditions in the United States, I want to look at Psalm 2. Psalm 2 is not only a Messianic Psalm, but also a prophetic warning to the Gentile nations to serve the LORD Jesus Christ in the Church Age. The context is the Gentiles nations, not Israel.

Psalm 2:1

Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing?

a. Psalm 2 is not only a Messianic Psalm, but also a prophetic warning to the Gentile nations to serve the LORD Jesus Christ in the Church Age. The context is the Gentiles nations, not Israel.

b. The questions asked are, “Why do the heathen rage?” and, “Why do the people imagine a vain thing?”

1). heathen [1471 * goy] [Strongs: A foreign nation, hence a gentile] [D.C. Note: Foreign in respect to Israel. We are the heathen!]

2). rage [7283 * regash] [Strongs: To be tumultuous, rage.]

3). imagine [1897 * ragah] [Strongs: To murmur, in pleasure or anger.]

4). vain [7385 * riyq] [Strongs: Emptiness, fig., a wirthless thing, in vain, empty, no purpose.

c. Becoming vain occurs after truth and light are rejected.

1). 2 Kings 17:15 “And they rejected his statutes, and his covenant that he made with their fathers, and his testimonies which he testified against them; and they followed vanity, and became vain, and went after the heathen that were round about them, concerning whom the LORD had charged them, that they should not do like them.”

2). Romans 1:21 “Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.”

3). In both of the above examples, the truth and light of God’s word were rejected and as a result, worthless thinking followed.

d. The effects of rejecting light are clear. There are three of them.

1). A mind void of judgment: Romans 1:28 “And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient.”

a). reprobate [96 * adokimos; a-without; dokimos-acceptable] [Zodhiates: Unapproved, unworthy, rejected, cast away. In Romans 1:28, an active usage meaning, undiscerning, not distinguishing, void of judgment.]

b). A mind that makes wrong decisions. Decisions worthy of rejection, decisions rejected and unapproved from God’s perspective.

2). Captivity: Isaiah 5:13 “Therefore my people are gone into captivity, because they have no knowledge: and their honorable men are famished, and their multitude dried up with thirst.

3). Destruction: Hosea 4:6 “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children.”

e. These principles can be applied to the individual, but also to society as a whole. Every institution created by God, the Church, the Family, Civil Government, and Labor are all subject to his will. They are all subject to spiritual law. In this case, they are all subject to the effects of rejecting the word of God.

Psalm 2:2

The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD, and against his anointed, saying,

1. “The kings of the earth set themselves…”

a. set [3320 * yatsab] [Strong’s: To place anything so as to stay, to station, steadfast.]

1). The kings position themselves steadfastly. They position themselves.

2. “…and the rulers take counsel together…”

a. counsel [1345 * yacad] [Strong’s: To found, to sit down together, i.e., settle, consult: take counsel, establish, lay a foundation.]

1). It implies the rulers do the same, i.e., position themselves.

2). Then they sit down together and take counsel together and consult one another to lay a foundation or get a plan of action.

b. Psalm 33:10 “The LORD bringeth the counsel of the heathen to nought: he maketh the devices of none effect.”

3. “…against the LORD, and against his anointed, saying,

a. anointed [4899 * mashiyach] [Strong’s: usually a consecrated person as a king, a priest, specifically the Messiah: anointed Messiah.]

b. This passage is quoted in Acts 4:24-30.

 1). Acts 4:24-30 “And when they heard that, they lifted up their voice to God with one accord, and said, Lord, thou art God, which hast made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all that in them is:

Who by the mouth of thy servant David hast said, Why did the heathen rage, and the people imagine vain things?

The kings of the earth stood up, and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord, and against his Christ.

For of a truth against thy holy child Jesus, whom thou hast anointed, both Herod, and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles, and the people of Israel, were gathered together,

For to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined before to be done.

And now, Lord, behold their threatenings: and grant unto thy servants, that with all boldness they may speak thy word,

By stretching forth thine hand to heal; and that signs and wonders may be done by the name of thy holy child Jesus.”

2).In Acts it is applied to the secular Gentile rulers and the rulers of Israel of that day and their treatment of Almighty God and Jesus. So in light of all that the Scripture says of God’s supreme sovereignty over the nations, it is not out of context to also apply it to present day gentile rulers.

Psalm 2:3

Let us break their bands asunder, and cast their cords from us.

1. “Let us break their bands asunder…”

a. break [5423 * nataq] [Strongs: To tear down, break off, burst, draw away, lift up, pluck away, pluck off, pull out, root out.]

b. bands [4147 * mocerah] [Strongs: chastisement, i.e., a halter, restraint.]

c. The “raging” of the heathen, and the “vain thing” the people are imagining is breaking ties with the Almighty.

If words mean anything they want to tear down, pluck off, root out the restraints that God would put on them.

2. “…and cast their cords from us.”

a. cast [7993 * shalak] [Strongs: To throw out, throw down or away, cast away.]

b. cords [5688 * abothah] [Strongs: Something entwinded, i.e., a string, wreath, foliage, band, cord, rope.]

c. In Psalm 2:3, the kings and rulers have stationed, positioned themselves with the sum of their counsel. They want to throw off the bands of restraint, the cords of control that God has in their lives.

1). Job 21:14, 15 “Therefore they say unto God, Depart from us; for we desire not the knowledge of thy ways.

What is the Almighty, that we should serve him? And what profit should we have, if we pray unto him?”

2). Jeremiah 5:5 “I will get me unto the great men, and will speak unto them; for they have known the way of the LORD, and the judgment of their God: but these have altogether broken the yoke, and burst the bonds.” [Compare “the yoke” to Matthew 11:29.]

3). Hosea 11:4 “I drew them with cords of a man, with bands of love: and I was to them as they that take off the yoke on their jaws, and I laid meat unto them.”

d. The study of these passages reminds me of the recent history of the U.S., in particular the last five decades. Within those decades we have seen ungodly forces, including but not limited to the ACLU, People for the American Way and other organizations trying to root out any kind of mention of God in the USA and plucking it off. Numerous U.S. Supreme Court decisions fit this description.