Who rules the world? (Psalm 2)

What are the things that most worry you when you listen to or watch the news? Is it the way our Western world is increasingly antagonistic to Christian values and becomes more and more confused and erratic in what it considers right and wrong? Is it the world powers’ machinations that threaten to undo the comfortable peace many of us enjoy? Is it the suffering of the many who experience injustice, disadvantage and war? Psalm 2 continues the introduction to the Psalter and adds another perspective to the larger question of what it takes to have a flourishing relationship with the Lord. While Psalm 1 focused on the inner life of the believer, Psalm 2 opens up the vista of the world around us and God’s involvement in it, as well as how He views the events that are going on.

Human rebellion against God

The opening line could easily describe current world affairs, the plotting and restlessness of the nations (Ps 2:1). Many countries do not know the true God or His king (anointed), so it may seem strange to state that their plotting is against Him/them (Ps 2:2). However, from God’s perspective, the power plays of nations reflect sinful humanity’s rebellion against God and His world order even if they are not aware of whom they really oppose. Whether they pay lip service to moral goodness or express naked contempt for God, the corrupt human heart is antagonistic to God’s reign, so that His rule feels like bondage to it (Ps 2:3). Yet the Lord is so secure on His throne in heaven that He can laugh in derision at their plotting (Ps 2:4).[1] This is no light-hearted chuckle, however. God takes sin seriously and is angry (Ps 2:5) because the abuse of power always causes suffering to the vulnerable.

God’s king among His people

What is God’s answer to the upheavals going on in the world? It is the establishment of His King in Zion (Jerusalem; Ps 2:6). Scholars speculate that, historically, Psalm 2 may have been used in the coronation liturgy when a new Davidic king ascended the throne. The words, ‘You are My son, today I have begotten you’ (Ps 2:7), were possibly cited as the king was crowned to indicate the special relationship that he stood in to God (compare 2 Sam 7:14). Like sons carried on their father’s business in the ancient world, Israel’s king represented God’s rule in the world. In the psalm, he is promised universal reign over the nations and the power to break the rebellion of the nations who oppose God, much like an iron rod (or sceptre) can shatter pottery (Ps 2:8-9 cf. Ps 2:1). But how can this be a solution to what is going on in the world? The Davidic kings never had this kind of power, so the picture is an idealised one. However, long after the Davidic dynasty petered out with the exile, the hope for God’s promised king, the King (Messiah), soared. One day, all will be subject to this King, whom David and his dynasty foreshadowed, and every knee will bow to Him (Phil 2:10).

God’s reign

As Christians, we believe Jesus Christ to be the Messiah, whom the psalm ultimately points to. While we do not see everything subjected to Him yet, we recognise His reign in our midst, the Church. His kingdom, God’s kingdom, is already here, just as it was experienced in a small way in Israel when faithful Davidic kings ruled the country and showed the world what God’s ways looked like (cf. Deut 4:5-8). Our role as a community of believers is to live out His principles in such a way that others may freely choose to acknowledge the Lord as king before God’s judgement overtakes them (Ps 2:10-12). Much of this is aspirational, but as subjects of God’s reign, we can take hope and comfort from God’s perspective amidst the spiritual and political turmoil in the world. He is our refuge in the uncertainties of life. Thus, our reading closes with a blessing creating an envelope structure around this two-part introduction to the Psalms (Ps 2:12; 1:1).

[1] NASB translates verse 4 as God sitting in heaven, which is the primary meaning of the word in Hebrew. However, depending on context, it can carry associations of being enthroned. Since the Psalm affirms God’s ultimate sovereignty and kingship, ‘enthroned’ is an appropriate translation.

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