The kings of the earth take their stand And the rulers take counsel together Against the Lord

Psalm 2 from the daily reading in the One Year Bible

The Reign of the Lord’s Anointed.

Why are the nations in an uproar
And the peoples devising a vain thing?
² The kings of the earth take their stand
And the rulers take counsel together
Against the Lord and against His Anointed, saying,
³ “Let us tear their fetters apart
And cast away their cords from us!”

⁴ He who sits in the heavens laughs,
The Lord scoffs at them.
⁵ Then He will speak to them in His anger
And terrify them in His fury, saying,
⁶ “But as for Me, I have installed My King
Upon Zion, My holy mountain.”

⁷ “I will surely tell of the decree of the Lord:
He said to Me, ‘You are My Son,
Today I have begotten You.
⁸ ‘Ask of Me, and I will surely give the nations as Your inheritance,
And the very ends of the earth as Your possession.
⁹ ‘You shall break them with a rod of iron,
You shall shatter them like earthenware.’”

¹⁰ Now therefore, O kings, show discernment;
Take warning, O judges of the earth.
¹¹ Worship the Lord with reverence
And rejoice with trembling.
¹² Do homage to the Son, that He not become angry, and you perish in the way,
For His wrath may soon be kindled.
How blessed are all who take refuge in Him!

Daniel 2:20-22 says:  Let the name of God be blessed forever and ever, For wisdom and power belong to Him.  It is He who changes the times and the epochs; He removes kings and establishes kings; He gives wisdom to wise men And knowledge to men of understanding.  It is He who reveals the profound and hidden things; He knows what is in the darkness, And the light dwells with Him.  In today’s text the psalmist says: The psalmist says:  Why are the nations in an uproar And the peoples devising a vain thing?  The kings of the earth take their stand And the rulers take counsel together Against the Lord and against His Anointed, saying, “Let us tear their fetters apart And cast away their cords from us!”    There is a move toward globalism in the world today, for rulers and nations to take counsel together. In their vanity they leave God, the God who changes the times and the epochs; the God who removes and establishes kings out of the picture. They take counsel without Him and even conspire against Him. Isaiah 5:20 says: Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; Who substitute darkness for light and light for darkness; Who substitute bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter!   That is the lot of those who have turned against God; those who vainly are against Him.  

The psalmist says:  He who sits in the heavens laughs, The Lord scoffs at them. Then He will speak to them in His anger And terrify them in His fury, saying,  “But as for Me, I have installed My King Upon Zion, My holy mountain.”  God’s plan is revealed through His word. From Genesis to Revelation His will and His plan is revealed.  The Old Testament prophets spoke of the Messiah that would come. Jesus fulfilled over three hundred Messianic prophecies concerning His birth, His life, His death and His resurrection. There are still prophecies left for Him to fulfill; the ones concerning His return. When He comes again it will not be to die as a Savior for the world, but rather as King of Kings and Lord of Lords, as a righteous judge. God’s grace has reigned for two thousand years, but His grace does not mean that He has changed His mind concerning sin and righteousness. His grace does not mean that He has embraced the evil of man. 2 Peter 3:7-13 says:  By His word the present heavens and earth are being reserved for fire, kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men. But do not let this one fact escape your notice, beloved, that with the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years like one day.  The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be burned up.  Since all these things are to be destroyed in this way, what sort of people ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be destroyed by burning, and the elements will melt with intense heat! But according to His promise we are looking for new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness dwells.  God’s grace is not that He embraces sin. It is that He has given time for all to come to repentance.

Speaking prophetically, the psalmist says:  “I will surely tell of the decree of the Lord: He said to Me, ‘You are My Son, Today I have begotten You. ‘Ask of Me, and I will surely give the nations as Your inheritance, And the very ends of the earth as Your possession.  ‘You shall break them with a rod of iron, You shall shatter them like earthenware.’”  Now therefore, O kings, show discernment; Take warning, O judges of the earth.  Worship the Lord with reverence And rejoice with trembling. Do homage to the Son, that He not become angry, and you perish in the way, For His wrath may soon be kindled. How blessed are all who take refuge in Him!

Now therefore, O kings, show discernment; Take warning, O judges of the earth.  Worship the Lord with reverence And rejoice with trembling. Do homage to the Son, that He not become angry, and you perish in the way, For His wrath may soon be kindled. How blessed are all who take refuge in Him!   Amen.