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Psalm:2

(last updated: Sun March 10 2020)

Today's Text:

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Today's Audio Commentary: "The Nations Rage"

Psalm:2 Reading (⇓)

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Psalm:2 "The Nations Rage" (commentary as one file) (⇓)

1. Section 1:
   
• kjv@Psalms:2:1 "Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing"? (Your translation might say "nations"). We are essentially talking about all of mankind and it's relationship to God and God's anointed.
  
• "Rage". It's a very strong word. Most people wouldn't use as strong of a word to describe our relationship with God.
  
• "A vain thing"? Most people wouldn't describe what they are imagining about God and Life and Relationship as vain.
  
• They would use this strong of language but, at the same time they would be very uncomfortable even talking about it.
  
• These are the exact strong words though that the psalmist uses today to describe what is going on here on earth. He says:
  

kjv@Psalms:2:2 @ The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD, and against his anointed, saying,

kjv@Psalms:2:3 @ Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us.

• What evidence do the scriptures have to support this?
  


• The picture the psalmist paints for us today is one of an epic disagreement between man and God. It is a masterwork the size of all biblical doctrine yet, painted for us vividly in only twelve tightly packed verses.
  
• On the bottom left in the foreground there the a meeting table of the nations representative of mankind. These leaders are in various poses around the table, each looks angry, visually hostile, passionate, some pointing their fingers and fists directly at God who is positioned to the top right. This is the setting and counsel of the kings and rulers of the earth.
  
• In the background behind this meeting of the nations are a great many other people. It is an artistic representation of all the people, within this mass can be identified both the poor and the rich, young and old, strong and the sick, learned and unlearned, worker and midwife, scholar and priest. You get the idea, the huddled masses. They gaze euphorically up and to the left off canvass opposite God to something that has yet to be painted. This is the people of the world imagining a vain thing.
  
• Upper right, from the heavens above, God is pictured laughing with HIS right arm extended straight ahead toward the vain missing object, HIS eyes pointed down on the hostile earthly scene, HIS glaring stare with wrath almost to the point of derision. This is God Jehovah, HE who sits in the heavens.
  
• And in the center of the painting standing in the very forefront is a Christ like king, victor over sin and death, regently posed with right hand extended palm down to the nations to the left below Him with ring glistening as if expecting to be kissed.
  
• It is quite a picture painted for us today painted in Psalm 2. A world viewpoint totally unexpected by modern audiences. It is...well...beautifully disturbing!
  


• The question behind all biblical doctrine must be asked as "what is the relationship like between mankind right now and God"? what will it take to fix it?
  
• Is it a good relationship man has with his Creator? (Other than a few solvable problems right where God wants it to be?)
  
• Is it as the psalmist here paints it? (an epic and most angering disagreement? hostile on both sides)
  
• What should it matter? (some would ask)
  
• Wouldn't it be concerning if this was a relationship that mankind was perfectly fine with but, one rather that God disdained?
  


• You see there is a good chance that we would think it fine having God Jehovah and HIS Christ to go away. No more bands. No more cords. No more of HIS reproof and counsel. As long as HE kept up with HIS mercies and graces. As long as HE bailed us out here and there when we got ourselves into trouble. What's not to like about that kind of arrangement? (It's kind of like being kids at the playground all over again; isn't it?)
  
• He could remain far from us and distant, we could treat HIM and HIS anointed anyway we pleased, our leaders could grandstand and shake their fists at HIM to make themselves look bold and authoritative, the rest of us could look the other way and imagine things that aren't even present. In such a world anything could be said, anything could be done, God is only there to sweep up the consequences.
  
• Sounds dreamy for us that way doesn't it?
  


• It is an interesting notion: breaking bands asunder, casting away cords. Is it something that is even possible?
  
• Let's for a moment remove the consideration of God's emotion and just say that HE steps aside for an hour or so, puts man in the driver's seat, lets the kings and rulers have their way, lets the people imagine and do whatever vain thing that they've imagined. At that point what do we have? Scary thought isn't it. Why then do any of us think that we would be better off not having God's bands and cords in some shape and form to sustain and protect us?
  
• I ask if such a thing would even be possible because it might well be that we are stuck so to speak with each other. Man needs God. Without God man does not exist. With only a partial God man's existence is an absolute mess. God doesn't need man however, we are here only for HIS pleasure and to partake of HIS splendid glory. HE could easily move on to something else if HE hadn't committed HIMSELF to stay involved to work this out.
  
• Maybe it is just like the picture says, there is only so much canvass, what space is available to us is the space that has been given. We can imagine that there is something else off to the distant left but, that is just our imagination, nothing else is out there unless God makes it be there. God however is the one we have made into our enemy, we want HIS bands and cords and therefore God HIMSELF and HIS anointed broke and cut asunder. What chance is there then of receiving anything more until this feral catty fight is settled?
  


• Now the majority of people are not going to see our relationship with God this same way (even most Christians). This then becomes their doctrine and world viewpoint.
  
• Modern people live in a world close to the world in which they imagine. It is a world that has come so far, so many advances, so much progress. Why if they could just tweak this or set this thing up a little bit better, more government, more technology, bigger economies, soon approaching medicines, (ah see there) there wouldn't be such a need for God. As far as most are concerned God is fully behind all of this, they even fell they have HIS full blessing.
  
• They do not see the world top down and bottom up as God sees it with all it's murder, all the missing people, all the slavery and oppression, all the rape and incest and pedophilia, all the drug abuse, all the thievery, all the lying and deception and false testimony and misjustice and prejudice, all the anger and spousal/elder/child abuse and abandonment, all the adultery, STD's, divorces and broken homes, all the scams and greed and covetousness and rampant debt, all the borrowing with full intent not to pay back, all the debauchery and drunkenness and revelry and civil disobedience, all the complications of overly prevalent premarital sex and pregnancy, suicide, bullying. No they sees the world as nearly being perfect, being so enlightened, so evolved, such a nearly good thing.
  
• Funny how what they see as bands and cords needed to be severed, Christ sees as liberty, the freeing of the captives, the healing of the wounded of this world and broken hearted. There is obviously a difference of opinion and data.
  


• What if the psalmist is right here? What if are relationship with God is not as we have carnally made it out to be? What if the world today that we are in agreement with and supporting is in fact a world where the nations are raging, the people are vainly imagining, the kings and rulers are setting themselves and it's object is to break and cut the bands asunder? What then would be the evidences? What then would be the remedy?
  
• These things with the guidance of Psalm 2 today we will have to further consider.
  
• The question for us today is: "Why do the heathen rage and the people imagine a vain thing"?
  
• I think that we will be shown today from scripture some very possible and intriguing explanations.
  







2. Section 2:
   
• Rage. What is the source of this rage? The Apostle Paul puts it as enmity, enmity is is the source of this rage. What then is the source of this enmity? There Paul connects it to the carnal mind. Now let me explain this carnal mind.
  
• When man was originally created he was created with a spiritual mind. The spiritual mind reigned, the carnal and emotional parts were kept in balance and optimized. That spiritual mind completely died the moment Adam and Eve fell, the carnal and emotional mind have fought over supremacy ever since.
  
• Now some would think that since it was a matter of freewill that Adam and Eve chose to disobey God and thus fell spiritually lifeless that it would a similar matter of freewill choosing to (or perhaps a matter of obedience) to have that spiritual mind brought back. If that were the case, why then didn't Adam and Eve simply choose to have this spiritual mind and it's proper governance brought back. It is because it is not matter a matter of freewill to get the spirit life back, at least not as the carnal mind would expect.
  
• Some would say "Adam and Eve made their choice, now it is time for each of us to make our choice". Now wait a minute, who is to say that our ability to choose and have it mean something this spiritually quickening has not been taken from us. Let me illustrate it this way: a the man and the women are spiritually dead, the two of them have a child, that child must be spiritually dead as well. The parents can not give to the child anything that they do not have themselves. Death can come out of life but, life can not come out of death, not unless miraculously given from sources external to itself (which leads the discussion to the new life doctrines of regeneration found in Christ).
  
• This spiritually dead conundrum is further made more difficult by the fact that the carnal mind believes itself more than capable of making up for this spiritual deficit. It intends to take carnal matters and spiritualize them itself or else take spiritual matters and emulate them carnally as a substitution. What it is able to perform of this is merely a carnal approximation of a spiritual thing; not the same as the spiritual thing itself. The problem is that the carnal mind thinks itself quite capable of performing this and though constantly failing at this at the same time is quite capable of adapting to the failing environment it keeps digging itself into.
  
• Let me illustrate this concept another way: A young North Korean man is convicted of propagating western ideologies and is sentenced to a lifetime hard labor at a government repatriation camp (I mention this because it is a true life example). A couple years into his sentence he meets a young girl his age,she the daughter of older prisoner of the state, she had been born in the camp, never having experienced any life other than the life of this camp. The two of them soon have a child of their own. We fast forward to the present age, we are now talking about this man and wife's grandchildren still living in the camp, never knowing anything other than a few vague mentions of the outside world, fully adapted to their only world. The grandchildren have a world view all their own, it is the world view of a concentration camp, how to get along, how not to want anything other, how not to put the others at risk, how to be happy and content in a concentration camp. They are perfectly adapted to this until confronted by the outside world. It would be difficult, even if the authorities wanted to, to now open the doors of this camp and let these grandchildren out into the rest of society, at this point it would be cruel and unusual punishment.
  
• This only goes to show the amazing ability of the human soul to adapt to whatever situation it finds itself. I use the example here to suggest that it could even adapt to the situation of being spiritually dead within it's self.
  


• The situation is such that the carnal mind cannot just simply choose to flip on a spiritual switch. It is such that not even the Law can prop it up and put it back in the driver's seat because it is still dead.
  

kjv@Romans:8:7 @ Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.

kjv@Romans:8:8 @ So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.

• At this point it wouldn't be wrong to ask ourselves: if this is our state, it is what it is because it is all that has been left for it to be, carnally minded that is, how then could God be angry and laughing and holding us in derision? (Randy you're saying that we have no choice in the matter). I would say that you are right, the point is valid, God could not be angry at just this, perhaps disappointed that it came to this, HIS anger must be at something beyond this.
  
• If we are to follow the flow of what the psalmist has presented in kjv@Psalm:2, the anger actually is that this present at full enmity with the bands and cords of God world reaction continues or is even heightened during and after the presentation of HIS anointed begotten Son. The anger comes down to the idea that God would go as far as HE did to provide as our ultimate remedy there in the life and influence of HIS very own Son and we would still rage as we do against it, as having been present this better outcome we still even more choose to rage and seek actively to cut these merciful bands from among us. That is something worth God getting very angry about.
  
• Our anger and offense increases at what God has done to resurrect us spiritually, HIS anger increases as we set it aside and rage against it.
  
• See there is a choice left in the matter. We cannot choose set this all back right by our own carnal devices and wishes, however, we can choose to "Kiss the Son", "Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice (in His merciful accomplishment made for our benefit) with trembling".
  


• Let's get to some scripture now to help support this. The first scripture that I would like to point your attention to is kjv@Proverbs:1 where we can consider this epic dispute in terms of chronology.
  

kjv@Proverbs:1:20 @ Wisdom crieth without; she uttereth her voice in the streets:

kjv@Proverbs:1:21 @ She crieth in the chief place of concourse, in the openings of the gates: in the city she uttereth her words, saying,

kjv@Proverbs:1:22 @ How long, ye simple ones, will ye love simplicity? and the scorners delight in their scorning, and fools hate knowledge?

kjv@Proverbs:1:23 @ Turn you at my reproof: behold, I will pour out my spirit unto you, I will make known my words unto you.

kjv@Proverbs:1:24 @ Because I have called, and ye refused; I have stretched out my hand, and no man regarded;

kjv@Proverbs:1:25 @ But ye have set at nought all my counsel, and would none of my reproof:

kjv@Proverbs:1:26 @ I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your fear cometh;

kjv@Proverbs:1:27 @ When your fear cometh as desolation, and your destruction cometh as a whirlwind; when distress and anguish cometh upon you.

kjv@Proverbs:1:28 @ Then shall they call upon me, but I will not answer; they shall seek me early, but they shall not find me:

kjv@Proverbs:1:29 @ For that they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of the LORD:

kjv@Proverbs:1:30 @ They would none of my counsel: they despised all my reproof.

kjv@Proverbs:1:31 @ Therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their own way, and be filled with their own devices.

kjv@Proverbs:1:32 @ For the turning away of the simple shall slay them, and the prosperity of fools shall destroy them.

kjv@Proverbs:1:33 @ But whoso hearkeneth unto me shall dwell safely, and shall be quiet from fear of evil.

• The chronology of events shows that it was the people that first did this. God's wisdom called out to them but, they refused it and no man regarded it, they set HIS counsel to naught and would receive none of HIS reproof. Then and only then did God change HIS approach with them allowing them to eat the fruit or calamity of their own way (underline that "fruit of their own way"). After that some did desperately seek for God and cry to HIM, by then the situation was beyond repair.
  
• Notice there is the idea of the foolishness and the turning away of the "simple" at work here also. Not everyone is at the forefront of this rebellion, there are a great many just going along with it. Their grievance with God is not so much intellectual or academic or philosophical as it is with others; it is just plain and simple the trough that everyone else is drinking from. Foolishness is like being gullible. Simple mindedness is not putting any discernment or importance to it. I find it interesting in a society that prides itself so much in open mindedness that more times than not open is not open, it is rather simple else it is unable to make up it's mind at all.
  
• Whether this rebellious nature is intentional for some or simple minded for others, as a group the description of the entire lot is that "...they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of the LORD" "They would none of my counsel: they despised all my reproof". Why? we must ask, why did they behave themselves like this? Remember now what we had begun to talk about with the carnal mind?
  


• Our second scripture documents this exact same chronology and adds some more details to the workings of it. kjv@Romans:1:21-32
  

kjv@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.


• At the core is the issue of carnal mind not being willing to glorify God and be thankful for all that God is and has done. It was not an issue at first of the carnal mind not knowing God, it states here that it did know and yet goes the opposite direction despite what it knew. Apparently not even the knowledge of God is not enough to halt deter the carnal mind from it's baser self glorifying/self appreciating impulses.
  



kjv@Romans:1:22-23 @ Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things.


• Wise becomes a title that the carnal mind gives to itself. It is not a title given it by others who impartially view it's long history and accomplishments, it is wise for no other reason than it professes itself to be so much as would a fool. The standard that the carnal mind sets for itself is no longer the glory of God over which it has no control, it is to much lesser corruptible images that it can easily place itself above. Logically it has resorted to the "straw man" argument building up things so that it can convincingly tear them down to raise itself above it.
  


• Now notice the sequence continuing on here: the carnal mind does this, God attempts to counsel against it and facilitate a better outcome for them, which is of course the carnal mind refuses, now God is going to give them over to what they themselves have already given themselves over to (As Solomon in kjv@Proverbs:1 had put it "to eat the fruit of their own ways").
  

kjv@Romans:1:24-25 @ Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves: Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.


• The carnal mind would be the last to admit this but, what it has given itself over to something that makes produces an uncleanness to the heart and a dishonor to the bodies. God simply allows the carnal mind to go the rest of the way with it. We were talking about the bands and cords of God it desires to sever? This is an unexpected consequence of what can happen when but a few of those cords are lifted.
  
• It is actually impossible for truth of God to become a lie, it is the perception given it by the carnal mind. The idea behind it is that if the truth of God cannot be trusted what other than itself can be trusted. It selfishly holds the soul it's captive.
  


• Later Paul states:
  

kjv@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;


• Notice here it is not that the knowledge of God was somehow found faulty, it was that they "did not like". It is not so much an intellectual process for them as it is a pure unadulterated enmity. Note also that at this point not only is a carnal mind given to itself, it is a reprobate mind now as well.
  


• Again the carnal mind will be the last to admit this but, the condition it eventually leaves the soul in is a most dangerous and destructive state that can be proven by the following outward indications:
  

kjv@Romans:1:29-32 @ Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful: Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.




• Hopefully now this carnal mind can be better understood and identified within all of us. Having this better understanding, we can move on now to the deeper elements of this Psalm 2 master painting.
  






3. Section 3:
   
• I can not pass up the opportunity afforded us in this Psalm:2 to speak of the Messiah whose psalm this actually is.
  
• You will notice kjv@Psalms:2:7 that this psalm is written in Messiah's voice, from His perspective. Messiah is God's anointed. He is the king on the hill of Zion. He is the begotten Son. Before even the foundations of the world God made a decree (kjv@2Timothy:1:9). All things were to be created through the Son (kjv@Colossians:1:16), all things were to created for the Son (kjv@Colossians:1:16), the man whom God created was to be conformed to the image of His begotten Son (kjv@Romans:8:29).
  
• There being a Messiah for us was not a plan "B" just in case mankind went off track, God in HIS foreknowledge, knowing that man would almost immediately choose to go off track, made this plan "A" all along; it is HIS only plan. God did not make man to go off track, that would be man's contribution to the process. God made man so that through the process of HIS own Son's atoning sacrifice and resurrection (first born of many brethren kjv@Romans:8:29) and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit (kjv@John:16:7) that the newly born again man might be conformed to the most worthy image of HIS Son (kjv@Romans:8:29). The decree was made beforehand, the creation then executed, the plan worked to it's eventual successful conclusion.
  
• Christ the anointed and God the almighty one go back together from eternity past to eternity future (kjv@Micah:5:2 kjv@John:1:1). Before the day of this decree they were as one just the same. On the day of this decree, one was appointed the role of Son (best as we can title it), begotten into the role of faithful servant through whom all things were created faithfully executing the humble and obedient obligations like unto a son unto his father even to the point of taking on the flesh of man in order to suffer (kjv@Isaiah:53) and thereby taste death for each man (kjv@Hebrews:2:9), to be raised from said death (kjv@Psalms:16:10) and then be reunited to the Father at the right hand throne of judgment (kjv@Psalms:24:7) having been given both the right to judge (kjv@John:5:22) and the power to execute said judgment (kjv@John:5:27).
  
• It is because of this Anointed One's obedience, like a son to his father, because of this righteous one's victory over sin and death that He has the exclusive right to be our triumphant King on Zion and High Priest/Great Shepherd. All things were created through Him by the Father, all things created for Him by the Father, all things are being gathered back unto Him by the Father, just as it had been decreed on that day long ago when He was begotten. What better image is there for us to be conformed to?
  
• You have wondered when I said it why the carnal mind can't just choose to flip a switch to turn his spiritual mind back on? Well first of all the carnal mind has no desire to surrender itself to do that. Second, even if the carnal mind so wanted (which it doesn't), it is not a simple matter of flipping a switch, it is a very difficult matter of quickening a spiritually lifeless part of the soul which requires the active work of Christ. It would be like the carnal mind flipping a switch to a circuit that is not even plugged in; he can flip that switch all that he wants but, the light bulbs are not going to come on. This then is the importance of Christ to this process. This then is the importance of the decree made before the foundations regarding God's then on that day begotten Son.
  


• The exact quote of the Father's to this Son was "Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee. Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession. Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel".
  
• Christ did ask of the Father. kjv@John:17:4-5. The heathen have become His inheritance. kjv@Acts:11:18 kjv@Romans:15:9-12. The uttermost parts of the earth have become His possession. kjv@Colossians:1:18. The Father has set the Son up very handsomely and with very good reason. The great Son intends to share of His rightful inheritance with His many redeemed that He has made once again alive and spiritually strong (kjv@Isaiah:53:12 kjv@Ephesians:1:11)
  
• Having at once accomplished all of this towards the salvation of all mankind, all that then is left to be done is for Christ to break and dash in pieces like a potter's vessel (kjv@Revelation:12:5) those that choose to remain at enmity with God despite God's most gracious and merciful peace plan. Best advice I can give you is "Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and ye perish from the way, when his wrath is kindled but a little".
  
• For Christ the Son having obediently given Himself to the full accomplishment of this divinely agreed upon decree, has been given by the Father not only the final judgment of mankind (kjv@John:5:22), He has been given the full authority to execute that judgment (kjv@John:5:27) and His judgment will be just (kjv@John:5:30). Now the Son will not be our accuser in this judgment, that function is given to the Law of Moses (kjv@John:5:45) which will be more than adequate to present the prosecution's case against the unfettered carnal mind. Plus in this way the judgment will be impartial, without respect to certain persons (kjv@Romans:2:11) or certain peoples claim of personal righteousness (kjv@Matthew:5:20 kjv@Romans:10:3), based solely upon whether the spiritual mind has been born again into the man or woman's soul (kjv@John:3:5-7).
  
• The idea of "potters vessel" is one that is offensive to the carnal mind; the idea that we are not the potter ourselves, that we are the the potter's clay pot. The offense isn't so much that God originally formed us, it is that we still have to be shaped and molded into something further, that we are not already who we will ultimately be. In other words it is change that cranks our ire, that HE is performing change according to HIS artistic eye not so much ours, that it is not us as we have designed ourselves but, as HE envisions and needs us to be. It's the idea of being someone else's possession and craft work and not solely ours. To the spiritually quickened mind however, it is a beautiful idea, that God is shaping and molding us into something glorious and cherished, it's an outlook that defines HIM as a master artisan and prolific genius.
  







4. Section 4:
   
• I think that it is important to this Psalm and to our understanding of why the nations are raging to consider this idea of God establishing Christ HIS Son on the hill of Zion. The exact quote is:
  

"Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion". kjv@Psalms:2:6


• Zion has become the symbol of the nation of Israel, a nation that Jehovah has spent a great deal of time and effort on in establishing. When you think of a carpenter's son from Nazareth and the unlikelihood of a child from that station of life ever being established Savior and King over all Heaven and Earth, Israel is just about as unlikely of a people to become a nation and remain a nation as well. Both required God Jehovah to even be on the map.
  
• Think about it, at the time Jehovah became involved establishing them (around BC 1920) they were not even a separate people of their own, they were merely descendants of Noah's son Shem settled beyond the Euphrates in Ur of the Chaldees. While passing through the land of Canaan near the plain of Moreh, Abraham was promised by the LORD "Unto thy seed will I give this land" (kjv@Genesis:12:7). It was not for another several centuries (circa BC 1450?) before some 600,000 of Abraham's seed entered back into that land to take it. It was not for a couple hundred more years during the time of David that Israel finally took for keeps the hotly disputed high ground of Jerusalem that is protected by three connected hills, one of those hills being called Zion. It was David that moved the capital and then the Ark of the Covenant there.
  
• The odds have always been stacked against Israel. It was against all odds that they even became a people, against all odds that they became favored in Egypt and remained so as long as they did, against all odds that they escaped Egypt, against all odds that they survived forty years of wilderness, against all odds that they safely crossed the Jordan. To do what they had to do to conquer the long time inhabitants of the Promised Land, just to take the fortified city of Jericho alone was miraculous. To defeat the vastly superior armies of the Canaanites, the Philistines and many others as quickly and decisively as they did required the arm of the LORD out in front of them. To repeatedly defend their possession for as long as they did required HIS arm. Even to loose all that God had provided them in reproof of their disobedience required the LORD's hand to move them out and back in.
  
• It is so important for us then to understand the background and significance of this kjv@Psalms:2:6 statement. When it is said "Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion" there is a crucial indication of just how much effort God put into making Israel happen just so HE could put HIS King on a mountain that has come to symbolize just how much HE has actually done.
  
• Had Jehovah not established Israel, then HE would not have been able to establish Christ. No one would have know who He was supposed to be, or what He was supposed to do, nor recorded that He had even come and done all of that. On can even say that without Israel, we would have not known nor considered that we even need a Christ, that there is even a problem with the rule of the carnal mind to begin with. Jesus even went so far as to say:
  

kjv@John:15:22 @ If I had not come and spoken unto them, they had not had sin: but now they have no cloke for their sin.



• Now certainly Israel's foes rage against Israel. Their rage is largely that Jehovah would establish Israel in this manner and not them. It is almost the idea of God playing favorites with certain nations; now that is not going to go over well with those other nations of course.
  
• However, consider that in God's eye all mankind is carnally minded, spiritually dead, as proven also by HIS long recorded history of dealing with Israel. The greater promise to Abraham was that through his seed people from all nations were going to be blessed (kjv@Genesis:12:2-3). Blessed how so? Blessed through the regeneration of the spiritual mind actively produced in them by Christ. It is not a favoritism God has with Israel as much as means to an end of favoring all of mankind.
  
• Christ ultimately is the promised seed to Abraham, and that is why God and Abraham went through the whole exercise of taking Abraham's physical seed Isaac up the mount to be potentially sacrificed, because it is a perfect illustration how the LORD was going to fulfill this promise spiritually.
  
• Also recall that the people of Israel have in deed paid a very steep personal price historically for what amounts to our many Heathen nation's benefit and have been made to go through captivities and carnally inflicted embarrassments so that we would not have to learn these many spiritual lessons first hand the way they they did.
  


• Another quote from this psalm that we need to get a grasp on is:
  

"Be wise now therefore, O ye kings: be instructed, ye judges of the earth". kjv@Psalms:2:10


• "Be wise now therefore". Key word here is "therefore". It is saying in "light of" of everything thus far said, in light of everything about spiritual death and the carnal mind, in light of the inescapable enmity the carnal mind has with God, in light of everything God has done to establish Israel in order to establish the sudden incarnate whereabouts of HIS Messianic Son, in light of what God has done through HIS begotten Son to bring that missing spiritual life back having conquered sin and death, setting Him up as rightful King on Zion eternally; in light of all of this be wise ye kings/judges of earth.
  
• There should really be no fear on the ruler's part of the well discipled follower of Jesus:
  

kjv@Mark:12:17 @ And Jesus answering said unto them, Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's. And they marvelled at him.


kjv@1Peter:2:13-14 @ Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lords sake: whether it be to the king, as supreme; Or unto governors, as unto them that are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers, and for the praise of them that do well.


• The Christian should be the last one that the potentate or his magistrates object to; the doctrine should be clear. The Apostle Paul put it this way:
  

kjv@Romans:13:1-2 @ Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God. Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation.


kjv@Romans:13:5-8 @ Wherefore ye must needs be subject, not only for wrath, but also for conscience sake. For for this cause pay ye tribute also: for they are God's ministers, attending continually upon this very thing. Render therefore to all their dues: tribute to whom tribute is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honour to whom honour. Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law.


• In fact it would be wise of the kings and judges to consider this doctrine of the spiritually dead masses, ruling themselves by the carnal mind are more likely than not the citizens that covet your power and work against it, despise authority, are stirred by the assembly of wicked to chase after rebellion after rebellion, revolution after revolution. You of all people should be able to tell what these carnal minds are up to by the onslaught of carnal opposition that you face daily. Being ordained by God puts you as part of the bands and cords that they are seeking to cut asunder.
  
• Now certainly most rulers and judges are just as spiritually dead and carnal as everyone else, their just as much at enmity with God and yet they are being used by God to keep the whole lifeless race from imploding in on itself. Strangely there is also good reason that the masses do not trust yours or any authority, your profession very much proceeds you. God's positioning of you into leadership does not equate to a final answer for mankind so much as it does the immediate resemblance of carnal checks and balances for now until HIS King finally comes.
  
• The oddity is that while you can shake your fists from the world counsel's table at God and Christ HIS anointed, God is the one that put you there and it is HIS purposes that HE intends for you to fulfill. You can say "Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us" but if you ever do break these bands, you in fact are an ordained part of those bands and cords; you are cutting your own neck. Not that God's bands could be broken in any case, HE'll just replace you with the next.
  
• I speak not from the authority of my own words. I simply repeat the words penned by this psalmist spoken by the Holy Spirit with the Holy Spirit's authority. The wise thing for you is to "kiss the Son". This is true for your soul personally but, more so the opportunity should be afforded your loyal subjects as well.
  


• Friends, there are many places on this Earth where the people of those nations are being kept from the spirit quickening Good News of Jesus Christ by these kings and judges and governments. Now I don't expect that I will be able to convince the majority of these kings and judges that it would be wise for them to "Kiss the Son" to "serve Him" and or "rejoice with trembling" literally. But, as wise men they should consider wisely that now in the atoning work of one Jesus Christ the opportunity has been formally afforded every carnal man and woman to be brought back to spiritual life, life for so long that has been missing in them. Wise to consider that Christians are not their government's opposition. Wise also consider that God would logically have a special anger reserved for those leaders that purposely kept their masses from said opportunity eternally. God put you in your position to do what is right for your people; it's best then you consider wisely and do for them what is best.
  






5. Section 5:
   
• A few final thoughts to consider about this tremendous psalm:
  
• In the picture presented today we are presented with an epic dispute between mankind and God, the rulers at a table angered and shaking their fists at Jehovah, the threat of cutting ties to God being made, the people behind them euphorically staring off canvass toward something vain that they only can imagine, God above laughing and holding what they are seeking in derision, Christ God's anointed front and center victor over sin and death hand outstretched to be kissed and worshiped. What we haven't yet mentioned standing to the right of and behind Christ a few of Christ's anointed followers. These are the blessed, all they that put their trust in Him. Friend, that is the place I hope one day to find all that have heard or read of the glorious Gospel of Christ message.
  
• If all goes according to God's promise to Abraham (which I am sure it will), there will be many spiritual quickened and blessed people from all nations following this triumphant King throughout all eternity, as many as the stars in the sky. Reach to Christ now my friend and His hand and ring will be there to kiss, fall in behind him to serve and rejoice!
  
• I had said that this picture in kjv@Psalm:2 is a masterwork as bold as all bible doctrine tightly packed into 12 vibrant colored verses. I think that you have gotten a sense of how much doctrine a psalm such as this can portray and convey to it's audience in so few words. In this series we have only begun to appreciate this psalms depth on the surface. Luckily we have more pictures in this gallery to catch the understandings yet missing.
  


• Not every one views the world and it's relationship to God as does this psalmist but, there again neither do they see themselves as only being carnally minded. The thing is that if you try to interpret the bible from the most common carnal view you will find it very confusing as to why God does the things that HE does and feels about the world as the bible says that HE does. The carnal mind reads from it that this is an angry God, a jealous God that is trying to hold us back from what we imagine for ourselves would be better. The carnal mind sees no need for Christ for Christ is simply a further means for God's over bearing control.
  
• If the world is in deed raging (at least as God would see it), this set of biblical doctrines very much explains why it is raging, why it is at enmity against God and why God did what HE did in the establishing of Christ HIS son to in fact do something spiritually rectifying to fix it. There are plenty of other scriptures left over to fill in blanks and further support it. I do hope that if you find this possibility interesting at all that you will look into the scriptures much further; you'll soon be quite convinced!
  

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