30 Days in the PsalmsSample

Day #2: Psalm 2

Psalm II is the other half of the introduction to the Book of Psalms. Psalm I presents a portrait of “the good life,” a life shaped by the conscious decision to align oneself with God’s instructions. Psalm 2 offers a broad perspective on the nature of this God, who watches over the godly and enables them to flourish. Like Psalm 1, this psalm is not so much a prayer as a foundation upon which the rest of the prayers will be based.

In Psalm 2, we encounter God as the Lord, King, ruler, and owner of “the nations.” And we meet “the wicked” on a larger scale, depicted as rulers, kings, nations, and peoples. The psalm has a war-like tone, as it presents the cosmic battle between large-scale representations of rebellious humanity and the holy Lord who rules over them and assures them in no uncertain terms that “the way of the wicked will perish” (Psalm 1:6). This portrait of “God as King” is another thread that is woven throughout the Psalter, standing out with special clarity in Book V (particularly in Psalm 93–99).

The psalm progresses in four short movements. In verses 1–3, we see the prideful arrogance of kings and rulers that “conspire together” against the Lord and his anointed one (initially the king of Israel, now Messiah Jesus). They refuse to submit to God’s rule, wrongly perceiving the Lord’s good order as suffocating tyranny and thus resolving to do things their own way. Verses 4–9 present the Lord’s derisive response to such foolish arrogance. He reminds all earthly rulers, who are necessarily temporary and penultimate, that the nations belong to him eternally and that he has given the whole earth as an inheritance to his Son. Isaiah tells us that the Son will rule the nations with justice and equity forever (Isaiah 9:7). In verses 10–12, a stern warning is given to the nations and their kings, an “or else” ultimatum. Their choice is to be wise, serving the Lord and not their own interests, submitting to and embracing the just rule of the Son, or to perish in their rebellion (Psalm 1:6 again!).

The fourth and final phrase of the psalm comes like a gentle whisper after the clanging battle sounds: “Happy are all who take refuge in him.” Psalm 2 ends where Psalm 1 began, with a claim about “the good life.” People “take refuge” when they are in danger, so it’s clear that being “happy” or “blessed” does not mean being without stress and suffering. But during those trials, the godly can find refuge and security with the One who watches over them (Psalm 1:6).

Today is a good day to take refuge in the Lord of all the earth!