Psalms 2

Psalms 2THEME: Drama of the agesman’s rebellion against GodAnoticeable feature in the Book of Psalms is the systematic arrangement. The first psalm presents the perfect man, the happy man. (And I believe it pictures the Lord Jesus Christ as the last Adam.) Now in contrast to the perfect man, the blessed man in Psalms 1, we see the rebellious man in Psalms 2. We call this the Genesis section of the Book of Psalms, and the parallel is striking. Genesis begins with the perfect man, the happy man, in the Garden of Eden. But he became the rebellious man who ran away from God, was no longer seeking Him, who had no capacity for Him. Now here in Psalms 2 we find the children of Adammankind. Psalms 2 has been called the drama of the ages. It contains a decisive declaration concerning the outcome of events and forces that are in the world today. This psalm is divided more like a television program than a play. It is presented as if there was a camera on earth and one in heaven. We experienced something like this when we were treated to on-the-spot moon exploration by camera. It was quite exciting and dramatic. When we come to the second psalm we find that the Spirit of God uses two cameras in a dramatic way beyond the imagination of man. First, the camera on earth comes on, and when it does, we hear the voices of the masses. We hear little man speaking his little piece and playing his partas Shakespeare puts it, “A poor player that struts and frets his hour upon the stage” of life. Little man. Then the camera on earth goes off, the camera in heaven comes on, and we hear God the Father speak. After He speaks, the camera shifts to His right hand, and God the Son speaks His part. Then the camera in heaven goes off, the camera on earth comes on again, and God the Holy Spirit has the last word.

Psalms 2:1

CAMERA FOCUS: MANKINDNow let’s watch this presentation. First, the camera on earth comes on, and we see mankind. He is put before us here in the first verse with this question: Why do the heathen (Gentiles) rage, and the people (Jews) imagine a vain thing? The word vain here means “empty.” It means that this which has so enraged the Gentiles, and which has brought together mankind in a great mass movement, a great protest movement, will never be fulfilled, will never be accomplished. It is an empty, futile thing that has brought mankind together. Well, what is it?

Psalms 2:2

“The kings of the earth set themselves” are the political rulers, “and the rulers take counsel together” are the religious rulers. Not only do you have the masses of mankind in this protest movement, but also the establishment has joined in with it. Here are the rulers, both religious and political, joining together. Now what is it they are protesting? Whom are they against? “Against the LORD, and against his anointed.” The word anointed here means “Messiah"that is what it is in Hebrew. When the word is brought over in the Greek New Testament it is Christos, and in English “Christ.” Here is a great worldwide movement that is against God and against Christ. Now when did this movement begin? Scripture lets us know about this. Over in the fourth chapter of the Book of Acts, when the first persecution broke out against the church, we’re told that the apostles, Peter and John, after they had been threatened, returned back to the church to give their report: “And when they heard that, they lifted up their voice to God with one accord, and said, Lord, thou art God …” (Act_4:24). We need to pause here just a moment because this is one of the things the church is not sure about today: “Lord, thou art God.” Many people are not sure He is God. They wonder. The early church had no misgivings or questions. “…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?” (Act_4:24-25). As you can see, they were quoting Psalms 2. “The kings of the earth stood up, and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord, and against his Christ” (Act_4:26). Now this is the Holy Spirit’s interpretation: “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” (Act_4:27). Here is this movement, beginning, we are told by the Holy Spirit, back yonder when Pilate joined up with the religious rulers and Herod in order to put Jesus to death. This is a movement against God and Christ. It has been snowballing as it has come down through the centuries, and it will break out finally in a worldwide revolution against God and against Christ. Now somebody says to me, “You really don’t think the world is moving in that direction, do you?” May I say to you, I think it is. Someone comes to me and asks, “Dr. McGee, do you think the world is getting better?” I say, “Yes, I do.” Somebody else comes and says, “Dr. McGee, don’t you think the world is getting worse?” I say, “Yes, I do.” “Well,” you may say, “what in the world are you trying to do? Go with both crowds?” No, both are true. That is the same thing the Lord Jesus said in His parable of the tares (Mat_13:24-39).

The Lord Jesus said that He Himself is the sower and that He is sowing seed in the world. Then He said an enemy came in and sowed tares. The servants wanted to go in and pull up the tares. When I entered the ministry that is what I wanted to do. I was the best puller-upper of tares you’ve ever seen. But I soon found out that we’re not called to pull up tares (I sure found that out the hard way!).

That is the reason I don’t try to straighten out anybody else. I’m having enough trouble with Vernon McGee, so I don’t worry about the others. He will take care of them. But what He said was that the wheat is growing, the tares are growing, they are both growing together, and He will do the separating. He will take care of that. Today the good is growing. Did you know that there is more Bible teaching going out today than in any period in the history of the world? We brag about the few radio stations that carry our Bible study, but other radio programs have been giving out the Word lots longer than we have. Across this land are many radio stations that are dedicated to the ministry of broadcasting the Word of God. The Word is going out today through many more avenues than it has ever gone out before. The wheat is growing. But I want to tell you, brother, the tares are growing also. Evil is growing. There is an opposition against God and Christ today that is unbelievable. I could give you many incidents of the enmity that I’ve encountered. Somebody says, “I just can’t quite buy that. I believe that over there on the other side of the Iron Curtain atheism is growing, but not on this side.” Well, it is growing on the other side, and it is rather amazing. Did you know that you and I have seen in our lifetime (those of you who are as old as I am) a nation appear whose basic philosophy, basic political economy, is atheism? There has been nothing like that in the past. No nation of the ancient world, that great pagan world of the past, was atheistic. Not one.

Somebody says, “I thought they were.” No, they were the opposite. They were polytheistic. They worshiped many gods. None was atheistic. You see, they were too close to the mooring mast of revelation. Noah knew a man who knew Adam.

When you are that close to it, you do not deny God. In Noah’s day the world was filled with violence, but there wasn’t an atheist in the crowd. When God gave the Ten Commandments, He didn’t give any one of them against atheism. He gave two against polytheism: “Thou shalt have no other gods before me. Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth” (Exo_20:3-4). He gave these two commandments against polytheism, none against atheism.

Why? There were no atheists. Now when you get to the time of David, you meet atheists, and there were a great many atheists by that time. David labels them, though. He says, “The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God …” (Psa_14:1). The word fool in the Hebrew means “insane.” The insane, the nutty individual, is the one who is the atheist. Of course he may be a Ph.D in a university. The Bible says he is insane. It is insane for a man to say there is no God. There is, I believe, as much opposition to Jesus Christ on this side of the Iron Curtain as there is on the other side of the Iron Curtain today. I believe that with all my heart. Somebody says, “Wait a minute. I hear many talk about Jesus, and how wonderful Jesus is.” Have you ever stopped to think that the Jesus of liberalism, the Jesus the world thinks of, actually never lived? The Jesus of the Bible and the Jesus of liberalism are two different individuals. And the Jesus of liberalism never lived at all. Let me give you an example of what I mean. For many years when I was a pastor in downtown Los Angeles, the leading liberal in this country pastored a church nearby. Actually I had great respect for him because he was one liberal who was honest. For instance, he would just come out and say he did not believe in the virgin birth. And if you don’t believe it, I’d like for you to say it and not beat around the bush. He had a question-and-answer program on radio.

I had a question-and-answer program on radio, and listeners would feed questions to both of us to set us in opposition. Every year we went through that same little ritual during the Christmas season. I always enjoyed it. So one time we both were invited to a banquet, and (I think it was done purposely) we were seated together. I got there first and sat down. I saw his name there.

In a minute he came in. I felt somebody put his arm around me and say, “You know, Brother McGee, you and I ought to be much closer together. We preach the same Jesus,” and he sat down. I said to him, “Are you sure we preach the same Jesus?” “Oh, don’t we?” “I don’t think so. Let me ask you some questions. Was the Jesus you preach virgin born?” “Of course not.” “Well, the one I preach is virgin born.

The Jesus you preachdid He perform miracles?” “I do not believe in miracles.” “Well, the Jesus I preach performed miracles. The Jesus you preachdid He die on a cross for the sins of the world?” “Of course He died on a cross, but not for the sins of the world.” “The Jesus I preach died a substitutionary, vicarious death for the sins of man. Do you believe that Jesus rose bodily?” “Oh, no, of course not.” “Obviously then, you and I are not preaching about the same Jesus. Now I want to ask you a question.” You see, these liberal men have called some of us fundamentalists “intellectual obscurantists.” (Now whatever that is, it’s terrible!) So I said to him, “Look, what are the documents or where are the documents for the Jesus you preach?” He laughed, just laughed and passed it off. “Of course we don’t have any.” “Now isn’t that interesting. We have documents for the Jesus we preach, and you don’tyet you call us intellectual obscurantists. I’d like to know who is an intellectual obscurantist!” May I say to you, my friend, the Jesus that the world believes in today doesn’t even exist. He never lived. The Jesus we preach is the Jesus of the Bible, and that is the One against whom there is opposition in the world today. There is a tremendous build-up, a mighty crescendo of opposition against God and against Christ in this day in which we live. Now how does it manifest itself? Exactly as He said it would. Notice again the second psalm. Hear what they are saying:

Psalms 2:3

What are some of the bands God has put on the human family? Marriage is one. God has made marriage for the welfare of mankind. Whether you are a Christian or not, God has given marriage to mankind. Today they not only want to get rid of it; they are getting rid of it. I was rather shocked two or three years ago. (I’m a square.

I’m not really keeping up with it today, so I don’t follow along in the way they are going in this modern thinking, relative to God, relative to man, and relative to the Word of God.) So I was startled at a young people’s conference when the sweetest little girl got up in our question-and-answer period and said, “Dr. McGee, why does a young couple have to get married if they love each other? Why can’t they just start living together?” God gave marriage, and God intends for it to be followed. But they say, “Let’s break their bands asunder.” Also, “Let’s cast away their cords from us.” The Ten Commandments are cords. When somebody accuses me of saying that we don’t need the Ten Commandments, they are wrong. We are not saved by keeping themI tried it, and it won’t workbut I’ll say this: God gave them, and He gave them to protect mankind. They are thrown out the door today, and right now we are experiencing lawlessness in this country because of the fact that crime is not being punished. There has been a terrible toll of lives that would not have been sacrificed had laws been enforced. You see, we are living in a day when the prevailing philosophy is “Let us break their bands asunder, let’s cast away their cords from us.

We want to be free and do as we please.” God says we can’t make it that way. It won’t work. We’ve got old evil natures that need to be restrained. But mankind is moving toward getting rid of all restraints today. It is disturbing as we look at this world in which we are living. In the political world there is confusion. In the moral realm there is corruption. In the spiritual sphere there is compromise and indifference. And in the social sphere there is comfort. This affluent society never had it so easy, and their goal is to make it easier. We are living in that kind of a day. It is disturbing, and I’ll be honest with you, I do worry about it a little.

Psalms 2:4

CAMERA FOCUS: GOD THE FATHERThe question arises, How does God feel about this? What kind of laughter is this? Let me say at the outset that it is not the laughter of humor. He is not being funny. Do not misunderstand methere is humor in the Bible. The devil has really hit a home run by making people think that going to church is quite an ordeal. We are living in a day when folk think you can’t have fun in church. I think the Bible is full of humor. Those of you who study with us through the Bible know we find a lot of it. There used to be a dear maiden lady at a church I served who never found any humor in the Bible.

When I gave a message which cited some humorous incident, she used to come down, shake a bony finger under my nose and say, “Dr. McGee, you are being irreverent to find humor in the Bible.” I said to her, “Don’t you wish you could?” She’s gone now to be with the Lord, and I certainly hope she’s had a good laugh since she has been there because she has gone to the place where she can have a good time. She needs to have a good timeshe never had one down here. There are too many Christians like that today. My friend, it is going to be thrilling to be with Him some day. We’re going to have a wonderful time with Him.

It’s going to be fun, and I’m looking forward to that. God has a sense of humor, and there is humor in His Word. “He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh …” Since this is not the laughter of humor, what is it? Well, look at it from God’s viewpointlittle man down there parading up and down, shaking his midget fist in Heaven’s face and saying, “Come on out and fight me! I’m against you.” God looks down at the puny little creature. It’s utterly preposterous. It is so ridiculous! He looks down and laughs. “He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the Lord shall have them in derision.” It is so utterly ridiculous, my friend.

Little men putting themselves in opposition to God won’t be around very long. Mussolini did a lot of talking, and we haven’t heard from him lately. Stalin did the same thing, and he is gone. Little man plays his brief role here on the stage of life, then his part is over. How ridiculous and preposterous for him to oppose God!

Psalms 2:5

This is the judgment that is coming upon this earth. What effect will man’s opposition have upon God’s program? God is going forward to the accomplishment of His purpose. What little man does down here won’t deter Him, detour Him, or defer Him at all. God did not read something in the morning paper that He didn’t already know about. There is nothing that has surprised Him at all. He is moving according to His purpose. He has, I believe, a twofold purpose in this world. I think He has a heavenly purpose; I think He has an earthly purpose. Right now He is working on His heavenly purpose. The writer to the Hebrews expresses this: it is “…bringing many sons unto glory …” (Heb_2:10). God today is calling out of this world a people to His name. That is His present purpose. However, God has another purpose, and it is stated here:

Psalms 2:6

God is moving forward today undeviatingly, unhesitatingly, uncompromisingly to the establishment of that throne on which Jesus Christ will sit on this earth. I hear folk say, “If the Lord delay His coming.” Where in the world did that idea come from? He is not delaying anything. He is going to come on scheduleHis schedule, not mine, because I don’t know when He is coming. He is running on schedule and nothing will stop Him, nothing can cause Him to change His plan.

Psalms 2:7

CAMERA FOCUS: GOD THE SONNow the camera in heaven shifts to God the Son on His right hand. God the Son speaks, “I will declare the decree.” Those of you who have studied theology know that the Lord Jesus executes all the decrees of God. This is a verse that the Jehovah’s Witnesses use a great deal. I wish they would listen long enough to find out what it means. It would help them a great deal to find it has no reference to the birth of the Lord Jesus Christwhich they would see if only they would turn to the New Testament and let the Spirit of God interpret. This verse was quoted by the apostle Paul when he preached in Antioch of Pisidia. This was, I believe, one of his greatest sermons; and he was talking about the resurrection of Jesus Christ: “God hath fulfilled the same unto us their children, in that he hath raised up Jesus again; as it is also written in the second psalm, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee” (Act_13:33). The reference in the second psalm is not to the birth of Jesus. He never was begotten in the sense of having a beginning. Rather, this is in reference to His resurrection. Christ was begotten out of Joseph’s tomb. Jesus is the eternal Son of God, and God is the eternal Father. You cannot have an eternal Father without having an eternal Son.

They were this throughout eternity. This is their position in the Trinity. It hasn’t anything to do with someone being born, but it does have something to do with someone being begotten from the dead. It has to do with resurrection. I’m afraid the Jehovah’s Witnesses have not heard this, but they could find, with a little honest searching, that the New Testament makes it very clear Jesus Christ is not a creature. He is the theanthropic Person.

He is the God-man. Psa_2:7 sustains this doctrine. God the Father continues:

Psalms 2:8

The scepter of this universe will be held by a Man with nail-pierced hands. He is the One who is yet to rule. This verse is often used in missionary conferences. I suppose I have heard a dozen sermons on missions using this verse of Scriptureand probably you havebut it ought never go to a missionary conference. It hasn’t anything to do with missions. I remember listening to a graduate of Union Seminary in New York City bring a missionary message using this verse. I was then a student in seminary. As a student I did something that was very impolite, very rude.

I think I’ve got more sense than to do it today. I went up to him after he had preached the message, and I asked, “Doctor, why didn’t you use the next verse?” He acted as if he didn’t hear me, although I am sure he did, and began talking with somebody there. I said to him the second time, “Doctor, why didn’t you use the next verse?” This time he turned his back on me, and just ignored me. Well, I should have left, but I didn’t. I walked around in front, and I said to him, “Doctor, why didn’t you use the next verse?” He looked me right straight in the eye and said, “Because it would have ruined a missionary sermon.” And it sure would have! Notice the next verse, the verse that follows it:

Psalms 2:9

Do you think this is the Gospel of the grace of God we are to preach today? It is not. This passage hasn’t any reference to Christ’s first coming. This speaks of His second coming, when He comes to this earth to judge. This is the way He will come the second timeto judge the earth. He has not asked me to apologize for Him, so I won’t apologize. He says that He intends to come to this little planet and put down the rebellion that has broken outand He will break them with the rod of iron. Maybe you don’t like that. Well, you take it up with Him. He said it, and He is going to do it just that way. Now I have a question to ask you, if you think He ought to do it the way some of our political leaders are suggesting. Suppose Jesus came back to this earth tomorrow, like He came over 1900 years ago, the man of Galilee, the carpenter of Nazareth, the gentle Jesus. Suppose He went to the Kremlin and knocked at the door. Whoever keeps the store over there would come and say, “Yes?” He would say, “I’m Jesus. I’m here to take over.” Do you think they would say, “My, we have been waiting for you”? No, they’d put Him before a firing squad in the morning.

My friend, how do you think He could take over if He came to Russia today? He would have to break them with a rod of iron, would He not? Apparently that is what He is going to do. Now suppose He goes to France. They don’t want Him. Suppose He went down to Rome.

I was there just a few weeks ago. I went over the Tiber and listened to a man speak. Although I could not understand what he was saying, I was told that he was telling the world how they ought to do it. He would like to take over. Suppose our Lord would go and knock on the door of the Vatican. The man with the long garment would come to the door, and the Lord Jesus would say, “I’m here to take over.” What do you think he would say?

I think he would say, “Now look, You’ve come a little too soon. I’m having trouble with some of my priests, but I’m going to work that out. I don’t need You.” I don’t think he would want Him. Suppose He came to this country. Suppose He went to the Democratic headquarters, or the Republican headquarters, and said, “I’m here to take over.” They would say, “We’re getting ready for a presidential campaign, we’ve already got our candidates; we don’t need You.” Now maybe you think their reaction would be different. Maybe you are saying, “Oh, they would take Him.” Then why don’t they take Him?

They will not because they won’t have Him! Suppose He went to the World Council of Churches today, and He said to Protestantism, “I’m here.” Would they receive Him? Then why don’t they receive Him today? When He comes the second time He will come exactly as God said: “Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel.” He intends to put down the rebellion when He comes to this earth the next time. Oh, my friend, this namby-pamby way of thinking that our God is not going to judge! You and I are living in a world that is moving to judgment day, and God is going to judge.

Psalms 2:10

CAMERA FOCUS: GOD THE HOLY SPIRITThe camera in heaven goes off. The camera on earth comes on. Now God the Holy Spirit speaks: One of the most startling things I have encountered in studying the Bible the past few years is a little thing like this: God, in the history of this world, has always gotten a message to the rulers of this world. Always. No exception. Down yonder in the land of ancient Egypt, there was a Pharaoh on the throne, and there was boy Joseph in prison. God kept him in prison so that at the right moment He could bring him out to make him the prime minister of Pharaoh at one of the most crucial periods in the history of the world. That is the way God does it.

Down yonder when the first great world power, Babylon, came into existence, God put the man Daniel at the side of Nebuchadnezzar. He not only became his prime minister, but also he brought him to a saving knowledge of the living God. And God kept him there until Cyrus, the Persian, came to the throne. And Cyrus even made his decree in the name of the living God. Napoleon said that he was a man of destiny, that he was told God had raised him up. It is interesting how God has gotten His Word to the rulers of this earth and to those who are in high places.

God the Holy Spirit says to the rulers: “Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling.” Also He says:

Psalms 2:12

The late Dr. George Gill used to tell us in class, " ‘Kiss the Son’ is the Old Testament way of saying, ‘…Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved …’ (Act_16:31).” “Kiss the Son.” Do you remember who kissed Him? Have you ever noted what our Lord said to Judas after he kissed Him? The theologians today argue about predestination and election and predetermination and foreknowledge, and that this man Judas could not help what he did since it had been prophesied he would do it. Now I’m going to let the theologians handle that. I’m just a poor preacher who doesn’t know very much; so I stay away from those problems and let the theologians solve them. However, after I listen to them awhile I have a sneaking feeling they haven’t solved them.

Notice what the Bible says, and it is well to listen to the Bible rather than to the theologians. Remember at Jesus’ betrayal when Judas led the mob out to apprehend Jesus in the garden, he said, “I’ll identify him for you by kissing Him.” So he came to Jesus and kissed Him. Have you noted what Jesus said to him? “And Jesus said unto him, Friend, wherefore art thou come? …” (Mat_26:50). Why did He say that? Didn’t He know why Judas had kissed Him? Of course He did.

Then why did He call him friend? What did He mean? Let me suggest this. “Judas, you have just kissed Me, which has fulfilled prophecy, and has satisfied all the theologians who are going to come along. Now you are free to turn and accept Me, free to turn that kiss of betrayal into a kiss of acceptance. You can do that, Judas. You are a free moral agent.” And the Spirit of God says, “Kiss the Son.

Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved.” My friend, the Spirit of God today is in the world saying to mankind, “Kiss the Son before it is too late. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ before it is too late.” He is coming some day, and He is going to establish His kingdom here upon this earth. He is going to rule, and He is going to put down all rebellion. He will bring peace and harmony to this little earth. When I first went to Nashville, Tennessee, as a pastor, some friends, thinking they were doing me a favor, called me and said, “We have tickets for the symphony orchestra that’s coming to town and we want to take you as our guest.” Well, I love music, but I know nothing about it; and I can’t sing itI always help congregational singing by keeping quiet. Frankly, I can’t think of anything more boring than a whole evening of symphony! But I had to go because they were polite and I wanted to be polite, so I accepted graciously and went along. I had never been to a thing like that before, and I was impressed by what I saw. We went in, took our seats, and in a few moments the musicians began to drift out from the stage sides. They were in shirt sleeves for the most part, and each man went up to his instrument and started tuning it.

The fellows with the fiddles too big to put under their chins sawed back and forthoh, it sounded terrible. The fellows with the little ones they put under their chins squeaked up and down with those. The ones with the hornsoh my, nothing was in harmony. It was a medley of discordant, confused noise. Then after they got through with that kind of disturbance, they all disappeared againwent out through the wings. Another five minutes went by, when all of a sudden the lights in the auditorium went off, the lights on the platform came on, and the musicians walked out.

This time they had on their coats. My, they looked so nice. Each one came out and stood or sat at his instrument. Then there was a hush in the auditorium, a spotlight was focused on the wings, and the conductor stepped out. When he did, there was thunderous applause for him. He bowed.

Then he came up to the podium and picked up a thin little stick. He turned around again to the audience and bowed, then turned his back to the audience, lifted that little sticktotal silence came over that auditorium, you could have heard a pin dropthen he brought that little stick down. And, my friend, there were goose pimples all over me. I never heard such music in all my life. Oh, what harmony, what wonderful harmony there was! Today I live in a world where every man is tooting his own little horn. Every little group wants to be heard. Everybody wants to tell you what he thinks. Everybody is playing his own little fiddle, and I want to tell you, it’s a medley of discord. Everything is out of tune. But one of these days the spotlight is going on, and the Lord Jesus Christ will come.

When He comes to this universe, He is going to lift His scepter, and everything that is out of tune with Him is going to be removed. Then when He comes down with that scepteroh, the harmony that will be in this universe! I’m thankful today that I do live in a universe where I can bow to Him, and I can bring this little instrument of my body, my life, into tune with Him. I can bow to Him, and I can acknowledge Him, I can make Him my Savior and Lord.