LEARNING DAILY

 

Psalm 2:1-6, Why do the nations rage? Why do my people waste their time with futile plans? The kings of the earth prepare for battle; the rulers plot against the Lord and against His anointed one. “Let us break their chains,” they cry, “and free ourselves from this slavery. But the One who rules in heaven laughs. The Lord scoffs at them. Then in anger He rebukes them, terrifying them with His fierce fury. For the Lord declares, “I have placed my chosen king on the throne in Jerusalem, My holy city.” (New living Translation)

 

I would ask you to read all of Psalm 2 in order to understand what is exactly being said to people today. Go ahead and take the time to read it! Not much has changed since this Psalm was written. What do you think?

 

The Psalmist begins with a rhetorical question. He seems amazed that people and the kings of nations of the world would take a stand against God’s Anointed by thinking they could overpower and escape God’s will. He sees so many different people, cultures, and nations united to do evil, to rebel against God. Notice the temperament of these people; rage and anger are often the response of people who have turned against God. That rage and anger is often used against those who have chosen to be obedient and walk on the narrow way (remember what Jesus said about it). Christians have always been persecuted for choosing God’s way instead of the way of the world – too often with violent persecution. This is a “sad picture of the arrogant rebellion of humankind against God, His Word, His redemption, His Messiah and the moral teaching and standard of His Word” (Life in the Spirit Study Bible).

 

This turning away from God and His Word is not a spur of the moment idea. Notice that the “kings of the earth prepare and plot against the Lord and His anointed One”. They deliberately prepare and take an aggressive stand with evil intent. The attempt to get rid of the Christian movement has been present since Christianity began. The Jewish leaders had Jesus crucified. The Romans made Christians the focus of barbaric entertainment in their coliseums. Throughout history the Christian beliefs and faith have been mocked; today we have seen persecution of Christians around the world and the rights of Christians taken away. The purpose for this rage against Christianity is to destroy the authority of God and His Messiah. The devil and His followers hate God, His Word, His followers, and everything associated with His authority. The desire of the devil to take the place of God is not new. He was removed from heaven, got Adam and Eve removed from the Garden of Eden, got the Israelites to desire to rule themselves by doing what was right in their own eyes, and we see unbelievers in the world choosing to pursue a self-centered lifestyle instead of walking the narrow way of obedience that God demands.

 

Those who resist God’s rule over their lives and His truth do so with rage, plotting and planning to do away with all things related to Him. But God’s response as He sits on His throne in heaven seeing all the plans of man to overthrow Him and believing they have the ultimate authority over their lives is to laugh. The plotting and schemes of men do not intimidate Him. United together, the kings of the earth are no match for he who sits on the throne of heaven in complete control over all the events happening on earth. Read two verses from the prophet Isaiah. “Behold, the nations are like a drop from a bucket, and are counted the dust on the scales, behold, He takes up the coastline like fine dust” (Is. 40:15). “All the nations are as nothing before Him, they are counted by Him as less than nothing and emptiness” (Is. 40:17).

 

God will speak to them, and his wrath will terrify those who plot to overthrow God and establish themselves as the rulers of this world. Read The Revelation, chapter 20 where the devil gathers the nations of the world in the battle of Armageddon. Verse 8 states their number will be as “the sand of the sea”. It is at that time that the fury, the wrath of God will rain down fire from heaven and destroy all those who thought they could bring down the Creator of all things.

 

 The day when Jesus Christ will set up His kingdom on earth is coming. On any given day we are only seven years away from that day. He could take His faithful followers out of this evil world at any time with seven years of tribulation to follow. With the battle of Armageddon, tribulation comes to an end and King Jesus begins His earthly reign from God’s holy city, Jerusalem. Choose wisely who you serve and which way you walk on into eternal life.