Psalm 2:1-3 – And God Laughed – Bible study

Psalm 2:1-3 And God Laughed Today, our church is recognizing the 243rd celebration of our nations independence. We have been blessed to be born in the greatest nation of this planets history at what has been the most comfortable and luxurious time in this nations history. If God never gave you and me another blessing of any kind, to be privileged to live in this country is a greater blessing than most of the human race will ever know. However, this nation, like all other nations, is following a pre-described path. It is a path that was prophesied in the Psalm 2. I. \#Psalm 2:1-3\ The Path A. A Confederacy Is Formed. Notice the four groups who are joining together. Psalm 2:1 Why do the HEATHEN rage, and the PEOPLE imagine a vain thing? 2 The KINGS of the earth set themselves, and the RULERS take counsel together, against the LORD, and against his anointed, saying, 1. \#Psalm 2:1\ The HEATHEN – The heathen are those who, for whatever their reason, dont worship God. a. Let me be quick to point out that not all people deny God because they chose to do so. (1) Some deny God because they do not know any better. (2) Some have never been told that God exists or who the real God is. (3) That is why our church supports missions. (4) Missions is not about constraining someone to trust Jesus Christ as their Savior. (5) Missions is about giving every human being the knowledge so that they can make an intelligent choice about Jesus. Romans 10:14 How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? b. But also included in the group of God-deniers would be those who have heard and belligerently refused God. (1) There are more of that kind running around in America today than ever before. (2) These are those who deny Gods existence, the authenticity of Gods Word, and Gods place as Master of their life. (3) Some not only dont believe but can be quite contentious about it. 2. \#Psalm 2:1\ The PEOPLE a. Since they are mentioned as a different group than the heathen, I am supposing the PEOPLE are not specifically a part of the heathen group. a. From what I am seeing today as this passage is being fulfilled, I would say the PEOPLE refers to the religious people of our world. b. It is an amazing thing that religious people are as bad or worse at tearing down the things of God than heathen people are! c. A Pew Research Center Poll released in May, 2019, showed the following: Among people who are religiously unaffiliated, a solid majority have supported same-sex marriage since 2004. Today, 79% of religious nones say same-sex couples should be allowed to marry. BUT about two-thirds of white mainline Protestants (66%) now support same-sex marriage, as do a similar share of Catholics (61%). Support for same-sex marriage among white evangelical Protestants remains lower than it is among other religious groups. However, the share of white evangelical Protestants who support same-sex marriage has grown from 11% in 2004 to 29% today. About four-in-ten of those who attend religious services at least once a week (39%) favor same-sex marriage, compared with 66% who attend once or twice a month or a few times a year, and three-quarters who say they seldom or never attend. https://www.pewforum.org/fact-sheet/changing-attitudes-on-gay- marriage/ d. So, in league with the God-deniers are the religious people. (1) I suppose some of the "religious people" are genuinely saved who were just never taught to believe the Bible. (2) However by far the majority of them would be the worshippers who bow down before ANYTHING and EVERYTHING in an attempt to satisfy the misguided but God-given desire to find God. 3. \#2\ The KINGS OF THIS EARTH a. The third faction in this confederacy are the world rulers. b. Before World War I, there were very few rulers that played on the global field. Men like Caesar, Alexander the Great, and Genghis Khan would fall into that group. c. But since World War I, many have risen to be important global players: Adolph Hitler, Winston Churchill, Joseph Stalin, most every US President since that time, and many others. d. These have been a sort of "king of the earth." e. I think this phrase is a reference to these kinds of men (and so, no doubt, women). 4. The RULERS a. Like the word PEOPLE comprise those not covered by the HEATHEN, so the world RULERS comprise those not covered by the phrase, KINGS OF THE EARTH. b. These would be all of the other lesser leaders from every country and in all different branches of government. c. In America is would be Congress members, our governors, our mayors, our council members. People whose name you might recognize if you lived in their locality but then again, maybe not. 5. Notice that ALL of these people have come together, all of them. a. Since all of these have come together, we might want to look at who is left out. b. Those left out are infinitely smaller in number than those who gathered together. c. Again note: a. The heathen and the religious came together. b. The important world leaders and the not-so-well- known common leaders are come together. d. Who is left? a. Just the truly saved and Biblically knowledgeable. b. Those who really know the Savior and have really read and believed their Bibles. c. I believe I am one of those not in that large group. d. I hope you are one not in that large group. e. Get what Psalm 2 has prophesied. a. It has prophesied today. b. A time when the whole world, from the international leaders to the local leaders, from those who are against God to those who claim to know God, would join together for a common purpose. f. What has brought this group together? B. \#1-2\ Actions Have Begun 1. This notion has not only united their group, but it stirred emotions within them. a. \#1\ The HEATHEN have been ENRAGED. (1) That means they are violently angry. (2) They are so angry that in \#2\ they PLOT or CONSPIRE together. b. The PEOPLE have IMAGINED A VAIN THING. (1) A vain thing is an UNTRUE or FALSE thing. (2) Isnt it sad when religious people think they know better than the Bible? c. The KINGS OF THE EARTH have SET THEMSELVES. (1) To set oneself means to position oneself. (2) The idea here is that they have deceived themselves into thinking they are more powerful than they really are. d. The RULERS have even TAKEN COUNSEL TOGETHER. (1) To "take counsel together" means they are joining forces to accomplish a goal. (2) While typically every local municipality only wants to promote itself, this verse is prophesying a time when they will all work together for some common goal. (3) That actually sounds pretty good until we see what they are working together to accomplish. 2. What is this group wanting to do? C. \#2-3\ A Decision Has Been Made Psalm 2:2 (They) take counsel together, against the LORD, and against his anointed, saying, 3 Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us. 1. They are moving against the Lord and against His anointed. 2. The anointed One is Jesus. 3. This groupthe heathen and the religious, the world players and the local leadersto attempt to overthrow God and Gods Christ! 4. You and I are living to see this prophecy literally fulfilled. a. I know that every generation has thought they were seeing the fulfillment of these kinds of prophecies. b. All I can say it that you and I really are. c. One of the things that I believe assure us that we are living in the last times is the fact that the evils which among us are not just localized. (1) We no longer have just one community or city or even one nation or cluster of nations who are banding together under the flag of evil and wickedness. (2) Literally, it is the whole world banding togetherjust like Psalm 2 prophesied. (3) This has never happened before. (4) Even in world wars, the alignments of nations were mostly evenly split, but today, the whole world including Americais unified in its desire to overthrow God. 5. The Psalmist puts it, they want to "break Gods bands" and to "cast away Gods cords." a. The bands and cords are a reference to Gods laws and commandments. b. Some see Gods laws as bands and cords to bind and restrict them. c. In truth, Gods commands are not denials of mankinds fun but protection against mankinds demise. d. Regardless, mankind is throwing them off. II. \#Psalm 2:4-9\ Gods Reaction A. \#4\ God will laugh at them. Psalm 2:4 He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the Lord shall have them in derision. 1. What is God doing in heaven right now? He is laughing. 2. God is laughing at the puny, peep-squeaks of the combined human race who think they are bigger and know more than Him. a. God is not worried. God is not frightened. God is not surprised. b. God never set boundaries for mankind because He needed protection from us. God set the boundaries because we needed protection from sin and from Him. B. \#5\ God will speak wrath to them. Psalm 2:5 Then shall he speak unto them in his wrath, and vex them in his sore displeasure. 1. When God speaks, the world moves. 2. If God is speaking wrath, destruction is following. 3. Maybe not today. Maybe not tomorrow, but God will. C. \#6\ God will set His King upon the holy hill of Zion. 1. The King of the world will be His Son. Psalm 2:7 I will declare the decree: the LORD hath said unto me, Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee. 2. What God just said is when you see this prophecy come to pass, God will shortly be setting His Son upon the throne to rule! a. The King of the whole world is not a man but Gods Son. b. He is well prophesied: (1) Jesus will return to this earth in power! (See the end of Revelation 19 and the beginning of Revelation 20. (2) \#Psalm 2:6\ He will set His throne in Zion, Jerusalem. Psalm 2:6 Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion. (3) \#8-9\ When that happens, God will give to His Son absolute power, and He will deal with the world. Psalm 2:8 Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession. 9 Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potters vessel. (a) Both the heathen and the earth are His to do with as He pleases. (b) That would be fearful if this King were a man with carnal ambitions but since this is Jesus, and I have no fear. II. \#Psalm 2:10-12\ Gods Counsel Psalm 2:10 Be wise now therefore, O ye kings: be instructed, ye judges of the earth. A. \#10\ Be wise – Start seeing things as God sees them because what man sees is just a temporary illusion. B. Be instructed. 1. Listen and learn 2. Being a know-it-all is not just a youthful affliction. Psalm 2:11 Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling. C. \#11\ Serve the Lord 1. The words FEAR and TREMBLING are also used. 2. Be afraid of the Lord. 3. The days of the Lamb of God are over. It is the Lion of Israel who will sit upon the throne. D. Rejoice Psalm 2:12 Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and ye perish from the way, when his wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all they that put their trust in him. E. \#12\ Kiss the Son 1. A kiss is a sign of love, of adoration, of respect. 2. Romans 13:7 – Give honour to whom honour is due. a. Jesus Christ is God and the King of the whole world. b. He is not GOING TO BE. HE IS. c. You and I had better be on the winning team. Some very important decisions are and will be made between now and the time Jesus returns to set up His kingdom. Before Revelation 19 comes (Jesus comes to set up His throne); Revelation 4 comes (Jesus comes for His people). I pray we would all make the right decision, no matter what it may cost in this life.er what it may cost in this life.