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Psalm 2:3 - Rebellion

Psalm 2:3 - Rebellion
The key idea in these, the first three verses of Psalm 2, is that of rebellion.
Reaching for the trusty dictionary reveals that a rebellion is an organised resistance against an established authority.
In the first Psalm we saw that the delight of the Lord happens as a result of our contemplation of His Word. This deep meditation is satisfying. We are fulfilled by God and His Love for us. His guidance manifests in those laws and statutes He gave to Moses on Mt Sinai. God’s authority is clear. It has been shown to us.
As the second Psalm opens, it becomes plain that not everyone is happy with God’s authority.
The contrast between good and evil, between the blessed man and the wicked that formed the basis of the first Psalm, expands to outright conflict between the good of The Lord and His Anointed and the evil of the Nations, and by inference the leaders of those Nations.
Yet, rather than a direct meditation as we found in Psalm 1, here we have a narrative, an unfolding of events within a framework that starts with a rebellion. In 1 Samuel 15:22 we read that obedience is better than sacrifice, and listening to God is better than “the fat of the rams.” This is said directly against the actions of Saul, who was originally God’s anointed King. But Saul has taken authority on himself, ignoring what he has been told by God to do! How did Saul expect God to react to this? Did he think that God was going to approve of his actions? Or, at worst, give him a little pat on the head and send him off with a “don’t do it again?”
Not so!
How do the nations expect God to react to their insurrection?
Samuel bluntly points out to Saul in this passage that his sacrifices are not acceptable to the Lord because his heart is full of disobedience, full of rebellion. Saul is living in the shadow of purposes that are against the established authority of the Sovereign Lord. The very God who gave him his anointing in the first place.
Returning to Psalm 2, it is easy to miss something vital: If the nations are planning rebellion against God, then they are lost in the depths of Sin, as Saul was, and we should never forget that is was through an act of disobedience that we became sinners in the first place!
If their plan is against God, then God’s plan must be against them. God will achieve His purposes. The overarching theme of the Bible is that God’s movement throughout history is redemptive. It is God’s purpose to redeem His people.
The independence sought by Saul, that is reliance on his own common sense and counsel without the Will of God present in his actions, is the same motivation spurring the Nations in their actions. If there is any difference here it is that clarity of resolve. It is possible to argue that Saul was not fully cognisant of his decision to disobey. The excuse he offers Samuel in 1 Samuel 15:15 appears to suggest he though he was doing the right thing. And the exchange between Samuel and Saul that follows supports this supposition.
But what of the Nations in Ps 2:3?
They know exactly what they are doing. They want to break the chains, tear the fetters, free themselves from the Creator, from what they see as “slavery to God.” (NLT) What is it they are asking? What have they thrown the invitation open to?
Nothing less than the absolute rejection of God. And rejection leads to rejection. Saul was rejected for his sub-conscious disobedience, how much more harshly will The Lord deal with those who deliberately and with full premeditation reject Him?
We should take a moment to remind ourselves exactly who it is that seeks to reject the Lord. Verse 2 spells is out, “The kings of the earth take their stand…” Turn to Ephesians 6:12-13 and the Apostle Paul confirms the participants in the cosmic battle. Consider also Matthew 4:8-9. Satan shows Jesus all the kingdoms of the world, and they are his to offer. And yet Jesus is King over all the earth, and the rage of the nations is futile. The framework is in place for the continuation of the narrative on God’s terms.

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