REBELS OF THE WORLD, UNITE!

INTRO

1. The key to understanding this psalm is to note that there are four speakers:

            1st:     David, The Psalmist (v.1-3)

                                    David is the one whom God promised that one day his son and Lord

                                    would sit upon his throne ruling the tribes of Israel and all the nations

                                    of mankind. Yet, looking down the corridor of time he sees the opposite.

                                    he sees the nations massing in rebellion against the Lord's anointed.

                                    Like many other saints, puzzled over this seeming inconsistency, he asks                           the age-old question, Why?

            2nd:    God, The Father (v.4-6)

                                    God answers David's question with a peal of laughter. The rebellion of

                                    the nations is ludicrous from the standpoint of Heaven. When men united

                                    against God's Son at His first coming all Heaven wept; when they unite

                                    against Him at His second coming all Heaven laughs.

            3rd:    God, The Son (v.7-9)

                                    Jesus assures David that He will indeed reign. He is already acclaimed on

                                    high as God's beloved Son so David need have no doubts about the ultimate

                                    outcome.

            4th:     God, The Holy Spirit (v.10-12)

                                    The Spirit upholds the sovereign claims of Christ and has a warning for

                                    the nations. It is not too late to lay down the arms of rebellion, but they

                                    had better submit---or else.

2. Remember, Psalm 1 underlines the law; Psalm 2 underlines prophecy.

            a) And what prophecy this is!

            b) It carries us on to the end times and brings into focus the ultimate triumph of

                        Heaven over earth.

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I. GOD'S GUILTY SUBJECTS  (v.1-3)

                        Note:

                                                •David sees the world in a state of outright rebellion.

                                                •There has always been rebellion against God on earth..since the Garden.

                                                •But here we have united and universal rebellion against God.

                                                •This is a federation of nations drawn together in a common hatred of God.

                                                •Notice three things about this coming rebellion:

            A. The  Formality of Their Rebellion  (v.1)

"Why do the heathen rage,

and the people imagine a vain thing?

The kings of the earth set themselves,

and the rulers take counsel together..."

                        Three words are especially worth noting here:

                        #1. Imagine

                                    1. We have already seen this word used in Psalm 1:

                                                a) The godly man meditates in the law day and night.

                                                b) The word meditates is the same word as imagine.

                                    2. The godly man uses his imagination to meditate upon the things of God.

                                    3. The godless nations use their imagination to find ways to rid mankind

                                                of God.

                                    4. This is what the courts call PREMEDITATED crime.

                                                a) This is not a crime of passion.

                                                b) This is a crime of purpose...one planned and carried out by

                                                            deliberate design.

                        #2. Set

                                    1. The kings of the earth set themselves.

                                    2. Literally, it means to take one's stand.

                                    3. In other words, the nations take up position.

                                                a) They have had enough of the Judeo-Christian religion.

                                                b) They will take their stand against it.

                                    4. Satan steps forward to take a stand against God, and he has the backing

                                                of the world.

                                    5. Satan is telling God to get out of mankind's affairs and stay out forever.

                        #3. The rulers take counsel together.

                                    1. It can be rendered: "The rulers have gathered by appointment."

                                    2. The decision to do away with God is a United Nations resolution, put to                                               the vote and passed unanimously without abstentions and without                                                 vetoes.

                                    3. The world is formally and firmly united in its desire to get rid of God.

            B. The Force of Their Rebellion  (v.2)

                        1. Notice the various conspirators he mentions:

            (v.1)                  a) Nations (heathen)

            (v.1)                  b) People

            (v.2)                  c) Kings

            (v.2)                    d) Rulers

                        2. This rebellion is not something imposed on the masses of the world by the

                                    masters of the world.

                        3. It is a popular, grass-roots movement which embraces both princes and people.

                        4. The world is of one mind.

                        5. There may be diversity in political systems, economics, social structures,

                                    law, and cultures, but there is one thing they are united in:

GET RID OF GOD!

            C. The Focus of Their Rebellion  (v.3)

The focus is twofold:

                        #1. It is against the Person of God.

                                    1. It is against Jehovah:           God as He is known to Jews.

                                    2. It is against Christ:              God as He is known to Christians.

                                    3. The rebellion is against the God of the Bible as revealed in the

                                                Judeo-Christian world.

                                    4. Satan hates both Judaism and Christianity:

                                                a) The Jewish Old Testament

                                                b) The Christian New Testament

                                    5. This is how God has revealed Himself to men.

                        #2. It is against the precepts of God.

                                    1. What are the "bands" and "cords" mentioned in this verse?

THE RESTRAINTS THAT THE BIBLE

PLACES ON SOCIETY.

                                    2. God's laws aggravate the fallen nature of men.

                                                a) Men want to do whatever they wish without being faced with

                                                            any warnings and wooings of God.

                                                b) The Bible has something to say about marriage, the home,

                                                            sexual purity, respect for parents, respect for authority,

                                                            sin, rebellion, hell, judgment.

                                                c) The law is acting like an irritation in men's hearts...producing

                                                            guilt.

                                                d) Get rid of the law of God and get rid of the guilt of man.

                                    3. Our society is dominated by atheists, humanists, and Marxists. Anything

                                                secular is deemed superior to anything spiritual.

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II. GOD'S GREAT SCORN  (4-6)

            A. He Speaks In Derision (v.4)

                        1. This is a picture of God simply sitting back on His throne and filling the

                                    universe with peal after peal of terrible, spine tingling laughter.

                        2. Illustration:

Modern man is like the French revolutionary who had helped storm the Bastille. He had scaled the Cathedral of Notre Dame, torn the cross from the spire and dashed it into fragments on the pavement of Paris far below. He said to a peasant:

"We are going to pull down all that reminds you of God!"

"Citizen," was the calm reply, "then pull down the stars!"

                        3. Man has put some hardware into space, using materials God supplied, and

                                    has even put a few footprints on the moon...as though man can compete

                                    with God, who has orbited some hundred million galaxies!

                        4. Man has solved some of the subtleties of the atom, and managed to scare himself

                                    half to death in the process. How can he compare himself to the God who

                                    stokes the nuclear fires of a billion stars?!

                        5. No wonder He sits back and laughs...at the foolishness of man.

            B. He Speaks In Displeasure  (v.5)

                        1. When the last peal of chilling laughter dies away, it is replaced by a rising tide

                                    of fearful, holy wrath.

                        2. God is watching the plans of the ungodly and one day He will say, "Here,

                                    Michael---take half a dozen angels and go down and pour out My wrath

                                    on the planet."

            C. He Speaks In Determination  (v.6)

                        1. Zion is a poetical and prophetical name for Jerusalem, which is mentioned

                                    28 times in Psalms.

                        2. One day the Beast will use Jerusalem as a convenient place from which to

                                    revile God. Jerusalem will be "trodden down of the Gentiles until the

                                    times of the Gentiles be fulfilled," Jesus said.

                        3. As we read verse 6 notice that it is in the past tense; it is already done as far

                                    as God is concerned.

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III. GOD'S GLORIOUS SON  (v.7-9)

                                •Jesus, Himself, is doing the talking here.

            A. His Sonship  (v.7)

                        1. Jesus was eternally the Son of God from everlasting to everlasting.

                        2. Jesus was incarnately the Sod of God when He came down to Bethlehem.

                        3. Jesus was manifestly the Son of God when he came back from the dead.

                        4. Jesus will be gloriously the Son of God, as God's chosen King.

            B. His Sovereignty  (v.8)

                        1. Do you recall that Satan said to Jesus, "Ask those kingdoms of me. I will

                                    give them to you---for a price."

                                    a) Jesus adamantly refused.

                                    b) Why?

                        2. Here we see that Jesus does ask them of the Father, and God says that He will

                                    give them to His Son in due time.

            C. His Severity  (v.9)

                        1. One moment the Beast will be strutting across the world and the armies of

                                    mankind will be drawn to Megiddo to oppose Christ's coming again.

                        2. The next moment the Beast and his armies will be gone and Jesus will reign.

                        3. And He will reign with a rod of iron, determined that man's wickedness shall

                                    be properly curbed.

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IV. GOD'S GRACIOUS SPIRIT  (v.10-12)

                        Note:

                        1.  God's Holy Spirit yearns over lost mankind.

                                    a) God takes no pleasure is judging men.

                                    b) God would rather save men than judge men.

                        2. God offers man peace, not war.

                                    a) But He will not force His love and mercy upon those who are determined

                                                to rebel.

                                    b) Peace is available, but only if you come in simple faith and trust in Him,

                                                putting aside your arms of rebellion.

                        3. The world has not seen the last of Jesus.

                                    a) He's coming back again.

                                    b) He's coming back in power, sovereignty, and backed by the armies of

                                                Heaven.

                        4. Today we have the offerings of peace; we can come and embrace Him and

                                    be saved for all eternity.

                        5. The amnesty, however, is not forever and one day it will be withdrawn.

                        6. Then the rebels will face Christ as God's avenging King.