Tuesday 23 September 2014

Comments on Psalm 2

Let's look at what Psalm 2 is speaking about:
"Psalm 2
1 Why do the nations conspire[a]
    and the peoples plot in vain?
2 The kings of the earth rise up
    and the rulers band together
    against the Lord and against his anointed, saying,
3 “Let us break their chains
    and throw off their shackles.”
4 The One enthroned in heaven laughs;
    the Lord scoffs at them.
5 He rebukes them in his anger
    and terrifies them in his wrath, saying,
6 “I have installed my king
    on Zion, my holy mountain.”
7 I will proclaim the Lord’s decree:

He said to me, “You are my son;
    today I have become your father.
8 Ask me,
    and I will make the nations your inheritance,
    the ends of the earth your possession.
9 You will break them with a rod of iron[b];
    you will dash them to pieces like pottery.”
10 Therefore, you kings, be wise;
    be warned, you rulers of the earth.
11 Serve the Lord with fear
    and celebrate his rule with trembling.
12 Kiss his son, or he will be angry
    and your way will lead to your destruction,
for his wrath can flare up in a moment.
    Blessed are all who take refuge in him."

The context refers to King David historically and refers to Jesus messianicly and our putting out trust in him. If Jesus is the truth and the NT itself is correct that Jesus is in the Psalms, then we can safely put our trust in him.

To start with, David's enemies are plotting and conspiring against him in order to try and destroy him and has a future application with the world at large coming against Jesus and even in his day he certainly had the Pharisaical leaders to contend with.

God is laughing against David's enemies and the enemies of the Messianic king for their destruction is coming and the New Zion is established in Jerusalem in Israel. David in Psalm 2 is given power to rule against the nations and will not be overcome by his enemies for God is with him and Jesus is given power to do the same by The Father in heaven. Both will be powerful rulers backed to the helm by the Father who will not be opposed.

Submission to the King of Israel and the Messianic King is called for in the context of the chapter and those who don't will be destroyed. Those however who allow the King of Israel and the Messianic king to rule over them shall indeed dwell securely for as long as they live.

One point to make about sonship here is this: Jesus has two sonships in the New Testament, a divine sonship and a royal sonship as I have mentioned before in the past. Solomon is adopted as God's son and also has a royal sonship. David also is like Solomon in this regard.

The only difference is that David and Solomon a sons by adoption and only Jesus is the divine son from eternity. All do have in common that they have a royal sonship. Within these texts, they refer to the coronation of the Kings Solomon and David. This is royal sonship. Although Jesus was the Son from eternity, the sonship that is spoken of in Hebrews 1:5-8 is sonship in terms of his coronation, which occurred after his resurrection and sat at the Father's righthand. All three events that I have mentioned are to do with the coronation of the Messianic King. David,  Solomon, then the Messiah himself.

"Hebrew 1:For to which of the angels did God ever say,
“You are my Son;
    today I have become your Father”[a]?
Or again,
“I will be his Father,
    and he will be my Son”[b]?
And again, when God brings his firstborn into the world, he says,
“Let all God’s angels worship him.”[c]
In speaking of the angels he says,
“He makes his angels spirits,
    and his servants flames of fire.”[d]
But about the Son he says,
“Your throne, O God, will last for ever and ever;
    a scepter of justice will be the scepter of your kingdom.
"

These are my thoughts on Psalm 2.

Answering Judaism.

1 comment:

  1. Two brief points. 1. No one could argue that this psalm concerns David. On the other hand the Chrisitian use of types and shadows to write Jesus into this psalm is highly problematic and pure speculation. 2. The Hebrew in v 12 is erroneously translated in various Christian bibles as "Kiss the (his) son (Son)". The proper translation should be "worship (do homage) in purity".

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