In these psalms we have varied glories of the Lord Jesus brought before us. In Psa. 2 He is presented as God's King yet to be established on His holy hill of Zion, and as the Son of God owned as such on earth; in Psa. 8 it is the Son of Man, for Whom God intends universal dominion, and Who will make His name excellent in all the earth. God's thoughts and plans find no response in the heart of man. Christ is the center of God's thoughts, He seeks the glory of Christ in all that He does, whether in creation, redemption or government; but to all this the natural man is utterly a stranger. He cannot get beyond himself and the earth he moves in, which he would fain hold in his own possession for the gratification of his own desires, ignoring altogether the divine glory and the rights of Christ.
Hence we find the opposition of men when God's intentions are made known. The Spirit asks, “Why do the heathen rage and the peoples imagine a vain thing? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together against Jehovah and against His anointed, saying: Let us break their bands asunder and cast away their cords from us” (Psa. 2:1-31Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing? 2The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord, and against his anointed, saying, 3Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us. (Psalm 2:1‑3)). This confederacy in opposition was seen when the Son of God came into the world the first time. He was born King and was entitled to dominion over the house of Jacob and to the ends of the earth; but Jew and Gentile were of one mind to cast Him out. “We have no king but Caesar,” said the Jews. “We will not have this man to reign over us” was the subsequent message. The distressed assembly reminded God of this psalm in their remarkable outpouring of heart in Acts 4:23-3123And being let go, they went to their own company, and reported all that the chief priests and elders had said unto them. 24And when they heard that, they lifted up their voice to God with one accord, and said, Lord, thou art God, which hast made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all that in them is: 25Who by the mouth of thy servant David hast said, Why did the heathen rage, and the people imagine vain things? 26The kings of the earth stood up, and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord, and against his Christ. 27For of a truth against thy holy child Jesus, whom thou hast anointed, both Herod, and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles, and the people of Israel, were gathered together, 28For to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined before to be done. 29And now, Lord, behold their threatenings: and grant unto thy servants, that with all boldness they may speak thy word, 30By stretching forth thine hand to heal; and that signs and wonders may be done by the name of thy holy child Jesus. 31And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with boldness. (Acts 4:23‑31). “For of a truth against Thy holy Servant Jesus, whom thou hast anointed, both Tiered and Pontius Pilate with the Gentiles and the people of Israel were gathered together.” How solemn! Pilate and Herod, who had been at enmity, could bury their hatred, and be at one over the rejection of the Son of God; and the Jews, who ordinarily spoke with contempt of the Gentiles as “the uncircumcised” could unite with them in heaping insult and ignominy on Christ. “For dogs (Gentiles) have compassed me; the assembly of the wicked (Jews) have enclosed me” (Psa. 22:1616For dogs have compassed me: the assembly of the wicked have inclosed me: they pierced my hands and my feet. (Psalm 22:16)). Satan is well able to bring about unity for the accomplishment of his dreadful purposes.
But the second psalm has not yet received its complete fulfillment. God will bring His First-begotten into the world again. The day is approaching when the true Joash will be brought out of the Sanctuary where now He is hidden (2 Kings 11) He will assert His kingly rights, for He is the “Prince of the kings of the earth” (Rev. 1:55And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, (Revelation 1:5)). But what is the answer on man's part? When the seventh trumpet is blown, which brings Him in, while there is worship and the acknowledgment of His title in heaven, there is fury on earth. “Now is come the world-kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ; and He shall reign forever and ever. And the nations were angry” (Rev. 11:15-1815And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever. 16And the four and twenty elders, which sat before God on their seats, fell upon their faces, and worshipped God, 17Saying, We give thee thanks, O Lord God Almighty, which art, and wast, and art to come; because thou hast taken to thee thy great power, and hast reigned. 18And the nations were angry, and thy wrath is come, and the time of the dead, that they should be judged, and that thou shouldest give reward unto thy servants the prophets, and to the saints, and them that fear thy name, small and great; and shouldest destroy them which destroy the earth. (Revelation 11:15‑18)). Look also at Rev. 19, when heaven is opened and the King of kings comes forth, the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies are shown gathered together to make war against Him. What a daring creature is man! So impotent, yet so bold!
Things are rapidly working up to this. Never were men more avowed in their hostility to God and His Christ, never more determined to throw off all divine restraint. Light has been given, favors have been conferred, but all are despised and forgotten (I speak now of the world at large, not of the saints), and man would eject God from His own universe. Confederacy is the order of the day, and when the suited moment arrives, Satan will be prepared with a man to head it, and the height of iniquity will be reached.
But vain man opposes to his own ruin. God notes his puny efforts and smiles at them all. “He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh the Lord shall have them in derision” (ver. 4). This is man's day, and too often he does not scruple to laugh and deride, but soon the tables will be reversed.
Righteousness suffers and iniquity is exalted; but the day is not far distant when the reverse will be the case. “Then will he speak unto them in his wrath, and vex them in his sore displeasure” (ver. 5). Now He speaks to men in His grace and sends them the gospel of His Son, then His attitude will be entirely changed.
Man effects nothing by his foolish opposition, but his own ruin. Jehovah proclaims, “Yet have I set my king on my holy hill of Zion” (ver. 6). Who can keep Him from His rights when the moment comes for Him to take them? Of all this however we see nothing yet. But faith sees the once humbled One at the right hand of God crowned with glory and honor and is assured that all will be done in its time (Heb. 2). Jehovah loves to say “My King.” He is the antitype of David, the man after God's own heart, whom He selected to feed His people, in contrast with Saul, who was the choice of the people when they had rejected Jehovah as their king. God has a king in store and will show Him in His time and take everything out of the hand of the usurper and give it to Him Whose right it is.
Next, Messiah speaks, and here we learn more concerning Him. He is not only King but Son. “I will declare the decree: Jehovah hath said unto me, Thou art my son; this day have I begotten thee” (ver. 7). This is one of the scriptures quoted by the Spirit in Heb. 1 to establish the deity of Christ. As born in time He is proclaimed Son (compare Luke 1:3535And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God. (Luke 1:35)). Some have thought this to refer to resurrection because of the way in which the passage is used in Acts 13:33, but this is a mistake. If Acts 13 be examined carefully, it will be seen that resurrection is dealt with in ver. 34 not 33. The word “again” should be omitted. “Raised up” in this place has the same significance as in Acts 3:22-2622For Moses truly said unto the fathers, A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; him shall ye hear in all things whatsoever he shall say unto you. 23And it shall come to pass, that every soul, which will not hear that prophet, shall be destroyed from among the people. 24Yea, and all the prophets from Samuel and those that follow after, as many as have spoken, have likewise foretold of these days. 25Ye are the children of the prophets, and of the covenant which God made with our fathers, saying unto Abraham, And in thy seed shall all the kindreds of the earth be blessed. 26Unto you first God, having raised up his Son Jesus, sent him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from his iniquities. (Acts 3:22‑26); Rom. 9:1717For the scripture saith unto Pharaoh, Even for this same purpose have I raised thee up, that I might show my power in thee, and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth. (Romans 9:17). Indeed we use the term in this way frequently in every day conversation.
With what delight does Jehovah own the One Whom men despised and rejected, as His Son. Heaven and earth are at variance about the Son of God. Solemn thought! What a pathway is ours in view of it! But earth will be made to own His title, for every knee shall yet bow and every tongue confess Him Lord (Phil. 2). The day is not far distant, though not yet, when Jehovah will say, “Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession. Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel” (vers. 8, 9). At present, He does not ask for the world, but for those whom the Father has given Him out of it (John 17:99I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me; for they are thine. (John 17:9)). When He does thus ask, He will take forcible possession in judgment. Strange that the idea should ever have been entertained of all the world being blessed by gospel means. All scripture is consistent. Old Testament and New unite to show that enemies will be put down by power, not attracted and won by love, in order that He may inherit all that is His by right.
Resistance is useless. The Spirit therefore comes forward with gracious counsel. Kings and judges are exhorted to bow before Him, ere the evil day comes. “Be wise therefore, O ye kings: be instructed, ye judges of the earth. Serve Jehovah with fear, and rejoice with trembling. 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” (vers. 10-12). How is the exhortation heeded? Rev. 19 will show. When the King of kings and Lord of lords comes out of heaven with armies, all the power of the world is gathered together against Him. Judgment follows. The leaders, the beast and the false prophet, are cast alive into the lake of fire, and their hosts are destroyed, by the sword of His mouth. Blessing might have been theirs, had they put their trust in the Son, but having given themselves up to Satan and listened to his lie in preference to God's truth, they are led on thus to their destruction.
Psa. 8 presents a different picture. It is not God's King, God's Son, established in Zion; but the Son of man in possession of universal dominion, causing the name of Jehovah to be excellent in all the earth. This is a wider thing than that which we have been considering. We find these glories connected in the New Testament. Look at John 1. Nathanael confessed the Lord according to His twofold glory in Psa. 2 “Rabbi, thou art the Son of God; thou art the King of Israel.” He was convinced and therefore he owned the Lord's title. Thereupon the Lord promised him something yet fuller, “Verily, verily I say unto you, Henceforth ye shall see the heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man.” This in its fullness looks onward to the millennial day. Nathanael, having learned and owned the Lord's Messianic glory, should be led on further and be shown greater things still.
Look also at John 11:1212Then said his disciples, Lord, if he sleep, he shall do well. (John 11:12). We first see Him as the life-giving Son of God raising Lazarus from the dead; next, we find Him riding into Jerusalem and the multitude crying, “Blessed is the King of Israel that cometh in the name of the Lord.” This again is Psa. 2. But almost immediately we hear Him saying when He knew the Greeks were inquiring after Him, “The hour is come that the Son of man should be glorified.” This is Psa. 8. The Gentile inquiry brought it, as it were, before His mind. It was an earnest of what will be in full measure presently. But this caused Him to speak of the cross. Ere this universal glory could be His, He must as the corn of wheat fall into the ground and die. He takes all up as the Risen One and therefore is able to share it all with us, for whom He died and rose again.
Psa. 8 is not accomplished yet. It cannot yet be said, “O Jehovah our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth.” On the contrary, His name is dishonored, and His word called in question and despised. But soon this ancient word of the Spirit will be made good in all places of His dominion.
It is not a mere earthly glory that is before us here, but the glorified Son of man set at the head of all things above and below. Hence we read, “who hast set thy glory above the heavens.” Those who understand are the weak things of the world, which God has ever chosen to set at naught the things that are mighty. “Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings had thou ordained strength, because of thine enemies, that thou mightest still the enemy and the avenger” (ver. 2).
This Psalm is quoted three times in the New Testament; in Heb. 2:66But one in a certain place testified, saying, What is man, that thou art mindful of him? or the son of man, that thou visitest him? (Hebrews 2:6) to show that it is as man He is exalted, in 1 Cor. 15:2727For he hath put all things under his feet. But when he saith all things are put under him, it is manifest that he is excepted, which did put all things under him. (1 Corinthians 15:27) to establish that it is as risen, and in Eph. 1:2222And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, (Ephesians 1:22) where the church is introduced as participating with Him, He the Head over all things, and it the fullness of Him Who filleth all in all.