The second Psalm brings us at once to the time of the end of man's role when Jehovah has risen up to take vengeance upon the despisers and slayers of His Anointed. The King—God's King—is come to sit upon His own throne, and He finds the whole world in arms against Him. “The heathen rage and the people imagine a vain thing; the kings of the earth set themselves and the rulers take counsel together against Jehovah and against His Anointed.” The Gentile and the Jew unite and say, “Let us break their bands (the bands of Jehovah and His Anointed) asunder, and cast away their cords from us.”
There was a little picture of this confederacy when the priests and Pilate and Herod were united against Christ. For then the kings of the earth had their representative in Pilate, and the rulers of the people both ecclesiastical and secular in the priests and Herod. They then imagined a vain thing against Him, though in crucifying Him they seemed to succeed.
But the fall expression of the hatred and confederacy is yet to come. The intermediate time between the presence of the blessed man here below as in the first Psalm and His advent to take vengeance is passed over. Christ is now hidden from the world and seated on His Father's throne. The second Psalm opens with the aspect of the world when this present exceptional period of grace is closed. But the chief point is the condition of the Jew; the heathen and the kings of the earth fall under a heavier judgment inasmuch as they are the aiders and abettors, yea the rulers of the Jews in their last and greatest rebellion against Jehovah and His Anointed. For both these names have special reference to Israel. If Jehovah were the only name of God, if Anointed and Son of David were the only names of Jesus, there would be no salvation for Gentiles. The Syro-Phoenician woman had no blessing while calling upon Him as Son of David. When she said Lord, there was a leading word; when she took the place of a dog, she had the blessing she sought. Here in this Psalm truly, is the Anointed King Whose authority and power extend over all the kings of the earth, but He is established in Zion. Zion is the central point, the place of His throne (see Psa. 48).
All take counsel together. How vain! Not less vain when He came to save, not to judge; though only believers can see how necessary is His death to victory and salvation. But when He comes to judge, the enemies will see how vain their thought to set at naught His authority and power. “He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh, Jehovah shall have them in derision. Then shall He speak unto them in His wrath, and vex them in His sore displeasure.” Rage as may the kings in their impotency, the rulers are but grasshoppers before Him, and Jehovah says “Yet have I set My King upon My holy hill of Zion.” The speakers change, and Messiah Himself takes up the word. “I will declare the decree, Jehovah hath said unto Me, Thou art My Son: this day have I begotten Thee. 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.”
The Lord Jesus when down here had this relationship of “Son,” and spoke from it. No word more frequent in His mouth than “My Father.” And this not only referring to His Eternal Sonship—the Son co-equal with the Father—but to His humanity. He was as Man the Son of God, “That holy thing.” Jehovah, long before Messiah's birth, declared Him to be the Son of God; and when He came, He lived and spoke in this conscious relationship. The decree is His universal supremacy. “Ask of Me, and I shall give Thee the heathen for Thine inheritance and the uttermost parts of the earth for Thy possession.” The Lord Jesus takes this place of universal authority and of possession, as Son saying, “All things are delivered unto Me of My Father.” And when about to leave this world for a season He said to His Father—a greater work than taking the kingdom of this world and sitting on the throne of David being then in view, the formation of a heavenly people— “I pray not (I ask not now) for the world” (John 17), in evident allusion to the promise of Jehovah in this Psalm. Not then, nor yet has He asked. The hour approaches when He will ask; for there is a term to His long-suffering and patience, and then comes the judgment. “Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron, Thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel.” This power is His now, though not yet put forth in judgment. “All power is given unto Me in heaven and on earth” (Matt. 28:1818And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. (Matthew 28:18)). The judgment of the world is committed to Him (Acts 17:3131Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead. (Acts 17:31)). And when He comes to put forth that power, even the saints—the overcomers—shall under Him shepherd the nations with a rod of iron (Rev. 2:26, 2726And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations: 27And he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers: even as I received of my Father. (Revelation 2:26‑27)). For the present this power is manifested for the purposes of grace and salvation; and this present period (though iniquity was never so rampant, and rebel man never so defiant of God)—yet this present is the time of God's greatest joy. For of all the ages of the world never was such grace seen, never were such blessings conferred as God is now showing; and this is His joy. He gave the Lord Jesus power and authority for this end, viz. His joy. “As Thou hast given Him power over all flesh, that He should give eternal life to as many as Thou hast given Him.” When all the “given” ones are with the Lord, then will come the judgment of the enemies. The Psalm looks onward to this judgment of the quick when the heirs are taken out of the scene.
What a gracious time is the present! For the decree of judgment is enrolled among the immutable counsels of God, and not less sure than the exaltation of the Son as King in Zion. But His exaltation to the throne of universal dominion is delayed, and the judgment of the ungodly is held in check that the authority which the Lord Jesus has may be used in giving eternal life to those whom the Father brings to Him. Is not this patient waiting? The long-suffering of the Lord is salvation. And “salvation” is the word which gives the character of this present day, as judgment will of the coming day. For then there will be unsparing retribution upon those who have taken counsel against Him and who will be taken, as it were, red-handed in their guilt. None escape; Israel and the Gentile, the people and the heathen, all who are confederated in rebellion will feel the power of God's King when He sits on His throne in Zion. It is grace while He is on the Father's throne.
The same scene and the same parties, contemplated in the Psalm, appeared to the Seer, who foretells the same judgment. “Associate yourselves, O ye peoples, and ye shall be broken in pieces: and give ear, all ye of far countries; gird yourselves and ye shall be broken in pieces; gird yourselves and ye shall be broken in pieces. Take counsel together and it shall come to naught; speak the word and it shall not stand; for God is with us.” The people—the bulk of the nation are in league with the heathen, but He is with the little remnant; and because they can say “God is with us” the prophet challenges the confederacy of the wicked with scorn. “Associate yourselves,” let Israel and the Gentile join hand in hand, nevertheless “ye shall be broken.” At the same time there is a warning word to the godly, “Say ye not, A confederacy, to all them to whom this people shall say, A confederacy: neither fear ye their fear nor be afraid” (Isa. 8). The nation is to be in league with the Beast of the West, whose protection they seek against the King of Assyria—the overflowing scourge. But though the Assyrian is to oppose Israel and their allies, all are as one in opposition to God's King. And at His hand they all are to meet their doom.
Awful is the character of this confederacy as given by the same prophet. It is an alliance with a power which is of Satan; its diabolical source unsuspected, hidden from their eyes. “Wherefore hear the word of the Lord, ye scornful men that rule this people which is in Jerusalem. Because ye have said, We have made a covenant with death and with hell are we at agreement, when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, it shall not come unto us; for we have made lies our refuge, and under falsehood have we hid ourselves” (Isa. 28:1414Wherefore hear the word of the Lord, ye scornful men, that rule this people which is in Jerusalem. (Isaiah 28:14) &c., &c). They knew not that the Dragon had given his power to the Beast; but such is the fact, and God by the prophet declares the people to be associated with death and hell—reveals it to those among them who have ears to hear. It is a warning that all the scorners and the heathen shall be overthrown with an irretrievable destruction. “The hail shall sweep away the refuge of lies, and the waters shall overflow the hiding place.”
The Holy Spirit—the Spirit of Christ in the Psalmist—again takes up the word, “Be wise now 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.”
Alas vain is the call to wisdom. The coming day will find Israel and the nations, as the prophet predicts. It will be hell and earth in league against the King appointed by God. The North, the South, the Beast and Israel apostate may be all embroiled; but each is opposed to Christ. It is according to God's ways to give warning. Not one lost soul (at least within the limits of Christendom) but has heard at one time or another the warning voice of Him who must punish the wicked, so that all are without excuse. Even Judas the traitor was warned, but had no ear for it, no heart to feel the Master's sorrow. “Jesus was troubled in spirit and testified and said, Verily, verily, I say unto you, that one of you shall deliver Me up.” Captive of his own covetousness and baseness, Judas heeds not the word, his hard heart is untouched. The sop is given and reveals him to the other disciples, and Satan enters into him. Too late, forever too late to retrace his fatal path, Satan possesses him. Then, not before, the Lord dismisses him, and bids him do his evil work quickly. And immediately he went out—went out into the “night,” but carrying a night of far blacker darkness in his own soul. Even he was warned. The warning and then announcement of sure judgment is even now already gone forth to the actors in the last days. “Be wise now therefore, O ye kings.” They are counseled to serve Jehovah with fear, yea to kiss—pay homage to—the Son. The nations that share in millennial blessedness are not to be brought through Christ to the knowledge of the Father as He is revealed to us now. To Christ, the exalted Man, they must bow, Who in His own Person is the revelation of the majesty and power and rule of God, until He delivers up the kingdom to God even the Father (1 Cor. 10 v. 24).
There was a glimpse of this glory of the kingdom on the mount of transfiguration. It was too much for the three disciples, who were overpowered and became heavy with sleep. The Lord prayed that we might behold even higher glory. He will soon be revealed; we shall not sleep then but be fitted to gaze upon Him in all His glory and brightness.
It is not yet the day of His magnificent glory; He is still waiting on the Father's throne, and while there, we honor Him even as we honor the Father, but the world disbelieves and dishonors Him. In the day of His revelation, all flesh, kings and slaves, princes, judges, and common people, all together must pay homage to Him. For every knee shall bow, and every tongue shall confess Him; every creature in heaven, on the earth, and under the earth, all shall confess Jesus Christ to be Lord. And His Lordship, His universal rule as the exalted Man, is to the glory of God the Father.
Grace bows our hearts now, and with joy we confess His name! Judgment will in that day break the proud spirit of the enemy. When His wrath is kindled but a little—the beginning of His judgment, they perish from the way. “And the loftiness of man shall be bowed down, and the haughtiness of men shall be made low: and Jehovah alone shall be exalted in that day” (Isa. 2:1717And the loftiness of man shall be bowed down, and the haughtiness of men shall be made low: and the Lord alone shall be exalted in that day. (Isaiah 2:17)).
(Continued from page 53.)