This psalm starts off with a rhetorical question. Resisting God's authority is a futile effort, so why do nations seek to be independent of God, or enemies of Him and His children? The word "anointed" in the text is the Hebrew word that translates in English to Messiah. The New Testament makes it clear that this psalm was written in application to the coming Christ (Acts 13:32-33), as all the psalms are about Christ (Luke 24:44). So, the nations set themselves against God and the Anointed One, Jesus Christ the Messiah, desiring to "burst their bonds apart and cast away their cords" from them — that is, to be independent of them and not bound by God's authority. Indeed, this pattern continues today across many nations, and increasingly so in America.
Of course, God laughs at such futility. You may deny God's authority, but denying His authority does not unbind you from it, and neither does it make Him any less real. You are bound by His authority whether you like it or not. So believing one can be released from His authority truly is hysterical. When such futile denial occurs, God ridicules them. In His ridicule, He passes judgement upon them, be it by oppression, famine, pestilence, war, whatever He finds suitable. In America, it seems that this nation is perhaps being punished by a near economic crisis as it continues to condone and even encourage sins such as homosexuality. In Scripture, Zion is often used to signify the city of Jerusalem. Zion was a southern hill upon which a Jebusite stronghold was fortified until David conquered it (2 Samuel 5:6-7). After some time, it became synonymous with Jerusalem. In verse 6, God declares King David (and therefore the royal line of David and therefore Jesus Christ) as the only king with the representation and authority of His authority. Going back to God laughing in verse 4, Luther comments:
Let us laugh at raging Satan and the world (yes, even at sin and our conscience in us). Truly, because the punishment of the godless is delayed up to now, it is certain that God is also laughing, God, who is in heaven and cannot be driven from there by impious men. Therefore He rightly laughs at their vain attempts (Luther's Works American Edition, 12:25).The sudden change to the first person in verse 7 is an affirmation of the one being anointed — Jesus Christ. Indeed, God the Father gives His only begotten Son the heritage of the nations through the line of David, giving Him also the earth as His precious possession, and therefore ruling over all those who inhabit it. In Mesopotamian texts, a king's reign was likened to smashing pottery. So "break" here means "reign" or "rule," and "iron" as "strength," and "potter's vessel" as "weakness." So the Anointed One — Jesus Christ — would reign over the nations with strength and the power to shatter their weaknesses.
Verses 10-12 turn back to the kings of the earth, serving as a warning with a therefore. These are the kings who are set against the Anointed One — the one who has power over the earth with the ability to destroy. If they are wise, they will acknowledge God in reverence and piety and honour Him lest His wrath be incurred, for His wrath occurs quickly — no warning is given except the words provided here. The psalm ends with a concise gospel message — that God's allies have His protection and will be blessed. Blessed how? Refer back to Psalm 1:3, "He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers."
This second psalm can be applied to our nations today. Nation after nation is setting itself into a contemptuous disposition against God and His Anointed One, Jesus Christ, to whom dominion over the entire earth (and Heaven) was given. If the rulers of today's nations continue in their disposition against the King of the earth, the wrath of the Almighty will come down upon them without warning. Those nations who are God's allies, however, will remain protected.
Psalm 2 Prayer
Father, I pray for my nation. Every day that passes, she becomes more godless. You know that the governmental actions of my nation do not reflect the true actions and desires of Your children. I ask that You not forget Your people who live in godless nations, those who have not forgotten You. We seek to serve and honour You with our whole heart, in spite of our government's godless actions. But if it be Your will, I pray for our government. Give them wisdom in their governance, and please help to turn them from their godless ways — to refocus on You and Your Word rather than the words of men, for they fear men more than they fear You, O God. If it be Your will that our government should perish in due time, save Your people who take refuge in You. In the name of Jesus I pray, amen.
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