Psalm 2:1-6 - The Most Quoted Psalm in the NT

Psalm 2:1-6 “Why do the nations rage, And the people plot a vain thing? The kings of the earth set themselves, And the rulers take counsel together, Against the LORD and against His Anointed, saying, "Let us break Their bonds in pieces And cast away Their cords from us." He who sits in the heavens shall laugh; The LORD shall hold them in derision. Then He shall speak to them in His wrath, And distress them in His deep displeasure: "Yet I have set My King On My holy hill of Zion." It appears that Psalms 1 and 2 go together in a special way as the introduction to the book of Psalms. We believe that either David or Ezra wrote Psalm 1. We are pretty sure that David wrote the second Psalm because Peter quoted from it in his message in Acts 4:25-26 and said that David was the one who spoke these words by the Holy Spirit. Some believe that this Psalm was written on the occasion of Nathan the Prophet giving David the Promise of the Messianic Kingdom in 1 Chronicles 17:1-27. Also this Psalm may have grown out of the events described in 2 Samuel 5:17-25; 8:1-14; and 10:1-19. Yesterday we began looking at the contrast between Psalms 1 and 2. Psalm 1 begins with a beatitude and Psalm 2 ends with a beatitude. Psalm 1 is never quoted in the New Testament, while Psalm 2 is quoted or alluded to at least eighteen times, more than any single psalm. (See Matt. 3:17; 7:23; 17:5; Mark 1:11; 9:7; Luke 3:22; 9:35; John 1:49; Acts 4:25-26; 13:33; Phil. 2:12; Heb. 1:2, 5; 5:5; Rev. 2:26-27; 11:18; 12:5; 19:15). Psalm 1 deals with the blessing of the Jew (although it certainly applies to the Christian today), while Ps. 2 presents the judgment of the Gentile nations. It is a Messianic psalm, along with Pss. 8, 16, 22, 23, 40, 41, 45, 68, 69, 102, 110, and 118. The test of a Messianic psalm is that it is quoted in the New Testament as referring to Jesus (Luke 24:27, 44). In Ps. 1, we see Christ the Perfect Man; in Ps. 2, He is the King of kings. But this is also a royal psalm, referring to the coronation of a Jewish king and the rebellion of some vassal nations that hoped to gain their freedom. They do not want to be under the authority of the Righteous King but want to be free to do their abominations of wickedness. Other royal psalms are 18, 20, 21, 45 (a royal wedding), 72, 89, 101, 110 and 144. According to Acts 4:25, David wrote this psalm, so it may have grown out of the events described in 2 Samuel 5:17-25, 8:1-14, and 10:1-19. The twelve verses of Psalm 2 may be divided into four sections of three verses each, and in each section we can hear a different voice. Some Psalms you see (Pss. 114, 130, 133), some Psalms you feel (Pss. 22, 129, 137, 142), but here in Psalm 2 you hear, because it is a record of four voices. In Psalm 2:1-3, we hear the voice of the nations. In Psalm 2:4-6, we hear the voice of the Father. In Psalm 2:7-9, we hear the voice of the Son. And in Psalm 2:10-12, we hear the voice of the Spirit. Remember in Revelation 2-3, how each of the letters to the seven churches ended with, “He who has an ear let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches”. It is my prayer that we will hear what the Holy Spirit is saying to us, even today as we read and study these Psalms. God bless!