In The Beginning Was THE WORD!
by Rick Campione
I was reminded of the blessedness of God through reading the scriptures the other day; in particular Psalms 2:7. But as is always my practice when talking about scripture, let's read all of it to give us the proper context. In Psalm 2 we read:
1 Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing? 2 The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD, and against his anointed, saying, 3 Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us. 4 He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the LORD shall have them in derision. 5 Then shall he speak unto them in his wrath, and vex them in his sore displeasure. 6 Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion. 7 I will declare the decree: the LORD hath said unto me, Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee. 8 Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession. 9 Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel. 10 Be wise now therefore, O ye kings: be instructed, ye judges of the earth. 11 Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling. 12 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.
I think that most bible commentaries would rate this particular Psalm "downright scary" if you were on the side of the heathen.. The content of Psalm 2 prescribes bad news for any who oppose God. More specifically, those who rage in opposition of God and imagine and design vain or empty plans to thwart Him will be met with the justice and wrath of The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob! As the kings of the earth set themselves together and the rulers take counsel and establish a foundation against God in time future, they will also take action against His Anointed One or The Messiah as defined in this passage. Note that this planned attack implies an attack on the plurality of God desiring to break the bands and cast away what is thought to be "bondage" by this God.
God's response? He that dwells in the "abode of God" (the Heaven's) shall laugh playfully and mockingly at this threat. In fact, God (The Father) and His Anointed One (Jesus Christ, The Son, The Word) will turn the tables on the kings and the rulers that oppose them by having them in derision! I can visualize nothing but the laugh of God bellowing from the heavens in a fashion that strikes fear of those who know their feeble efforts are worthless against such power. In verse 5, the bible tells us that God will then 'speak unto them in His wrath and vex them in His sore displeasure'! Through the Hebrew words chosen by the writers, you can picture the mounted forces towards God, who then commands through His Word, His fierce anger, causing complete and utter chaos, fear, anxiety and confusion....and in the end He shall break them with a rod of iron by dashing them into pieces, literally scattering them in the process.
Though we read about the account of man's hatred and rebellion against God, there is something more profound, even greater being described here starting in verse 6. God The Father would establish The Son-ship relation with His Anointed One who was known in eternity past as The Word! What is this day you might ask? The day that the Lord Jesus Christ died on the "holy hill" of Zion and would have an eternal inheritance and the uttermost parts of the earth for His possession. Today in this dispensing of God's grace, let us not diminish what God has revealed through the magnificence of what Christ has accomplished through His death, burial and resurrection. Instead let us rejoice as we grow in grace and learn about not only the inheritance of the universe that Christ possesses but what we have as His children (Colossians 1:16-19, Ephesians 1) having trusted in His righteousness to enter into heaven.