The sermon delivered by David Green centers on Psalm 2, focusing on the theme of opposition to Yahweh being unreasonable. It begins by questioning why nations and peoples rebel against God and His anointed, which is seen as irrational and rooted in sin. The sermon emphasizes that this rebellion has persisted through generations, with people resisting divine authority. The divine reaction to this rebellion is described as God laughing and mocking the futile attempts of earthly rulers to defy Him. The speaker highlights the divine decree of God installing His King, Jesus, upon Zion, and discusses the eternal sonship of Christ and His future rule over all nations. The sermon calls for repentance and submission to God, urging leaders and individuals to serve Yahweh with fear and rejoice with trembling. Ultimately, it is stressed that blessedness comes to those who take refuge in God, through the finished work of Jesus Christ.

Okay, so in the book of Psalms, we're going to go to the second Psalm tonight. Psalms, the second Psalm. The second Psalm. In this passage of Scripture, In this passage of scripture, in the second Psalm it says, Why do the nations rage, and the peoples meditate on a vain thing? The kings of the earth take their stand, the rulers take counsel together against Yahweh and against his anointed saying, Let us tear their fetters apart and cast away their cords from us.

He who sits in the heavens laughs. The Lord mocks them. Then he speaks to them in his anger and terrifies them in his fury saying, but as for me I have installed my king upon Zion, my holy mountain. I will surely tell of the decree of Yahweh, he said to me, you are my son. Today I have begotten you.

Ask of me and I will surely give the nations as your inheritance, the ends of the earth as your possession. You shall break them with a rod of iron. You shall shatter them like a potter's vessel. So now, O kings, show insight. Take warning, O judges of the earth.

Serve Yahweh with fear, and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son, lest he become angry, and you perish in the way, for his wrath may soon be kindled. How blessed are all who take refuge in him." This is the infallible, the inerrant, the all-sufficient Word of the living God. And in this psalm, this psalm, although it is not attributed to David in the in the text here, we know from cross studies, from comparing scripture with scripture, we know from Acts chapter four that it is a psalm of David. And so in this psalm, David as he writes, the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, the Word of God here.

He writes in this text the this this passage if I were to give it a title. I would entitle this opposition to Yahweh is unreasonable. Or you might put the title of the reign of Yahweh's anointed. Well whichever title you were to give this, we find there is much application and much to look forward to here as we look at this text, just like there was in Psalms 1, so there is in Psalms 2. God willing, we'll finish this all in one sermon tonight.

Obviously, we won't exhaust the text, but I want us to glean some things from it this evening. So the Psalms are a great blessing to us. He starts out this psalm with, Why do the nations rage? Why do the nations rage? Why do the Gentiles rage?

Is the way some translations put it or other translations have it as why do the heathen rage. Certainly what is recorded here is true. It's common of every generation. Rebellion runs deep within the hearts of men. Opposition to Christ, His Word.

Opposition to the truth of God's Word. The truths contained in the God that we serve, the truths of the faith. Opposition to these things is both old and lasting. Men have raged and men shall meditate." William Plummer put it. He's a, William Plummer, probably say who's that?

William Plummer was an old Puritan writer, an old Puritan preacher. William Plummer said, men have raged and men shall meditate a thing of not as long as wickedness reigns in their hearts. And that's the way it is. That's the way it was in David's day. That's the way it is with people of our day.

Whether the people in power then or the people in power now, we see a war going on, a spiritual battle that's happening, a conflict that's happening. A war against the truth, a war against God himself. And so he writes, why do the nations rage and the peoples meditate on a vain thing? Why do they do these things? Sin makes no sense.

It is irrational. Why do men think that they can do what they do? Whether it's the Epstein files and the things that are in that, which is just terrible, terrible. Crimes against young people and women underage and so on and so forth. And you just, heart goes out about those things.

You think, why would people do that sort of thing? Murders and thefts and slanders and all sorts of things that go on in this world, and you see these things that they happen, you say, how in the world? How in the world? Why in the world? But there's no reasoning about it.

No matter the sin, it's not reasonable. That's why the Bible speaks of sinners as being foolish. So foolish in fact that they think they can do away with the authority of Christ. In fact, what's the text here saying? The kings of the earth take their stand and the rulers take counsel together against Yahweh and against his anointed saying let us tear their fetters apart and cast away their cords from us.

They want nothing to do with the authority of God. We will not have this man to reign over us. So it is, even whether he's king of a country or a president of the United States or a millionaire or some common person on the streets. The thought process is no one can tell me what to do, not even the God of heaven. Plummer again says, doctrines will be readily believed if they involve them in no precepts, and the church may be tolerated by the world if she will only give up her discipline.

And so no authority, no no rule. You can have your church, as long as it's just a Sunday only thing, but don't let it affect your Saturday night kind of idea. Let me live the way I want to. Church discipline, church authority, church anything. No, no, don't let that happen.

And certainly don't preach hell judgment. Because we don't want to hear that. Preach the smooth things from the Word of God. Indeed, many will heap to themselves teachers having itching ears, having no desire to hear the truths of God's Word, but the reality is that the pleasures of sin are only for a season, and the joy of the wicked will not last long. Notice our text once again.

So in the first part of this we see the human rebellion, verses 1 through 3, but then in verses 4 But then in verses 4-6 we get divine reaction. Divine reaction. Because the Bible says here, He who sits in the heavens laughs. The Lord mocks them, then He speaks to them in His anger, and terrifies them in His fury, saying, But as for me, I have installed my King upon Zion, my holy mountain. Men may indeed cause havoc here on earth.

They may indeed cause wars and conflicts. They may indeed cause problems within churches and within nations, within families even. Within families even. There may be some laughing going on now, But God, He who sits in the heavens will laugh. Our maintainer, our head, our King is the omnipotent God, judge over all who sits in heaven and he laughs, he mocks them.

Them. Charles Spurgeon on this on this verse he He has Spurgeon's best work on any book of the Bible. Treasury of David. When he wrote commentary on the Psalms, If you don't have that set of commentaries, you should get it. It's worth every bit of money.

Even if you don't study for sermons, use it as a devotional. But he says, mark the quiet dignity of the omnipotent one and the contempt which he pours upon the princes and their raging people. He has not taken the trouble to rise up and do battle with them. He despises them. He knows how absurd, how irrational, how futile their attempts against Him.

He therefore laughs at them. You see, those who are at war against God, even those who now at this very hour do not take the Word of God seriously, need to understand that these things are Serious. Some wicked men and women take the silence of God here on earth as if this is His approval. And so men and women will go day and night eating, drinking, Being married, given in marriage, going to work, making a career, making millions of dollars, chasing the American dream as it were, but neglecting God and His Word, His Church, and even becoming bold with their slander and their war against God, and their evil deeds. Their war against God, their evil deeds, so much so that pornography and open rebellion against Him, and adultery and fornication and those things which used to be kind of hidden in secret now are openly bragged about.

Be careful. Be careful. He who sits in the heavens laughs. The Lord mocks them, then he speaks to them in his anger, and terrifies them in his fury, saying, but as for me, I have installed my king upon Zion, my home in the mountains. Some may say I can do whatever I please because I am a man.

I'm an adult. Nobody can tell me what to do. But God says, hold on a minute, who do you think you are? One may say, I'm the king, I'm the president, I'm the governor, I'm the whatever, the manager, the pope, the prince. The Pope, the Prince, fill in the blanks, I'm high up important person.

But the Sovereign of the universe has an answer. And he says, but as for me, I have installed my king upon Zion, my holy mountain. Who is he? Who is the king that he's talking about? Well, men may squabble for preeminence on this earth.

And it happens all over the place, doesn't it? Happens in, on the world stage. Right now, we see it being played out. The United Nations and What's the thing that President Trump just came up with? The Peace Corps, NATO, Russia, all of those things that everybody wants to be.

The world powers want, somebody wants to be top of the of the chain. As an American I can tell you that I'm thankful if somebody's got to be, if someone's got to be the top superpower, I'm glad it's the United States. I don't trust our government 100%, but I really don't trust Russia or China or Iran. I trust them a lot less is what I'm trying to say. But ultimately, I understand something that they don't understand or they often forget about, and that is that there's a greater king.

And while they squabble for who's at the top, they forget there's one above them. So we see that going on there, but we also see it happening on smaller stages too. Sometimes even at, in family reunions, sometimes at church conferences, preachers getting into disagreements and arguments trying to have the preeminence, much like what the church at Corinth was arguing over? No sorts of things? Let us remember.

Let us never forget. We all answer to the Lord. And here in this text Yahweh says, but as for me I have installed my king upon Zion my holy mountain. And as he goes on and talks about that divine rule, look at who he's talking about. Verses seven through nine, I will surely tell of the decree of Yahweh.

He said to me, You are my son. Today I have begotten you. Ask of me and I will surely give you the nations as your inheritance, the ends of the earth as your possession. You shall break them with a rod of iron You shall shatter them like a potter's vessel In this section regarding divine rule do you catch it there I Remember I guess it's been about 20 years ago, a little over 20 years ago now, at my ordination, I was asked this question, when was the Son begotten by the Father? It's a deep question, a question that theologians have squabbled over for centuries.

Here in this text is one of those passages. I will surely tell of the decree of Yahweh, He said to me, You are my son today, I have begotten you. I want to quote from John MacArthur here and you know I mentioned Charles Spurgeon in his commentary set on Psalms. If you, I know most of us have the MacArthur study Bible, and if you if you've never used it much, the notes on the Psalms are worth looking into a lot. It's such a blessing, MacArthur's notes on the Psalms.

But anyway, he says here, today I have begotten you. Rather than a reference to origin, there is no procreation within the Trinity. This vividly conveys the essential oneness shared between the Father and Son. This expresses the privileges of relationship with its prophetic application to the Son, the Messiah. This verse is quoted in the New Testament with reference to the birth of Jesus.

Hebrews chapter 1 and verse 5 says, For to which of the angels did he ever say you are my son today I have begotten you and again I will be a father to him and he shall be a son to me." Verse 6, and when he again brings the firstborn into the world he says, and let all the angels of God worship him. And also to his resurrection in Acts 13 verse 33 where it says that God has fulfilled this promise to our children in that he raised up Jesus as is written in the second Psalm, you are my son today I've begotten you. These are earthly, the These are earthly, the earthly affirmations." End quote. Charles Spurgeon, when he put together his commentary, One thing Spurgeon did which was a great value, he took and he brought in quotes from all the commentaries that he had and he brought in the the best quotes from a lot of a lot of older books and writers and so on and so forth. But on this verse he said, The dispute concerning the eternal affiliation of our Lord betrays more of presumptuous curiosity than of reverent faith.

It is an attempt to explain where it is far better to adore. We could give rival exposition of this verse, but we forbear. The controversy is one of the most unprofitable. Whichever engaged depends of theologians." of theologians." End quote. When was the Son begotten of the Father?

He's always been. When we see this terminology used here, letting us know that this King, this King that he's talking about is none other than Jesus. And And right away, when we see this, this written here as it is, Not only do our minds go to the coming kingdom, but also to the kingdom, but also to passages like John chapter 3. John chapter 3 and verse 16, where It's one of the most familiar passages of scripture. It says, for God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.

And so, while there are many sons of God, in fact if you're saved today, you're one of them, there is only one begotten Son, Jesus, who would die on the cross for the sins of his people, be buried, raised again the third day conquering death, hell, and the grave and one day coming back and as a matter of fact not only is he Savior of men but he is the King, the King as prophesied here. This King will rule over all the earth as the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords. No geographical boundaries. There at verse 8 of our text, ask of me and I will surely give the nations as your inheritance and the ends of the earth as your possession. You shall break them with a rod of iron.

You shall shatter them like a potter's vessel. You know, the nations they rage now. They rage terribly now. Those in rebellion, Now, those in rebellion, they rage something fierce. But look there at verse 9, He says, You'll break them with a rod of iron, and you'll shatter them like a potter's vessel.

They won't always be raging. They won't always be rebelling. And in fact, Yahweh God isn't always going to be in heaven laughing. There's not always going to be this mockery, this spirit of silence. Eventually, they're not going to get away with their wickedness.

In fact, all of this is going to be done away with, and there's going to be this King. There is this King. There is this King named Jesus and one day he's going to set up rule on the earth with a heavy hand, a rod of iron. Isn't it curious that the Bible speaks of this in such a way and in fact all the way through the scriptures and going all the way over into Revelation chapter 19. Revelation chapter 19.

In verse 11, Then I saw heaven opened. This is John writing here. Then I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse. He who sits on it is called faithful and true, and in righteousness he judges and wages war. His eyes are a flame of fire, and on his head are many diadems, having a name written on him which no one else knows except himself and being clothed with the garment dipped in blood his name is also called the Word of God.

The armies which are in heaven clothed in fine linen white and clean were following him on white horses and from his mouth comes a sharp sword so that with it he may strike down the nations and here's the quote he will rule them with a rod of iron and treads the winepress of the wrath of the rage of God the Almighty. And He has on His garment, from His thigh a name written, King of kings, Lord of lords." And so throughout the scriptures we find that there is a coming, a day coming in which He will set up a kingdom here in the earth. And perhaps, maybe, some of the squabbling that goes on over a little patch of land. You ever look at how small it really is, the nation of Israel, about the size of New Jersey. Small comparatively speaking, but that's where This son, this king will sit up in Zion, his holy mountain, and he'll reign from there.

And he'll reign from there. Well, and he'll rule with a rod of iron. The hatred of the people who are there in that place is not so much because they are Jewish, but it's because of God and His Word and the realities of word in the realities of what's coming. Well, in Psalms 2 Verses 10 through 12 we find that there is responsibility. What does he say here?

He says, So now, O kings, show insight. Take warning, O judges of the earth, serve Yahweh with fear and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son, lest he become angry and you perish in the way, for his wrath may soon be kindled. How blessed are all who take refuge in him." And so the leaders of rebellion against Yahweh, the leaders of rebellion against God, the leaders of rebellion against God's Word, in this case the kings of the earth, the judges of the earth, those who are in some place who are in some place of authority among men. They should be examples of repentance, And they should submit to Almighty God.

Now, rather than later. They should demonstrate true fear of God among the peoples. And so the call goes out. Not somewhere in the future, but now. Submit to the King.

Submit to Jesus. Believe in Him who is the Savior of men. Repent of your sins. Turn from your rebellion. Kiss the Son lest he become angry and you perish in the way.

There is hope to be found in Jesus. Yes, there is a day coming when He will reign with a rod of iron on this earth in a way that's never been seen. But all hope is not lost. There is a way of escape, and that way of escape is through him, you see. And that's what the psalmist is writing about here.

Now, notice how the wording changes. He says, You shall break them with a rod of iron. That's future. You shall shatter them like a potter's vessel. That sounds terrible.

But now, oh kings, show insight. Take warning, oh judges of the earth. Flee, in other words, from the wrath to come. Serve Yahweh with fear. Rejoice with trembling.

How blessed are all who take refuge in Him. There's so many ways to think of blessings. People sometimes think of just material blessings, but you know blessings is just when, are blessed is just when God, Yahweh, Jesus Christ, looks upon us and smiles. And how does that happen? Not through anything that we've done, we can't do enough to make God smile upon us through the finished work of Jesus Christ.

Flee to Him as your only hope and be blessed. May God add the blessings to the preaching of his world.