Tyndale Open Study NotesPsalms 2

The first two psalms serve as an introduction to the whole book of Psalms (called the Psalter). Psalm 1 presents the Lord's guidance in wisdom, while Psalm 2 shows God's rule over a rebellious and sinful world. Together, these psalms invite people to abandon foolishness, which leads to destruction. These psalms invite people to follow God's path instead, which leads to wisdom and salvation. The New Testament confirms that God will govern the nations through Jesus Christ, his chosen representative (Hebrews 1:5; Revelation 12:5; 19:15).

This royal psalm describes the Lord choosing a king descended from David. It celebrates the mission of all the kings in David's family line. It also introduces the hope of an ideal ruler. This ruler will accomplish the Lord's goal of bringing all nations into submission (Psalm 2:11) or to destruction (2:9). The New Testament identifies Jesus as this descendant (see Acts 13:33; 1 Corinthians 15:25–27; Hebrews 1:5; 5:5; Revelation 19:15).

Their useless paths lead to death (Psalm 1:4, 6), but sinful human beings join together to oppose the true God and his Messiah.

plot: The Hebrew verb translated as "meditates" in Psalm 1:2 suggests opposing the Lord through speech (Isaiah 59:13) or thought (Psalm 38:12; Proverbs 24:2).

The kings hate the Lord's established order in the world, so they want to be independent of him (see Psalm 36:4). They plan to dominate the Lord's people (Psalm 31:13; see 83:1–4). Their goal is to undermine the Lord's rule by overthrowing his Anointed One (or his Messiah).

The Lord chose the kings of David's family line to establish his kingdom on earth. The New Testament confirms that Jesus, the appointed and anointed Son of God (Acts 4:26; 13:33; Hebrews 1:5; 5:5), fulfills the role in which these earlier kings failed.

break Their chains: These kings think that recognizing the true God and his chosen ruler will lead to their enslavement (Isaiah 28:22; 52:2; compare Lamentations 3:7; Romans 1:1; 1 Corinthians 7:22; Titus 1:1).

The Lord sees the human threat as unimportant. He offered a solution long before they rebelled. He will stop their unrest by appointing a human leader, a descendant of David, to rule the nations.

enthroned in heaven: The Lord's position in the universe is so secure that he laughs at humans who claim they can oppose his power and authority (see Psalms 3 7:13; 59:8).

My King: The Lord himself appoints and establishes his anointed ruler. The word anointed means chosen and set apart by God for a special purpose.

The Lord adopted the king from David's family to conquer rebellious nations by force (see Psalm 89:26–27).

today I have become Your Father: In the ancient Near East, people often believed in a father-son relationship between gods and kings.

In Israel, the Lord adopted kings as his sons. God set David apart as his most excellent and exalted son (Psalm 89:27). All descendants of David were the Lord’s representatives or agents.

Jesus is an eternal member of the Godhead (the one God who exists as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; John 1:1). He is also a descendant of David (Acts 13:33; Hebrews 1:5; 5:5). Because he is both eternal and from David's family, Jesus uniquely fulfills God’s plan. He is fully divine and truly human. For this reason, he is rightly called the Son of God.

• In the Old Testament, the relationship between the Lord and Israel’s king can be compared to a suzerain-vassal relationship. A suzerain was a great king. A vassal was a smaller king who served him.

  In this picture, the Lord is the great King. Israel’s king rules under his authority (see Deuteronomy Book Introduction, “Literary Form”). The Lord invites his anointed king to ask for what he needs (see Psalm 21:2, 4).

• All nations will be subject to David's descendant, the Messiah.

The Lord grants his chosen ruler the power to conquer nations as his inheritance (Isaiah 11:4; Revelation 2:27; 12:5; 19:15), ending their rebellion, resistance, and independence.

The Lord is pleased when people submit to him and seek his protection. Wise people accept the Lord's correction and want to change.

• rejoice: Leaders should accept the Son as their true and only King.

• Kiss the Son: Kissing was an expression of submission (Hosea 13:2).

• The Lord gives joy to those who fear him. To fear the Lord means to honor him, respect him, and obey him (Psalm 1:1–2). The Psalms also say that the Lord protects those who trust him (18:30; 34:22; 119:1–3).