Slices
Prepare
Read Hebrews 1:1–9 and worship King Jesus.
Bible passage
1 Why do the nations conspire
and the peoples plot in vain?
2 The kings of the earth rise up
and the rulers band together
against the Lord and against his anointed, saying,
3 ‘Let us break their chains
and throw off their shackles.’
4 The One enthroned in heaven laughs;
the Lord scoffs at them.
5 He rebukes them in his anger
and terrifies them in his wrath, saying,
6 ‘I have installed my king
on Zion, my holy mountain.’
7 I will proclaim the Lord’s decree:
He said to me, ‘You are my son;
today I have become your father.
8 Ask me,
and I will make the nations your inheritance,
the ends of the earth your possession.
9 You will break them with a rod of iron;
you will dash them to pieces like pottery.’
10 Therefore, you kings, be wise;
be warned, you rulers of the earth.
11 Serve the Lord with fear
and celebrate his rule with trembling.
12 Kiss his son, or he will be angry
and your way will lead to your destruction,
for his wrath can flare up in a moment.
Blessed are all who take refuge in him.
Explore
At the most sacred point in a British coronation the Archbishop of Canterbury anoints the monarch with oil as the choir sings ‘Zadok the Priest and Nathan the Prophet anointed Solomon King’,* reminding us that the Old Testament kings of Israel were marked out by anointing (eg 1 Samuel 16:1,13; 1 Kings 1:38–40).
This psalm may have been used in Israelite coronation ceremonies. It speaks of times when Gentile kings tried to rebel against the authority of the Israelite king. Their rebellion though was against God himself who reigns from heaven, and who had installed his anointed king in Jerusalem (vs 2,3).
The words ‘Messiah’ (Hebrew) and ‘Christ’ (Greek) both mean ‘anointed one’, and this psalm is quoted by Paul in Antioch (Acts 13:33) and in the letter to the Hebrews (1:5) when talking about Jesus, identifying him as the longed-for successor to David. Although many do not recognise the authority of the King, one day all the nations will be his (v 8). How can we encourage all nations (Gentiles) to recognise the authority of King Jesus (Romans 1:5,6)?
The first Christians in Jerusalem saw the opposition that they faced as an attack not on themselves but as rebellion against God, and quoted this psalm as they prayed for boldness (Acts 4:25–26).
*George Frideric Handel, coronation anthem for
Respond
There are many places in the world where Christians face persecution for their faith. Pray for those who need boldness to be faithful to King Jesus.
Deeper Bible study
‘Authority is not given to you to deny the return of the king, steward.’1
Psalms 1 and 2 are intended to be read together. Psalm 1 begins with the theme of blessing, which is how Psalm 2 concludes. The two psalms are naturally read one after another. However, whereas the subject of Psalm 1 is personal, exhorting the reader not to walk, stand or sit with the wicked, Psalm 2 is intended for royalty. The anointed son, who is the main character in the psalm, was probably one of the Judean kings ascending to the throne. For Christians, Psalm 2 takes on a christological meaning. The language of the psalm is picked up in the New Testament in Acts and Hebrews.2 There Jesus is identified as the Anointed One (the literal meaning of Messiah/Christ) as well as the true Son of God.
Yesterday, we looked at how the person of Jesus reflected the sorrow of the world. He was the Suffering Servant, taking the darkness of the world upon himself on the cross. In Psalm 2, we see a radically different facet of Jesus’ identity: the King, crowned with authority. The psalm contains a warning to those who want to conspire against the power of the King – the earthly rulers and kingdoms. Their power and authority pale in comparison to Christ’s rightful throne.
The authority of Psalm 2 balances the personal nature of Psalm 1. So also, it balances our view of Jesus as the Suffering Servant with his status as the rightful King. When we reflect on Jesus’ wonderful personal sacrifice on the cross, we must be careful not to diminish our view of our Saviour. Christ is the rightful Ruler of the world and the cosmos. One day, the King will return.
Spend some time reflecting on Jesus’ identity as our true King. Pray for his authority to rule over your life in everything you do.
1 Gandalf, in Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (film), 2003 2 Acts 4:25,26; 13:33; Heb 1:5; 5:5
Bible in a year
Read the Bible in a year: Ezra 3,4; Luke 3
Pray for Scripture Union
Please pray for SU Sri Lanka who has 17 programmes planned for 2021. They ask that they may know God’s help to continue their mission in the midst of challenges and achieve their aim of reaching non-Christian children in new regions.
