Psalms 2 Part 1
Why Do the Heathen Rage
1st—is the fact that mankind stands in rebellion against God’s anointed, the Lord Jesus. Notice this rebellion is universal.
- The lost are Speaking 1-3
Let’s look at this Psalm, scene by scene.
1) Human society rebels against God’s anointed Messiah,
2) provoking God’s scorn and sure judgment.
3) God has decreed that His Son will rule the Earth.
4) It is essential that we submit now and by taking refuge in the Son find blessing rather than destruction.
Psalms 2
2:1 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.
The Response Of Man
These verses ask questions that many have asked.
1. Why does God allow man to rebel against Him?
2:1 Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing?
This is the voice of the sinful nature found in each of us
These verses ask questions that many have asked.
1. Why does God allow man to rebel against Him?
2. Why does God allow evil nations and rulers to grow more and more powerful?
Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing?
Verse 1. [Why do the heathen rage] “Why do nations make a noise?” Prof. Alexander. The word “heathen” here – gowyim (OT:1471) – means properly “nations,” without respect, so far as the word is concerned, to the character of the nations. It was applied by the Hebrews to the surrounding nations, or to all other people than their own; and as those nations were in fact pagans or idolators, the word came to have this signification. Neh 5:8; Jer 31:10; Ezek 23:30; 30:11; compare ‘aadaam (OT:120), Jer 32:20. The word Gentile among the Hebrews (Greek, ethnos (NT:1484) expressed the same thing. Matt 4:15; 6:32; 10:5,18; 12:21, et soepe.
The word rendered “rage” – raagash (OT:7283) – means to make a noise or tumult and would be expressive of violent commotion or agitation. It occurs in the Hebrew Scriptures only in this place, though the corresponding Chaldee word – regash (OT:7284) is found in Dan 6:6,11,15 – rendered in Dan 6:6, “assembled together,” in the margin “came tumultuously,” – and in Dan 6:11,15, rendered “assembled.”
The psalmist here sees the nations in violent agitation or commotion as if under high excitement, engaged in accomplishing some purpose-rushing on to secure something, or to prevent something.
The image of a mob, or of a tumultuous unregulated assemblage, would probably convey the idea of the psalmist. The word itself does not enable us to determine how extensive this agitation would be, but it is evidently implied that it would be a somewhat general movement; a movement in which more than one nation or people would participate. The matter in hand was something that affected the nations generally, and which would produce violent agitation among them.
[And the people] uwlª’umiym (OT:3816). A word expressing substantially the same idea, that of people, or nations, and referring here to the same thing as the word rendered “heathen” – according to the laws of Hebrew parallelism in poetry. It is the people here that are seen in violent agitation: the conduct of the rulers, as associated with them, is referred to in the next verse.
Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing?
[Imagine] Our word “imagine” does not precisely express the idea here. We mean by it, “to form a notion or idea in the mind; to fancy.” Webster. The Hebrew word, haagah (OT:1897), is the same which, in Ps 1:2, is rendered “meditate.” See the notes at that verse. It means here that the mind is engaged in deliberating on it; that it plans, devises, or forms a purpose; in other words, the persons referred to are thinking about some purpose which is here called a vain purpose; they are meditating on some project which excites deep thought, but which cannot be effectual.
[A vain thing]
OT:7385 iyq (reek); from OT:7324; emptiness; figuratively, a worthless thing; adverbially, in vain:
KJV – empty, to no purpose, (in) vain (thing), vanity.
(Biblesoft’s New Exhaustive Strong’s Numbers and Concordance with
Expanded Greek-Hebrew Dictionary. Copyright (c) 1994, Biblesoft and International Bible Translators, Inc.)
That is, which will prove to be a vain thing or a thing which they cannot accomplish. It cannot mean that they were engaged in forming plans which they supposed would be vain-for no persons would form such plans; but that they were engaged in designs which the result would show to be unsuccessful. The reference here is to the agitation among the nations in respect to the divine purpose to set up the Messiah as king over the world, and to the opposition which this would create among the nations of the earth. See the notes at Ps 2:2. An ample fulfillment of this occurred in the opposition to him when he came in the flesh, and in the resistance everywhere made since his death to his reign upon the earth. Nothing has produced more agitation in the world (compare Acts 17:6), and nothing still excites more determined resistance.
The truths taught in this verse are:
(1) that sinners are opposed-even so much as to produce violent agitation of mind, and a fixed and determined purpose-to the plans and decrees of God, especially with respect to the reign of the Messiah; and
(2) that their plans to resist this will be vain and ineffectual; wisely as their schemes may seem to be laid, and determined as they themselves are in regard to their execution, yet they must find them vain.
What is implied here of the particular plans against the Messiah, is true of all the purposes of sinners, when they array themselves against the government of God.
- Scene one; Man’s Insurrection. (1-3).
A. Scene One – Rebellious Man.
2:1 Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing?
- There is wild commotion as the nations and people rush madly to one central place.
a) The purpose of this meeting is to set in motion a well planned revolt against their ruler.
b) They are rebelling against the Lord and His Anointed (Jesus). - The Psalmist can’t understand and asked the question:
a) Why would men do this?
(1) How can they be so silly to even think that they CAN do this?
(2) Every day men are doing it
2 The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD, and against his anointed, saying,
- Men think they can get along without God.
1. Every day man is living lives that are in rebellion against God.
a) Every day people are living in rebellion against those things that are holy. - How pathetic is it for us to think we can do it all on our own.
a) We don’t need God in our homes.
b) We don’t need God in our schools.
c) We don’t need God in our Nation.
d) And we have even gotten to the point where we think we don’t need God in our churches. - What is the most heartbreaking thing I ever see as a Christian?
a) To see young people leave home and go to school, get a job, and/or get married.
b) They then start a new home with a new family.
c) All the while throwing off all those bands that tied them to the spiritual things of God.
(1) It is as if they are saying that I am going to be Captain of my fate.
(2) I am the master of my own soul.
These verses ask questions that many have asked.
1. Why does God allow man to rebel against Him?
2. Why does God allow evil nations and rulers to grow more and more powerful?
3. Does God care?
3 Let us break their bands *[restraint:] asunder, and cast away their cords* [what is restraining] from us.
- Our world and our nation are just like the people and nations mentioned here in the first three verses; now look at God’s response.
The passage (Ps 2:1-3) proves:
(1) that the government of Yahweh, the true God, and the Messiah or Christ, is the same;
(2) that opposition to the Messiah, or to Christ, is in fact opposition to the purposes of the true God;
(3) that it may be expected that men will oppose that government, and there will be agitation and commotion in endeavoring to throw it off.
The passage, considered as referring to the Messiah, had an ample fulfillment
(a) in the purposes of the high priests, of Herod, and of Pilate, to put him to death, and in the general rejection of him by his own countrymen;
(b) in the general conduct of mankind-in their impatience of the restraints of the law of God, and especially of that law as official by the Saviour, demanding submission and obedience to him; and
(c) in the conduct of individual sinners-in the opposition of the human heart to the authority of the Lord Jesus.
The passage before us is just as applicable to the world now as it was to the time when the Saviour personally appeared on the earth.
Amplified Bible (AMP)
1 Why are the [a]nations (Or Gentiles.) in an [b]uproar (I.e. a confusion of voices.) [in turmoil against God], And why do the people devise a vain and hopeless plot?
2 The kings of the earth take their stand;
And the rulers take counsel together
Against the Lord and His Anointed (the Davidic King, the Messiah, the Christ), saying,
3 “Let us break apart their [divine] bands [of restraint]
And cast away their cords [of control] from us.”
