Psalm 2 is one of five specific Messianic Psalms (22, 45, 72, 110) This Messianic Psalm reads like a modern day newspaper—rebellion against God. The issues that David addresses are always contemporary. David speaks of a world that is out of control. He lived in a world in which it did not appear that God was in power. Does this Psalm upset you? Do you find this Psalm about God’s sovereignty rather strange? This Psalm reveals the weird and wonderful way in which God exercises control. One quickly observes that God does not rule in the same way dictators govern. His reign is a government of love. God wants all men to serve Him because they love Him. When individuals fail to respond, God is still longsuffering.
Psalm 2 speaks of those who refuse self-abandonment. As a result of autonomous behavior, the ungodly often pursue the righteous with a vengeance that often creates doubt in the faithful as to the powers of God. The righteous—those who live under the sovereignty of God—will be vulnerable to the powers of the world. In fact, the very next Psalm (Psalm 3) reveals the heartaches that David endured at the hands of his enemies, especially his son Absalom. But in spite of tragedy, God still delivers. David goes right to the heart of God’s involvement: “From the LORD comes deliverance” (Psalm 3:8). What can believers do in the face of circumstances that are beyond their control? How do you relate to personal problems in your own life? How should individuals respond to things that they do not understand? Listen to the Psalmist as he strips away all vestiges of self-reliance: “Blessed are all who take refuge in him” (Psalm 2:12d). Those who put their trust in Him find true happiness.
This Psalm had an original setting concerning David being established on his throne, in spite of opposition. Scholars, as a whole, have not been able to identify the events described in this Psalm to David or Solomon his son. The language, at times, appears to have an uncommon glow and to participate in bold exaggeration for the sake of emphasis in order to lead one to contemplate something much higher than David himself. A casual glance at this royal Psalm leads one from things below to things above, from things human to things Divine. David transcends his earthly reign to the reign of the Messiah. This revelatory Psalm depicts the ultimate rejection of God’s Son. This classic Psalm of a world out of control is an example of the mutiny of the human heart against God.