A Look At Psalm 2: Part 2

“Why do the nations conspire and the peoples plot in vain? The kings of the earth take their stand and the rulers gather together against the Lord and against his Anointed One. “Let us break their chains,” they say, “and throw off their fetters.” (Psalm 2:1-3, NIV)

The NIV footnote says that Psalm 2 is “a royal psalm, originally composed for the coronation of Davidic kings.” “Later, prophetic words of judgment against the house of David and announcements of God’s future redemption of his people through an exalted royal son of David highlighted the Messianic import of this psalm.” “…it proclaims the blessedness of all who acknowledge the lordship of God and his anointed and “take refuge in him.” “This psalm is frequently quoted in the NT, where it is applied to Christ as the great Son of David and God’s Anointed.”

The NIV footnote says, “The nations rebel. In the ancient Near East the coronation of a new king was often the occasion for the revolt of peoples and kings who had been subject to the crown. The newly anointed king is here pictured as ruler over an empire.”

In Acts, we see a New Testament application of this:

"You spoke by the Holy Spirit through the mouth of your servant, our father David:
" 'Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain?
The kings of the earth take their stand and the rulers gather together
against the Lord and against his Anointed One.'
Indeed Herod and Pontius Pilate met together with the Gentiles and the people of Israel in this city to conspire against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed. They did what your power and will had decided beforehand should happen." (Acts 4:25-28)

The NIV footnote says that the question “Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain?” is “a rhetorical question that implies, “How dare they!” It also says “to rebel against the Lord’s Anointed is also to rebel against the One Who anointed Him. The psalm refers to the Davidic king and is ultimately fulfilled in Christ. The English word “Messiah” comes from the Hebrew word for “anointed one,” and the English word “Christ” from the Greek word for “anointed one.”