Bible Commentaries

Of the Eternal Sonship of the Messiah.

The Futile Rage Of The Nations.

That the entire psalm is Messianic is clearly shown by the quotation Act 4:25-26, together with the explanation there added: "For of a truth against Thy holy Child Jesus, whom Thou hast anointed,. . the people. . were gathered together," v. 27. Cf Act 13:33; Heb 1:5.

v. 1. Why do the heathen rage, the nations seething, surging, with resentful murmurings, and the people imagine a vain thing? The inspired poets indignation and contempt is immediately expressed in the rhetorical question: What madness for them to act thus!

v. 2. The kings of the earth set themselves, sitting together in conspiracy, and the rulers take counsel together, all the earths greatest dignitaries consulting with one another in sullen rebellious activity, against the Lord, Jehovah, the great Ruler of the earth, and against His Anointed, the singular High Priest and Prophet of Jehovah, the Messiah, anointed with the Holy Ghost and with power above all His fellows, Psa 45:7; Act 10:38, saying,

v. 3. Let us break their bands asunder and cast away their cords from us. The wicked of all times resent the kingly dignity and power, the government, of Jesus Christ; they consider the bearing of His gentle burden, Mat 11:30, as a tying with bands, as an imprisoning with cords. They want to live in the unbridled licentiousness of their hearts. But how does the, Lord regard this rebellion of the nations and of their rulers?

v. 4. He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh; the Lord shall have them in derision, mocking at them, deriding them, for their futile attempts to put Him from the throne of His majesty in the heavens. His mocking is a sign of the unshakable safety of His dominion and of His contempt for the puny creatures who desire to dethrone Him. At the same time His patience will come to an end at the period determined by Him.

v. 5. Then, on the great day of wrath and Judgment, shall He speak unto them in His wrath, in the white heat of His just anger, and vex them in His sore displeasure, trouble, terrify, and utterly overthrow them in the greatest destruction of all. So much the Lord says for the consolation of His children, who suffer much on account of the enmity of the unbelievers. In addition to this the Lord opposes one word of majesty to the puny endeavors of the enemies.

v. 6. Yet have I set My King, Messiah, Christ, the Anointed of the Lord, the King with everlasting sovereignty and power, upon My holy hill of Zion. Originally denoting the hill where the Temple stood, this word came to signify the place of Gods merciful presence and especially His holy Christian Church, the communion of saints. Christ, firmly established, enthroned in the heavens, of equal power and majesty with the Father from eternity, is at the same time in the midst of His Church, Psa 46:5, which He endows with the blessings of His salvation, which He governs with His Word and Spirit.

The Divine Announcement.

It is the Anointed of Jehovah, Jesus Christ Himself, who now speaks in person.

v. 7. I will declare the decree, make known, express for a statute, publish as a resolution: The Lord, the great Jehovah, the almighty God of the heavens, hath said unto Me, Thou art My Son, standing in the relation of essential Sonship to God; this day, in the great, eternal today, in the timeless period of eternity, have I begotten Thee, Christ being generated out of the essence of God. The Son of God was from eternity brought forth by the eternal Father as His essential image, by the transmission of the divine essence, in an incomprehensible, supernatural manner. Cf Mat 3:17; Mat 17:5. messiah now states what the Father, in His great commission, had spoken to Him.

v. 8. Ask of Me, the Son should freely demand of the Father, for the Fathers love would withhold nothing from the Son of His eternal begetting, and I shall give Thee the heathen for Thine inheritance and the uttermost parts of the earth for Thy possession. Nations, dominions, the very ends of the world are placed in the hands of Messiah; men from all nations, people from the very ends of the inhabited earth, would acknowledge Christ as their gracious Lord, their merciful Sovereign.

v. 9. Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; Thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel. This is the judgment upon the rebels, upon the scoffers, the manifestation of Christ's consuming anger on the great Day of Judgment. The breaking, the dashing to pieces, is a picture of eternal damnation, Rev 2:27; Rev 12:5; Rev 19:15. Since, however, the mercy of God turns to thoughts of peace rather than to anger, His warning, coaxing cry goes forth in the closing words of the psalmist.

v. 10. Be wise now therefore, O ye kings; be instructed, ye judges of the earth! The rulers of the earth should show sense, the men whose business it is to dispense judgment, all those occupying positions of honor and influence, should make use of the proper wisdom, learn the true understanding which leads to eternal peace and happiness.

v. 11. Serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice with trembling; they should place themselves fully and unreservedly in His service, although this joyful service would be attended with sacred awe, fear, and trembling, Php 2:12, lest His mercy be abused and His love forgotten.

v. 12. Kiss the Son, hailing Him with the true kiss of homage, lest He be angry and ye perish from the way when His wrath is kindled but a little. The day of wrath is near; but a little while and the anger of the great Judge of the world will strike the proud scorners of His grace. It is time for all men seriously to think about the salvation of their souls. Blessed are all they, the thousandfold blessings are upon them, that put their trust in Him, taking refuge in His mercy; for eternal salvation is theirs. All those who put their faith and trust in Jesus Christ as their one Redeemer will not be put to shame, but will be safe in His love throughout eternity.