Psalm 2

Why do the heathens rage and nations plan pointless things?

The kings of the earth rose up

and the rulers counselled together

against the Lord and against His Christ

Let us break from their captivity and throw their yoke from us

He that dwells in heavenly places laughs out loud at them

and the Lord mocks them

Then He will speak to them in his anger 

and distress them by his rage

Yet I been have appointed King, by Him

upon Zion, His holy mountain

declaring the command of the Lord

The Lord said to Me

You are My Son

this day I have begotten You

Ask Me and I will give you nations as your inheritance 

and the ends of the earth for your possession 

You shall shepherd them with an iron rod

You shall break them like earthenware pottery

So now, kings, understand - 

learn, all the judges of the earth

Serve the Lord with fear

and rejoice in Him with trembling

Accept discipline

in case the Lord becomes angry

and you lose the way of righteousness

When His anger suddenly flares up

blessed are all those who trust in Him 

Why do the heathens rage and nations plan pointless things? The kings of the earth rose up, and the rulers counselled together, against the Lord and against His Christ

The psalmist asks, ‘why?’, as if it is all pointless. For what they wanted was the destruction of Christ, which they did not accomplish. The speakers are our Lord’s persecutors who Luke wrote of in the Acts of the Apostles (Acts 4:26-28).

Let us break from their captivity and throw their yoke from us

Although this is open to other interpretations, the point made above that these are the planners of pointless things fits well. It follows that when they say let us break from their captivity and throw their yoke from us may be making an attempt to try to stop the security of the Christian faith being imposed on them.

He that dwells in heavenly places laughs out loud at them, and the Lord mocks them

The first clause is repeated in the second; He that dwells in heavenly places is then restated as being the Lord. However, none this should be understood in a physical way, as if God were to laugh with His face or mock with His lips. Instead this should be interpreted as being the power that He gives to His saints, since they see what is to come, that the name of Christ will fill everything and He will possess every nation. The saints understand that these people meditate on vanities, by the power to know things that are to come - this is God’s laughter and mockery. So then, who laughs and mocks? If we understand that heavenly places are holy souls who live with God, it is through God that, knowing in advance what is coming, they will laugh out loud and mock them.

Then He will speak to them in his anger, and distress them by his rage

This shows more clearly how He will speak to them: in his anger and in rage, in order to distress them. His anger and rage will distress them. Again, the Lord God’s anger and rage must not be taken to imply that He is mentally deranged. It is the strength by which He enacts justice and vengeance, by subjecting all creation to be obedient to Him. Remember and note what is written in the book of the Wisdom of Solomon, ‘But you, Lord of power, judge with peace, and with great favour order us’ (Wisd 12:18). The anger of God is an emotion, produced in the soul which knows God when it sees this same law being broken by a sinner. Many things are avenged by this emotion. Further, God’s anger is well understood in the darkening of the mind which comes upon of a person when the break God’s law.

Yet I been have appointed King, by Him, upon Zion, His holy mountain, declaring the command of the Lord

Clearly, here this is our Lord and Saviour Christ who is speaking. Zion is the viewpoint, the place seen and to see from, which can be nothing other than the Church. Here the heartfelt desire of every day is to see the brilliant glory of God. As the Apostle Paul said, ‘and we, with uncovered faces, see the glory of the Lord’ (2 Cor 3:18). So now it is clear that this passage in the Psalm, means, Yet I have been established by Him as King over His Holy Church, which, given its prominence and security, He calls a mountain. And, I have been established by Him as King, the I being the One who’s captivity they would break from and who’s yoke they would throw off. Further, declaring the command of God - do we not see what this means and how this is done every day?

The Lord said to me, You are My Son, this day I have begotten You

It could be that this day refers to the prophesy that Jesus Christ would come in man flesh. However, this day indicates the present time (for in eternity nothing is past or ceases to be, nor is there a not-yet of the future; whatever is eternal always is). The passage has a divine interpretation which the pure and catholic faith declares, proclaiming the eternal generation of the Power and Wisdom of God, Who is the only-begotten Son.

Ask me and I will give you nations as your inheritance and the ends of the earth for your possession 

In one sense this speaks of the manhood which He took on Himself at a particular time, Who offered Himself as a sacrifice to replace all sacrifices, Who intercedes for us.  Ask me can then refer to the entire time-bound era of mankind, in order that the nations will be joined to the name of Christ and so be redeemed from death and become God’s possession. They then enter into salvation and produce spiritual fruit for Him.  As before, the ends of the earth means the same as nations, but put more clearly so that we can understand that this will be every nation. Similarly, your possession is the same as your inheritance.

You shall shepherd them with an iron rod; You shall break them like earthenware pottery. So now, kings, understand - learn, all the judges of the earth

He shall rule over them with inflexible fairness. He shall break their earthly lusts, and all the rotten filth of the old Adam, and whatever comes embedded in the sinful clay. So now, that is, since you are now renewed and this outer clay is gone - the error-prone human shell that belongs to the person you once were - you must understand that now you are kings! You are now able to rule over anything which could enslave you, and the beast within. Be ready for a fight, but not as if you were shadow boxing, instead ‘chasten your bodies and bring them into subjection’ (1 Cor 9:26-27). Then there is another repetition, learn for understand, and judges of the earth for kings. Now the psalmist is talking spiritually. Whatever we judge is under us, and whatever is below the spiritual person is rightly called the earth since it is defiled by worldly corruption.

Serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice in Him with trembling

Serve the Lord with fear in case being called kings and judges creates pride. And rejoice in trembling - yes, rejoice! - in case our fear of the Lord creates misery. Further, rejoicing should not become unrestrained or inconsiderate, but accompanied by trembling, as a warning that holiness should be guarded carefully. Therefore, when the psalmist writes now kings, understand this should be read as now that I am established as King, do not be sad kings of the earth, as if your majesty was removed, but instead: understand and learn. For it is for your benefit that you are placed under Him, as it is He who you must understand and he who you must learn from. This is how it should be, to keep you from lording it over others brashly, instead you should serve the lord with fear, and rejoice in happiness, pure and simple, with due care, and not fall into pride.

Accept discipline, in case the Lord becomes angry, and you lose the way of righteousness

Again, accept discipline is the same as to understand and to learn. To accept discipline is to understand and to learn. This discipline must be accepted. This is put as clearly as possible in order to show that there is danger to be protected from and defended against, things which could cause harm if discipline is not accepted. in case the Lord becomes angry is not to be doubted; the Psalmist is certain of this. There are those who need to be warned so it must be clearly stated to these who doubt God’s anger. We should do what precedes this if we are to avoid God’s anger. To lose the way of righteousness is a terrible punishment which everyone who has tasted the sweetness of righteousness should dread. A person who leaves the path of righteousness is doomed to wander in misery along the paths of unrighteousness.

When His anger suddenly flames up, blessed are all those who trust in Him.

There will be a time of payback, which has been prepared for the ungodly and for sinners. Not only will those who love the Lord be left untouched by this, but it will mark the founding and raising of a kingdom for them. For the psalmist does not say when His anger flames up, all those who trust in Him are safe, as if all that will happen is that they escape punishment. No, they are blessed in and by every good thing. Why suddenly? I take this to mean it will happen all of a sudden, while sinners still consider it to be a long way off and much delayed.