THE SHEPHERD of OUR SOULS

Psalm 23

A Psalm that reveals, in the most sublime way, the “peace that passeth all understanding” a peace that comes from knowing God as the shepherd of our souls (John 10:11-14; 1 Peter 2:25 c.f. John14: 26-27).

Psalm 23:

“The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.”

There is so much grace, purpose and power encompassed in the name (the person) of the LORD yehovah, that when ‘shepherd’ is applied to him it attains a quality that is absolute, for Jehovah is the self existent Creator; above and beyond his creation, with knowledge of all things past, present and future and able “to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think” (Ephesians 3:20). 

Shepherd ra’ah to tend or pasture a flock, was a profession requiring diligence and care; care for the lives, the well being and the productivity of the flock.  The shepherd led his sheep into the open unprotected pastures where their defences against wild animals lay in his shepherd’s staff, a club or heavy rod and, as with David, his sling.  This means that the shepherd not only shared the dangers but also stood between his flock and those dangers.

When we read Colossians 1:13-17, we find God’s Son (our Lord Jesus Christ) to be the incarnation of Jehovah for he is the very image of the invisible God (in his nature), the firstborn of creation (in his pre-eminence in creation), and creator, “For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones, or dominions, principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:  And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.”   This passage is an inspired summary of the deity of Christ and shows that, while he was a man (pure and undefiled) he was also Jehovah.

The point being stressed here (that Christ Jesus is Jehovah) is that, as Jehovah was a shepherd to Israel, so also is Christ a shepherd to his church, a fact that the scriptures confirm (Genesis 48:15; Psalm 80:1; Isaiah 40:11; Isaiah 49: 10; Ezekiel 34:12-14, Ezekiel 34:31; compare John 10:14; Hebrews 13:20; 1Peter 2:25, 1Peter 5:4).

The task of shepherding the sheep of God’s flock has been passed down throughout the Church age, to certain men gifted of the Holy Spirit, for the purpose of leading God’s people into the green pastures and still waters of Christian maturity.  This pasturing of God’s people entails teaching the milk and meat of the word of God (1 Corinthians 3:2; Hebrews 5:12), and also strong defence and protection from the wolves that desire dominion in the Church (Acts 20:27-31).

I shall not want:  ‘Want’ chaser, means to be without, to have a need.  Here it is in the negative therefore ‘I shall not have a need’.  With such a Shepherd how is it possible for his people to lack any good thing, to be needy?  Clarke writes “He who is their Shepherd has all power in heaven and earth; therefore he can protect them. The silver and gold are his, and the cattle on a thousand hills; and therefore he can sustain them. He has all that they need, and his heart is full of love to mankind; and therefore he will withhold from them no manner of thing that is good.”              

The common use of ‘want’ today implies a desire for, a craving after, yet nowhere in scripture does it say God will supply our wants.  In fact James writes a very strong refutation of such an idea; he puts this very strongly in his condemnation of those who allowed sin (in the form of lust) to rule them; “Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts”  (James 4:3).  God supplies those things necessary for spiritual growth and happiness, not for physical and emotional stimulation.   

God will provide all things necessary for our temporal existence if we will but trust him “… seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you”  (Mat 6:33).  See also Psalm 34:9, Psalm 34:10, Psalm 84:11; Luke 12:30-32; Romans 8:32; Philippians 4:19; Hebrews 13:5.

Psalm 23:2 

“He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.”

It is the LORD who causes the believer to rabats - be caused to lie down; he it is who is the source of contentment of soul, which allows a believer to enter into his rest (Hebrews 3:18 – 4:16). 

In arid lands, sheep without a shepherd are subject to the extremes of the natural world and suffer physical hardship, yet when they are led to plentiful pastures they become a picture of contentment and peace.  In our turn we human beings suffer hardship and stress in this greedy and selfish world and undergo pressures brought about by others and by our own shortcomings.  Without a shepherd in the Devil’s world we are subject to the dictates of selfishness and greed. The ‘green pastures’ will elude us, and the peace and contentment expressed in this phrase will not be ours.

However, being subjected to selfishness and greed does not mean we need be overwhelmed by them: Even in the midst of pressure God is able to ‘make us lie down’ in perfect peace when our minds are stayed on him (Isaiah 26:3, see also Job 22:21; Psalm 85:8; Isaiah 48:18; John 14:27, John 16:33; Romans 5:1).  The green pastures speak primarily of that ‘perfect peace’, which comes from knowledge of God and of Jesus Christ whom God has sent (John 17:3). 

Such knowledge is not something man attains by means of any natural ability: Man’s natural understanding leads him to such notions as polytheism, evolution, pantheism, fatalism, naturalism, rationalism empiricism, legalism and even atheism.  Knowledge of God comes from revelation, and over time God has revealed himself to mankind and has had that information written in the scriptures, the Bible (2 Timothy 3:16).  In Ephesians 4:11 the gift of Pastor poimen - shepherd, is given so that the church might be led to those green pastures of knowing God: It is the associated gift of Teacher didaskalos that opens God’s word to a believers understanding. 

 In a secondary sense, ‘green pastures’ speaks of life’s material necessities, and it is secondary because God promises those necessities to all who seek first the kingdom, to all who have their minds stayed on him (Matthew 6:33).

He leadeth me beside the still waters:  Pasture and water are the basic needs of sheep; therefore both terms are analogous to our basic needs.  There is a saying “Still waters run deep” which seems to be the meaning intended here, for the verse speaks of abundance; it is not some shallow turbulent stream muddied by its destructive action but a deep, quiet, clear river, flowing between settled well pastured banks: A grand yet tranquil pastoral scene to illustrate the Spirit of God in the lives of his people. 

Matthew Henry makes the statement, “The consolations of the Holy Spirit are the still waters by which the saints are led; the streams which flow from the Fountain of living waters”, which statement when viewed in the light of John 7:37-39 is perfectly reasonable.  And it is a patent truth that all men need those ‘living waters’; need the Holy Spirit, for Jesus said we “must be born again” of the Spirit (John 3:3-6).

Psalm 23:3 

“He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.”

 The word restore shub, is used here, not in the sense of salvation or even of restoration to fellowship at repentance of sin, but in the sense of ‘refreshing’, as it is used in Proverbs 25:13. 

As we are brought to the place of utter dependence on God, we are ‘caused’ to enter into his rest (the ‘green pastures’ and ‘still waters’ of verse 2), entering into a lifestyle that should be the standard of Christian maturity.  But even the mature Christian in fellowship with the Lord can end the day feeling emotionally worn out and a trifle sordid just simply by dealing with worldly issues.  It is at these times that a moment of quiet meditation on the word of God and of communion with the Lord in prayer refreshes and washes clean the soul.

This ‘refreshing’ was acted out by our Lord when he rose from supper, laying aside his garments, and with water and a towel began to wash the disciples feet (John 13:4-10).  In answer to Peter’s objection, our Lord made two points, 1. The Christian has no need of cleansing (from the penalty of sin) for that has already been accomplished (John 13:10); and 2.  The Christian who does not allow the Lord to cleanse him from the defilement of the world (analogous to the dust on Peter’s feet) are not as close to him as they should be and are unable to be refreshed by him (John 13:8).

Leadeth me in the paths of righteousness: The paths of righteousness refer to a way of life, because paths (ma’gal) means an entrenchment, something firmly established, a track.  The LORD’S paths are ‘entrenched’ in his word.  They are found in his Law (the Ten Commandments are an example) and are the guide for righteousness, a Godly lifestyle.  They form therefore, an established guide to the will of God and it is in such a path that David is being led.

For his name's sake:  The LORD’S leading is to establish his people in a lifestyle of right living, the sake or purpose of which is to make his name (shem – his reputation, all that he is) known to the world; for it is in the ‘showing forth’ of all that God is, that glorifies God.

In “a usage which is practically confined to the Old Testament, Yahweh glorifies Himself, that is, secures the recognition of His honor and majesty, by His direction of the course of history, or by His interposition in history, either the history of His own people or of the world at large (Leviticus 10:3; Isaiah 26:15; Ezekiel 28:22; Haggai 1:8).”  ISBE

The LORD interposes in the lives of his people by refreshing and leading them into ‘paths of righteousness’.

Psalm 23:4 

“Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.”

Valley or gay’ is a steep valley, a narrow gorge in contrast to ‘emeq a vale (a broad open depression).  The steep sides and narrow passage illustrated by this word add to the gloom and foreboding nature of the word tsalmaveth - shadow of death.

The shadow of death: This phrase is used in several ways. 

a)              To designate death itself (Job 10:21 c.f. 38:17), “Before I go whence I shall not return, even to the land of darkness and the shadow of death”.

b)              To signify individual or national hardship (Jeremiah 2:6 c.f. Psalm 44:19), “Where is the LORD that brought us up out of the land of Egypt… through the wilderness… of deserts and pits… a land of drought, and of the shadow of death”

c)              To represent spiritual blindness (Isaiah 9:2 c.f. Matthew 4:16)  “The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined”.

The context of this psalm allows for both a) or b), but because the subject is still the Shepherd and the scene is one of a believer’s life in righteousness goodness and mercy, b) is the most suitable application.  Through the trials and hardships of life I will fear no evil. 

The phrase does have spiritual application in regard to physical death, for there is no evil that need be feared and only joy to be anticipated as we approach death because God has said  “to be absent from this body is to be present with the Lord” (Psalm 17:15; 2Corinthians 5:8; Philippians 1:20-24; John 14:3). 

Fear no evil:  This is not to say that evil ra’ will not make itself felt in life, for the god of this world is evil and the system by which he rules his kingdom is a system of evil. 

Lewis Sperry Chafer, in his Systematic Theology, Volume 2 page 100, speaks of the world as cosmos diabolicus, an apt description of a world ruled by Satan.  He writes: 

“Next to the lie itself (that we too can be like God), the greatest delusion Satan imposes – reaching to all unsaved and to a large proportion of Christians – is the supposition that only such things as society considers evil could originate with the Devil – if, indeed, there be any devil to originate anything. 

It is not the reason of man, but the revelation of God, which points out that governments, morals, education, art, commercialism, vast enterprises and organizations, and much religious activity are included in the cosmos diabolicus.”

He maintains that Satan (to satisfy the self-righteousness of man) incorporates all the good he possibly can into his system while remaining fixed in his objective, the overthrow of God’s authority.  This is why the ‘good’ that mankind produces in his attempt to establish his own righteousness is evil; in arrogance it sets itself on a level with God’s goodness, replacing God’s perfect laws with corrupt and therefore inadequate versions of its own and so promoting injustice.  With Christ as our shepherd we are able to be fearless even in the presence of such gross evil.  

Chafer continues:

  ”A serious question arises whether the presence of gross evil in the world is due to Satan’s intentions to have it so, or whether it indicates Satan’s inability to execute all he has designed.  The probability is great that Satan’s ambition has led him to undertake more than any creature could ever administer.”

This tiny portion of Chafer’s systematic theology has been included in a desire to help in the understanding of the all-pervasiveness of sin and evil in the world, and the inevitability of believers encountering that evil in their dealings with the world. 

An inordinate love, Gk. Agapao, the much-love of the things that are in the world, also constitutes evil and it is vital for believers to recognize this and keep themselves pure from a ‘love of the world’.  We are exhorted to “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.  For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world” (1Jo 2:15-16).  This is comparable to 1Timothy 6:10 where Paul writes, “For the love of money is the root of all evil”.  

Evil men will mislead, swindle and even destroy others, yet if the Lord is my shepherd, I need not fear them, for he is with me even when I experience the greed and hatred of those who would take what is mine.  Also, in application to a believer’s life such evil as originates from the love (‘agapao’) of money can and does seduce even God’s people, yet if the Lord is our shepherd we can have confidence that it will not overpower us. 

For thou art with me:  ‘With’ is immad and speaks of a closeness, of being alongside; a phrase compatible with the New Testament ‘comforter’ Gk. parakletos which Thayer’s Greek Definitions defines as, summoned, called to one’s side, especially called to one’s aid; a term our Lord Jesus Christ used in reference to the Holy Spirit (John 14:26).

Thy rod and thy staff they comfort me:  The shepherd’s staff mish’enah is support (of every kind) and as such, could, as with the rod, relate to ‘the Fathers correction of his wayward child’, but it seems to the present writer that the difference in meaning of the two words is enough to view the staff as an illustration of the tenderness, the love and guidance of the LORD for his sheep, and the rod shebet as an illustration of God’s authority; his demands; his justice. 

Vine’s has the ‘rod’ as a tool, which is used by the shepherd (Leviticus 27:32) and the teacher (2 Samuel 7:14).  “It is a symbol of authority in the hands of a ruler, whether it is a sceptre (Amos 1:5,8) or an instrument of warfare and oppression “thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel” (Psalm 2:9 c.f. Zechariah 10:11).”  However, in the illustration before us the rod of the LORD is a comfort, and as Paul writes, “if God be for us who can be against us” (Romans 8:31 and context).  In the hands of a shepherd the rod then becomes an instrument for chastisement (and guidance) to his sheep, and a weapon of destruction (of judgment) to any who dare to interfere with his sheep. 

Psalm 23:5 

“Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.”

The word ‘prepare’ arak, to arrange, to set in order is orderliness and deliberation.  It is the LORD doing the preparing therefore it is done with perfection and it has purpose.  It is a ‘table’ that is prepared, which by implication is a ‘meal’, which by implication is ‘providence’.  The LORD sets in place every provision believers need to sustain them in this the Devil’s world.

Psalm 78:12-20 relates the historical reality of this during the wilderness wanderings of the nation of Israel, yet the nation by their complaints, showed their refusal to recognize God’s abilities and providence.  David does not make the same mistake.  The nation was an example of disbelief and subsequent toil, David is an example of faith and rest (Hebrews chap.4). 

 In the presence of mine enemies: There is a provocative saying today, which mirrors what is being said in this verse.  ‘In your face’ is a challenging defiant comment showing scant regard for the opposition’s wishes.  ‘Presence’ neged means exactly that:  In the face of all and any enemy (tsarar – opposition) the LORD prepares every provision for the needs of his child.

Thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over:  David had already been anointed mashach consecrated (as King) but this anointing dashen is the parallelism of ‘my cup runneth over’, a super abundance.  Dashen means to be fat, grow fat, become fat, become prosperous, and because oil shemen means oil or fat, this phrase could be read ‘You make me fat with fat’ the connotation of which is prosperity.

My cup is analogous to the provisions and events of life, allotted by God to the individual (Psalm16:5; Psalm 23:5; Psalm 116:13).  It is more frequently used in regards to judgment and sorrow as in Psalm 11:6; Psalm 75:8; Isaiah 51:17; Revelation 14:10, and of the judgment Christ was asked to bear in his role as redeemer (Matthew 26:39).     

Runneth over signifies satisfaction, saturation, an abundance over and above the needs and even the wants of the individual. 

Psalm 23:6 

“Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.”

The psalmist, in a moment of contemplation is inspired to write a simple but beautiful poem describing the one who has been the source of courage and hope all the days of his life: The one who has been a shepherd to him, leading, guiding, reprimanding and providing his needs.  Courage and hope are his because they are founded in the one and only LORD of creation, the everlasting God. 

Courage and hope and the peace that is inherent in them are gifts; and every good and perfect gift comes from him who is the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning (James 1:17, c.f. Isaiah 60:19; John 1:9; John 8:12; 2Corinthians 4:6; Ephesians 1:18; 1John 1:5; Revelation 21:23, Revelation 22:5): and peace, “peace that passes knowledge” belongs to them who look to the Lord (Philippians 4:4-7).  Such was David’s experience.

His conclusion is, that as the LORD has been, and is his shepherd, as the LORD has provided and continues to provide every need, surely (ak – assuredly) such things will continue all the days of my life. 

Goodness and mercy: Goodness tob, describes everything that is good, pleasant and agreeable, and mercy chesed - goodness, kindness and faithfulness reveal its source, for there is only one source of mercy, God himself (Deuteronomy 5:10; 2Chronicles 30:9; Nehemiah 9:17; Psalm 86:5, Psalm 103:8-13, Psalm 112:4).

And I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever:  There have been those who ascribe this Psalm to a member of the priestly tribe, one who anticipates a return to priestly service in the Temple (presumably from the Babylonian captivity).  However, to ‘dwell in the house of the LORD forever’ cannot in any way be taken literally as it was not a custom for any individual to do so: The priests took turns in ministering in the Temple.

The phrase, ‘I will dwell in the house of the Lord’, is used in other psalms reputedly written by David (Psalm 27:4, Psalm 26:8, Psalm 65:4), and because he was not of the priestly line and had no part in the Tabernacle services, the phrase must be taken in a metaphorical sense as being an attitude of the heart.  Barnes writes: “His (David’s) life would be spent as if in the constant service of God; his joy and peace in religion would be as if he were always within the immediate dwelling-place of the Most High.”

Forever is the combination of two Hebrew words; orek- yom or ‘length of days’ which does not refer to heaven, but is, as Barnes rightly puts it, “parallel with the former expression ‘All the days of my life’; that is, he would dwell in the house of the Lord as long as he lived.”  In the word ‘forever’, there is the suggestion of ‘long life’, which is not in the phrase ‘all the days of my life’.

WHY DO THE HEATHEN RAGE

PSALM 2

This psalm is expressly attributed to David in the New testament for in Acts 4:25-26 we read: “Who by the mouth of thy servant David hast said, “Why did the heathen rage, and the people imagine vain things?””   These words are a direct quotation and leave no argument as to their origin and author so far as the apostles were concerned.

This is a Psalm that speaks of Messiah / Christ

Against all opposition, the LORD will bring about Heaven’s rule over the Earth.  He will set his anointed King upon the throne of the world and will bless “all they that put their trust in him” (v12b) from out of “the nations”, and from “the uttermost parts of the earth” (v 8).

Psalm2:1

“Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing?”

Why do the heathen rage?  The word heathen is from the Hebrew goy, and is in its proper sense “nations”.  Because the surrounding nations were pagan idolaters, over time and generated by self-righteousness, the Jews came to use it as a derogatory term for all who were not of the “chosen people”, not of Israel. 

The translators of the KJV seemed to have translated this from the viewpoint of a self-righteous Jew.  David was a God fearing and inspired man as he wrote this psalm, therefore, self-righteousness would not be playing any role in its composition.  He was referring to the nations as political entities, not in respect to their character.

There were many ungodly men in Israel as the Old Testament narrative tells us.  In Psalm 18, the word ungodly is applied to King Saul.  In verse 4 of that psalm, it is translated from the Hebrew beliyaal, but also means without profit, worthlessness and can be translated, Belial, evil, wicked.  Paul, in 2 Corinthians 6:15 transliterates beliyaal as Belial and seems to use it as an epithet of Satan. 

Why do the ‘nations’ rage - ragash - to be in tumult, and why do they imagine – hagah, murmur among themselves, why do they conspire amongst themselves, why are they in revolt?  In Romans 1:21-22a, Paul gives the answer: “Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.  Professing themselves to be wise they became fools…”

The question can be asked: “When did they know God?” in fact, how can any of us know God before we are called by his Spirit and regenerated through faith in Christ Jesus?  Paul has already answered that question.  In the preceding verses Romans 1:19-20, he writes: “Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath showed it unto them.  For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse.”

The Creation itself speaks of knowledge beyond our understanding and power beyond our comprehension.  To brush these aside and substitute them with the blind mindlessness of evolution is to be, as Paul says, without excuse.  Yet even today in this so-called ‘enlightened’ and ‘scientific’ age, the nations revolt against God and his anointed (Christ) and we even see the intellectuals become fools in their desire to rid themselves of the righteous restraints that the very thought of the Almighty God provokes.

Men and women think that because they don’t believe in God he doesn’t exist.  These people are just as foolish as those who say ‘there is no God’ (Psalm 14:1), for in reality they are saying “Maybe he does and maybe he doesn’t; either way I don’t care”.  It is foolish because “It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God” (Hebrews 10:31). 

These are they who imagine or conspire among themselves to accomplish a vain thing.  The word vain is the Hebrew reek, meaning emptiness; figuratively it means a worthless thing; adverbially in vain and can be used, depending on the context, as empty, to no purpose, in vain, vain things or vanity.

Psalm 2:2-3

“The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD, and against his anointed, saying, ‘Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us.’”

Earth is the Hebrew erets meaning the earth at large, or partitively, a land.  Here, because there is a plurality of kings it relates to the earth at large.  It must not be mistaken with tebel, for that has the meaning ‘the inhabitable earth’ and by implication the inhabitants and their social structure, similar to the Greek cosmos.

           

These kings set themselves – yatsab, which means to place a thing into position in a deliberate or wilful action.  Rulers is from razan, probably to be heavy (to be of substance), but because the context of the passage is dealing with men it is talking of men of influence, (likened to men of the scientific and intellectual fields today) men who sit down together, to settle, consult - to conspire together against the LORD Yehovah, the self Existent or eternal God and against his anointed, his Messiah or its Greek equivalent, Christos. 

Christ is not a name but a title.  Christos means anointed; the same as the Hebrew Messiah.  In the Hebrew it refers to a person consecrated for service such as a king, priest or saint; its specific reference however is to the Messiah who is to be the Father’s anointed King seated upon the throne of David and ruling over Israel and the world.  Jesus of Nazareth is the Messiah, the Christ, and the anointed King. 

Let us break – nathaq, to tear off: break off, burst, draw away, lift up, pluck away/off, pull out, root out; all of which speak of the intense action of breaking away, of rejection.  What they want to break is the LORD’S bands - moser, which in the figurative sense means restraint and refers to moral restraint, i.e. doing what is right rather than expedient; being selfless rather than selfish.  Cord is the Hebrew aboth, something entwined, a string, wreath or foliage.  Here it means a rope or a cord and refers to God’s right of ownership: as Creator, God can expect mankind’s obedience.

Psalm 2:4

“He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the Lord shall have them in derision.”

He that sitteth:  Sitteth - yashab, properly to sit down, but by implication it means to dwell, to reside, to remain.    He resides in the heavens - shamayim, from shameh meaning to be lofty.

There are five levels above the earth, which are described by this word:

First: it is used for the realm of the habitable sky.  In Deuteronomy 4:17 shamayim is translated air.  In 2 Samuel 18:9 Absalom hung by his hair, caught between the shamayim and the earth.

Second: Genesis 8:2 shows another sphere even loftier than the domain of birds.  This is also seen in Deuteronomy 28:12 where shamayim is seen as the LORD’S storehouse, i.e. “the rain in its season.”

Third: The sun, moon and stars are said to be set in shamayim Genesis 1:14.  There and in Psalm 104:2 and in Isaiah 34:4 shamayim is descriptive of the visible universe.

Fourth: In Genesis 1:1 we see shamayim as the entire created universe together with the earth.

Fifth: shamayim is the place where God dwells.  Because he is eternal God’s dwelling place must be immaterial and separate from his creation.  In relation to God’s abode the word shamayim can only be thought of in its basic sense, the sense of being above all things.

He that dwells aloft shall laugh – sachaq, to laugh (in pleasure or detraction); and the end of this verse shows that the Lord holds these men in la`ag or derision, his laugh is seen to be a laugh of scorn.

The lower case Lord, the Hebrew Adonay is the emphatic form of adon meaning to rule; sovereign (either human or divine) and is variously translated as lord, master or owner.  It must be translated Lord here as it is, because it is in the emphatic form and as such is a proper name of God.

The truth taught in this verse is that God will carry forward his own plans in spite of all the attempts of men to frustrate them.  This general truth may be stated in two ways: -

1. He sits undisturbed and unmoved in heaven while men rage against him and while they combine to cast off his authority.

2. He carries forward his own plans in spite of them by directly accomplishing his purpose without regard to their attempts; or by making their intentions contribute to his own so making them the instruments of carrying out his own plans.  Compare Acts 4:28.  .

The scriptures regularly depict God as having the physical and emotional attributes of man; i.e. eyes (Genesis 16:13; 2 Samuel15: 25); hands (Genesis 49:24; Ecclesiastes 2:24); arms (Deuteronomy 4:34; Isaiah 52:10); laughter, derision, displeasure (as in these verses); hate, love (Malachi 1:2-3).  Yet from Scripture we know God to be Spirit (John 4:24), that he does not have flesh and bones (Luke 24:39), but that he does have the all the immaterial attributes associated with love (1 John 4:8); he is merciful, gracious, longsuffering, goodness and truth (Exodus 34:6-7); all of which are the very opposite of hatred; therefore eyes, hands, arms, derision and hatred must be pictorial, not of God’s being, but of his actions.

In himself God is serene and unchanging, unmoved by the revolt of men yet never deviating from his stated policy regarding the salvation of his creation and the judgement of sin.  Men see and feel his judgement and express it in terms to which others can relate - wrath, hate, derision, laughter.  Those who are given an understanding of his word and believe it, become conscious of his love and grace, and therefore express it as such.

Psalm 2:5

 “Then shall he speak unto them in his wrath, and vex them in his sore displeasure.”

Then, is the demonstrative adverb az and can be translated at that time or place; therefore, at a time appointed he shall “speak” to them in his wrath. 

Speak, is from dabar with the proper meaning of arrange, which in the context of his wrath is the destructive sense of subdue or destroy and in the parallelism of Hebrew poetry is restated in the remainder of the verse. 

The word wrath is from aph and is properly the nose or nostril or face, but also anger (from its association to the rapid breathing in passion).  This is one of the rare occasions when it is used in this sense.

And vex - bahal, cause them to tremble inwardly (or palpitate), to alarm them by his charon – his anger; translated here as sore displeasure, but also fierceness, fury, fierce wrath.

The LORD’S anger against the antagonism and arrogance of men is realized in the words of the next verse:

Psalm 2:6

 “Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion.”

This is a two-fold statement.  Firstly, it is a statement of fact, for David was established in Jerusalem (the surrounding nations could rant and rave as much as they wished but it would not undo what God had accomplished), and it is also a statement regarding a future event, an event so certain as to make it an eternal reality.  This Psalm has a much broader historical view than just David’s reign for it is Messianic.  Yes David was establishe,d and Messiah will be. 

In spite of all man’s antagonism and rejection the LORD says, “Yet have I set my king”.  The word for set is nasak - to pour out, to make a drink offering, or to cast (metal); but by analogy the Jews came to use it as to anoint or consecrate a king.

Alfred Barnes writes, “The word means…literally, to pour, to pour out, as in making a libation to the deity (Exodus 30:9; Hosea 9:4; Isaiah 30:1), then to pour out oil in anointing a king or priest, and hence to consecrate, to inaugurate, etc.”

In Joshuah 13:21, Psalm 83:11 and Micah 5:5, we see the anointing application in the word nesik, which is an extension of nasak.  Nesik also means poured out, but because of the anointing implications, has been translated as duke, prince and principal men, i.e. positions of eminence. 

Barnes goes on to say that the idea in vs. 6, is that the Lord “…had solemnly inaugurated or constituted the Messiah as king; that is, that he had formed the purpose to do it and he therefore speaks as if it were already done.  The words “My king” refer of course to the anointed one, the Messiah (vs.2.)”

This king is not just a king, or even ‘The King’, but “my king”.  God has not only appointed him to the office but when read in context with the next verse... “thou art my Son”, there is seen a close relationship between “my king” and the Lord (the one who sitteth in the heavens).

Zion is a transliteration from the Hebrew tsiyon; Greek Sion, and originally referred to the fortified hill of pre-Israelite Jerusalem, a hill between the Kidron and Tyropean valleys.  2 Samuel 5:6-7 is the first mention of Zion in the Biblical account and it shows Zion to be Jerusalem, a city of the Jebusites and what would come to be known as “The city of David”.

1 Chronicles 11:5b shows this city to be a matsud, a castle or fortress.  From B.C. 1045 onward this fortress city was to become the centre of Jewish religious aspirations and culture.  It was within these walls that the Temple would be built and to which every devout Jew turned.  Zion became a term for everything dear to the Jewish mind, the Temple and a secure homeland.  See Psalms 48:2; 84:7; 132:13; Isaiah 1:27; 28:16; 33:5.

Tsiyon was understood also to refer to the heavenly Jerusalem (Isaiah 60:14; Hebrews12: 22; Revelation 14:1), the place where the Messiah would appear at the end of the times of the Gentiles.  The glorification of the Messianic community will take place on the holy mountain of “Zion.”

This ancient city sits on a ridge separated from the Mount of Olives by the Kidron valley and it is to the Mount of Olives, adjacent to “Zion” that the Lord returns.  In Zechariah 14:3-5 we are told of the ‘day of the LORD’ when he returns to fight against the nations and deliver Jerusalem from the armies of the world.  On his literal and physical return, “…his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east, and the mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west, and there shall be a very great valley; and half of the mountain shall remove toward the north, and half of it toward the south.”

One doesn’t need a great deal of imagination to visualise the destruction of such a ‘seismic’ event.

Psalm 2:7

“I will declare the decree: the LORD hath said unto me, Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee.”

In verse 3 we see (in the folly of their conceit) the words of men, “Let us break their bands asunder”, in effect saying, “We don’t need God”.  In vs.6 the Lord’s accomplished fact is stated in reply, “Yet (for all of this) have I anointed my king”; and now we see the words of the LORD’S anointed, the Messiah.  “I will declare the decree…”

From this and the following verses we know this is Messiah, for the heathen (nations) and “the uttermost parts of the earth” were never given to the house of David as an inheritance or a possession, nor has the judgement of these nations been given to any of Israel’s kings.  These are yet future when Christ returns to take to himself the throne of David and of the world (Zechariah 3:8-10; 10:4,5; 12:2,6,9; Isaiah 63:1-6; 66:15,16; Daniel 2:34,35,44,45; Joel 3:2,9-17; Zephaniah 3:19; Haggai 2:21,22; Revelation 6:4-17; 8:7-13).

Messiah declares or proclaims that which has been decreed – choc, that which has been appointed to come to fruition; it is from chaqaq, which in its proper sense means to engrave, but by implication is to enact laws (by having them cut in stone or metal tablets in primitive times).

                                                                       

What the Messiah is about to declare is the LORD’S decree, therefore eternal and unchanging (engraved in stone as it were) and it was given directly to him, “The LORD has said unto me, Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee.”

The word for Son is ben, daughter is bath, and both are derived from banah meaning to build, and therefore a ‘builder of the family name’.  It is also used in a wider sense as grandson, subject, and nation.  In Messiah, the LORD will build his family.

The Old Testament saints (Jew and Gentile) are those who trusted in the future coming of the LORD’s anointed the Messiah, and along with the ‘Tribulation’ believers will enter into God’s everlasting kingdom on earth as God’s people (Jeremiah 30:1-24). 

The New Testament saints (Jew and Gentile) are those who trust in that same anointed one, Christ, and are built into his church (Matthew 16:18; 1 Peter 2:5).  The Greek word for build in Matthew is oikodomeo and means to be a house builder; there it means to construct an immaterial (a spiritual) edifice, the Church. 

The Church is said to be the body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:27) “…and members in particular”.  In Romans 8:10-17, Paul shows that those who are ‘born again’ have the testimony of the Spirit within, that they are the ‘sons’, the children of God.  This relationship is because of Christ being in you and conversely of you being in Christ (Romans 8). 

The Hebrew ben - son, is now seen to have greater and deeper implications than the English meaning, male offspring.

I will declare the decree: the LORD hath said unto me, “Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee.”

Thou art my Son.  The appellation ‘The Son of God’ is found only here and in Daniel 3:25 in the Old Testament.  If we look solely within this psalm for his identity we are led to the conclusion that LORD’s anointed, the Messiah (the king whom the Lord has set upon his holy hill of Zion), must be ‘my Son’.

Alfred Barnes writes “The true sense (to the meaning of my Son), therefore, according to the Hebrew usage, and according to the proper meaning of the term, is that he sustained a relation to God which could be compared only with that which a son among men sustains to his father and that the term, as thus used, fairly implies an equality in nature with God himself. It is such a term as would not be applied to a mere man; it is such as is not applied to the angels Heb. 1:5; and therefore it must imply a nature superior to either.” 

When we turn to the New Testament this truth is soon established, for as the letter to the Hebrews shows, the Son through whom God has spoken in those last days was no other than Jesus who is called Christ (the anointed).  Who is not only the Son (Hebrews 1:2, 5, 8) but is very God himself (1:8, 9, 10, 12); not only God himself, but our sacrifice (2:9, 14) and our High Priest (2:17, 3:1) and the one through whom we are able to obtain mercy and find grace in the times of our need (4:14-16).

 

This day have I begotten thee: This day does not refer to a time in the unknown past; it cannot be used to substantiate a beginning to Messiah’s existence (as the Jehovah’s Witnesses claim), nor can it be used to support the idea that he was ‘begotten’ from eternity.  Although the language of this passage shows Messiah’s pre-existence it must be left to the New Testament to give us the correct interpretation of this phrase.

In Acts 13:30-33, Paul speaks of God’s past promises being fulfilled in the resurrection of Christ, and quotes this passage from Psalm 2 as a proof text.  Paul states that the resurrection of Christ was the fulfilment of this passage from Psalm 2.  “God hath fulfilled the same unto us their children, in that he hath raised up Jesus again; as it is also written in the second psalm, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee.”

Again quoting Barnes, “This interpretation of an inspired apostle fixes the meaning of this passage in the psalm, and proves that it is not there used with reference to the doctrine of eternal generation, or to his incarnation, but that he is called his Son because he was raised from the dead.”

When we look at this Psalm from its beginning we see the prophetic accuracy of the psalmist in portraying the hatred, abuse and rejection that the authorities (both Jewish and Gentile) and the people, would hold for Jesus of Nazareth and the God whom he came to represent.  Yet the LORD who sitteth in the heavens is unmoved and states that even against such hatred and rejection “Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion”. 

It was the Lord who gave the Apostle Peter the words of fulfilment; “…let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom (they had) crucified, both Lord and Christ” (Acts 2:22-36).  It was after the rage, the vanity and the counsel of ungodly men had spent itself against the LORD’S anointed, that Jesus whom they had crucified, was made both Lord and Christ.  It was then that the fulfilment of this passage in Psalm 2 occurred.  This passage in Psalm 2 refers therefore, “not to his eternal generation or his incarnation, but to something succeeding his death; that is, to his resurrection, and his establishment as King at the right hand of God.”

Romans 1:8 says Christ was “declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead”.

The phrase “firstborn from the dead” is in keeping with this whole concept.  Colossians 1:18 tells us that Christ is the beginning the firstborn from the dead, alluding to a newness of life due to the resurrection.  It is also the life that the believer shares (Rom. 6:4).  Revelation 1:5 describes Jesus Christ as “the first begotten of the dead…” and it in this context that he is called a Son.

In Luke 1:35 the child born to Mary would be called the “Son of God”. Mary was overshadowed (became pregnant) by the supervening power of the Holy Spirit, and “that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.”  This might suggest that Jesus was the Son of God by reason of his incarnation, but it is in the future tense (shall be) and therefore does not conflict with Paul’s interpretation.

In this psalm however, Paul says that the psalmist was prophesying the resurrection and its consequences.

Psalm 2:8-9

“Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession. Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel.”

The declared decree of verse 7 incorporates the giving of the nations as an inheritance, the uttermost parts of the earth for a possession, and the prerogative of all condemnation and judgment.  The LORD has decreed these things on the condition that his anointed, “asks of me”.

In John 17 we see Christ asking the Father for the eternal security and earthly well being of those whom the Father had given him and also for those others who would believe through their testimony. 

The Church is being assembled from every nation under the sun, both Jew and Gentile and is the fulfillment of this passage. Over the centuries this has been an ongoing and worldwide event.     

In John 14:16-18, he says he will ask the Father to send the Holy Spirit to be a comforter - Gk. Parakletos: intercessor, consoler, to those who believe in him; and in Hebrews 7:25 and 1 John 2:1, he is seen to be at the right hand of God, making intercession for us. 

Thou shalt break them: Break – raa, is to spoil or to make (or be) good for nothing.  It is the LORD’S anointed that is to carry out this spoiling and such an outcome indicates judgment.   Rod of iron indicates inflexible judgment and to dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel; the destructive results of that judgment, will make them ‘good for nothing’. 

In John 5:22 Jesus tells his detractors, “The Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son:”

At the end of this age, the nations will rise en masse, and will be rejected (judged) in turn for their rejection of God and his anointed, and Christ will then rule a purged world for a thousand years. 

That reign will be challenged at the end of the thousand years, the challenge will be put down and a great throne of judgment set up for the final judgment of all unbelieving mankind.  Then the present heaven and earth will be melted down and reformed into a new heaven and a new earth, which will be everlasting (Rev. 19: 1 – 22:5 cf. 2 Pet. 3:10). 

Throughout the Old Testament, Messiah is primarily seen as a splendid figure entering into the affairs of men to be Saviour and King.  The Jews understood the sphere of Messianic sovereignty to be an earthly sphere.  It was not until the mystery of the Church was revealed to Paul that the heavenly aspect of the Kingdom became known. 

In keeping with this Old Testament view, Isaiah 9:6-7 reveals Messiah as a child born and a son given, and though the passage goes on to say that this son given is The Mighty God, The everlasting Father and The Prince of Peace; this Mighty God in his role as Messiah is an earthly figure and his ministrations are to an earthly people and though everlasting, an earthly kingdom. 

Messiah was to be Immanuel, God with us yet nevertheless a true son of David, and heir to the Davidic throne. 

As the true son of David and as the Son of God, he is to have “The uttermost parts of the earth for his possession” and the nations “as his inheritance”.

Barnes writes: “As a son has a rank in a family above servants; as he has a control over the property above that which servants have, so it is with the Mediator. He is the Son of God: angels are the servants of God, and the servants of the church.” 

He goes on to compare angels as servants in an earthly home, with Christ who is the Son of that home.  The earth and its nations are the Father’s possession and the Son’s inheritance. 

Psalm 2:10-12

“Be wise now therefore, O ye kings: be instructed, ye judges of the earth.  Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling.”

In the light of this coming judgment the rulers of men are exhorted to be wise - sakal, to be circumspect and therefore intelligent, which in view of modern man’s disregard to the things of God and his anointed is a telling indictment of their intelligence.

This warning of impending judgment is for the purpose of instruction - yasar, which in the figurative sense means to chastise with words.  The Bible as a whole can be seen in this light for it is God’s record of sin, of righteousness and of judgment to come.  Yet in spite of its judgments, the Bible has been given by inspiration of God for the profit of mankind so that through reproof and correction he might learn righteousness and be equipped to ‘serve the LORD with fear’ (2 Tim. 3:16-17).

Fear is from the Hebrew yaw-ray’; to fear; morally to revere, causatively to frighten.  Vine’s Exp. Dict. says that when used “of a person in an exalted position, it connotes “standing in awe.”  This is not simple fear, but reverence whereby an individual recognizes the power and position of the one revered and renders him proper respect.” 

Rejoice with trembling has the sense of restrained ecstatics.  Rejoice is from giyl, which, properly means to spin (to spin around under the influence of strong emotion) and is in keeping with David’s natural exuberance.  Cf. 1 Samuel 6:14-16 

With trembling is the restraint of humility; humility acquired by knowledge of the holiness of God.  Knowledge of the worthiness of God forces upon the believer knowledge of the insignificance of self, and humility is the result.  If a believer knows nothing of the Bible’s revelation of God’s character, the standards applied to God will have their origin in self -worth and humility is lost.  The believer who knows his insignificance applies to God for mercy and rejoices with trembling when that mercy is experienced.

Such humility is seen in Jesus’ parable of the Pharisee and the publican in Luke 18:9-15.  The Pharisee stood and prayed… “God, I thank thee, that I am such a righteous person and not a sinner like this publican”, the publican however, in repentant acknowledgment of his sin, “would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast saying, God be merciful to me a sinner.”   

Psalm 2:12

“Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and ye perish from the way, when his wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all they that put their trust in him.”

Kiss the Son: The word used here for Son is the Hebrew bar, and is borrowed from the Chaldean language as a title: - i.e. the heir apparent to the throne.  It is in this context that the word kiss is used.  The Middle Eastern custom of kissing is an indication of respect generally, and allegiance to one of superior rank particularly.  In 1 Samuel 10:1, the prophet Samuel kissed Saul whom he had just anointed as King of Israel.  It was an act of allegiance.  In centuries past, kissing the hand of European monarchs was not uncommon and today the kissing of the Pope’s ring is an act of allegiance and homage.

The kings and judges of the earth are told to express their allegiance to the Son whom he (the LORD) ‘that sitteth in the heavens’ has set upon his holy hill of Zion.  The consequences of not doing so will be catastrophic.  Abad, to wander away, to lose oneself and by implication to perish is especially catastrophic when the way, or God’s way is missed.  And that is the implication here, that through their rejection of his sovereignty they, by going their own way, will miss the true way: The way to life, happiness and salvation.

But a little is the Heb. meat, a little or few and should be rendered soon.  As Barnes writes: “This accords better also with the (context), for the design is not to state that there will be degrees in the manifestation of his anger, but that his anger would not long be delayed.  In due time he would execute judgment on his enemies; and whenever his anger began to burn, his enemies must perish.”  The ASV renders this phrase “For his wrath will soon be kindled.”

In contrast to missing the way and perishing, those who put their trust in him will be blessed.  This is the word we saw in Psalm1:1 esher, meaning happiness, or as an interjection, how happy.  Trust is chasah, and has the meaning to flee for protection.    “How happy are all they that take refuge in him.”

We take refuge in him by taking him at his word.  God says what he means and means what he says.