Psalm 2:2
“The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD, and against his anointed, saying,” Psalm 2:2 KJV
In our study of the preceding verse, we saw the nations and peoples of earth rising up to express a general hostility to the setting up of Christ’s kingdom. In this verse we have the same hostility, except colder and more calculated expressed by the kings and rulers of earth. These first two verses of Psalm 2 together serve to show that the world is engaged in universal defiance of God. People and president, country and congress are all united in rebellion against the LORD. Matthew Henry pointed out that these two groups “have sometimes separate interests, but here they are united against Christ, not the mob only but the mighty”. As Charles Spurgeon so aptly put it, “we have in these first three verses, a description of the hatred of human nature against the Christ of God.”
The kings of earth have set themselves. The Hebrew word translated “set” is yatsab. It is translated in scripture as “stand” twenty-four times, “stand up” twice, “stand forth” once, and “stand fast” once. The same word is used in 1Samuel 17:16 when Goliath, “…drew near morning and evening, and presented (yatsab) himself forty days.” Just as Goliath stood up to oppose Israel the kings of earth are taking their final stand against God together. Not only this but they are holding meetings to conspire and plot how they might overthrow His rule. Why are the kings of earth in such an uproar? Because Jehovah has anointed and ordained a King that shall rule over all of them. That King is King Jesus. The Hebrew word translated “anointed” here is “mashiyach” from which we get “Messiah” or “Christ”. The word means a consecrated or chosen person. When a man was chosen to be king over Israel, he was anointed with oil like David was in 1Samuel 16:13. Jesus is not just a king, but the chosen King – the anointed Messiah. He is, “KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS” (Revelation 19:16). In Matthew 3: 16-17 after Christ was baptized, He was officially anointed as the Messiah not with oil but with the Holy Spirit descending upon Him as a dove. The kings of earth are saying, “we will not have this man to reign over us” (Lu. 19:14).
In America today, our leaders are confederating together to strip this nation of all Biblical law, morality and any vestiges of the Christian religion. They’ve managed to make public schools definitively agnostic and atheistic. The murder of unborn babies has been legal for decades. Sodomy has been openly accepted, praised and made legitimate in the eyes of the state. Marriage has been redefined. They refuse to outlaw wickedness such as the sale of pornography and other similar debaucheries. They’re okay with Christ as long as He is one of many gods all affirmed in our pluralistic society. As long as they don’t have to acknowledge His authority over them. As long as they don’t have to bow the knee to Him. As long as His followers always bow the knee to the god of culture and state when they are told to. We are becoming like Rome of old. Rest assured, one of these days all the kings and rulers of earth will bow the knee to Christ.
This verse, like the preceding one, finds its ultimate fulfillment in the crucifixion of Christ. The kings in this verse are men like Herod and Pilate who struck up a friendship through their condemning of Christ to a cross. The rulers counseling together are the members of the Sanhedrin who for envy conspired to kill Christ (Matt. 26:3-4). Kings and rulers ever since then have opposed Christ and His Church but it has all been in vain. Christ told the disciples to count on being brought before magistrates and powers to give an answer for their faith (Luke 12:11). Let it not be a shock for us to see this same antagonism toward Christ in our leaders today. Let us be ready to proclaim to the kings and rulers of earth that Christ is Lord over all.
For further study see: (Luke 19:47, 20:20, 23:10-12; John 12:10; Acts 3:14-17, 4:25-27)