Among all the psalms, the second is one of the most obviously messianic. It is clearly a prophecy of our Lord Jesus Christ. Along with Psalm 110, Psalm 2 is a favorite of NT writers pointing to Christ with fourteen allusions and verbal parallels to its mere twelve verses. Note especially Acts 13.33: “God hath fulfilled the same [promise] 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,” citing Psalm 2.7. The resurrection of Jesus from Nazareth is here proclaimed as a fulfillment of the ancient prophecy, a great proof of the divine faithfulness to keep His holy word.
Psalm 2’s first nine verses are “gospel indicative,” glad tidings of Jesus Christ announced from heaven through the human prophet (probably King David) to all mankind. Despite the wicked resistance of world rulers, Jehovah is determined to install His beloved Son, Jesus the Christ, as King of kings and Lord of lords. It is God’s sovereign pleasure and eternal plan that Christ will finally overthrow all opposition and reign supreme. That is the best possible news of all!
The last three verses are “gospel imperative,” describing the morally-obligatory response of all hearers to this announcement of God’s redemptive accomplishments through Christ. You can never be the same after you hear the gospel preached. Either you believe it and enter into the kingdom of Christ with its attendant blessings, or you escalate your rebellion against His authority by your unbelief and harden your heart against the One who is appointed by God to be your Judge.
In Psalm 2’s closing paragraph, then, the gracious Lord makes His appeal for you to respond in faith and be saved. Not only does He explain the safe way, but He mercifully entreats even His present enemies, offering amnesty and a gracious pardon of all their sins. These are not steps to be followed consecutively, but a multi-faceted description of the disposition found in Christ’s loyal subjects, with earnest exhortation to manifest those traits.
Saving faith is essentially a welcome of God’s truth, of God Himself, and of God’s Son. It is to accept with pleasure all that God offers to you, and to receive the good news gladly (Acts 2.41).
Welcome Wisdom!
10 Be wise now therefore, O ye kings:
Be instructed, ye judges of the earth.
As the unrighteous rage of kings was highlighted first (vv. 1–2), so the closing appeal for repentance is made explicitly to kings, but the same applies to all who hear the gospel. “Be wise” and “be instructed” amount to the same thing. Admit to yourself that you have been a fool in rebelling against the LORD and His Christ. The gospel instructs you better than you had known, so change your mind about this with contrition for your sin, and believe the evangelical truth. You must repudiate conventional wisdom and embrace the glad proclamation about Christ.
Welcome the LORD!
11 Serve the LORD with fear,
And rejoice with trembling.
This characterizes a radically new relationship with the LORD Himself, Jehovah, the true and living God, “I AM,” the Creator and covenant Lord of Israel. Worship Him! Keep His commandments from deepest reverence toward Him, and exult in Him. This is plainly a call to submit to God. A saving response to the gospel includes repentance from autonomy and surrender to our rightful Lord so that we become His sincere and loyal servants (1 Thess 1.9).
Welcome His Son!
12 Kiss the Son.
We must also welcome God’s Son, Jesus Christ, as the One to be installed as the eternal King of glory. Kissing is a sign of recognition, homage, and submission (1 Sam 10.1; cf. 1 Kgs 19.18; Hos 13.2). “Submit to His person and government” (Matthew Poole, in loc.). “It may here design the love and affection that is to be expressed to Christ, who is a most lovely object, and to be loved above all creatures and things” (John Gill, in loc.). “And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4.12 ESV). Without love for Christ, no one can hope to be saved.
Malediction and Benediction
12 . . . 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.
Biblical appeals for repentance and faith often combine fear and hope as incentives. A “malediction” is the pronouncement of a curse, a warning of punishment for the disobedient. Responding unrighteously to God’s announcement about His Son risks such a provocation of His wrath that His offer of mercy is summarily withdrawn and the rebel is immediately summoned to judgment and punishment. A “benediction” is the pronouncement of certain blessing and salvation which belongs only to those who trust in the LORD and His Christ. The conditional curse and promised blessing is a compelling reason to believe and be saved. Ω