God's Response to this Swirling Cesspool

[SERay]

The psalmist writes with a vision before his eyes. He sees Jehovah upon his throne, and Messiah entering upon his universal dominion. The enemies on earth rise up against them with frantic tumult, and vainly strive to break off the fetters of their rule.

Psalms 2

Why do the nations rage, And the people plot a vain thing?
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 bonds in pieces And cast away their cords from us.”
He who sits in the heavens shall laugh; The Lord shall hold them in derision.
Then He shall speak to them in His wrath, And distress them in His deep displeasure.
Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion.

We have, in these first three verses, a description of the hatred of human nature against the Creator, his Son, against the bride, the keepers of the covenant under Jesus' blood. The Psalm begins abruptly with an angry interrogation. We see the heathen raging, roaring like the sea, tossed to and fro with restless waves, as the ocean in a storm; and then we see the people in their hearts imagining a vain thing against God. Where there is much rage there is always sinful rebellion, and in this case there is an excess of it. Note, that the commotion is not caused by the people only, but their leaders author the rebellion. "The kings of the earth set themselves." In determined malice they align themselves in opposition against God. It was not temporary rage, but deep-seated hate, for they set themselves resolutely to withstand the eternal ordnances, the very spirit of God. "And the rulers take counsel together." They go about their warfare seductively, not with a fool’s haste, but deliberately with intention.

Like rebellious and hardened Pharaoh, they cry, "Let us deal wisely with them." If only we were half as careful in God's service to serve him wisely, as his enemies are to devise methods to dismantle and attack God's kingdom with vile malice. What is the meaning of this commotion? "Let us break their bands asunder." "Let us be free to commit all manner of abominations. Let us be our own gods and decide what is right. Let us rid ourselves of all restraint." Gathering decisive strength by the proposition of rebellion, they add—"let us cast away;" as if it were an easy matter — "let us fling off 'their cords from us.'" What! Corrupt leaders of earth, do you think yourselves as Samson? Do you dream that you can break in pieces and destroy the mandates of God—the decrees of the Most High—as if they were but dry branches fallen from a tree?

However mad the resolution to revolt against the precepts of God, it is one in which man has persevered even to this day. The rebellious hater of the righteous continues in it without ceasing. The expected and long awaited reign of Jesus in the end times will not be consummated, until a terrible struggle has shaken the nations. His coming will be as a refiner's fire, and his appearance like one thousand suns to scorch the chaff from the earth. The wicked of this world do not love the God of creation, but cling to the ways of the fallen seraphim, the father of lies. The terrible conflicts of the last days will illustrate both the world's love of sin and God the Father's power to give the kingdom to his only begotten son. To a corrupt heart the yoke of Christ is intolerable, but to the saved sinner it is easy and light. We may judge ourselves by this, do we love that yoke, or do we wish to cast it from us? Is Christianity a burden to endure, or a glory to strive? Do we rejoice in our son ship or grumble relentlessly with a weary heart? The answer reveals where our hope lies.

What does God say in verse 4? What will the King of heaven do to the people who reject his only-begotten Son, the Heir of all things? Take note of the quiet dignity of the righteous Creator, and the contempt which he pours upon the corrupt leaders and their raging people. He does not even take the trouble to rise up and do battle with them—he despises them with a holy judgment, he knows how absurd, how irrational, how futile are their attempts against him—he therefore laughs at them. After he has laughed he speaks. He needs not smite with judgment; the breath of his lips is enough. At the moment when their power is at its height and their fury most violent, then shall his Word go forth against them, in power and immutable might. They will be cast down without remedy.

"The nations were angry, and your wrath has come. The time has come for judging the dead, and for rewarding your servants the prophets and your people who revere your name, both great and small-- and for destroying those who destroy the earth." Revelation 11:18

And what is it that the Lord says?—it is a very harsh sentence— "Yet," says he, "despite your malice, despite your profane gatherings against me, despite the wisdom of your counsels, despite the deceptive cunning of your lawgivers, 'yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion'." Isn't that a grand exclamation, confidence to enlarge the heart? He has already done that which the enemy seeks to prevent. While they are proposing methods to conquer, he has disposed the matter having already triumphed. Jehovah's will is done, while men rave in vain against him. Jesus reigns, "his everlasting kingdom yet shall come" when he shall take to himself his rightful place of inherit power and reign to the ends of the earth. Greater conflicts are still ahead, but we may be confident that victory will be given to our Lord and King. Glorious triumphs unseen are yet to be realized; we must not fear or despair.

The Lord Jesus has all power both in heaven and in earth, and is Head over all things to the church, notwithstanding the restless endeavors of his enemies.