The Reign of the Lord’s Anointed KingSample

The Futility of Rebellion

Psalm 2 was written by King David (Acts 4:25) probably near the end of his life, for the occasion of the coronation of his son, Solomon (1 Kings 1:32-40). It likely became part of the hymns sung during later coronations of the Davidic kings and on special moments of national crisis to remind the people of God’s divine appointment of his King in Jerusalem. A kingdom was most vulnerable when a new king ascended the throne. It was the opportune time for rebellion and civil wars. Thus, it is no surprise that the Psalm opens with David wondering aloud why the heathen nations rage and rave! Unlike the godly man who calmly meditates upon the Law of God (Psalm 1:2), the wicked are restless and tumultuous. The Psalmist is amused that pagan, unbelieving people would even plot in vain. The schemes of the wicked are futile and rendered useless. Yet foolishly they rise in arms against God.

In this verse, we have a picture of the futility of sin. Sin is essentially a human rebellion against God. This is why sinners are called enemies of God (Romans 5:10; Colossians 1:21). Every sin is a defiance of God’s sovereign rule and a violation of his holy law. As one Puritan poetically said, “sin is the dare of God's justice, the rape of his mercy, the jeer of his patience, the slight of his power, the contempt of his love.” It is high treason for which no sentence less than eternal death does justice (Romans 6:23). It defies logic that people would reject God for engaging in such acts of self-destruction. Yet such is the depravity of the fallen human heart. It is not without reason that the Dutch theologian, G. C. Berkouwer, in his famous chapter titled ‘The Riddle of Sin’ called sin “unreasonable, idiotic, and incomprehensible.”

The apostles of Jesus saw the epitome of this human rebellion in rejecting Jesus Christ (Acts 4:25-26). The apostles included even the unbelieving Jews who opposed Jesus among the heathens who raged against God. They are mentioned alongside Herod, Pilate, and the gentiles (Acts 4:27). When sinners reject God’s mercy in Christ Jesus, they too are numbered alongside these wicked people who have the foolish audacity to declare war against God. May we abandon such futile rebellion by renouncing our sins and seeking the salvation of God in Jesus.