Jesus was the victim of the greatest trial

JESUS WAS THE VICTIM OF THE GREATEST TRIAL
EDITED BY GLENN PEASE
Psalm2:2 2
The kings of the earth rise up and the
rulers band together againstthe LORD and against
his anointed, saying,
BIBLEHUB RESOURCES
Pulpit Commentary Homiletics
The False And The True In Kingship
Psalm 2:2-6
W. Forsyth There is a silent contrast throughout this psalm between the "kings of earth" (ver. 2)
and" my King" (ver. 6).
I. THE FALSE IS CHARACTERIZED BY SELF-SEEKING; THE TRUE BY SELF-
SACRIFICE. The false begin and end with self. They act from and for "themselves" (ver. 2). The
true have regard to others, and are always ready to subordinate and sacrifice themselves for the
good of others. In the one case it is the many for the one, the people for the king; in the other, it
is the one for the many, the king for the people.
II. THE FALSE RULE BY FORCE; THE TRUE BY RIGHTEOUSNESS. "Bands" and "cords"
mark the restraints of law, but the false care for none of these things. Might, not right, is their
rule. Whatever stands in the way must give place to their ambitions. On the other hand, the true
are animated by the spirit of justice. Instead of grasping violently what does not belong to them,
they accept their place and use their powers as from God. They hold that the "decree" must be
righteous to be respected - that the law must be just and good to commend itself to reason, and to
command the obedience of the heart. Power that a man gains for himself he will use for himself,
but power that is held as a trust from God will be wisely and rightly employed.
III. THE FALSE IS MARKED BY CORRUPTION AND MISERY; THE TRUE IS
PRODUCTIVE OF THE HIGHEST GOOD. Great are the perils of power. Well did the Preacher
say, "Oppression [i.e. the power of oppressing] maketh a wise man mad" (Ecclesiastes 7:7). If
this be so with the wise, how much worse will it be with the unwise! The Books of Chronicles
and Kings in the Old Testament, and the history of heathen and Christian nations, are full of

proofs as to the evils of power wrongly and wickedly used. Crimes, revolts, revolutions, wars
upon wars, with manifold and terrible woes, mark the course of the Pharaohs and the
Nebuchadnezzars, the Herods and Napoleons of this world. On the other hand, the rule of the
true is conducive to the highest interests of men. Their aim is to do justly and to love mercy.
Their motto is, "Death to evil, life to good." "The work of righteousness is peace" (Isaiah 32:17).
IV. THE FALSE ARE DOOMED TO FAILURE; THE TRUE TO VICTORY AND
IMMORTAL HONOUR. The rule of the false inevitably leads to ruin. Sin is weakness. Evil can
only breed evil. Where obedience is given from fear, and not from love, it cannot last. Where
homage is rendered for reasons of prudence, and not from conviction, it cannot be depended
upon. Where there is not desert on the one hand, there cannot be devotion on the other. Empire
founded on the wrong is rotten through and through. But the true reign after another fashion.
Their character commands respect. Their government, being founded in righteousness, secures
confidence and support. Their rule, being exercised for the benign and holy ends of love,
contributes to the general good. Two things follow.
1. God's ideal of kingship is found in Jesus Christ, and the nearer earthly kings resemble him,
and the more perfectly they conform their lives and rule to his mind, the better for them and their
subjects.
2. On the other hand, our first duty is to accept Christ as our King, and in love and loyalty to
serve him. Thus we shall best fulfil our duty in all other relationships. The best Christian is the
best subject. - W.F.
Biblical Illustrator
Against the Lord, and against His anointed.
Psalm 2:2
Taking counsel against Christ
David Caldwell, A. M.Anointed here means the same as Messiah, and both words the same as
Christ in the New Testament. How literally were the words of this verse fulfilled, when Herod
and Pontius Pilate, and the rulers of the Jews combined together to put Jesus to death! How
cordially they hated each other; and yet how cordially they united in persecuting Jesus! This has
been the history of our religion from the beginning. Men who would take counsel together in
nothing else have taken counsel together against the Lord and against His anointed. Christianity
has been opposed by every form of religion beneath the sun. The civil ruler has opposed it with
the sword; the bigot with the screw, the wheel, and the stake; the philosopher with sophistry and
derision; and the multitude with lawless violence. All have been alike eager to nail it to the cross,
thrust a spear into its side, and place upon its head a crown of thorns. And when asked to spare it

the language of all has been, "Not this man, but Barabbas!" This feature of heterogeneous
opposition to our religion is conspicuous in all modern and liberal and infidel conventions, where
men of all beliefs and of no belief, ignoring for the time being all their differences, unite heart
and soul in a crusade against the Word of God. They care little what stars occupy a place in the
religious heavens of the world, provided the Star of Bethlehem be not of the number. They will
tolerate any other form of religion sooner than the religion of the Lord and of His anointed.
(David Caldwell, A. M.)
Anointed here means the same as Messiah, and both words the same as Christ in the New
Testament. How literally were the words of this verse fulfilled, when Herod and Pontius Pilate,
and the rulers of the Jews combined together to put Jesus to death! How cordially they hated
each other; and yet how cordially they united in persecuting Jesus! This has been the history of
our religion from the beginning. Men who would take counsel together in nothing else have
taken counsel together against the Lord and against His anointed. Christianity has been opposed
by every form of religion beneath the sun. The civil ruler has opposed it with the sword; the
bigot with the screw, the wheel, and the stake; the philosopher with sophistry and derision; and
the multitude with lawless violence. All have been alike eager to nail it to the cross, thrust a
spear into its side, and place upon its head a crown of thorns. And when asked to spare it the
language of all has been, "Not this man, but Barabbas!" This feature of heterogeneous opposition
to our religion is conspicuous in all modern and liberal and infidel conventions, where men of all
beliefs and of no belief, ignoring for the time being all their differences, unite heart and soul in a
crusade against the Word of God. They care little what stars occupy a place in the religious
heavens of the world, provided the Star of Bethlehem be not of the number. They will tolerate
any other form of religion sooner than the religion of the Lord and of His anointed.
(David Caldwell, A. M.)
Messiah's Rule
F. B. Meyer, B. A.
Psalm 2:1-12
Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing?…
I. THE DETERMINED HATE OF THE PEOPLE (vers. 1-3). The word "rage" suggests the idea
of Oriental frenzy and excitement of a tumultuous concourse of crowds of people, all wildly
angry. "Imagine" is the same word as is rendered "meditate" in Psalm 1:2. While the godly
meditate on God's law, the ungodly meditate a project which is vain. Let us not be in league with

the world, for its drift is against the Lord.
II. THE DIVINE TRANQUILLITY (vers. 4-6). The scene shifts to heaven; God is ever
undismayed.
III. MESSIAH'S MANIFESTO (vers. 7-9). Standing forth, He produces and recites one of the
eternal decrees. Before time was, He was the only-begotten of the Father. The world is His
heritage, but the gift is conditional on prayer. For this He pleads, and let us plead with Him. The
pastoral staff for the sheep; the "iron rod" for those who oppose.
IV. OVERTURES AND COUNSELS OF PEACE (vers. 10-12). "Kiss," the expression of
homage (1 Samuel 10:1).
(F. B. Meyer, B. A.)
The Divine King
C. Short
Psalm 2:1-12
This psalm is supposed by some to have been written about the time of the coronation of
Solomon. The heathen might then be the subject nations outside of Palestine, which threatened
rebellion at this time. The seventh verse is applied to Christ in Hebrews 1. Let us use the psalm
in this higher application of it to Christ.
I. THE REBELLION OF THE WORLD AGAINST CHRIST.
1. Is an unrighteous rebellion. Rebellion against evil powers is a righteous thing. But Christ's
rule is infinitely just and good and merciful.
2. Is an unsuccessful rebellion. "The people imagine a vain thing" if they think they can
overthrow the rule of Christ. That belongs to the eternal order. The sea can shatter granite cliffs,
but the throne of Christ is for ever and ever.
3. Such rebellion recoils upon the heads of the rebels. Every blow we strike against justice, love,
and goodness rebounds upon ourselves; but we cannot injure God, however we may grieve his
Fatherly heart.

II. CHRIST IS KING OF MEN.
1. By Divine appointment. (Ver. 6.) And therefore God is said to laugh at, deride, and utter his
wrath in sore displeasure against those who oppose him (vers. 4 6).
2. By Divine nature and character. "Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee" (ver. 7). The
Divinest Being of all history, and, therefore, a King by the highest of all rights.
3. A King by the actual and possible extent of his empire. "I will give thee the nations for thine
inheritance," etc. (ver. 8). He who has conquered a world is its rightful ruler. Christ is now
worthy; but one day he will actually conquer the world.
III. THE UNAVOIDABLE INFERENCE. That we should be reconciled to God, and be at one
with Christ. The wrath of God is unendurable, but "blessed are all they that put their trust in
him." - S.
The King in Zion
Monday Club Sermons
Psalm 2:1-12
Two contrasted topics, the King and the rebellion of His subjects.
I. THE KING.
1. The dignity of His person. Not a King, or the King, but my King. One able and worthy to
represent me.
2. The extent of His dominion. The nations of men measure not the realm of Christ. All grades of
intelligences throughout the universe owe Him allegiance.
3. The greatness of His power. Wide as is His kingdom, His power is adequate to hold and
govern it. Spiritual supremacy involves supremacy of every name. To secure it, upheavals and
overturnings are inevitable. Under the pressure of spiritual forces, all other forces must give way.
4. The blessedness of His sway. The prophetic representations of the Messiah's reign are glorious

and happy. All blessings come down upon the people.
II. THE REBELLION OF HIS SUBJECTS.
1. Its universality.
2. Its wickedness. Men's treatment of Christ is more gratuitously wicked than anything else. He
came, self-moved, to do them infinite good.
3. Its impotence.
4. Its folly. This rebellion is misery in its progress, and ruin in its result. It fills the soul with
wretchedness and fear in time, and leaves it under the wrath of God in eternity.
(Monday Club Sermons.)
The Opposition to God and His Christ
F. W. Macdonald, M. A.
Psalm 2:1-12
The Psalm opens abruptly. Here is no prelude; it is an utterance of amazement, begotten in the
soul, and breaking from the lips of one who locks out upon the nations and generations of man.
He discerns, in all the widespread view, one perpetual restlessness, one ceaseless movement of
discontent, the throbbing of a rebellion that cannot be appeased, of a vain, bitter, and ceaseless
revolt. It is a revolt against God and His Christ running through the centuries, underlying human
history, breaking out in fresh manifestations age after age, finding new utterance from the kings
and rulers and wise men of this world. Why does the world fret against the government of God?
Why does the world resent and resist the rule of the righteous God, and of the redeeming Lord
Jesus Christ? Whether it be the sins and sorrows of one city that come within your range;
whether it be the notes and tones of the very last phase and stage of philosophic speculation;
whether it be the problems that vex and chafe and worry the civilised world; whether the
spectacle of our exaggerated, over-developed militarism, under which the whole continent of
Europe groans and bleeds; or whether the vexed problems that lie in our own streets and houses,
alike the question arises — Why does the world, in things great and small, chafe against the rule
of God — God the Source of wisdom, the Giver of all good? against Christ, the. Redeemer of
human nature! against Christ, man's true King, Leader and Guide and Friend and Shepherd and

Bishop of souls? "Why do the heathen rage and the people imagine a vain thing?"
(F. W. Macdonald, M. A.)
The Prophetical Element in the Psalm
J. J. S. Perowne.
Psalm 2:1-12
But though the poem was occasioned by some national event, we must not confine its
application to that event, nor need we even suppose that the singer himself did not feel that his
words went beyond their first occasion. He begins to speak of an earthly king, and his wars with
the nations of the earth; but his words are too great to have all their meaning exhausted in David,
or Solomon, or Ahaz, or any Jewish monarch. Or ever he is aware, the local and the temporal are
swallowed up in the universal and the eternal. The king who sits on David's throne has become
glorified and transfigured in the light of the promise. The picture is half-ideal and half-actual. It
concerns itself with the present, but with that only so far as it is typical of greater things to come.
The true King who, to the prophet's mind, is to fulfil all his largest hopes, has taken the place of
the visible and earthly king. The nations are not merely those who are now mustering for the
battle, but whatsoever opposeth and exalteth itself against Jehovah and His anointed. Hence the
Psalm is in the nature of a prophecy, and still waits for its final accomplishment. It had a real
fulfilment, no doubt, in the banding together of Herod and Pontius Pilate against Christ (Acts
4:25-27). But this was not a literal one. It may be said to have an ever-repeated fulfilment in the
history of the Church, which is a history of God's kingdom upon earth, a kingdom which in all
ages has the powers of the world arrayed against it, and in all ages the same disastrous result to
those who have risen "against the Lord and against His anointed." And so it shall be to the end,
when, perhaps, that hostility will be manifested in some yet deadlier form, only to be overthrown
forever, that the kingdoms of this world may become the kingdom of our Lord and His Christ.
(J. J. S. Perowne.)

The Greatest Trial On Record By Spurgeon
“The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel
together, againstthe Lord and againstHis Anointed.”
Psalm2:2
AFTER our Lord had been betrayed by the false-heartedJudas, He was
bound by the officers who had come to take Him. No doubt the cords were
drawn as tight, and twisted as mercilesslyas possible. If we believe the
traditions of the fathers, these cords cut through the flesh even to the very
bones, so that all the way from the gardento the house of Annas, His blood
left a crimson trail. Our Redeemerwas hurried along the road which crosses
the brook Kedron. A secondtime He was made, like unto David, who passed
over that brook, weeping as he went.
And perhaps it was on this occasionthat he drank of that foul brook by the
way. The brook Kedron, you know, was that into which all the filth of the
sacrifices ofthe temple was cast. And Christ, as though He were a foul and
filthy thing, must be led to the black stream. He was led into Jerusalemby the
SheepGate, the gate through which the lambs of the Passover, andthe sheep
for sacrifice were always driven. Little did they understand, that in so doing,
they were againfollowing out to the very letter the significanttypes which
God had ordained in the law of Moses.
They led, I say, this Lamb of God through the Sheep Gate, and they hastened
Him on to the house of Annas, the exhigh priest, who, either from his
relationship to Caiaphas, from his natural ability, or his prominence in
opposing the Savior, stoodhigh in the opinion of the rulers. Here they made a
temporary call, to gratify the bloodthirsty Annas with the sight of his victim.
And then, hastening on, they brought Him to the house of Caiaphas, some
little distance off, where, though it was but a little past the dead of night,
many members of the Sanhedrim were assembled.
In a very short time, no doubt informed by some speedymessenger, allthe
rest of the elders came togetherand satdown with greatdelight to the
malicious work at hand. Let us follow our Lord Jesus Christ, not, like Peter,
afar off, but, like John. Let us go in with Jesus into the high priest’s house.
And when we have tarried awhile there, and have seenour Savior despitefully
used, let us traverse the streets with Him, till we come to the hall of Pilate.
And then to the palace ofHerod, and then afterwards to the place called“the
pavement,” where Christ is subjectedto an ignominious competition with

Barabbas, the murderer. And where we hear the howling of the people,
“Crucify Him! Crucify Him!”
Brethren, as the Lord gave commandment concerning even the ashes and
offal of the sacrifices, we ought to think no matter trivial which stands in
connectionwith our great Burnt Offering. My admonition is, “Gatherup the
fragments which remain, that nothing be lost.” As goldsmiths sweeptheir
shops to save eventhe filings of the gold, so every word of Jesus should be
treasuredup as very precious.
But, indeed, the narrative to which I invite you is not unimportant. Things
which were purposed of old, prophesied by Seers, witnessedby Apostles,
written by Evangelists and published by the ambassadors ofGod, are not
matters of secondaryinterest. They deserve our solemnand devout attention.
Let all our hearts be awedas we follow the King of kings in His pathway of
shame and suffering.
1. Come we, then, to the hall of Caiaphas. After the mob had draggedour
Lord from the house of Annas, they reachedthe palace of Caiaphas, and
there a brief interval occurredbefore the high priest came forth to
question the Prisoner. How were those sadminutes spent? Was the poor
Victim alloweda little pause to collectHis thoughts, that He might face
His accuserscalmly? Farfrom it–Luke shall tell the pitiful story–“And
the men that held Jesus mockedHim and smote Him. And when they
had blindfolded Him, they struck Him on the face, and askedHim,
saying, Prophesy, who is it that smote You? And many other things
blasphemously spoke they againstHim.”
The officers were pausing until the chairman of the court should please to
have an interview with the Prisoner, and instead of suffering the Accusedto
take a little rest before a trial so important, upon which His life and Character
depended, they spend all the time in venting their bitter malice upon Him.
Observe how they insult His claim to the Messiahship!In effect, they mock
Him thus–“You claim to be a Prophet like unto Moses. Youknow things to
come. If you are sent of God, prove it by discovering your foes. We will put
You on trial and test You, O Man of Nazareth.”
They bind His eyes and then, smiting Him one after another, they bid Him
exercise His prophetic gift for their amusement, and prophesy who it was that
smote Him. Oh, shameful question! How gracious was the silence, for an
answermight have withered them forever. The day shall come when all that
smite Christ shall find that He has seenthem, though they thought His eyes
were blinded. The day shall come, Blasphemer, Worldling, carelessMan,

when everything that you have done againstChrist’s cause, and Christ’s
people, shall be published before the eyes of men and angels–andChrist shall
answeryour question–andshall tell you who it is that smote Him.
I speak to some this morning who have forgotten that Christ sees them. And
they have ill-treated His people. They have spokenill of His holy cause,
saying, “How does Godknow? And is there knowledge in the MostHigh?” I
tell you, the Judge of men shall, before long, point you out and make you, to
your shame and confusion of face, confess thatyou smote the Saviorwhen you
smote His Church.
This preliminary mockerybeing over, Caiaphas, the high priest came in. He
began, at once, to interrogate the Lord prior to the public trial, doubtless with
the view of catching Him in His speech. The high priest askedHim, first, of his
disciples. We do not know what questions he asked. Perhaps theywere
something like these–“Whatdo You mean, to allow a rabble to follow You
whereverYou go? Who are You, that You should have twelve persons always
attending You, and calling You Master? Do You intend to make these the
leaders of a band of men? Are these to be Your lieutenants, to raise a host on
Your behalf?
“Or do You pretend to be a Prophet, and are these the sons of the Prophets
who follow You, as Elisha did Elijah? Moreover, where are they? Where are
Your gallant followers? If You are a goodman, why are they not here to bear
witness to You? Where are they gone? Are they not ashamedof their folly,
now that Your promises of honor all end in shame?” The high priest, “asked
Him of His disciples.” Our Lord Jesus, onthis point, said not a syllable. Why
this silence? Becauseit is not for our Advocate to accuse His disciples. He
might have answered, “Welldo you ask, ‘Where are they?’ The cowards
forsook Me. When one proved a traitor, the resttook to their heels.
“You ask, ‘Where are My disciples?’There is one yonder, sitting by the fire,
warming his hands, the same who just now denied Me with an oath.” But no,
He would not utter a word of accusation. He whose lips are mighty to
intercede for His people, will never speak againstthem. Let Satan slander, but
Christ pleads. The accuserof the Brothers and Sisters is the prince of this
world–the Prince of peace is ever our Advocate before the Eternal Throne.
The high priest next shifted his ground and askedhim concerning His
doctrine–whatit was that He taught–whetherwhat He taught was not in
contradiction to the original teachings of their greatlawgiverMoses–and
whether He had not railed at the Pharisees,reviled the Scribes, and exposed
the rulers. The Mastergave a noble answer. Truth is never shamefaced–He

boldly points to His public life as His best answer. “Ispoke openly to the
world. I ever taught in the synagogue, andin the Temple, where the Jews
always resort. And in secrethave I said nothing. Why ask me? Ask them
which heard Me, what I have said unto them: behold, they know what I said.”
No sophistries–no attempt at evasion–the bestarmor for the truth is her own
nakedbreast. He had preachedin the market places, onthe mountain’s brow,
and in the Temple courts. Nothing had been done in a corner. Happy is the
man who can make so noble a defense. Where is the weakness in such a
harness? Where can the arrow pierce the man arrayed in so complete a
panoply? Little did that arch-knave Caiaphas gainby his crafty questioning.
For the rest of the questioning, our Lord Jesus saidnot a word in self-defense.
He knew that it availednot for a lamb to plead with wolves. He was well
aware that whatever He said would be misconstruedand made a fresh source
of accusation.
And He willed, moreover, to fulfill the prophecy, “He is brought as a lamb to
the slaughter, and as a sheepbefore her shearers is dumb, so He opened not
His mouth.” But what power He exerted in thus remaining silent! Perhaps
nothing displays more fully the Omnipotence of Christ than this powerof self-
control. Control the Deity? What powerless than Divine can attempt the
task? Behold, my Brothers and Sisters, the Son of God does more than rule
the winds and commend the waves, He restrains Himself. And when a word, a
whisper would have refuted His foes and swept them to their eternal
destruction, He “openednot His mouth.” He who opened His mouth for His
enemies, will not utter a word for Himself. If ever silence were more than
golden, it is this deep silence under infinite provocation.
During this preliminary examination, our Lord suffered an outrage which
needs a passing notice. When He had said, “Ask them that hear Me,” some
over-officious personin the crowdstruck Him in the face. The margin in John
18:22 very properly corrects our version and renders the passage, “witha
rod.” Now, considering that our blessedLord suffered so much, this one little
particular might seemunimportant, only it happens to be the subject of
prophecy in the book of Micah5:1, “They shall smite the Judge of Israelwith
a rod upon the cheek.”
This smiting while under trial is peculiarly atrocious. To strike a man while he
is pleading in his own defense, would surely be a violation of the laws even of
barbarians. It brought Paul’s blood into his face and made him lose his
balance when the high priest ordered them to smite him on the mouth. I think
I hear his words of burning indignation–“Godshall smite you, you whited

wall! For do you sit to judge me after the Law, and command me to be smitten
contrary to the Law?”
How soonthe servantloses his temper! How far more glorious the meekness
of the Master. Whata contrastdo these gentle words afford us–“If I have
spokenevil, bear witness to the evil. But if well, why do you smite Me?” This
was such a concentratedinfamy, to strike a man while pleading for his life,
that it well deservedthe notice both of Evangelistand Prophet.
But now the court are all sitting. The members of the great Sanhedrim are all
in their various places, and Christ is brought forth for the public trial before
the highestecclesiasticalcourt. It is, mark you, a foregone conclusionthat by
hook or crook they will find Him guilty. They scour the neighborhood for
witnesses.There were fellows to be found in Jerusalem, like those who in the
olden times frequented the Old Bailey–“straw witnesses”–who were readyto
be bought on either side. And, provided they were well paid, would swearto
anything. But for all this, though the witnesses were readyto perjure
themselves, they could not agree one with another.
Being heard separately, their tales did not tally. At last two came with some
degree of similarity in their witness. They were both liars, but for once the two
liars had struck the same note. They declaredthat He said, “I will destroythis
temple that is made with hands, and within three days I will build another
made without hands,” Mark 14:58. Now here was, first, misquotation. He
never said, “I will destroy the temple.” His words were, “Destroythis temple
and in three days I will raise it up.” See how they add to His words, and twist
them to their own ends? Then again, they not only misquoted the words, but
they misrepresentedthe sense, willfully, because He spoke concerning the
temple of His body, and not the literal temple in which they worshipped.
And this they must have known. He said, “Destroythis temple”–andthe
accompanying actionmight have showedthem that He meant His own body,
which was raised by His glorious resurrectionafter destruction upon the
Cross. Let us add, that even when thus misrepresented, the witness was not
sufficient as the foundation for a capitalcharge. Surely there could be nothing
worthy of death in a man’s saying, “Destroythis temple and I will build it in
three days.” A person might make use of those words a thousand times over–
he might be very foolish, but he would not be guilty of death for such an
offense.
But where men have made up their minds to hate Christ, they will hate Him
without a cause. Oh, you that are adversaries ofChrist–and there are some
such here today–I know you try to invent some excuse for your opposition to

His holy religion! You forge a hundred falsehoods!But you know that your
witness is not true, and the trial in your conscience,through which you pass
the Savior, is but a mock one. Oh that you were wise, and would understand
Him to be what He is, and submit yourselves to Him now. Finding that their
witness, evenwhen tortured to the highestdegree, was not strong enough, the
high priest, to get matter of accusation, commandedHim by the MostHigh
God to answerwhether He was the Christ, “the Son of the Blessed.”
Being thus entreated, our Masterwould not setus an example of cowardice–
He spoke to purpose–He said, “I am,” Mark 14:62, and then, to show how
fully He knew this to be true, He added, “you shall see the Son of Man sitting
on the right hand of power and coming in the clouds of Heaven.” I cannot
understand what Unitarians do with this incident. Christ was put to death on
a charge of blasphemy, for having declared Himself to be the Sonof God. Was
not that the time when any sensible personwould have denied the accusation?
If He had not really claimed to be the Son of God, would He not now have
spoken?
Would He not now, once and for all, have delivered our minds from the
mistake under which we are laboring, if, indeed, it is a mistake, that He is the
Son of God? But no, He seals it with His blood. He bears open testimony
before the herd of His accusers. “Iam.” I am the Sonof God, and I am the
sent One of the Most High. Now, now the thing is done! They want no further
evidence. The judge, forgetting the impartiality which becomes his station,
pretends to be wonderfully struck with horror. He rends his garments, turns
round to ask his co-assessorswhetherthey need any further witness. And
they, all too ready, hold up their hands in tokenof unanimity and our
precious Masteris at once condemned to die.
Ah, Brothers and Sisters–andno soonercondemned, than the high priest,
stepping down from his divan–spits in His face!And then the Sanhedrim
follow and smite Him on His cheeks. And then they turn Him down to the
rabble that had gatheredin the court, and they buffet Him from one to the
other, and spit upon His blessedcheeks, andsmite Him. And then they play
the old game again, which they had learned so well before the trial came on.
They blindfold Him for a secondtime, place Him in a chair, and as they smite
Him with their fists, they cry. “Prophet!Prophet! Prophet! Who is it that
smote You? Prophecyunto us!”
And thus the Savior passeda secondtime through that most brutal and
ignominious treatment. If we had tears, if we had sympathies, if we had
hearts–we shouldprepare to shed those tears, to awake those sympathies, and
break those hearts now. O Lord of Life and Glory! How shamefully were You

treated by those who pretended to be the curators of holy Truth, the
conservators ofintegrity, and the teachers ofthe Law!
Having thus sketchedthe trial as briefly as I could, let me just say that
throughout the whole of this trial before the ecclesiasticaltribunal, it is
manifest that they did all they could to pour contempt upon His two claims–to
Deity and to Messiahship. Now, Friends, this morning–this morning, as truly
as on that eventful occasion–youand I must decide on which of two sides we
are on. Either this day we must cheerfully acknowledgeHis Godheadand
acceptHim also as the Messiah, the Savior promised of old to us. Or else we
must take our post with those who are the adversaries ofGod and of His
Christ.
Will you ask yourselfthe question, on which side will you now stand? I pray
you, do not think that Christ’s Deity needs any further proof than that which
this one court gives. My dear Friends, there is no religion under Heaven, no
false religion, which would have dared to hazard such a statement–forthat
yonder Man who was spit upon, and buffeted, was none other than incarnate
God. No false religion would venture to draw upon the credulity of its
followers to that extent. What? That Man there who speaks nota word, who is
mocked, despised, rejected, made nothing of–what?–He is “very God of very
God?” You do not find Mohammed, nor any false Prophet asking any person
to believe a doctrine so extraordinary!
They know too well that there is a limit, even to human faith. And they have
not ventured upon such a marvelous assertionas this, that yonder despised
Man is none other than the Upholder of all things. No false religionwould
have taught a truth so humbling to him who is its founder and lord. Besides, it
is not in the powerof any man-made religion to have conceivedsucha
thought! That Deity should willingly submit to be spit upon to redeemthose
whose mouths vented the spittle! In what book do you read such a wonder as
this? We have pictures drawn from imagination–we have been enchanted
along romantic pages–andwe have marvelled at the creative flights of human
genius. But where did you ever read such a thought as this?
“Godwas made flesh and dwelt among us”? He was despised, scourged,
mocked, treatedas though He were the offscouring of all things? He was
brutally treated, worse than a dog, and all out of pure love to His enemies?
Why, the thought is such a great one, so God-like, the compassionin it is so
Divine, that it must be true! None but God could have thought of such a thing
as this stoopfrom the highest Throne in Heaven to the Cross of deepestshame
and woe. And do you think that if the doctrine of the Cross were not true,
such effects would follow from it?

Would those South Sea Islands, once red with the blood of cannibalism, be
now the abode of sacredsong and peace? Would this island, once itself the
place of naked savages, be what it is, through the influence of the benign
Gospelof God, if that Gospelwere a lie? Ah, hallowedmistake, indeed, to
produce such peaceful, such blessed, suchlasting, such Divine results! Ah, He
is God. The thing is not false.
And that He is Messiah, who shall doubt? If God should send a Prophet, what
better Prophet could you desire? What Characterwould you seek to have
exhibited more completely human and Divine? What sort of a Saviorwould
you wish for? What could better satisfy the cravings of conscience?Who
could commend Himself more fully to the affections ofthe heart? He must be,
we feel at once, as we see Him, One alone by Himself, with no competitor–He
must be the MessiahofGod.
Come, now, Sirs, on which side will you set yourselves? Willyou smite Him? I
put the question–“Who is it that will smite Him this day? Who is it that will
spit upon Him this day?” “I will not,” says one, “but I do not acceptnor
believe in Him.” In that you smite Him, Fool!“I do not hate Him,” says
another, “but I am not savedby Him.” In refusing His love, you smite Him.
Whoeveramong you will not trust Him with your soul–in that you smite Him,
smite Him in the most tender part–since you impugn His love and power to
save.
Oh, “Kiss the Son, lestHe be angry, and you perish from the way, when His
wrath is kindled but a little.” That suffering Man stands in the place of
everyone that will believe on Him. Trust Him! Trust Him!–you have then
acceptedHim as your God, as your Messiah. Refuse to trust Him!–you have
smitten Him. And you may think it little to do this today–but when He rides
upon the clouds of Heaven you will see your sin in its true light, and you will
shudder to think that ever you could have refused Him who now reigns, “King
of kings and Lord of lords.” God help you to acceptHim, as your God and
Christ, today!
II. But our time flies too rapidly and we must hastenwith it and accompany
our Saviorto another place.
The Romans had takenawayfrom the Jews the power to put a personto
death. The Jews sometimes did it still, but they did it, as in the case of
Stephen, by popular tumult. Now, in our Savior’s case, theycould not do this
because there was still a strong feeling in favor of Christ among the people. A
feeling so strong, that had they not been bribed by the rulers, they would
never have said, “Crucify Him! Crucify Him!” You will remember that the

priests and rulers did not arrestHim on the feastday, “lest,” they said, “there
be a tumult among the people.”
Besides, the Jewishway of putting a personto death, was by stoning–
therefore, unless there was a sufficient number of persons who hated Him, a
person would never get put to death at all. That is why the method of putting
to death by stoning was chosen, becauseif a personwas generallythought to
be innocent, very few persons would stone him. And although he would be
somewhatmaimed, his life might possibly be spared. They thought, therefore,
the Saviormight escape as He did at other times, when they took up stones to
stone Him.
Moreover, they desired to put Him to the death of the accursed. Theywould
identify Him with slaves, and criminals, and hang him like the Canaanite
kings of old. Therefore they took him awayto Pilate. The distance was about a
mile. He was bound in the same cruel manner, and was doubtless cut by the
cords, He had already suffered most dreadfully. Remember the bloody sweat
of last Sunday week. Thenremember that He has already twice been beaten.
And He is now hurried along, without any rest or refreshment, just as the
morning is breaking, along the streets to the palace where Pilate lived.
Perhaps the towerof Antonia, close to the Temple itself–we are not quite sure.
He is bound and they hurry Him along the road. And here the Roman writers
supply a greatnumber of particulars of anguish out of their very fertile
imaginations. After they had brought Him there, a difficulty occurred. These
holy people, these very righteous elders, could not come into the company of
Pilate, because Pilate, being a Gentile, would defile them! Now there was a
broad space outside the palace, like a raisedplatform, called “the pavement,”
where Pilate was likely to sit on those high days, that he might not touch these
blessedJews.
So he came out on the pavement, and they, themselves, wentnot into the hall,
but remained before “the pavement.” Always notice that sinners who can
swallow camels willstrain at gnats!Crowds of men who will do greatsins are
very much afraid of committing some little things which they think will affect
their religion. Notice, that many a man who is a big thief during the week, will
ease his conscienceby rigid Sabbatarianismwhen the day comes round. In
fact, most hypocrites run for shelter to some close observance ofdays,
ceremonies and observations–whenthey have slighted the weightier matters of
the Law.
Well, Pilate receives Jesusbound. The charge brought againstHim was not, of
course, blasphemy. Pilate would have laughed at that, and declined all

interference. They accusedHim of stirring up sedition, pretending to be a
king, and teaching that it was not right to pay tribute to Caesar. This last
charge was a clearand manifest lie. He refuse to pay tribute? Did not He send
to the fish’s mouth to getthe money? He say that Caesarmust not have his
due? Did He not tell the Herodians–“Renderunto Caesarthe things that are
Caesar’s?”He stir up a sedition?–the Man that had “notwhere to where to
lay His head?” He pretend to snatchthe diadem from Caesar?–He, the Man
who hid Himself, when the people would have takenHim by force and made
Him a king? Nothing can be more atrociouslyfalse.
Pilate examines him and discovers at once, both from His silence and from His
answer, that He is a most extraordinary Person. He perceives that the
kingdom which Jesus claims is something supernatural. He cannot
understand it. He asks Him what He came into the world for–the reply
puzzles and amazes him, “To bear witness to the truth,” says Jesus. Now, that
was a thing no Roman understood–fora hundred years before Pilate came,
Jugurtha said of the city of Rome, “a city for sale”–bribery, corruption,
falsehood, treachery, villainy. These were the gods of Rome, and truth had
fled the seven hills. The very meaning of the word was scarcelyknown.
So Pilate turned on his heel and said, “What is truth?” As much as to say, “I
am the procurator of this part of the country. All I care for is money.”
“What’s truth?” I do not think he askedthe question, “What is truth?” as
some preach from it, as if he seriously desiredto know what it really was, for
surely he would have paused for the Divine reply and not have gone away
from Christ the moment afterwards. He said, “Pshaw!What’s truth?” Yet
there was something so awful about the Prisoner, that his wife’s dream, and
her message–“See thatyou have nothing to do with this just Person,” all
workedupon the superstitious fears of this very weak-mindedruler.
So he went back and told the Jews a secondtime, “I find no fault in Him.”
And when they said, “He stirs up the people, teaching throughout all Jewry,
beginning at Galilee to this place,” Pilate caught at that word “Galilee.”
“Now,” he thought, “I will be rid of this Man. The people shall have their way,
and yet I will not be guilty.” “Galilee?”saidhe. “Why, Herod is ruler there.
You had better take Him to Herod at once.” He thus gained two or three
points–he made Herod his friend–he hoped to exonerate himself of his crime–
and yet please the mob.
Away they go to Herod. Oh, I think I see that blessedLamb of God again
hounded through the streets!Did you ever read such a tale? No martyr, even
in Bloody Mary’s time, was ever harried thus as the Saviorwas. We must not
think that His agonies were all confined to the Cross. Theywere endured in

those streets–inthose innumerable blows, and kicks, and strikes with the fist,
that He had to bear. They took Him before Herod and Herod, having heard of
His miracles, thought to see some wonderful thing, some piece of jugglery,
done in his presence. And when Christ refused to speak and would not plead
before, “that fox,” at all, Herod treatedHim with a sneer. “They made
nothing of Him.”
Can you picture the scene? Herod, his captains, his lieutenants–and on down
to the mean soldiers–treatthe Savior with a broad grin! “A pretty king,” they
seemto say. “More like a miserable beggar!Look at His cheeks, allbruised
where they have been smiting Him–is that the colorof royalty’s complexion?”
“Look,” theysay, “He is emaciated, He is coveredwith blood, as though He
had been sweating drops of blood all night. Is that the imperial purple?” And
so they “made nothing of Him,” and despisedHis kingship.
And Herod said, “Bring out that costlywhite robe. If He is a king, let us dress
Him so,” and so the white robe is put on Him–not a purple one–that, Pilate
put on afterwards. He has two robes put on Him–the one put on by the Jews,
the other by the Gentiles, seeming to be a fit comment on that passagein
Solomon’s song, where the spouse says, “Mybeloved is white and ruddy”–
white with the gorgeousrobe which marked Him King of the Jews, and then
red with the purple robe which Pilate afterwards castupon His shoulders,
which proved him King of nations, too.
And so Herod and his men of war, after treating Jesus as shamefully as they
could, looking at Him as some madman more fit for Bedlamthan elsewhere,
sent Him back againto Pilate. Oh, canyou not follow Him? You need no great
imagination–as you see them dragging Him back again!It is another journey
along those streets. Another scene ofshameful tumult, bitter scornand cruel
smiting. Why, He dies a hundred deaths, my Brothers and Sisters, it is not
one–itis death on death the Savior bears, as He is draggedfrom tribunal to
tribunal.
Look, they bring Him to Pilate a secondtime! Pilate againis anxious to save
Him. He says, “I have found no fault in this Man touching those things
whereofyou accuse Him–no, and neither Herod–I will therefore releaseHim!”
“No, no,” they say. And they clamor greatly. He proposes a cruel alternative,
which yet He meant for tender mercy. “I will therefore chastise Him and let
Him go.” He gave Him over to his lictors to be scourged. The Roman scourge
was, as I have explained before, a most dreadful instrument.
It was made of the sinews of oxen and little sharp pieces ofbone, which, you
know, cause the most frightful lacerations, ifby accidentyou even run your

hand over them. Little sharp pieces, splinters of bone, were intertwisted here
and there among the sinews. Every time the lash came down, some of these
pieces of bone went right into the flesh and tore off heavy large pieces, and not
only the blood but the very flesh would be rent away.
The Saviorwas tied to the column and thus beaten. He had been beaten
before–but this of the Roman lictor was probably the most severe of His
flagellations. After Pilate had beaten Him, he gave Him up to the soldiers for a
short time, that they might complete the mockery, and so be able to witness
that Pilate had no idea of the royalty of Jesus, and no complicity in any
supposedtreason. The soldiers put a crown of thorns on His head and bowed
before Him and spat on Him. They put a reed in His hands. They drove the
crownof thorns into His temples. They covered Him with a purple robe.
And then Pilate brought Him out, saying, “Beholdthe Man!” I believe he did
it out of pity. He thought, “Now I have wounded Him and cut Him to pieces. I
will not kill Him. This sight will move their hearts.” Oh, that Ecce Homo
ought to have melted their hearts, if Satan had not made them harder than
flints, and sternerthan steel. But no, they cry, “Crucify Him! Crucify Him!”
So Pilate listens to them again, and they change their tune. “He has spoken
blasphemy.” This was a wrong charge to bring–for Pilate, having his
superstition againaroused–is evenmore afraid to put him to death.
And he comes out again, and says, “I find no fault in Him.” What a strong
contestbetweengoodand evil in that man’s heart! But they cried out again,
“If you let this man go you are not Caesar’s friend.” They hit the mark this
time, and he yields to their clamor. He brings forth a basin of water, and he
washes his hands before them all, and he says, “I am innocent of the blood of
this just Person. You see to it.” A poor way of escaping!That watercould not
washthe blood from his hands, though their cry did bring the blood on their
heads–“His bloodbe on us, and on our children.”
When that is done, Pilate takes the last desperate stepof sitting down on the
pavement in royal State. He condemns Jesus and bids them take Him away.
But before He is takento execution, the dogs of war shall snap at Him again.
The Jews, no doubt, having bribed the soldiers to excessivezealof scorn, they
a secondtime–(oh, mark this! Perhaps you thought this happened only once.
This is the fifth time He has thus been treated)–the soldiers took Him back
again, and once more they mockedHim, once more they spat upon Him, and
treated Him shamefully.
So, you see, the first time was when He first went to the house of Caiaphas.
Then after He was condemnedthere. Then Herod and His men of war. Then

Pilate after the scourging. And then the soldiers, after the ultimate
condemnation. Do you see, now, how manifestly, “He was despisedand
rejectedof men, a Man of Sorrows, and acquaintedwith grief”? “We hid, as it
were, our faces from Him. He was despised, and we esteemedHim not.”
I do not know when I ever more heartily wished to be eloquent than I do now.
I am talking to my own lips, and saying, “Oh, that these lips had language
worthy of the occasion!” I do but faintly sketchthe scene. I cannotlay on the
glowing colors. Oh, that I could set forth Your grief, You Man of Sorrows!
God the Holy Spirit impress it on your memories, and on your souls, and help
you pitifully to considerthe griefs of your blessedLord!
I will now leave this point, when I have made this practical applicationof it.
Remember, dear Friends, that this day, as truly as on that early morning, a
division must be made among us. Either you must this day acceptChrist as
your King, or else His blood will be on you. I bring my Masterout before your
eyes and sayto you, “Beholdyour King.” Are you willing to yield obedience to
Him? He claims, first, your implicit faith in His merit–will you yield to that?
He claims, next, that you will take Him to be Lord of your heart and that, as
He shall be Lord within, so He shall be Lord without. Which shall it be? Will
you choose Him now? Does the Holy Spirit in your soul–forwithout Him you
never will–does the Holy Spirit say, “Bow the knee and take Him as your
king?”
Thank God, then. But if not, His blood is on you, to condemn you. You
crucified Him. Pilate, Caiaphas, Herod, the Jews andRomans, all meet in you.
You scourgedHim. You said, “Let Him be crucified.” Do not sayit was not so.
In effect you join their clamors when you refuse Him. When you go your way
to your farm and to your merchandise, and despise His love and His blood–
you do spiritually what they did literally–you despise the King of kings. Come
to the fountain of His blood and washand be clean, by His Grace.
III. But we must close with a third remark. Christ really underwent yet a
third trial. He was not only tried before the ecclesiasticaland civil tribunals,
but He was really tried before the greatdemocratic tribunal, that is, the
assemblyof the people in the street.
You will say, “How?” Well, the trial was somewhatsingular, but yet it was
really a trial. Barabbas–athief, a felon, a murderer, a traitor–had been
captured. He was probably one of a band of murderers who were accustomed
to come up to Jerusalemat the time of the feast, carrying daggers under their
cloaks to stab persons in the crowd and rob them, and then he would be gone

again. Besides that, he had tried to stir up sedition, setting himself up possibly
as a leader of the bandits.
Christ was put into competition with this villain. The two were presented
before the popular eye, and to the shame of manhood, to the disgrace of
Adam’s race, let it be remembered that the perfect, loving, tender,
sympathizing, disinterested Saviorwas met with the word, “Crucify Him!”
And Barabbas, the thief, was preferred. “Well,” says one, “that was
atrocious.” The same thing is put before you this morning–the very same
thing! And every unregenerate man will make the same choice that the Jews
did–only men renewedby Divine Grace will act upon the contrary principle.
I say, Friend, this day, I put before you Christ Jesus, oryour sins. The reason
why many come not to Christ is because they cannotgive up their lusts, their
pleasures, their profits. Sin is Barabbas–sinis a thief–it will rob your soul of
its life. It will rob God of His glory. Sin is a murderer–it stabbed our father,
Adam–it slew our purity. Sin is a traitor–it rebels againstthe King of Heaven
and earth. If you prefer sin to Christ, Christ has stoodat your tribunal and
you have given your verdict that sin is better than Christ.
Who is that man? He comes here every Sunday. And yet he is a drunkard?
Where is he? You prefer that reeling demon Bacchus to Christ. Who is that
man? He comes here. Yes. And where are his midnight haunts? The harlot
and the prostitute cantell! You have preferred your ownfoul, filthy lust to
Christ. I know some here that have had their consciencesopenly pricked, and
yet there is no change in them. You prefer Sunday trading to Christ. You
prefer cheating to Christ. You prefer the theater to Christ. You prefer the
harlot to Christ–you prefer Satan, himself, to Christ–forSatan it is that is the
father and author of these things.
“No,” says one, “Idon’t, I don’t!” Then I do again put this question, and I put
it very pointedly to you–“If you do not prefer your sins to Christ, how is it
that you are not a Christian?” I believe this is the main stumbling stone, that,
“Menlove darkness rather than light, because their deeds are evil.” We come
not to Christ because ofthe viciousness ofour nature, and depravity of our
heart. And this is the depravity of your heart, that you prefer darkness to
light, prefer bitter for sweet, and chooseevil as your good. Well, I think I hear
one saying, “Oh, I would be on Jesus Christ’s side, but I did not look at it in
that light. I thought the question was, ‘Would He be on my side?’ I am such a
poor guilty sinner that I would stand anywhere, if Jesus'bloodwould wash
me.”

Sinner! Sinner! If you talk like that, then I will meet you right joyously. Never
was a man one with Christ till Christ was one with Him. If you feelthat you
can now stand with Christ, and say, “Yes, despisedand rejected, He is,
nevertheless, my God, my Savior, my King. Will he acceptme?” Why, Soul,
He has acceptedyou! He has renewed you, or else you would not talk so. You
speak like a savedman. You may not have the comfort of salvation, but surely
there is a work of Divine Grace in your heart! God’s Divine electionhas fallen
upon you and Christ’s precious redemption has been made for you, or else
you would not talk so.
You cannot be even willing to come to Christ, and yet Christ rejectyou. God
forbid we should suppose the possibility of any sinner crying after the Savior,
and the Savior saying, “No, I will not have you.” Blessedbe His name, “Him
that comes to Me,” He says, “Iwill in no wise castout.” “Well,” one says,
“then I would have Him today. How canI do it?” There is nothing askedof
you but this–Trust Him! Trust Him! Believe that God put Him in the place of
men–believe that what He suffered was acceptedby God, insteadof their
punishment. Believe that this greatequivalent for punishment cansave you.
Trust Him. Throw yourself on Him–as a man commits himself to the waters,
so do you–sink or swim! You will never sink, you will never sink–for, “he that
believes on the Lord Jesus Christ has everlasting life and shall never come
into condemnation.”
May these faint words upon so thrilling a subject bless your souls!And unto
God be glory, forever and ever. Amen and Amen.
Commentaries
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(1)Why do the heathen rage?—
Better, Why did nations band together, or muster? The Hebrew occurs only
here as a verb, but derivatives occur in Pss. 4:14, Psalm64:2: in the first, of a
festive crowd; in the second, ofa conspiracyallied with some evil intent. This
fixes the meaning here, band together, possibly as in Aquila’s translation, with
added sense of tumult. The LXX. have “grownrestive,” like horses;Vulg.,
“have raged.”
Imagine.—Better, meditate, or plan. Literally, as in Psalm1:2, only here in
bad sense, mutter, referring to the whispered treasons passing to and fro

among the nations, “a maze of mutter’d threats and mysteries.” In old English
“imagine” was usedin a bad sense;thus Chaucer, “nothing list him to be
imaginatif” i.e., suspicious. The verb in this clause, as in the next, is in the
present, the change being expressive:Why did they plot? what do they hope to
gain by it?
BensonCommentaryHYPERLINK "/psalms/2-1.htm"Psalm2:1. Why do the
heathen rage? — Hebrew, ‫,םיוג‬ goim, the nations, namely, 1st, Those
bordering on Judea in David’s time, who ragedagainsthim, when exaltedto
the throne of Judah and Israel, 2 Samuel5:6; 2 Samuel 5:17; 1 Chronicles
14:8; 1 Chronicles , 2 d, The Greeks andRomans, and other heathen nations,
who ragedagainstand persecutedChrist and his cause and people, Luke
18:32;Acts 4:25. Upon what provocation, and to what end or purpose, do they
do so? And the people — Namely, the Jews or Israelites, who also combined
againstDavid, 2 Samuel 2:8, and againstChrist, Acts 4:27; imagine a vain
thing? — A thing which they shall never be able to effect, and which, if they
could accomplishit, would produce consequencesto themselves and others
very different from those they expect.
Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary2:1-6 We are here told who would
appear as adversaries to Christ. As this world is the kingdom of Satan,
unconverted men, of every rank, party, and character, are stirred up by him
to oppose the cause of God. But the rulers of the earth generallyhave been
most active. The truths and precepts of Christianity are againstambitious
projects and worldly lusts. We are told what they aim at in this opposition.
They would break asunder the bands of conscience, andthe cords of God's
commandments; they will not receive, but castthem awayas far as they can.
These enemies canshow no goodcause foropposing so just and holy a
government, which, if receivedby all, would bring a heaven upon earth. They
can hope for no success in so opposing so powerful a kingdom. The Lord Jesus
has all power both in heavenand in earth, and is Head over all things to the
church, notwithstanding the restless endeavours ofhis enemies. Christ's
throne is setup in his church, that is, in the hearts of all believers.
Barnes'Notes on the BibleWhy do the heathen rage - "Why do nations make
a noise?" Prof. Alexander. The word "heathen" here - ‫גוים‬ gôyim - means
properly "nations," with out respect, so far as the word is concerned, to the
characterof the nations. It was applied by the Hebrews to the surrounding
nations, or to all other people than their own; and as those nations were in
fact pagans, oridolators, the word came to have this signification. Nehemiah
5:8; Jeremiah31:10; Ezekiel23:30;Ezekiel30:11;compare ‫םדם‬ 'âdâm,
Jeremiah32:20. The word Gentile among the Hebrews (Greek, ἔθνος ethnos

expressedthe same thing. Matthew 4:15; Matthew 6:32; Matthew 10:5,
Matthew 10:18; Matthew 12:21, et soepe. The word rendered "rage" - ‫ׁשגר‬
râgash- means to make a noise or tumult, and would be expressive of violent
commotion or agitation. It occurs in the Hebrew Scriptures only in this place,
though the corresponding Chaldee word - ‫ׁשגר‬ regashis found in Daniel6:6,
Daniel 6:11, Daniel 6:15 - rendered in Daniel 6:6, "assembledtogether," in the
margin "came tumultuously," - and in Daniel6:11, Daniel6:15, rendered
"assembled."The psalmist here sees the nations in violent agitationor
commotion, as if under high excitement, engagedin accomplishing some
purpose - rushing on to secure something, or to prevent something. The image
of a mob, or of a tumultuous unregulated assemblage,would probably convey
the idea of the psalmist. The word itself does not enable us to determine how
extensive this agitationwould be, but it is evidently implied that it would be a
somewhatgeneralmovement; a movement in which more than one nation or
people would participate. The matter in hand was something that affectedthe
nations generally, and which would produce violent agitationamong them.
And the people - emas eht yllaitnatsbus gnisserpxe drow A .myimu'eL ‫לםמים‬
idea, that of people, or nations, and referring here to the same thing as the
word rendered "heathen" - according to the laws of Hebrew parallelism in
poetry. It is the people here that are seenin violent agitation:the conduct of
the rulers, as associatedwith them, is referred to in the next verse.
Imagine - Our word "imagine" does not preciselyexpress the idea here. We
mean by it, "to form a notion or idea in the mind; to fancy." Webster. The
Hebrew word, ‫הגה‬ hâgâh, is the same which, in Psalm1:2, is rendered
"meditate." See the notes at that verse. It means here that the mind is engaged
in deliberating on it; that it plans, devises, or forms a purpose; - in other
words, the persons referred to are thinking about some purpose which is here
calleda vain purpose; they are meditating some project which excites deep
thought, but which cannotbe effectual.
A vain thing - That is, which will prove to be a vain thing, or a thing which
they cannot accomplish. It cannot mean that they were engagedin forming
plans which they supposedwould be vain - for no persons would form such
plans; but that they were engagedin designs which the result would show to
be unsuccessful. The reference here is to the agitationamong the nations in
respectto the divine purpose to set up the Messiahas king over the world, and
to the oppositionwhich this would create among the nations of the earth. See
the notes at Psalm2:2. An ample fulfillment of this occurredin the opposition
to him when he came in the flesh, and in the resistance everywhere made since
his death to his reign upon the earth. Nothing has produced more agitationin

the world (compare Acts 17:6), and nothing still excites more determined
resistance.The truths taught in this verse are:
(1) that sinners are opposed - even so much as to produce violent agitationof
mind, and a fixed and determined purpose - to the plans and decrees ofGod,
especiallywith respectto the reign of the Messiah;and
(2) that their plans to resistthis will be vain and ineffectual; wisely as their
schemes may seemto be laid, and determined as they themselves are in regard
to their execution, yet they must find them vain.
What is implied here of the particular plans againstthe Messiah, is true of all
the purposes of sinners, when they array themselves againstthe government
of God.
Jamieson-Fausset-BrownBible CommentaryPSALM 2
Ps 2:1-12. The number and authorship of this Psalmare stated(Ac 4:25;
13:33). Though the warlike events of David's reign may have suggestedits
imagery, the scenes depictedand the subjects presented canonly find a
fulfilment in the history and characterofJesus Christ, to which, as above
cited and in Heb 1:5; 5:5, the New Testamentwriters most distinctly testify. In
a most animated and highly poeticalstyle, the writer, in "four stanzas of three
verses each," setsforth the inveterate and furious, though futile, hostility of
men to God and His anointed, God's determination to carry out His purpose,
that purpose as stated more fully by His Son, the establishmentof the
Mediatorialkingdom, and the imminent dangerof all who resist, as well as the
blessing of all who welcome this mighty and triumphant king.
1. Why do the heathen, &c.—Beholding, in prophetic vision, the peoples and
nations, as if in a tumultuous assembly, raging with a fury like the raging of
the sea, designing to resist God's government, the writer breaks forth into an
exclamationin which are mingled surprise at their folly, and indignation at
their rebellion.
heathen—nations generally, not as opposedto Jews.
the people—or, literally, "peoples,"orraces of men.
The Treasuryof David1 Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a
vain thing?
2 The kings of the earth setthemselves, and the rulers take counseltogether,
againstthe Lord, and againsthis anointed, saying,
3 Let us break their bands asunder, and castawaytheir cords from us.

We have, in these first three verses, a description of the hatred of human
nature againstthe Christ of God. No better comment is needed upon it than
the apostolic song in Acts 4:27, Acts 4:28 : "Forof a truth againstthy holy
child Jesus, whomthou hast anointed, both Herod, and Pontius Pilate, with
the Gentiles, and the people of Israel, were gathered together, for to do
whatsoeverthy hand and thy counseldetermined before to be done." The
Psalmbegins abruptly with an angry interrogation; and well it may: it is
surely but little to be wonderedat, that the sight of creatures in arms against
their God should amaze the psalmist's mind. We see the heathen raging,
roaring like the sea, tossedto and fro with restless waves,as the oceanin a
storm; and then we mark the people in their hearts imagining a vain thing
againstGod. Where there is much rage there is generallysome folly, and in
this case there is an excess ofit. Note, that the commotion is not causedby the
people only, but their leaders foment the rebellion. "The kings of the earth set
themselves." In determined malice they arrayed themselves in opposition
againstGod. It was not temporary rage, but deep-seatedhate, for they set
themselves resolutelyto withstand the Prince of Peace. "And the rulers take
counseltogether." Theygo about their warfare craftily, not with foolishhaste,
but deliberately. They use all the skill which art can give. Like Pharaoh, they
cry, "Let us dealwisely with them." O that men were half as careful in God's
service to serve him wisely, as his enemies are to attack his kingdom craftily.
Sinners have their wits about them, and yet saints are dull. But what say they?
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. Let us rid ourselves of all restraint." Gathering impudence by the
traitorous proposition of rebellion, they add - "let us castaway;" as if it were
an easymatter, - "let us fling off 'their cords from us.'" What! O ye kings, do
ye think yourselves Samsons?and are the bands of Omnipotence but as green
withs before you? Do you dream that you shall snap to pieces and destroythe
mandates of God - the decrees ofthe MostHigh - as if they were but tow? And
do ye say, "Let us castawaytheir cords from us?" Yes! There are monarchs
who have spokenthus, and there are still rebels upon thrones. Howevermad
the resolutionto revolt from God, it is one in which man has perseveredever
since his creation, and he continues in it to this very day. The glorious reign of
Jesus in the latter day will not be consummated, until a terrible struggle has
convulsed the nations. His coming will be as a refiner's fire, and like fuller's
soap, and the day thereofshall burn as an oven. Earth loves not her rightful
monarch, but clings to the usurper's sway:the terrible conflicts of the last
days will illustrate both the world's love of sin and Jehovah's powerto give
the kingdom to his only Begotten. To a gracelessneck the yoke of Christ is

intolerable, but to the savedsinner it is easyand light. We may judge
ourselves by this, do we love that yoke, or do we wish to castit from us? THE
ARGUMENT
The penman of this Psalmwas David, as is affirmed, Acts 4:25. As for the
matter or subject of it, it may seemto have some respectunto David, and to
his advancementto and settlement in the throne of Judah and Israel; but the
chief design and scope of it, and the primary intention of the Holy Ghostin it,
was to describe the Messiahandhis kingdom, as is manifest,
1. From express testimonies of the New Testamentto that purpose, as Acts
4:25 13:33 Hebrews 1:5 5:5; and
2. From the consentof the ancient Hebrew writers, who did unanimously
expound it so, as is confessedby their own brethren, particularly by Rabbi
SolomonJarchi upon this place;who hath this memorable passage,Our
doctors expounded this Psalm of the King Messiah, but that we may answer
the heretics (by which he means the Christians, as all know)it is expedient to
interpret it of David’s person, as the words sound; which words, although
they are left out of the latter editions of that book, either by the fraud of Jews,
or carelessness ormistake of others, yet are extant in the ancient editions of it.
3. From divers passagesofthe Psalm, which do not agree to David, but to
Christ only, the title of Son, of which see Hebrews 1:4,5, the extent of his
kingdom, Psalm2:8, and Divine worship, Psalm2:11,12.
The kingdom of Christ, and the opposition of the heathen foretold, Psalm2:1-
7. God giveth him the earth for his possession, Psalm2:8,9. He summons all
the kings and judges of the earth to submit themselves to him, Psalm 2:10-12.
Why? upon what provocation, or to what end or purpose?
The heathen, or, Gentiles; who did so againstDavid, as we see, 2 Samuel
5:6,17 1 Chronicles 14:8, &c.; and againstChrist, Luke 18:32 Acts 4:25, &c.
And the people: this is either another expressionof the same thing, as is usual
in Scripture; or as the former word notes the Gentiles, so this may design the
Jews orIsraelites, who also combined againstDavid, 2 Samuel 2:8, &c., and
againstChrist, Acts 4:27, though they were all of one nation, and descended
from one and the same mother, as this word signifies, and it is used Genesis

25:23.
Imagine a vain thing; what they shall never be able to effect; and if they could,
it would do them no good, as they fancy, but greathurt.
Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleWhy do the Heathen rage,.... Or"the
nations";which some understand of the Jews, who are so called, Genesis 17:5;
because oftheir various tribes; and of their rage againstthe Messiahthere
have been many instances;as when they gnashedupon him with their teeth,
and at severaltimes took up stones to stone him, and cried out in a most
furious and wrathful manner, crucify him, crucify him, Luke 4:28; though it
is best to interpret it of the Gentiles, as the apostles seemto do in Acts 4:27.
The Hebrew word translated"rage" is by one Jewishwriter (z) explained by
"associate"or"meet together";and which is often the sense of the word in
the Syriac and Chaldee languages,in which it is more used; and another (a)
says, that it is expressive of"gathering together, and of a multitude"; it
intends a tumultuous gathering together, as is that of a mob, with great
confusionand noise (b); and so the Gentiles, the Roman soldiers, gathered
together, even multitudes of them, and came out with Judas at the head of
them, with swords and staves, to apprehend Christ and bring him to the chief
priests and elders, Matthew 26:47;these assembledtogetherin Pilate's hall,
when Christ was condemnedto be crucified, and insulted him in a most rude
and shocking manner, Matthew 26:2; and many are the instances of the
Gentiles rising in mobs, and appearing in riotous assemblies, making tumults
and uproars againstthe apostles to oppose them, and the spread of the Gospel
by them; to which they were sometimes instigated by the unbelieving Jews,
and sometimes by their own worldly interest; see Acts 13:50, to which may be
added, as instances of this tumult and rage, the violent persecutions both of
the Paganemperors and of the Papists, which lastare calledGentiles as well
as the other; for this respects the kingdom of Christ, or the Gospel
dispensations, from the beginning to the end;
and the people imagine a vain thing? by "the people" are meant the people of
Israel, who were once God's peculiar people, and who were distinguished by
him with peculiar favours above all others, and in whom this prophecy has
been remarkably fulfilled; they imagine it and meditated a vain thing when
they thought the Messiahwould be a temporal King, and set up a kingdom, on
earth in great worldly splendour and glory, and rejectedJesus, the true
Messiah, becausehe did not answerto these their carnal imaginations;they
meditated a vain thing when they soughtto take awaythe goodname and
reputation of Christ, by fixing opprobrious names and injurious charges upon

him, for Wisdom has been justified of her children, Matthew 11:19;and so
they did when they meditated his death, with those vain hopes that he should
die and his name perish, and should lie down in the grave and never rise
more, Psalm41:5; for he not only rose from the dead, but his name was more
famous after his death than before;they imagined a vain thing when they took
so much precautionto prevent the disciples stealing his body out of the
sepulchre, and giving out that he was risen from the dead, and more especially
when he was risen, to hire the soldiers to tell a lie in order to stifle and
discredit the report of it; they meditated vain things when they attempted to
oppose the apostles, and hinder the preaching of the Gospelby them, which
they often did, as the Acts of the Apostles testify; and it was after one of these
attempts that the apostles, intheir address to God, made use of this very
passageofScripture, Acts 4:2; and they still meditate a vain thing in that they
imagine Jesus ofNazareth is not the Messiah, andthat the Messiahis not yet
come;and in that they are expecting and looking for him. Now the Psalmist,
or the Holy Ghostby him, asks "why" all this? what should move the Gentiles
and the Jews to so much rage, tumult, and opposition againstan holy and
innocent person, and who went about doing goodas he did? what end they
could have in it, or serve by it? and how they could expect to succeed? what
would all their rage and not, and vain imagination, signify? it is strongly
suggestedhereby that it would all be in vain and to no purpose, as well as
what follows.
(z) Aben Ezra in loc. (a) R. Sol. BenMelechin Ioc. (b) "congregrantse
turmatim", Vatablus; "eum tumultu", Munster, Tigurine version.
Geneva Study BibleWhy do the {a} heathen rage, and the people imagine a
vain thing?
(a) The conspiracyof the Gentiles, the murmuring of the Jews and powerof
kings cannot prevail againstChrist.
EXEGETICAL(ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges1. Why] The Psalmist gazes onthe
greattumult of the nations mustering for war, till the sight forces from him
this question of mingled astonishment and indignation. Their insurrection is
at once causelessandhopeless.
the heathen] Better, as R.V., the nations. Gôyim, variously rendered in A.V.
nations, heathen, Gentiles, denotes the non-Israelite nations as distinguished
from and often in antagonismto the people of Jehovah. Sometimes the word
has a moral significance and may rightly be rendered heathen.

rage]Rather, as in marg., tumultuously assemble;or, throng together. Cp. the
cognate subst. in Psalm64:2, insurrection, R.V. tumult, marg. throng.
the people]R.V. rightly, peoples. Comp. Psalm 44:2; Psalm44:14.
imagine] Or, meditate: the same word as in Psalm 1:2; but in a bad sense, as
in Psalm 38:12.
1–3. The muster of the nations and its design.
Pulpit CommentaryVerse 1. - Why do the heathen rage? The psalmist writes
with a vision before his eyes. He "sees Jehovahupon his throne, and Messiah
entering upon his universal dominion. The enemies of both on earth rise up
againstthem with frantic tumult, and vainly strive to eastoff the fetters of
their rule." Hence his sudden outburst. "What ails the heathen (goim)," he
says. "that they rage?" or"make an uproar" (Kay), or "assemble
tumultuously" (margin of Authorized Version and Revised,Version)?What
are they about? What do they design? And why do the people - rather, the
peoples, or "the masses"(Kay) - imagine (or, meditate) a vain thing? It must
be "a vain thing;" i.e. a purpose which will come to naught, if it is something
opposedto the will of Jehovahand Messiah. The vision shows the psalmist
Jew and Gentile banded togetheragainstthe gospelofChrist. Its scope is not
exhausted by the expositionof Acts 4:26, but extends to the whole struggle
betweenChristianity on the one hand, and Judaism and paganism on the
other. "The peoples" still to this day "imagine a vain thing" - imagine that
Christianity will succumb to the assaults made upon it - will fade, die away,
and disappear.
Keil and DelitzschBiblical Commentary on the Old TestamentThe
exclamatory‫,םרׁשי‬ as also Psalm32:2; Psalm 40:5; Proverbs 8:34, has Gaja
(Metheg)by the Aleph, and in some Codd. even a secondby ‫,ר‬ because it is
intended to be read asherê as an exception, on accountof the significance of
the word (Baer, in Comm. ii. 495). It is the construct of the pluralet. ‫םרׁשים‬
(from ‫,םרׁש‬ cogn.‫ררׁש‬,‫,ירׁש‬ to be straight, right, well-ordered), and always in
the form ‫,םרׁשי‬ even before the light suffixes (Olsh. 135, c), as an exclamation:
O the blessednessofso and so. The man who is characterisedas blessedis first
describedaccording to the things he does not do, then (which is the chief
thought of the whole Ps.)according to what he actuallydoes: he is not a
companion of the unrighteous, but he abides by the revealedword of God.
‫ׁשרעים‬ are the godless, whosemoralcondition is lax, devoid of stay, and as it

were gone beyond the reasonable bounds of true unity (wanting in stability of
character), so that they are like a tossedand stormy sea, Isaiah57:20.;
(Note:Nevertheless we have not to compare ‫ׁשגר‬ ,‫,ׁשער‬ for ‫,ׁשרע‬ but the Arabic
in the two roots Arab. rs' and rsg shows for ‫ׁשרע‬ the primary notion to be
slack, loose, in opposition to Arab. tsdq, ‫קדצ‬ to be hard, firm, tight; as Arab.
rumhun tsadqun, i.e., according to the Kamus Arab. rmh ṣlb mtı̂n mstwin, a
hard, firm and straight spear. We too transfer the idea of being lax and loose
to the province of ethics: the difference is only one of degree. The same two
primary notions are also opposedto one another in speaking of the intellect:
Arab. hakuma, wise, prop. thick, firm, stout, solid, and Arab. sachufa, foolish,
simple, prop. thin, loose, without stay, like a bad piece of weaving, vid.,
Fleischer's translationof Samachschari's GoldenNecklacepp. 26 and 27
Anm. 76. Thus ‫ׁשרע‬ means the loose man and indeed as a moral-religyous
notion loose from God, godless comp. Bibl. Psychol. p. 189. transl.].)
‫םיםים‬ (from the sing. ‫,םםי‬ instead of which ‫םטם‬ is usually found) sinners,
ἁμαρτωλοί, who pass their lives in sin, especiallycoarseandmanifest sin; ‫לקים‬
(from ‫,לּול‬ as ‫ממ‬ from ‫)מּומ‬ scoffers,who make that which is divine, holy, and
true a subject of frivolous jesting. The three appellations form a climax: impii
corde, peccatoresopere, illusores ore, in accordancewith which ‫הקע‬ (from ‫לעי‬
figere, statuere), resolution, bias of the will, and thus way of thinking, is used
in reference to the first, as in Job 21:16; Job22:18; in reference to the second,
‫ךׁשּד‬ mode of conduct, action, life; in reference to the third, ‫מורמ‬ which like the
Arabic mglis signifies both seat(Job 29:7) and assembling (Psalm 107:32), be
it official or social(cf. Psalm 26:4., Jeremiah15:17). On ‫ה‬ ‫,הלּד‬ in an ethical
sense, cf. Micah6:16; Jeremiah 7:24. Therefore:Blessedis he who does not
walk in the state of mind which the ungodly cherish, much less that he should
associate withthe vicious life of sinners, or even delight in the company of
those who scoffat religion. The description now continues with ‫םם‬ ‫רי‬ (imo si,
Ges. 155, 2, 9): but (if) his delight is, equals (substantival instead of the verbal
clause:) he delights (‫לפם‬ cf. Arab. chfd f. i. with the primary notion of firmly
adhering, vid., on Job 40:17)in ‫ה‬ ‫,מוׁשמ‬ the teaching of Jahve, which is become
Israel's νόμος, rule of life; in this he meditates profoundly by day and night
(two acc. with the old accusative terminations am and ah). The perff. in Psalm
1:1 describe what he all along has never done, the fut. ‫,יההה‬ what he is always
striving to do; ‫הגה‬ of a deep (cf. Arab. hjj, depressumesse), dull sound, as if
vibrating betweenwithin and without, here signifies the quiet soliloquy (cf.
Arab. hjs, mussitando secum loqui) of one who is searching and thinking.
With ‫,היהו‬

(Note:By the Sheb stands Metheg (Gaja), as it does wherever a word, with
Sheb in the first syllable, has Olewejored, Rebia magnum, or Dechwithout a
conjunctive preceding, in case at leastone voweland no Metheg-except
perhaps that standing before Sheb compos. - lies betweenthe Sheb and the
tone, e.g., ‫קקּתצה‬ (with Dech)Psalm 2:3, ‫וםעקהּו‬ Psalm91:15 and the like. The
intonation of the accentis said in these instances to begin, by anticipation,
with the fugitive ĕ.)
in Psalm 1:3, the development of the ‫םרׁשי‬ now begins; it is the praet. consec.:
he becomes in consequenceofthis, he is thereby, like a tree planted beside the
water-courses, whichyields its fruit at the proper seasonand its leaf does not
fall off. In distinction from ‫,ּועטק‬ according to Jalkut 614, ‫רמּול‬ means firmly
planted, so that no winds that may rage around it are able to remove it from
its place (‫ממצומו‬ ‫םמו‬ ‫מויויא‬ ‫.)םיא‬ In ‫מים‬ ‫,םלגי‬ both ‫מים‬ and the plur. serve to give
intensity to the figure; ‫םלג‬ (Arab. fal'g, from ‫גלפ‬ to divide, Job 38:25)means
the brook meandering and cleaving its course for itself through the soil and
stones;the plur. denotes either one brook regardedfrom its abundance of
water, or even severalwhich from different directions supply the tree with
nourishing and refreshing moisture. In the relative clause the whole emphasis
does not reston ‫העּתו‬ (Calvin: impii, licetpraecocesfructus ostentent, nihil
tamen producunt nisi abortivum), but ‫םׁשיו‬ is the first, ‫העּתו‬ the secondtone-
word: the fruit which one expects from it, it yields (equivalent to ‫יעעה‬ it
produces, elsewhere), andthat at its appointed, proper time ( equals ‫,העדּתו‬ for
gnitnioppasidreve tuohtiw ,(‫ועד‬ morf ,‫לדמ‬,‫ׁשדמ‬ ekil,‫עדמ‬ ro ‫עדמ‬ slauqe si ‫עמ‬
that hope in the course ofthe recurring seasons.The clause ‫יהול‬ ‫לם‬‫ועלהּו‬ is the
other half of the relative clause:and its foliage does not fall off or wither (‫למק‬
like the synon. Arab. dbl, from the root ‫.)למ‬
The greenfoliage is an emblem of faith, which converts the waterof life of the
divine word into sap and strength, and the fruit, an emblem of works, which
gradually ripen and scattertheir blessings around; a tree that has lostits
leaves, does not bring its fruit to maturity. It is only with ‫,לכו‬ where the
language becomes unemblematic, that the man who loves the Law of God
againbecomes the direct subject. The accentuationtreats this member of the
verse as the third member of the relative clause;one may, however, sayof a
thriving plant ‫,םלק‬ but not ‫.םילקה‬ This Hiph. (from ‫,םלק‬ Arab. tslh, to divide,
press forward, press through, vid., Psalm45:5) signifies both causative:to
cause anything to go through, or prosper (Genesis 34:23), and transitive: to
carry through, and intransitive: to succeed, prosper(Judges 18:5). With the
first meaning, Jahve would be the subject; with the third, the project of the
righteous; with the middle one, the righteous man himself. This last is the

most natural: everything he takes in hand he brings to a successfulissue (an
expressionlike 2 Chronicles 7:11; 2 Chronicles 31:21; Daniel8:24). What a
richly flowing brook is to the tree that is planted on its bank, such is the word
of God to him who devotes himself to it: it makes him, according to his
position and calling, ever fruitful in goodand well-timed deeds and keeps him
fresh in his inner and outward life, and whatsoeversuchan one undertakes,
he brings to a successfulissue, for the might of the word and of the blessing of
God is in his actions.
PRECEPTAUSTIN RESOURCES
Is The World Out Of Control?
Related Media
00:00
00:00
Poet Robert Browning wrote, “God’s in his heaven‑ ‑ all’s right with the world.” Where in the
world was he? As we look at reality, we have to question Browning. God is in heaven, but all is
not right with the world!
Since the beginning of time, the world has known strife. The history of man is essentially the
history of war. One of the earliest of all historical records, a Sumerian bas‑ relief from Babylon
(ca. 3000 B.C.), shows soldiers fighting in close order, wearing helmets and carrying shields

(James Boice, The Last and Future World [Zondervan], p. 98). There have been almost non-stop
wars ever since.
In our century, World War I was supposed to be the war to end all wars. About 20 million people
were killed. Soon after the world was locked into World War II, which claimed 60 million lives.
The December 25, 1967, U. S. News & World Report wrote, “Since World War II [there have
been] at least 12 limited wars in the world, 39 political assassinations, 48 personal revolts, 74
rebellions for independence, 162 social revolutions, either political, economical, racial, or
religious” (the figures and quote are from Boice, p. 99).
Obviously these figures would have to be revised upward significantly in the 25+ years since
then. We’ve seen war between Russia and Afghanistan, China and Vietnam, Vietnam and
Cambodia, Iraq and Iran, Iraq and Kuwait, and the current war in Bosnia. There have been and
still are numerous regional conflicts and violence: Northern Ireland, South Africa, Lebanon,
Israel, Azerbaijan, India, Panama, Peru, Colombia, etc. Our own country faces continued racial
tensions, a rising crime rate, gang wars, random violence, and increasing moral degeneracy.
Instead of agreeing with Browning that “all is right with the world,” we would probably be more
inclined to side with the guy who wrote this limerick:
God’s plan made a hopeful beginning,
But man spoiled his chances by sinning,
We trust that the story
Will end in God’s glory,
But at present the other side’s winning. (Boice, pp. 124‑ 125.)
We may chuckle at the limerick, but deep down inside we know that the present world scene is
no laughing matter. Man is not “in every day and in every way getting better and better.”
Is the world out of control? How should we view the present world chaos? A wife said to her
husband, “Shall we watch the six o’clock news and get indigestion or wait for the eleven o’clock
news and have insomnia?” (in Reader’s Digest [4/86], p. 2). Should we sink into depression and
despair? Should we ignore the world and its news, ostrich‑ style? Psalm 2 gives us an answer. In
it, the author, King David (see Acts 4:25), views the rebellion of the nations against God. He
looks at the chaos of the world scene in his day and says that
Though the nations have rebelled against God, He is sovereign; thus, we must submit to Him
while there is time.
Even though the world scene looks as if God has been on an extended vacation, David shows us
that God’s plans have not failed and shall not fail. Everything is under His sovereign control and
He will ultimately triumph in His ordained time. Thus David appeals to the rebellious nations to
bow before the Almighty God while they still have time.
Structure and background of the Psalm:
Psalm 2 is the most frequently quoted psalm in the New Testament. It fits together in an
interesting way with Psalm 1 to introduce the Book of Psalms. Psalm 1 begins with, “How
blessed”; Psalm 2 ends with the same word (in Hebrew). Psalm 1 ends with a threat; Psalm 2
begins with a threat. In Psalm 1, the godly man meditates on God’s law; in Psalm 2, the wicked
meditates (NASB = “devising,” NIV = “plot”; same Hebrew word) on how to cast off the rule of
God. In Psalm 1 the theme is the contrast between the righteous and the wicked person; in Psalm

2 the theme is the contrast between the rebellion of wicked rulers and nations and the rule of
God’s righteous Messiah. Psalm 1 consists of two stanzas and six verses. Psalm 2 is twice as
long, consisting of four stanzas and 12 verses.
The Psalm is structured as a dramatic presentation in four acts. In Act One (2:1‑ 3), David raises
the question about the chaos in the world, and the kings and rulers come forth in a chorus to say
their lines (2:3). In Act Two (2:4‑ 6), God calmly sits upon His throne in heaven and speaks His
line against the rulers (2:6). In Act Three (2:7‑ 9), God’s Anointed One speaks and reveals
God’s decree or predetermined plan for dealing with man’s rebellion. In Act Four (2:10‑ 12), the
psalmist speaks out again, giving a closing appeal in light of the previous acts.
For purposes of grasping the message of the psalm, Acts Two and Three may be grouped
together so that the psalmist is saying three things: 1. The nations have rebelled against God
(2:1‑ 3). But, 2. God is sovereign and has a predetermined plan to judge man’s rebellion
(2:4‑ 9). Thus, 3. We must submit to Him while there is time (2:10‑ 12). Let’s examine these
three thoughts:
1. The nations have rebelled againstGod (2:1‑ 3).
To understand this psalm, we must realize that on one level it applies to King David. The
schemes of these rulers against the Lord and His anointed are rooted in a time in David’s reign
when some of his vassal nations sought to rebel (such as 2 Samuel 10, when the Ammonites and
Syrians rebelled). David, the Lord’s anointed king over His people, Israel, writes this song to
show the folly of rebellion against God’s anointed king because of the promises God had made
to that king. Thus, on one level, 2:1‑ 3 refers to those rebel kings and their attempts to shake off
David’s rule over them.
But it is also obvious that the psalm goes far beyond David’s experience. It is ultimately fulfilled
only in God’s Anointed (Hebrew, “Messiah”), God’s Son who is also David’s son, the Lord
Jesus Christ. Thus writing under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, David wrote this psalm not
only about himself, but in a deeper and much more complete way, about Messiah Jesus. Thus
just as these kings rebelled against King David, so all men have rebelled against King Jesus. The
Bible teaches that:
A. Satan is the author of this rebellion.
Isaiah 14:12‑ 14 describes the rebellion of Satan in heaven against God. When he fell, he led a
portion of the angels with him. Under his authority, these demons now wage war against God
and the righteous angels. The world was created as the theater for this great conflict to take
place. Man was created in the image of God and placed on earth to reflect God’s image and rule
as His representatives over His creation. But the Scriptures also teach that ...
B. All people have followed Satan in his rebellion against God.
When Adam and Eve succumbed to Satan’s temptation and disobeyed God, the human race fell
into sin and thus came under God’s judgment. This rebellion took on an organized form at the
tower of Babel, when proud men came together and proposed to build a tower into heaven to
make a name for themselves (Gen. 11:4). The Lord confused their languages and scattered them,
which was the beginning of the nations. The pride of those at Babel, who sought to make a name
for themselves, was diluted by being divided among the various nations of the earth. But Satan
works through the pride of world rulers to weaken the nations through conflict and keep them
from submitting to God (Isa. 14:12). As biblical prophecy shows, in the end times, the nations

will come together under a single world ruler in defiance of the Lord and His Anointed. Satan is
the main force behind this world ruler, the antichrist.
But even in His curse upon the serpent, God pointed to the way of redemption that He had
planned for fallen man: “I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed
and her seed; He [the woman’s seed] shall bruise you [the serpent] on the head, and you shall
bruise him on the heel” (Gen. 3:15). Messiah Jesus, born of a woman, would be bruised on the
heel by Satan in death as the sin‑ bearer for the fallen race, but He would bruise Satan upon the
head in His triumphant victory over sin and death in His resurrection from the grave. By bringing
people from every nation under the lordship of God’s Anointed, Jesus, the rebellion of Satan is
thwarted.
Thus in His eternal decree, the Father invites the Son, “Ask of Me, and I will surely give the
nations as Your inheritance, and the very ends of the earth as Your possession” (Ps. 2:8). Either
through their willing submission to the message of the gospel now or through their forced
subjection under the rod of the Messiah when He comes to judge the nations, their rebellion will
be quelled.
Meanwhile, where is God in all this rebellion? Did He go to sleep? Has He lost control? No, the
psalmist goes on to show that even though the nations have rebelled against God ...
2. God is sovereign(2:4‑ 9).
God doesn’t even get up from His throne to deal with the vain schemes of rebellious kings: “He
who sits in the heavens laughs, the Lord scoffs at them” (2:4). This doesn’t mean that God gets a
kick out of man’s rebellion or its devastating results. “‘As I live!’ declares the Lord God, ‘I take
no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that the wicked turn from his way and live’”
(Ezek. 33:11). Rather, God’s laughter shows the folly of rebelling against Him. It shows us that
...
A. God has a calm assurance in the face of man’s rebellion (2:4‑ 6).
Mighty men rise up and proudly think that they’re so great and powerful. God laughs: “You’ve
got to be kidding!” Who is puny man to try to stand against the Sovereign God? “He removes
kings and establishes kings” (Dan. 2:21) according to His will. The mighty Nebuchadnezzar, the
greatest ruler on the earth in his day, grew proud and attributed his greatness to himself. God
humbled him with a strange disease, so that he lived in the fields and ate grass like a beast, until
he learned that “the Most High is the ruler over the realm of mankind, and bestows it on
whomever He wishes” (Dan. 4:25).
Napoleon Bonaparte, when intoxicated with success at the height of his power, is reported to
have said, “I make circumstances.” God laughs: “Oh, really?” God let him go on for a while, and
then He spoke to him in His anger and terrified him in His fury (Ps. 2:5), and Napoleon came to
nothing.
Did you know that God is not worried about man’s rebellion against Him? He isn’t sitting on the
edge of heaven, biting His nails, and saying, “Oh, what am I going to do?” He lets man go on for
a while in his rebellion, but then His anger and judgment will come, and man’s proud plans will
come to nothing. The psalmist thus goes on to show that ...
B. God has a predetermined plan to deal with man’s rebellion (2:7‑ 9).
This plan centers on the person and the power of God’s Messiah, His Anointed one.

*The person of Messiah (2:7): Verse seven obviously goes beyond David to Christ. The verse is
quoted several times in the New Testament with reference to Jesus (Acts 13:33; Heb. 1:5; 5:5). It
plunges us into some deep theological waters that we can never fathom. We can never fully
understand the Trinity and the nature of the relationship between the members of the godhead. If
we could, God would not be God. We can only go as far as the Scriptures reveal, and no farther.
While probably somewhat anthropomorphic (using human terms to describe God) so that we can
understand it to some degree, the relationship between the First and Second Persons of the
Trinity is expressed as that of Father and Son. This does not imply any inequality, or that there
was a point in time in which Jesus was begotten of the Father (in which case He would not be
eternal). The scriptures teach, and orthodox theologians for centuries have agreed, that Jesus is
eternally the unique Son of God, second person of the Trinity.
The Athanasian Creed puts it: “The Son is from the Father alone; neither made, nor created, but
begotten ... generated from eternity from the substance of the Father.” The Nicene Creed
expresses it: “The only begotten Son of God, begotten of His Father before all worlds, God of
God, Light of Lights, very God of very God, begotten, not made, being of one substance with the
Father” (quoted in Lewis Sperry Chafer, Systematic Theology [Dallas Seminary Press], I:316).
When Psalm 2:7 says, “You are My Son, today I have begotten You,” there are two possible
interpretations. Either it refers to the day of the eternal decree, when Christ was declared to be
the Son of God and begotten (John Walvoord, Jesus Christ Our Lord [Moody Press], p. 41).
Since the decree is eternal, Christ’s Sonship is eternal. Or, “this day” refers to the time when
Christ’s identity was manifested, when the Father bore witness to Christ as being His own Son,
which was primarily through the resurrection (Rom. 1:4; this is Calvin’s view, Calvin’s
Commentaries [Associated Publishers & Authors], 2:129-130). But both views hold that Christ is
eternally the Son of God.
God’s predetermined plan for dealing with man’s rebellion involves the Second Person of the
Trinity, Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God, whom God sent into the world to pay the penalty
for man’s rebellion (John 3:16; Gal. 4:4). He died according to the predetermined plan and
foreknowledge of God at the hands of godless men (Acts 2:23; 4:27-28). But God raised Him
from the dead and He ascended to heaven, where He is now waiting to return with power. That’s
the second part of God’s plan:
*The power of Messiah (2:8‑ 9): Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, will return bodily to this earth
in power and glory to crush all opposition and to reign in righteousness from David’s throne.
John describes his vision of the Lord Jesus in that great day in Revelation 19:15‑ 16: “And from
His mouth comes a sharp sword, so that with it He may smite the nations; and He will rule them
with a rod of iron; and He treads the winepress of the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty. And on
His robe and on His thigh He has a name written, ‘KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF
LORDS.’” At the end of Christ’s 1,000 year reign, Satan and all who followed him will be
thrown into the lake of fire where they will be tormented forever and ever (Rev. 20:10-15).
That is God’s plan for dealing with rebellious man and with Satan and His forces. His plan
involves the Second Person of the Trinity, the eternal Son of God, who is going to return to this
earth in power to put down all rebellion and to rule in righteousness. How should we respond to
this fact?

Jesus was the victim of the greatest trial

Jesus was the victim of the greatest trial

Recommended

Recommended

More Related Content

What's hot

What's hot (19)

Similar to Jesus was the victim of the greatest trial

Similar to Jesus was the victim of the greatest trial (20)

More from GLENN PEASE

More from GLENN PEASE (20)

Recently uploaded

Recently uploaded (20)

Jesus was the victim of the greatest trial