1 Why do the nations conspire
and the peoples plot in vain?
2 The kings of the earth rise up
and the rulers band together
against the Lord and against his anointed, saying,
3 “Let us break their chains
and throw off their shackles.”
4 The One enthroned in heaven laughs;
the Lord scoffs at them.
5 He rebukes them in his anger
and terrifies them in his wrath, saying,
6 “I have installed my king
on Zion, my holy mountain.”
7 I will proclaim the Lord’s decree:
He said to me, “You are my son;
today I have become your father.
8 Ask me,
and I will make the nations your inheritance,
the ends of the earth your possession.
9 You will break them with a rod of iron;
you will dash them to pieces like pottery.”
10 Therefore, you kings, be wise;
be warned, you rulers of the earth.
11 Serve the Lord with fear
and celebrate his rule with trembling.
12 Kiss his son, or he will be angry
and your way will lead to your destruction,
for his wrath can flare up in a moment.
Blessed are all who take refuge in him.
This psalm is about different kings – the evil kings of the earth and the king God has installed on the throne.
Question 1
What are the people (the kings and rulers) in verses 1-3 like?
Question 2
Why does the Lord laugh? V4-5
Question 3
v6 tells us “I have installed my king on Zion, my holy mountain.” Who is this king?
Jesus!
The world is a scary place and there’s so much such news. It can all seem out of control. But the LORD says “I have installed my king”. Sometimes it’s hard to believe that. It was for the people who first sang this psalm. They had been promised the ‘blessed man-king’ who would come through the family line of David. But, a lot of the psalms are all about the struggle David had to even stay alive and become king. Then, there were times when the kings in David’s family were so unlike Jesus, it seemed like he was never going to come. Just like those early singers, we’re still waiting for the king to come again and bring an end to death and sadness and suffering. This psalm helps us to keep our heads up and believe in Jesus, even when it seems like darkness is winning. The LORD has installed his king on Zion – so we can have hope of the future.
Question 4
When you go through sad and difficult times, how can you remember that Jesus has come and has victory over evil?
Pray: thank you LORD, for installing your king, Jesus, on zion, so we can have hope when we face difficult times.
Digging a bit deeper
