God Is Working His Plan for
Your Life
Psalms 2:1-12
Jim Davis
Life is growing increasingly complex. Our minds are overloaded
with information. The pace of modern day change is problematic
for our society. Our minds are having difficulty keeping pace
with the scientific, technological, cultural and social
innovation of our times. Values are eroding. There doesn’t seem
to be anything left to guide our actions. The wisdom of the past
seems to have lost its validity. The past has lost its validity
and we don’t have a clear vision of the future. Our view of the
world is narrowed by what is going on at the moment. The
negative developments are overemphasized while the positive ones
elude us. We focus on the small negative things around us and
fail to view the whole picture. (F. Heylighen, What Is A
Worldview, Principia Cybernetica web page.).
What we need is a framework that ties
everything together, that allows us to understand society, the
world, and our place in it. We need something to help us make
the critical decisions which will shape our future. (F.
Heylighen, What Is A Worldview, Principia Cybernetica web
page.).
There was a day when kids took pocket knives to school to swap
knives with one another. Today it is hard for an adult to get on
an airplane with a pair of fingernail clippers. A foreboding
climate of anxiety and despair hangs over our lives. No one
seems to have answers. It is enough to instill a nightmarish
existence. We need something or someone to pull us together. We
need someone to guide us. We need a philosophy of life that will
help us pull it all together so we can see the bigger picture.
God’s word seeks to give us such a view of society, the world
and our place in it. His word is designed to give us answers.
The One Enthroned In Heaven
There are times when even the worst and the best of people
need to be reminded how God is still on his throne fulfilling
his plans for their personal lives. This is especially
true when it seems as though the world is against you. It is
especially true when we think God has deserted us.
The story of salvation from Genesis to revelation is about
how we must set our hope on God. This is precisely what
the psalmist is reminding himself of as he pens Psalms 2. The
psalmist sees God on his throne in heaven laughing as the world
scorns his plans for the Israelites; and not only for Israel,
but God’s plan for themselves. God’s plans for Israel included
them.
Psalms 2:1-12
Why do the nations conspire
and the peoples plot in vain?
2 The kings of the earth take
their stand
and the rulers gather together
against the LORD
and against his Anointed One.
3 "Let us break their chains,"
they say,
"and throw off their fetters."
4 The One enthroned in heaven
laughs;
the Lord scoffs at them.
5 Then he rebukes them in his
anger
and terrifies them in his wrath,
saying,
6 "I have installed my King
on Zion, my holy hill."
7 I will proclaim the decree of
the LORD
He said to me, "You are my Son;
today I have become your
Father.
8 Ask of me,
and I will make the nations your
inheritance,
the ends of the earth your
possession.
9 You will rule them with an iron
scepter;
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 rejoice with trembling.
12 Kiss the Son, lest he be angry
and you be destroyed in your way,
for his wrath can flare up in a
moment.
Blessed are all who take refuge
in him. NIV
The psalmist lived in a time when the negative developments
around him out weighed the positive, but he refused to live a
nightmarish existence. He doesn’t see himself as hopeless.
Though the nations around him desired his destruction, and the
people in his own nation conspired against him. The rulers of
the earth were crying for rebellion against him. He simply
reminds himself that God will rebuke them with an iron scepter.
He simply determines that he will serve the sovereign Lord who
will work things out in his own time.
He sought to see it all from the eternal perspective of the
kingdom of God. The world was against him, but he understood God
ruled. His belief in God helped him develop a philosophy of life
that allowed him to see the bigger picture. He understood the
world order of things and his place in it.
The second psalm is the most quoted psalm in the New Testament.
Prayerful Christians understood what God was doing through
Christ as the fulfillment of the psalmist hopes and dreams. The
Jewish priests and elders brought Peter and John before the
Sanhedrin to be tried for healing a cripple. Fear overcame the
religious leaders; they were persuaded to release Peter and
John. Peter and John returned reporting how things transpired.
In it all Christians see God fulfilling the promises of Psalms 2
as they quote the verses of the psalm in their prayers.
Acts 4:23-31
23 On their release, Peter and
John went back to their own people and reported all that the
chief priests and elders had said to them. 24 When they heard
this, they raised their voices together in prayer to God.
"Sovereign Lord," they said, "you made the heaven and the earth
and the sea, and everything in them. 25 You spoke by the Holy
Spirit through the mouth of your servant, our father David:
"'Why do the nations rage
and the peoples plot in vain?
26 The kings of the earth take
their stand
and the rulers gather together
against the Lord
and against his Anointed One.'
27 Indeed Herod and Pontius
Pilate met together with the Gentiles and the people of Israel
in this city to conspire against your holy servant Jesus, whom
you anointed. 28 They did what your power and will had decided
beforehand should happen. 29 Now, Lord, consider their threats
and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness.
30 Stretch out your hand to heal and perform miraculous signs
and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus."
31 After they prayed, the place
where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled
with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly. NIV
It has been said the Old Testament is the New Testament
concealed and the New Testament is the Old Testament revealed.
Christ’s message and mission gave Christians 20/20 hindsight
into the mysteries of the messianic promises of the Old
Testament. More importantly is that now they see how they were
included in God’s plan. Their prayers reveal their belief that
now God is moving on their behalf to fulfill the promises in
Psalm 2. They see God continue to work deliverance as he
salvages their lives. They understand it all as part of the
promise made in Psalms 2.
God’s plan seems mysterious, but he rules, he is working things
out according to his plan, and each of us is included in it.
God’s plan was mysterious to the prophets and to even the
angels. They were secrets hidden in the very heart of God. The
angels often scratched their heads at what God was doing. They
had no clue. They couldn’t make sense of it. However, Christians
see the revelation of the message clearly. Christ is the mystery
revealed.
1 Peter 1:10-12
10 Concerning this salvation, the
prophets, who spoke of the grace that was to come to you,
searched intently and with the greatest care, 11 trying to find
out the time and circumstances to which the Spirit of Christ in
them was pointing when he predicted the sufferings of Christ and
the glories that would follow. 12 It was revealed to them that
they were not serving themselves but you, when they spoke of the
things that have now been told you by those who have preached
the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven. Even
angels long to look into these things. NIV
Colossians 2:2-3
2 My purpose is that they may be
encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have
the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they
may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ, 3 in whom are
hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. NIV
Although we see the Messianic overtones in the psalm, the person
writing this psalm understands the relevance of the psalm for
himself. It’s not just a futuristic hope of what God will do
through a Messiah. It certainly is that. But it is much more.
The psalmist sees himself in the eternal plan of God. It is also
about his relationship to God. It is about how God is using him
to bring about his plan in Christ. He knows he is included in
God’s plan because he is also a son of God.
Our Hope Is In A Personal God
Our hope lies in a God who is up close and personal.
His plan for our personal lives often seems mysterious. We
don’t know what tomorrow will bring. If God openly revealed his
plan to us it would cause even more anxiety. Imagine a finite
mind wrestling with plans of an infinite intelligence. If Satan
knew God’s specific plan for each of us, he would use this
knowledge to make our lives more difficult. What general
wouldn’t use his knowledge of his opponents plans to defeat his
opponent. God’s plans for each of us are mysterious for good
reason.
We can rest assured God is in control. He has a plan. We must
follow one step at a time as it is revealed. When Paul was in
Corinth he was reminded that God was with him. He
was reminded that God was in control. God revealed that he was
using Paul to fulfill his plan to save many Corinthians.
Acts 18:5-17
5 When Silas and Timothy came
from Macedonia, Paul devoted himself exclusively to preaching,
testifying to the Jews that Jesus was the Christ. 6 But when
the Jews opposed Paul and became abusive, he shook out his
clothes in protest and said to them, "Your blood be on your own
heads! I am clear of my responsibility. From now on I will go to
the Gentiles."
7 Then Paul left the synagogue
and went next door to the house of Titius Justus, a worshiper of
God. 8 Crispus, the synagogue ruler, and his entire household
believed in the Lord; and many of the Corinthians who heard him
believed and were baptized.
9 One night the Lord spoke to
Paul in a vision: "Do not be afraid; keep on speaking, do not be
silent. 10 For I am with you, and no one is going to attack and
harm you, because I have many people in this city." 11 So Paul
stayed for a year and a half, teaching them the word of God.
12 While Gallio was proconsul of
Achaia, the Jews made a united attack on Paul and brought him
into court. 13 "This man," they charged, "is persuading the
people to worship God in ways contrary to the law."
14 Just as Paul was about to
speak, Gallio said to the Jews, "If you Jews were making a
complaint about some misdemeanor or serious crime, it would be
reasonable for me to listen to you. 15 But since it involves
questions about words and names and your own law — settle the
matter yourselves. I will not be a judge of such things." 16 So
he had them ejected from the court. 17 Then they all turned on
Sosthenes the synagogue ruler and beat him in front of the
court. But Gallio showed no concern whatever. NIV
God reminded Paul how he was ruling from heaven. Read this
again, “One night the Lord spoke to Paul in a vision: ‘Do
not be afraid; keep on speaking, do not be silent. For I am
with you, and no one is going to attack and harm you, because I
have many people in this city.’ So Paul stayed for a year and a
half, teaching them the word of God.” Paul had the
religious world against him. It doesn’t get any worse than
having the religious crowd against you. Trying to save those who
think they are already saved is the toughest job in the world.
Amazingly, God raised up leaders in Corinth from the ranks of
non-believers to protect Paul. God forces Gallio to weigh in on
Paul’s difficulties. Paul escapes unscathed—just as God
promised—God rules.
God Rule doesn’t Eliminate
Fear and Doubt
God rules—but it is amazing how God’s promises do not always
remove fear and doubt. Paul was pressured far beyond his
ability to endure. He was forced to rely upon God; he learned to
set his hope on God.
2 Corinthians 1:8-11
8 We do not want you to be
uninformed, brothers, about the hardships we suffered in the
province of Asia. We were under great pressure, far beyond our
ability to endure, so that we despaired even of life. 9 Indeed,
in our hearts we felt the sentence of death. But this happened
that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the
dead. 10 He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he
will deliver us. On him we have set our hope that he will
continue to deliver us, 11 as you help us by your prayers. Then
many will give thanks on our behalf for the gracious favor
granted us in answer to the prayers of many. NIV
Paul sees God actively working to fulfill his plan to bring
salvation to Corinth. He also experiences his personal
deliverance—salvation—as he seeks to save those God sent him to
save. God is on his throne, but he gets into the very heart of
Paul.
There is no doubt that scripture such as Psalms 2 inspired Paul
to write these verses.
2 Corinthians 4:16-18
16 Therefore we do not lose
heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are
being renewed day by day. 17 For our light and momentary
troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far
outweighs them all. 18 So we fix our eyes not on what is seen,
but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what
is unseen is eternal. NIV
Romans 8:18-19
18 I consider that our present
sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be
revealed in us. 19 The creation waits in eager expectation for
the sons of God to be revealed. NIV
God’s Hope Is for Sinners
God’s rule gives all hope. We may think the hope God offers is
reserved only for the heroes of the Bible. However, they were
called long before they became heroes—we forget hope was
extended to them while they were sinners. And they didn’t live
perfect lives after they were called by God.
God’s plan includes every person who has ever sinned or will
ever sin. It is offered to scoffers and the ungodly as well as
it is to those who are sincerely seeking him. The book of First
Corinthians reveals the sorts of people in Corinth God sends
Paul to salvage.
1 Corinthians 6:9-11
9 Do you not know that the wicked
will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither
the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male
prostitutes nor homosexual offenders 10 nor thieves nor the
greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit
the kingdom of God. 11 And that is what some of you were.
But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in
the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.
NIV
Paul mentions all those who will be lost, and then
unashamedly reminds the Corinthians that is what they were
before they were sanctified in Christ. Imagine, Paul
addressing these sinners as saints. I am amazed at what many
believe one must do to become a saint. The Corinthians became
sanctified the moment they believed in Christ. Luke writes, “. .
. many of the Corinthians who heard him believed and were
baptized” (Acts 18:8 NIV). Paul says, they were washed, they
were sanctified, and they were justified.”
You might think God had many righteous people in the city he
wanted to save. We may think those God wanted to save were
attending a Jewish synagogue as they eagerly awaited the message
of the Messiah. God didn’t send Paul to save the righteous. Paul
was sent to save sinners—the ungodly—the unrighteous. They had
no clue to what God was doing on their behalf as he ruled in the
heavens above. But he was there in a powerful way. He was
working out his plans and the rulers of the world were no match
for God.
God was actively working to save the sexually immoral—male
prostitutes—homosexuals—thieves idolaters—swindlers, etc.
It may be hard to imagine that God sent Paul to save these
sinners. It is even harder to believe they became saints the
moment they received Christ in baptism. God told Paul he had
many people in the city. These were the people he was speaking
of. They were his sons and daughters by natural birth.
You Are My Son/Daughter
The psalmist proclaims, “He [God] said to me, “You are my Son;
today I have become your Father.” No doubt this is a messianic
prophecy. Yet, David realizes he is God’s Son in a very real
sense. He is not divine, but he is no less God’s Son. It is a
personal promise to David as well as a prophetic statement about
Christ.
He said to me, "You are my Son;
today I have become your
Father.
8 Ask of me,
and I will make the nations your
inheritance,
the ends of the earth your
possession.
9 You will rule them with an iron
scepter;
you will dash them to pieces like
pottery."
The most common name Jesus referred to himself as was the
“son of man.” Many Bible versions capitalize the title
“Son of Man.” But he was the “son of man” in the truest sense.
He is not ashamed to identify with us. He wanted us to know that
he was one of us, because we are all sons and daughters of God.
We were born into this world as sons and daughters of God. We
are made in his image. Jesus Christ simply came to reconcile our
relationship with God.
Jesus came proclaiming himself simply as the “son of man” to
remind us that we are sons and daughters of God. He came to
remind us that God is not so far removed from sinners. He came
to remind us that he rules in heaven on our behalf. He rules to
bring us personal deliverance—personal salvation. No matter how
sinful we are or have been.
Romans 5:6-11
6 You see, at just the right
time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly.
7 Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a
good man someone might possibly dare to die. 8 But God
demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still
sinners, Christ died for us.
9 Since we have now been
justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from
God's wrath through him! 10 For if, when we were God's enemies,
we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much
more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his
life! 11 Not only is this so, but we also rejoice in God through
our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received
reconciliation. NIV
We fail to see what God is doing beyond us—and our
circumstances—our world. Until we do we will never understand
the frame work our lives fit into. We can’t imagine how far
reaching God’s plan is, but we can rest assured each of us is
included.
The faithful of old sought to see what God was doing from an
eternal perspective. Today we can look back through salvation
history and understand more clearly the words the psalmist
penned in the second psalm. But his dream has not reached its
complete fulfillment yet. God continues his work to subdue the
nations. Someday every knee will bow to his Son, and confess he
is the Christ. He will make his enemies his footstool.
Philippians 2:5-13
5 Your attitude should be the
same as that of Christ Jesus:
6 Who, being in very nature God,
did not consider equality with
God something to be grasped,
7 but made himself nothing,
taking the very nature of a
servant,
being made in human likeness.
8 And being found in appearance
as a man,
he humbled himself
and became obedient to death —
even death on a cross!
9 Therefore God exalted him to
the highest place
and gave him the name that is
above every name,
10 that at the name of Jesus
every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under
the earth,
11 and every tongue confess that
Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.
12 Therefore, my dear friends, as
you have always obeyed — not only in my presence, but now much
more in my absence — continue to work out your salvation with
fear and trembling, 13 for it is God who works in you to will
and to act according to his good purpose. NIV
When this happens, the saved will be reigning with Christ. We
wait in confident expectation of God’s ongoing presence moment
by moment. It gives us something solid to shape our lives
around. It gives us a future.
Fitting our lives into the framework of God’s plan is far more
hopeful than trying to fit our lives into the narrow view of a
seemingly hopeless world that is overemphasizing the negative.
It allows us to see our unbelievable place in the bigger picture
of God’s handiwork.
Conclusion:
We are children of God by natural birth. We can stake a claim on
our relationship with God anew through Christ. Luke traces
Jesus’ genealogy through Adam. He wrote Jesus was the son of
Adam, who was the son of God (Luke 3:23-28). If Christ is the
son of Adam, he is one of us. It reminds us of our original
relationship with God in Eden. He came to reclaim God’s original
relationship with each of us.
It is certainly encouraging to understand that every move God
has ever made or will ever make is designed to salvage his
relationship with each of us through Christ. Each decision God
makes today is designed to give us a future bigger than anything
we are capable of imagining.
God is working his plan in your life. Are you willing to accept
his plan?
Read the psalm again, but read it as though God is telling you
“You are my Son/Daughter; today I have become your Father.” Live
life accordingly. Remember God’s plan revealed in this psalm
will not be completed until Christ returns. It is a thumbnail
sketch of his ongoing eternal plan for each of us.
Psalms 2:1-12
Why do the nations conspire
and the peoples plot in vain?
2 The kings of the earth take
their stand
and the rulers gather together
against the LORD
and against his Anointed One.
3 "Let us break their chains,"
they say,
"and throw off their fetters."
4 The One enthroned in heaven
laughs;
the Lord scoffs at them.
5 Then he rebukes them in his
anger
and terrifies them in his wrath,
saying,
6 "I have installed my King
on Zion, my holy hill."
7 I will proclaim the decree of
the LORD
He said to me, "You are my Son;
today I have become your
Father.
8 Ask of me,
and I will make the nations your
inheritance,
the ends of the earth your
possession.
9 You will rule them with an iron
scepter;
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 rejoice with trembling.
12 Kiss the Son, lest he be angry
and you be destroyed in your way,
for his wrath can flare up in a
moment.
Blessed are all who take refuge
in him. NIV
