“I will surely tell of the decree of the Lord: He said to Me, ‘You are My Son, Today I have begotten You. Ask of Me, and I will surely give the nations as Your inheritance, And the very ends of the earth as Your possession. You shall break them with a rod of iron, You shall shatter them like earthenware.’” (7-9)
Psalm 2 is one of the most overtly Messianic Psalms in the Bible. The psalmist uses majestic coronation language to describe the rule of the Son of God over the whole earth. We often think of the Son as the Suffering Servant as we see Him in the gospels. However, long before a baby was born in Bethlehem, He ruled as God over the universe. Again, after His triumph on the cross, He returned to that heavenly throne and sat down at the Father’s right hand to rule and reign forever. When He came to earth the first time, He came as a savior, but someday He will return as a judge.
I love verse 8, where the nations and ends of the earth have been given to Him as His possession. As the gospel spreads across the globe, that is precisely what is happening; more and more are coming to Christ, and the Kingdom of God is exponentially expanding. Missions advance is a literal fulfillment of this passage where the Lord Jesus is receiving His inheritance as multitudes come to know and love Him. Yet, verse 9 speaks of another day when He will rule with a rod of iron. Today the nations have the opportunity to embrace Him as Lord and Savior. Soon though, if they do not embrace Him, they will face Him as the righteous judge. We must take the gospel to the ends of the earth now so the lost can know Him as we do.
There is an old story about a young juvenile delinquent playing in traffic who was saved from an oncoming bus by a grey-haired older man. The boy thanked the man, and the man encouraged him to take this second chance and change his life. Years later, that boy grew up and became a criminal. As he stood before the judge accused of capital murder, he seemed unfazed and unrepentant. When he was awaiting his fate, the judge asked him if he had any last words. The criminal responded, “I think you should let me go with a warning because we are old friends.” The courtroom gasped, and he continued, “You might not remember, but I was the little boy you saved from the bus in the street many years ago. Surely you can do something to save me today.” The old judge hung his head as he remembered that day long ago. Then he lifted his eyes and said to the man, “All those years ago I was your savior, but today I am your judge… I find you guilty.” Jesus is a loving savior who offers salvation to all who would come to Him in repentance and faith. Yet, He is also the righteous judge who rules the earth and will come to judge the living and the dead. Come to Him as Savior today before time runs out, and you must face Him as judge.
