Psalm 2:6-8 - [God said] "As for Me, I have set My King on Zion, My holy hill." I will tell of the decree: The LORD said to me, "You are My Son; today I have begotten You. Ask of Me, and I will make the nations Your heritage, and the ends of the earth Your possession."
David the psalmist, himself a king, is moved by the Holy Spirit to look forward across the centuries to a King yet to come. This psalm foretells the reign of the Lord's Anointed, the promised Messiah. The prophecy does not begin with the Messiah's triumph, but with the rage of nations. When the Messiah came, people plotted against the Anointed One as earthly kings and rulers joined forces to free themselves from the Lord's reign. The apostles referred to this psalm as they spoke of the raging nations, saying that in Jerusalem, "there were gathered together against Your holy Servant Jesus, whom You anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel" (Acts 4:27b).
The religious leaders of Israel, King Herod and the Roman Governor Pilate united against the Savior, but the psalmist records God's response to the schemes against His Messiah: "He who sits in the heavens laughs" (Psalm 2:4a). The plots and plans were carried out according to God's design. The raging nations were allowed to overcome the Anointed One—at least for a short time. Jesus was condemned to death, crowned with thorns, and lifted up on a cross. God set His King on a hill we call Mount Calvary, and the innocent, obedient Messiah suffered and died to atone for the sins of the world.
The Lord's Anointed died as the Scriptures foretold. Then on the first Easter morning the crucified King was raised in triumph and "was declared to be the Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness by His resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord" (Romans 1:4). The risen Messiah, exalted as King of kings and Lord of lords, told His followers, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me" (Matthew 28:18b). The nations are His heritage and all of the earth is His possession because "in Christ God was reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them" (2 Corinthians 5:19). The crucified and risen King, who claims the nations as His own, sends us out as His ambassadors to proclaim repentance and forgiveness in His Name.
We pray that through our witness and in the power of the Holy Spirit, many people will come to faith in Jesus, the Lord's Anointed. They will join us one day with all of the redeemed in the "great multitude ... from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages" praising the King of kings: "Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!" (Revelation 7:9b, 10b).
WE PRAY: Lord Jesus, reign as King in my life until I stand before Your throne. Amen.
This Daily Devotion was written by Dr. Carol Geisler.
Reflection Questions:
1. If you have children, what makes you most proud when you see it in their character?
2. How did Jesus respond when He was conspired against?
3. Does being an ambassador for God carry with it any duties?
Today's Bible Readings: Exodus 16-18 Matthew 27:1-26
To Download Devotion MP3 to your computer, right click here and select "Save Link As" or "Save Target As" or "Download Linked File As"