Psalm 2:11
Serve the Lord with fear
and celebrate his rule with trembling.
Today’s Reading: Psalm 2:6-12
Continuing in Psalm 2 from yesterday, God is speaking to the pagan kings and rulers who have banded together against the Lord. He scoffs at them and rebukes them. He is angry. And they are terrified.
The second half of this Psalm begins with God’s declaration of Jesus and his status in Creation. God declares that Jesus is His son and God will give him “the nations your inheritance, the ends of the earth your possession” (Psalm 2:8).
We read the fulfillment of this prophecy but it’s worth reading again. “Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
and gave him the name that is above every name,
that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father” (Phil 2:9-11).
I can’t emphasize this enough. Jesus is The King. He came to earth to establish his kingdom and he completed the task. It’s not correct to think that because he came to earth as a kind, gentle and forgiving savior who gave his life for our sins that he is waiting for his second coming to establish his kingdom. He has already done that. Jesus is the Christ already – the King of all Creation. He is simply giving us the opportunity to bow to him voluntarily until he comes again.
When he comes next time, he will “break them with a rod of iron” and “dash them to pieces like pottery” (Psalm 2:9). So God’s advice to us and even the pagan rulers is to be wise. We have been warned that destruction is coming for those that oppose the Lord. We are to “serve the Lord with fear and celebrate his rule with trembling” (Psalm 2:11).
It’s hard for us to bow to a king voluntarily. We seek to serve ourselves. It’s simply human nature. If forced to do so, we will bow. But given the alternative, why would we choose it? A couple of reasons come to mind and I think they are both in the conclusion of our Psalm. The first reason is because God “will be angry and your way will lead to your destruction” (Psalm 2:12). Following our own ways and desires leads us down the wrong path and ultimately to our destruction.
The second reason is because “blessed are all who take refuge in him” (Psalm 2:12). Submitting to Christ leads to blessings. Paul tells us, “God who alone is wise” (1 Tim 1:17, NKJV). All wisdom comes from God and He knows what is best for us. Following him may seem like chains and shackles until you do it. Then you realize that His ways lead to peace, hope and freedom. And as the Psalmist tells us, taking refuge in Jesus also leads to blessings.
Christ in the Old Testament 
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