Because He Said So

Can you imagine the world’s strongest nations coming together for a conference to oppose a leader who claimed exclusive sovereign reign over the earth? Suppose this leader had the audacity to have an actual throne built for him and then declared that the world owed its allegiance to him. Imagine the outrage especially in a country like America, which is known for its independence and principles of freedom. Surely, an alliance would be established to bring this ruler down. No doubt, war would be inevitable.

This is similar to the setting of Psalm 2. The nations are in an uproar and unite together because the Lord has established His King in Israel. The Bible says that the rulers of the earth take their stand against Him (vs. 2). The thought is that they stand ready to fight. What exactly were they so upset about? The Psalmist writes that concerning the Lord and His Anointed, the nations exclaim, “Let us tear their fetters apart And cast away their cords from us!” They were opposed to sovereignty! They did not want to submit to God’s rule over them. His sovereignty was like shackles to them and they wanted no part of that subjugation.

I don’t know if the rulers in Psalm 2 would stand out as wicked men to many Americans since it seems to be in our blood to oppose absolute sovereignty. R. C. Sproul tells the story of John Guest, an Episcopalian priest who traveled to America from England. Guest visited an antiquarian in Philadelphia and came across an American Revolutionary sign that read, “We serve no sovereign here!” Guest was shocked at the sight and responded, “How can I possibly communicate the idea of the kingdom of God in a nation that has a built-in allergy to sovereignty?”

The message of the Bible is and always has been that God is in control. God is sovereign over history, over nations, and over souls. Whatever He says goes. It is sort of built into His name: “God.” This is why we call Him “Lord.” In Psalm 2, the Lord responds to the rulers’ revolt with a statement assuming His complete control, “But as for me, I have installed My King upon Zion, My holy mountain” (vs. 6). Because the Lord has said it, it will be so. He says this in His anger because of the insolence of the nations and because the only appropriate response for the nations is to show discernment and to worship God with fear and trembling (vs. 10-11).

One of the biggest problems for these rulers is that they do not have an accurate understanding of the sovereignty of God. They envision God’s rule as cold and hard, as fetters and cords. In their pride, they refuse to bow the knee to Him and are ignorant of His infinite goodness, which is coupled with his sovereignty. They don’t trust that the Lord is good and upright (Ps. 25:8) and that He doesn’t withhold good from those who walk uprightly (Ps. 84:11). They oppose His Anointed because He stands in the way of their sovereignty. And they refuse to acknowledge that His sovereignty is legitimate and real.

It is easy to judge these rulers for their ignorance and pride. But the same pride is an everyday struggle even for some Christians today. It’s a struggle for me. Too often I pay lip service to God praising Him for His sovereignty… and then I undergo difficulties and trials. It is in those times that I am tempted to wonder whether God’s sovereignty is all that it’s cracked up to be. I need to remember that when I question God’s goodness and control I manifest the same pride as the rulers of Psalm 2. Sure, I may not manifest it in the same brazen way, but it is offensive to God nonetheless to doubt His character.

God help me to trust, especially when the times are darkest and hardest. Help me to remember how much darker and harder life would be without your good and sovereign control. Without You there would be no real answers to life’s most difficult questions. Help me to worship You in fear and trembling.