Psalm 2:1-6
Just
because someone has a conspiracy theory about something doesn’t mean that they
aren’t right. Conspiracy has been part of human history almost from the
beginning of time. People plot against each other. We think and dream about how
we might get even with someone who has wronged us. In business we plan our next
strategy often based on trying to increase our market share while decreasing
our competitor’s share.
People
in power conspire all the time. They form coalitions in order to get things
done. They trade one thing for another, often behind the scenes and away from
prying eyes. Deals are struck in secret about future reciprocal support. On the
surface it looks as though everything is above board, but underneath souls have
been traded, ethics have been compromised, some have been sold down the river.
Any
time someone has power and another person doesn’t, conspiracy happens. It may
include plastic explosives and a timer, or it may just be the constant dripping
of complaints. The LORD warned Israel not to ask for a king. He knew that
earthly kings let power go to their heads. The support structure of earthly
leaders is a drain on any society, even one as affluent as the United States.
But Israel wanted to be like the other nations with an earthly king. They got
one.
And
when one nation is viewed as having too much power and influence it becomes an
easy target for other nations, especially nations that don’t seem to be able to
get their leadership going in the right direction. The prosperous nation
becomes an easy target of blame. And thus is born a conspiracy. This kind of
thinking led to millions of Jews being killed during World War II. All Muslims
get blamed for the over three hundred million who believe it is acceptable to
kill innocents in the cause of Islam. That leaves over seven hundred million
who don’t believe this.
Our
Psalm today is broken into four parts, the first two of which we will look at
today. The first three verses outline this conspiracy by the surrounding
nations against King David and Israel as a whole. Remember, the LORD chose the
Jews to be the vessel through whom He would show His love to the world. They
were to be a light for the Gentiles, showing them the sufficiency of the LORD. They
were to demonstrate how forgiveness would happen. Through the Jubilee Year,
economic stability happened for everyone. Every aspect of life was to be a
glimpse of His faithful presence.
Plotting
against the LORD is like shaking your fist at the sun because it is bright and
hot. Our shaking doesn’t affect the sun one bit. It will continue to shine. The
reason the other nations hated the LORD’s rule in Israel is simple. They were
in rebellion against the LORD. They didn’t want His rule in their lives. If
they had submitted to His rule, they would not have become a subjugated people.
If they had yielded when they had the chance, they would have found a place in
this new world order, an order with the LORD at the helm.
But
instead of submitting, they shook their fist and were defeated. And as
defeated, non-submissive people, their treatment was meant as a lesson to other
nations who might attack.
And
through all this the LORD is not affected. None of His power is diminished. He
is still on His throne. He is still in charge of bringing the world to His
ends. He put David in charge, and that is that! All their power plays and
conspiratorial plots do nothing to remove Him from the throne. He sees the fist
shaking and continues to shine forth His love and grace.
The
problem lies in the package. People want control over the package that the LORD
delivers His grace. They want it their way, or not at all. But God’s grace
comes in one package only, His. We celebrated that package’s arrival two weeks
ago at Christmas. Jesus is the package. Jesus is grace delivered. But we must
be willing to see our name on the label and open it. We can reject the package
and try to work it out ourselves, shaking our defiant fist. Or we can humbly
accept that He did for us what we could never do for ourselves. He solved the
sin problem. Our sin, His solution.