Why Do the Nations rage?
A Sermon on Psalms 2:1-12
Originally preached Nov. 14, 1965
Scripture
1Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing?
2The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD, and against his anointed, saying,
3Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from …
Sermon Description
Pain, suffering, and ultimately death are inescapable parts of life. But why? How do we account for the troubles that are common throughout history? Why do the nations rage? The story of humanity shows a restless world always searching for answers that never provide relief. Listen as Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones preaches through the text of Psalm 2 and Acts 4 to explain the vain and empty pursuits of those who purposefully rebel against God. While they dream and plan for a world of their own happiness, their attempts are futile because of their ignorance of God. God will judge their rebellion against Him and His wrath will be fierce. But there is hope. The psalmist speaks of deliverance that is echoed throughout the entire Bible. It culminates in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. This is the answer the world cannot provide — that God’s gracious purpose to extend mercy through his son Jesus, the Anointed One, to a restless and rebellious world brings the joy and deliverance the world desperately wants.
Sermon Breakdown
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Dr. Lloyd-Jones begins by introducing Psalm 2 and explaining that it describes the attitude of mankind towards God throughout history. The early Christians in Acts 4 applied it to the treatment of Jesus by Herod, Pontius Pilate, and the Jews.
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The psalmist asks "why do the heathen rage and the people imagine a vain thing?" This question expresses horror and astonishment at the behavior of the heathen and the people of Israel. It is a question we should ask today when we consider the state of the world.
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The state of the world is that it is raging, like the troubled sea that cannot rest. There is restlessness, trouble, and confusion. Sin manifests itself in raging, with no limits or decency. The world has lost direction and meaning.
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The Bible provides the only explanation for the state of the world: man's rebellion against God. All of society is involved, especially leaders and rulers. This rebellion is deliberate and organized.
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The rebellion is motivated by man's enmity against God and his laws. Man sees God's laws as bonds and cords, as enslaving. Man believes he can liberate himself from God.
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God's response to man's folly is to laugh at it. God sits in the heavens, as the creator and judge of the universe. Man's schemes come to nothing. God's laws cannot be broken. There is a day of judgment coming.
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Man's fatal ignorance is of God himself. Man measures God by his own standards. Man stands in judgment over God. But God will break man with a rod of iron.
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Man not only rejects God's law but also his love. God sent his Son to save the world, but the world rejects him just as it rejects the law. This is the greatest tragedy.
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The psalmist appeals to man to be wise, to receive instruction, to realize his situation and submit to God. Man should "kiss the Son" - submit to him, trust in him. Blessed are all who put their trust in him.
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Dr. Lloyd-Jones asks if we are wise with regard to ourselves, the world, and eternity. Have we kissed the Son - submitted to him, trusted in him? If we do, we will understand the world, know our sins are forgiven, and look forward to eternity with Christ.
Sermon Q&A
Understanding Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones' Sermon on Psalm 2
I've analyzed Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones' sermon on Psalm 2 and created questions and answers that reflect his powerful message about mankind's rebellion against God and God's response.
What does Dr. Lloyd-Jones identify as the root cause of the world's problems according to Psalm 2?
According to Dr. Lloyd-Jones, the root cause of all the world's problems is mankind's rebellion against God. He states, "Why is there such a thing as war? Why, indeed, is there such a thing as death? Why is there disease? Why is there sorrow? Why is there trouble?" His answer is clear: "There is only one explanation of why this is Remembrance Sunday, why such a thing ever comes into being, why there ever are wars and troubles and trials. There's only one answer. It is man's rebellion against God."
How does Dr. Lloyd-Jones describe mankind's attitude toward God's laws?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones explains that mankind views God's laws not as helpful guidance but as restrictive bonds: "They regard these things as bands, as restraints. They regard them as cords, as shuttles." Mankind says, "Let us break their bands asunder and cast away their cords from us." People mistakenly see God's laws as "fettering and enchaining and slavery," when in reality, God gave His laws "for our benefit, to teach us how to live and how to have a full life and an enjoyable life and a life of bliss and of happiness."
What does Dr. Lloyd-Jones mean when he says "He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh"?
This phrase describes God's response to mankind's rebellion. Dr. Lloyd-Jones explains it as: "The great God is looking down upon our world this evening. Our clever world. The world that thought that Charles Darwin's one book, the Origin of Species, was going to get rid of God." He continues, "There's only one thing to do with people who can believe a thing like that. It is to laugh them out of court. It is to ridicule them out of the universe. And God is doing that." It represents God's sovereign response to mankind's futile attempts to overthrow His authority.
How does Dr. Lloyd-Jones connect Psalm 2 to Jesus Christ?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones explains that the early Christians in Acts 4 applied Psalm 2 directly to Jesus Christ. They recognized that the "anointed" mentioned in the psalm refers to Christ. The rebellion described in Psalm 2 "all came to a climax, a focus in what the world did with Jesus of Nazareth, the son of God." He points out that "Herod and Pontius Pilate with the Gentiles and the people of Israel were gathered together" against Jesus, fulfilling the psalm's prophecy about rulers taking counsel together against the Lord's anointed.
What does Dr. Lloyd-Jones mean by "imagining vain things"?
According to Dr. Lloyd-Jones, "imagining vain things" refers to mankind's futile attempts to create perfect societies without God. He describes these as "futile and empty schemes" that are "hopeless and impossible." He mentions examples like utopian visions, the League of Nations, and the United Nations - all human attempts to solve world problems without God. He states, "Anything apart from God is ultimately empty and vain. For God is... God is the author of being and of life. And if you're not in connection with God, well, you really have got nothing."
What does Dr. Lloyd-Jones mean by the instruction to "Kiss the Son"?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones explains this as an invitation to submit to Christ's authority: "Kiss the Son, my friend. Give up your rebellion. Submit yourself to her. Take the oath of allegiance." He compares it to how people kiss the hand of a monarch when given office, as a sign of submission and commitment to carry out their laws. It's an appeal to acknowledge Christ as Lord and surrender to Him. This submission involves "repenting, by thinking again about all these things, by acknowledging your folly and your sin and your madness against God."
What does Dr. Lloyd-Jones identify as the greatest tragedy of mankind?
The greatest tragedy, according to Dr. Lloyd-Jones, is not just that mankind rebels against God's laws but that mankind rejects God's love: "Men should reject not only God's law and justice and righteousness, but that they should throw his love back into his face, that they should ridicule his mercy and his kindness and his compassion." He calls this "the final tragedy" - that even after God sent His Son to die for us, the world still rejects Him.
How does Dr. Lloyd-Jones describe the world's condition using the metaphor of the sea?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones describes the world as "like the sea, the troubled sea, when it cannot rest." He quotes Isaiah's description: "The wicked are like the troubled sea when it cannot rest, whose waters cast up mire and dirt." He elaborates: "If there is one thing that's more true of our world than anything else. It is just this restlessness, this trouble, this perplexity, this being carried backwards and forwards. Victims of the latest news bulletin or the latest edition of a newspaper, never knowing what's going to happen."
What hope does Dr. Lloyd-Jones offer to those who feel the world is in chaos?
Despite the bleak diagnosis of the world's condition, Dr. Lloyd-Jones offers the hope of salvation through Christ. He says, "Blessed are all they that put their trust in him." He explains that by trusting Christ, "You will know that your sins are forgiven. You will come to know that you are a child of God. You will be able to see beyond this world, to the world that is to come, the glory of the son of God." This offers peace and security even amid a world in chaos.
How does Dr. Lloyd-Jones contrast God's plan with man's schemes?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones contrasts man's empty schemes (utopias, humanistic philosophies, political systems) with God's eternal plan. He explains that while human plans always fail and "come to nothing," God has an unfolding plan that started at creation and continues through history. The centerpiece of this plan is Christ: "It is in the life and death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ that this is demonstrated most clearly." While human schemes are "vain things," God's plan is certain and will ultimately triumph.
The Book of Acts
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones (1899-1981) was a Welsh evangelical minister who preached and taught in the Reformed tradition. His principal ministry was at Westminster Chapel, in central London, from 1939-1968, where he delivered multi-year expositions on books of the bible such as Romans, Ephesians and the Gospel of John. In addition to the MLJ Trust’s collection of 1,600 of these sermons in audio format, most of these great sermon series are available in book form (including a 14 volume collection of the Romans sermons), as are other series such as "Spiritual Depression", "Studies in the Sermon on the Mount" and "Great Biblical Doctrines". He is considered by many evangelical leaders today to be an authority on biblical truth and the sufficiency of Scripture.