1 Why are the nations in an uproar, the peoples grumbling in vain?
2 The earth’s kings are taking positions, leaders conspiring together, against YHVH and his anointed.
3 They cry, “Let’s break their fetters! Let’s throw off their chains!”
4 He who sits in heaven laughs; YHVH looks at them in derision.
5 Then in his anger he rebukes them, terrifies them in his fury.
6 “I myself have installed my king on Tziyon, my holy mountain.”
7 “I will proclaim the decree: YHVH said to me, ‘You are my son; today I became your father.
8 Ask of me, and I will make the nations your inheritance; the whole wide world will be your possession.
9 You will break them with an iron rod, shatter them like a clay pot.’”
10 Therefore, kings, be wise; be warned, you judges of the earth.
11 Serve YHVH with fear; rejoice, but with trembling.
12 Kiss the son, lest he be angry, and you perish along the way,when suddenly his anger blazes. How blessed are all who take refuge in him.
Did you catch that?
“today I became your father”
This day occurred at some point where the newly declared son had the ability to ask for the nations. By implication, he was a grown man not a newborn baby. Even though this Psalm has no direct credit given, Acts 4:25-26 attributes this one to David. What’s interesting is that the spirit of God came upon David even as a youth but it is just now that he is called a “son”. David loved God and honored Him well before his time on the throne.
Is something else happening here? How exactly do you become a son as an adult?
We’ll come back to this.
The nations are raging and the kings of the earth are making their move to come after God’s anointed.
Abba’s response? A good chuckle. He mocks this “power move” because man has no idea what true power really is. In their arrogance they believe their authority is absolute. Why is that? Because the people of the land make it so.
A lot of people possess tremendous fear of what those in power can do to them. They can take your homes, put you in prison, even kill you if they see fit. The rulers in the earth seek to own our thoughts and demand our worship because without it they are powerless. In “free” countries, we select and elect rulers that will go after our enemies with a vengeance. And we’re grateful.
But what happens when those same leaders step up to take on God Himself?
Well, we better all get ready because He installs His Son as King. And that puts an uncomfortable decision at our feet. King or country -- which is most important to you?
It’s clear to us followers of the Messiah that even though David is the subject here, this Psalm speaks more specifically to Yeshua as God’s Son. But if this does in fact apply, it appears Yeshua would have been a grown man before absorbing the role of God’s “Son”.
Now, this does not speak to Yeshua not being the Messiah, but it does speak to a form of maturity that is obtained in order to ask for the nations. Before you go and cry “foul!”, let’s see if we can’t unpack some details that can help us better understand what is going on.
Consider the moment Yeshua came up from the Jordan after being baptized by John the Baptist:
Matthew 3:13 Then Yeshua came from the Galil to the Yarden to be immersed by Yochanan. 14 But Yochanan tried to stop him. “You are coming to me? I ought to be immersed by you!” 15 However, Yeshua answered him, “Let it be this way now, because we should do everything righteousness requires.” Then Yochanan let him. 16 As soon as Yeshua had been immersed, he came up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, he saw the Spirit of God coming down upon him like a dove, 17 and a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; I am well pleased with him.”
Now, this could be an arbitrary statement simply affirming what was already true, or it could have been a placement of something new -- a readiness perhaps. Is it possible to be a Child of God that graduates into the role of a Son? Well, sure.
We understand this well with our own children. As a child transitions into adulthood, something new comes into the light. The relationship is still that of parent/child but a responsibility is handed off to the child. They are now an adult, capable of making their own decisions and watching over the family’s affairs as needed. If the child is a prodigal there is little wisdom in giving them the family business, right? There should be a track record of trustworthiness before this takes place, not simply believing it will happen after.
Moreover, a king’s son is not given the keys to the kingdom until the child has come into the fulness of sonship. A king must know that his son will continue on in a manner worthy of the crown. Handing it over prematurely can have dire outcomes if the maturity just isn’t there.
There are 4 different Greek words used to describe the various stages of maturity in the Bible:
G3516 νήπιος nepios (nee'-piy-os) adj.
This is a baby not yet able to speak.
Usage:
Hebrews 5:13 Anyone who has to drink milk is still a baby (nepios), without experience in applying the Word about righteousness.
G3813 παιδίον paidion (pai-d̮iy'-on) n.
This is a small child that blindly trusts -- not in a bad way, but in an innocent way.
Usage:
Matthew 18:1 At that moment the talmidim came to Yeshua and asked, “Who is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven?” 2 He called a child (paidion) to him, stood him among them, 3 and said, “Yes! I tell you that unless you change and become like little children (paidion), you won’t even enter the Kingdom of Heaven! 4 So the greatest in the Kingdom is whoever makes himself as humble as this child (paidion). 5 Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me.”
G5043 τέκνον teknon (tek'-non) n.
This is a positional role. This descriptor is true of any age, regardless of maturity.
Usage:
John 1:12 But to as many as did receive him, to those who put their trust in his person and power, he gave the right to become children (teknon) of God,
Romans 8:16 The Spirit himself bears witness with our own spirits that we are children (teknon) of God; 17 and if we are children (teknon), then we are also heirs, heirs of God and joint-heirs with the Messiah — provided we are suffering with him in order also to be glorified with him.
Note: All who receive him are children of God and joint-heirs with Yeshua
G5207 υἱός huios (hwiy-yos') n.
Usage:
Matthew 5:43 “You have heard that our fathers were told, ‘Love your neighbor — and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I tell you, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you! 45 Then you will become children (huios) of your Father in heaven. For he makes his sun shine on good and bad people alike, and he sends rain to the righteous and the unrighteous alike.”
Romans 8:14 All who are led by God’s Spirit are God’s sons (huios).
Matthew 3:16 As soon as Yeshua had been immersed, he came up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, he saw the Spirit of God coming down upon him like a dove,
17 and a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son (huios), whom I love; I am well pleased with him.”
This describes a child that has matured into trustworthiness. Representing the father in full, a son takes on a new role within the family.
What really makes this idea fascinating is the following:
Romans 8:15 For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father.” (NKJV)
Now this word “adoption” is not really adoption like we typically think of it.
G5206 υἱοθεσία huiothesia (hwiy-yo-the-siy'-a) n.
This is literally the “placing of a son”.
According to Paul, sonship is the place we land once we lay down the spirit of slavery. This is maturity in the Spirit.
It is no accident that it was immediately after this that the Adversary tempted Yeshua in the wilderness for 40 days. God placed Him into Sonship as He came up from the Jordan and that meant all rights and responsibilities of the Kingdom rested upon Yeshua. The Adversary pressed several times with the statement “If You are the Son of God…” then proceeded to challenge that exact position. And so the test came to see if He would stand in boldness on behalf of His Father, which He certainly did. In fact, He did so by quoting what His Father had said hundreds of years earlier through Moses, upholding the Ways of His Father’s House.
The fact that Yeshua upheld His Father’s Ways confirmed that He was ready to begin His ministry here on earth. The Spirit was upon Him and the world was about to be changed forever.
Now for a crazy idea: What if this Psalm had some bearing effect upon us as well.
“No chance. It’s clear this is speaking of Yeshua only! Oh, and of course, David.”
Maybe. But something interesting is said by Yeshua in His letter to the Community in Thyatira:
Revelation 2:18 “To the angel of the Messianic Community in Thyatira, write: ‘Here is the message from the Son of God, whose eyes are like a fiery flame and whose feet are like burnished brass: 19 I know what you are doing, your love, trust, service and perseverance. And I know that you are doing more now than before. 20 But I have this against you: you continue to tolerate that Izevel woman, the one who claims to be a prophet, but is teaching and deceiving my servants to commit sexual sin and eat food that has been sacrificed to idols. 21 I gave her time to turn from her sin, but she doesn’t want to repent of her immorality. 22 So I am throwing her into a sickbed; and those who commit adultery with her I am throwing into great trouble, unless they turn from the sins connected with what she does; 23 and I will strike her children dead! Then all the Messianic communities will know that I am the one who searches minds and hearts, and that I will give to each of you what your deeds deserve. 24 But to the rest of you in Thyatira, to those who do not hold this teaching, who have not learned what some people call the ‘deep things’ of the Adversary, I say this: I am not loading you up with another burden; 25 only hold fast to what you have until I come. 26 To him who wins the victory and does what I want until the goal is reached,
I will give him authority over the nations;
27 he will rule them with a staff of iron
and dash them to pieces like pottery,
28 just as I have received authority from my Father. I will also give him the morning star. 29 Those who have ears, let them hear what the Spirit is saying to the Messianic communities.”’
A few things to notice:
We have an invitation to grow into a state of maturity that calls us not simply children of God but sons of God. And once this happens we will be given authority over the nations.
But it doesn’t even stop with us.
One of the more exciting applications in all of this comes at the End of this Age. The seals have been peeled back and 6 trumpets have sounded when we read the following testimony:
Revelation 11:15 The seventh angel sounded his shofar; and there were loud voices in heaven, saying,
“The kingdom of the world
has become the Kingdom
of our Lord and his Messiah,
and he will rule forever and ever!”
16 The twenty-four elders sitting on their thrones in God’s presence fell on their faces and worshipped God, 17 saying,
“We thank you, YHVH,
God of heaven’s armies,
the One who is and was,
that you have taken your power
and have begun to rule.
18 “The Goyim(nations) raged.
But now your rage has come,
the time for the dead to be judged,
the time for rewarding your servants the prophets
and your holy people,
those who stand in awe of your name,
both small and great.
It is also the time for destroying
those who destroy the earth.”
19 Then the Temple of God in heaven was opened, and the Ark of the Covenant was seen in his Temple; and there were flashes of lightning, voices, peals of thunder, an earthquake and violent hail.
Can’t you just imagine it?!
Yes, a time is coming when the kings of the earth will rise up against our God but guess what He’ll do…He’ll laugh! Then He’ll go to war against His enemies.
It’s now up to us to mature into sonship so we might be aligned with Him in this hour.
Fair warning has been given:
10 Therefore, kings, be wise; be warned, you judges of the earth.
11 Serve YHVH with fear; rejoice, but with trembling.
12 Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and you perish along the way, when suddenly his anger blazes. How blessed are all who take refuge in him.
Amen.