The Lord's Anointed

OPENING PRAYER:

Amazing God, you shape the stars and comfort broken hearts. Nothing is beyond your power. How great you are.

READ: Psalm 2

1 Why do the nations conspire[a] and the peoples plot in vain? 2 The kings of the earth rise up and the rulers band together against the Lord and against his anointed, saying, 3 “Let us break their chains and throw off their shackles.”

4 The One enthroned in heaven laughs; the Lord scoffs at them. 5 He rebukes them in his anger and terrifies them in his wrath, saying, 6 “I have installed my king on Zion, my holy mountain.”

7 I will proclaim the Lord’s decree:

He said to me, “You are my son; today I have become your father. 8 Ask me, and I will make the nations your inheritance, the ends of the earth your possession. 9 You will break them with a rod of iron[b]; you will dash them to pieces like pottery.”

10 Therefore, you kings, be wise; be warned, you rulers of the earth. 11 Serve the Lord with fear and celebrate his rule with trembling. 12 Kiss his son, or he will be angry and your way will lead to your destruction, for his wrath can flare up in a moment. Blessed are all who take refuge in him.

Footnotes

[a] Psalm 2:1 Hebrew; Septuagint rage

[b] Psalm 2:9 Or will rule them with an iron scepter (see Septuagint and Syriac)

REFLECT:

Read Hebrews 1:1-9 and worship King Jesus.

At the most sacred point in a British coronation, the Archbishop of Canterbury anoints the monarch with oil as the choir sings ‘Zadok the Priest and Nathan the Prophet anointed Solomon King’,* reminding us that the Old Testament kings of Israel were marked out by anointing (e.g., 1 Samuel 16:1,13; 1 Kings 1:38-40).

This psalm may have been used in Israelite coronation ceremonies. It speaks of times when Gentile kings tried to rebel against the authority of the Israelite king. Their rebellion, though, was against God himself, who reigns from heaven, and who had installed his anointed king in Jerusalem (vs 2,3).

The words ‘Messiah’ (Hebrew) and ‘Christ’ (Greek) both mean ‘anointed one’, and this psalm is quoted by Paul in Antioch (Acts 13:33) and in the letter to the Hebrews (1:5) when talking about Jesus, identifying him as the longed-for successor to David. Although many do not recognize the authority of the King, one day all the nations will be his (v 8). How can we encourage all nations to recognize the authority of King Jesus (Romans 1:5-6)?

The first Christians in Jerusalem saw the opposition that they faced as an attack, not on themselves, but as rebellion against God, and quoted this psalm as they prayed for boldness (Acts 4:25-26).

*George Frederic Handel, coronation anthem for King George II, 1727

APPLY:

There are many places in the world where Christians face persecution for their faith. Pray for those who need boldness to be faithful to King Jesus.

CLOSING PRAYER:

Strong and mighty are you Lord. Nations seek to sideline you, but I thank you today that you will have the last word. I love you.

WORSHIP:

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