What are we fighting about anyway? It seems everywhere you look these days, there is fighting going on. There are fights in families about politics and health. There are fights on social media, and friendships are erased. There are fights between countries, and anxiety among the nations. What are we fighting about today?
Let’s take a look at Psalm 2.
Why do the nations rage
and the peoples plot in vain?
2 The kings of the earth set themselves,
and the rulers take counsel together,
against the Lord and against his Anointed, saying,
3 “Let us burst their bonds apart
and cast away their cords from us.”
Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain? According to the psalmist, it is because they are fighting against the Lord and against His anointed. Preach that in this world that is angry 24/7. Why don’t families get along? Because you are fighting against the Lord. Why don’t I have any friends anymore on the internet? Because you are fighting against the Lord. Why are countries destroying one another? Because they are fighting against the Lord. I imagine this message would get laughed out of the room because there is no space for truth like Psalm 2 tells us.
But consider what the war cry is, that “we” would “burst our bonds apart and cast away cords from us.” That they would be free. That is what the war is about. That is what all the fighting is about. That this world wants to be free from God, wants to be free to sin, wants to be free to speak, but only because “I am right and you are wrong.”
It would seem that at the time of the Psalmist, they have forgotten that the truth will set you free. It seems in our own day, that we have forgotten that the truth will set us free. Without the truth, there will always be fighting because there will always be lying. But the fighting isn’t so personal, it is in fact theological. The people are fighting amongst themselves because they are fighting against the Lord.
Let’s take a further look at Psalm 2.
4 He who sits in the heavens laughs;
the Lord holds them in derision.
5 Then he will speak to them in his wrath,
and terrify them in his fury, saying,
6 “As for me, I have set my King
on Zion, my holy hill.”
7 I will tell of the decree:
The Lord said to me, “You are my Son;
today I have begotten you.
8 Ask of me, and I will make the nations your heritage,
and the ends of the earth your possession.
9 You shall break them with a rod of iron
and dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel.”
What will God do about this? It is clear what He will do. He sets His King on Zion, the holy hill. In other words, it is only through the church that peace will come on earth. And the church will only have peace because that King is God’s Son. We know Jesus has come, and that He has brought peace on earth through His death on the cross. We know that Jesus is God’s Son, begotten of the Father. And that we are now going therefore, baptizing and teaching and making all the nations into His heritage.
Consider these comforting words of warning from Psalm 2 today:
10 Now therefore, O kings, be wise;
be warned, O rulers of the earth.
11 Serve the Lord with fear,
and rejoice with trembling.
12 Kiss the Son,
lest he be angry, and you perish in the way,
for his wrath is quickly kindled.
Blessed are all who take refuge in him.
Rev. James Peterson
St. John Curtis, Nebraska
©2022 James Peterson. All rights reserved. Permission granted to copy, share and display freely for non-commercial purposes. Direct all other rights and permissions inquiries to cosmithb@gmail.com
this is incredible, thank you