My 2009 Bible-reading plan took me to Pss 1-2 this morning. Psalm 2 is a coronation psalm wherein God declares the inauguration of His King-who-is-Son. All ambitious kings who aspire to the Son’s throne humor God to the point of anger. This one is the King of all kings because he is Son of all sons. After conferring sonship on the newly installed king (v7), God invites him to “Ask of me, and I will surely give the nations as your inheritance, and the very ends of the earth as your possession” (v8). Psalm 2 is a glorious Messianic text that proclaims the kingship of our Lord Jesus Christ.
I then remembered singing “back in the day” a popular song by the Hillsong bunch entitled “You Said.” The song climbs to the crescendo:
You said, ‘Ask and I’ll give the nations to you’
O Lord, that’s the cry of my heart
Distant shores and the islands will see
Your light, as it rises on us
O Lord, I ask for the nations (repeat)
The lyric is from the Bible, but it’s not biblical. I confess that I sang it and repent from ever singing it again. Only the King-Son receives the nations, not me. God didn’t tell me to ask for them, but the King-Son to ask for them. And according to Matthew 28.18, Jesus has received all authority in heaven and on earth. His prayer of Ps 2.8 has already been answered (cf. Eph 1.21). Therefore, for God to give me the nations means he must take them from Jesus to do so. This a treasonous request that eternally endangers the nations.
So pay attention to what you sing and ever more attention to the Son, that he not become angry and you perish in the way (Ps 2.12).