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.”
[psalm 2:7-9]
to quote the popular song, “there is power in the name of Jesus.”
we sing that, but do we really believe that Jesus holds all the power?
at this time, this culture emphasized deep family reputation and inheritance. a son grew up learning the family trade. when the father died, the firstborn son inherited everything the father had, including the family trade. the son was to then work the family trade under his authority, and the cycle continued.
we see a similar pattern in this passage, characterized by the following statements of truth:
1. Jesus is God’s son.
2. God will never die, but still leaves an inheritance for his son.
3. Jesus is given authority over his inheritance and executes judgment over it.
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truth: Jesus is God’s son.
don’t rush past this familiar fact. God states that he has begotten his son. the hebrew word “yalad” typically means to bear or bring forth. however, the nas exhaustive concordance takes it a step further by defining it as “becoming the father.” consider Jesus’ words from john 10:30- “i and the father are one.” Jesus holds all the power of God, because he is God.
application: is Jesus truly God over your life?
prayer: take some time to be in awe of the mystery of the trinity of God- Father, Son, Holy Spirit in One. repent for the ways you try to diminish Jesus’ power. are there specific examples that come to mind? bring those to the Lord!
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truth: Jesus inherits the ends of the earth.
Jesus was there in the beginning. he was with God, and he is God. Jesus played a part in creating all things (john 1). God gives him the ends of the earth, so nothing is excluded from Jesus’ power.
application: do you believe that the whole earth is under Jesus’ jurisdiction? are there countries or people groups that seem “too far” from the reach of Jesus’ redemptive work?
pray: pick a nation for which to pray. ask God to soften the hearts of the citizens and embolden the hearts of the missionaries. beg for truth to be illuminated- that Jesus is the only God of the nations!
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third truth: Jesus will stand in judgment over his inheritance.
this is a hard truth to read. there are people who mock the name of Jesus. there are people in all of our areas of influence who deny that Jesus is God. while God always offers and yearns for repentance (see joel 2 for a beautiful picture of this), there are people who still refuse to trust him. these people will not stand against God’s holiness on the day of judgment.
application & prayer: write down the names of three people in your sphere of influence who do not believe Jesus is God. tape that note on your car dashboard or inside your laptop. commit to pray on your commute or on your work break, asking for God to soften their hearts and “call (them) out of darkness and into his marvelous light,” (1 peter 2:9).
as you go into the rest of your day, consider that Jesus is in control of everything you see, touch, feel, and consider today. though you will fail him many times, be encouraged by 1 thessalonians 5:9: “for God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.”
~ jm