Looking Ahead

The Psalms contain so much more than just wise words from antiquity.  These Old Testament worship songs are rich, expansive, timeless—looking beyond the historical setting to a grand, ultimate fulfillment.

We saw this last Sunday in Psalm 2.  I mentioned that 6 out of 12 verses in Psalm 2 are alluded to in 18 New Testament passages, link­ing God’s Anointed-King-Son with Jesus Christ.  For example, Psalm 2:7 (You are my Son; today I have begotten you) is echoed several times:

• Luke 3:22, at Jesus’ baptism the Holy Spirit announced, You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased (cf. Matt 3:17; Mark 1:11).
• Acts 13:33, Jesus’ resurrection is presented as his messianic coronation:  As it is written in the second Psalm, ‘You are my Son, today I have begotten you.’
• Hebrews 1:5, Christ is infinitely superior to angels:  For to which of the angels did God ever say, ‘You are my Son, today I have begotten you’?

Psalm 2:1-2 is another example:  Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain?  The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord and against his Anointed. These verses are seen by the Jerusalem church as having been fulfilled in the opposition of Herod, Pilate, and other human authorities against Jesus Christ.  The church prayed, Sovereign Lord … who through the mouth of our father David, your servant, said by the Holy Spirit, ‘Why did the Gentiles rage, and the peo­ples plot in vain?  The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers were gathered together, against the Lord and against his Anointed’ (Acts 4:25-26).

And Psalm 2 is just one of many Psalms anticipating the ultimate King to rule over all peoples and all creation forever and ever.  This vision of majesty is simply too grand to be limited to mere human rulers of ancient Israel:  the King of Kings and Lord of Lords is in view!

And that’s exactly how Handel came to compose his “Hallelujah Chorus.”  He recognized that the raging nations and rebel rulers of Psalm 2:1-3 were not just enemies from David’s day but the ones who assaulted Jesus.  Handel also saw that God was not unnerved by such wicked plots (2:4), and that the Lord would prevail over all his unrepentant foes (2:9):  Hallelujah!  For the Lord God Omnipotent reigneth!