Mensa Otabil - God's Response (11/01/2025)
We’re in Psalm 2, and this is verses 4 and 5. He who sits in the heavens shall laugh; the Lord shall hold them in derision. Then He shall speak to them in His wrath and distress them in His deep displeasure. So we see a conspiracy building from verse one, and the question is: Why do the heathen rage? Then yesterday, we saw the reason why they are raging: because they want to break God’s control. They set themselves together, forming a caucus, and they plan and counsel against God. How does God take all of this when people are plotting against Him and His anointed, and when people are angry with Him? How does God view all of this?
So this Psalm then takes us from the earthly conspiracy to heaven to see how God is watching all that is going on. People are plotting; they are in fury, in frenzy. The Bible says, the Psalm says, God sits in heaven, and He laughs. From God’s perspective in heaven, those who rise up against Him and His children are jokers. Anytime the enemy rises against you strongly as a child of God, remember how God responds to all that is happening. God sits in heaven, and He says that’s a joke, and He laughs. Now, you may think it’s serious business; God thinks it’s a joke. You may think they are so strong; God thinks this is a laughing matter. From God’s point of view, no conspiracy, from whoever and from whatever quarters, is strong enough to make Him worried and disturbed. The Lord sits in heaven, and He laughs.
This is the first time in Scripture we see God mentioned as laughing. That’s not the only time; there are other statements like that in other Psalms. But this is the first time in Scripture that we see God’s posture when people rise up against Him and His anointed. So the passage says that God will do a couple of things, and it says the Lord will hold them in derision. That means that God is going to look at what they’re doing and make jokes or make fun of them. It’s almost like somebody who is threatening you so badly, and you go and touch their hair and ruffle their head, downgrading all their wrath. And that’s what God does; He holds them in derision. Whoever comes against the Lord and His anointed, the Lord holds them in derision; He minimizes their self-importance because in the eyes of the Lord they are nothing.
That’s the first thing God does: He laughs; He holds them in derision. Secondly, He says the Lord shall speak to them in His wrath. After He has mocked their efforts, then God now begins to speak His word to them. His word comes with a terrifying and bold direction; He speaks to them in His wrath because God is now about to address this conspiracy, this rebellion against His will and His purposes. Remember, when you oppose something God is doing, you’re not just opposing a person; you’re opposing God. When Jesus Christ appeared to Saul, who was fighting against the church, Jesus asked him, «Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?» Remember, Jesus says, «Whatever you do to the least of these, you do unto me.» When people are fighting God’s purposes, they’re fighting God, and that’s why God responds in His wrath.
The third thing it says is that the Lord shall distress them. In other words, the Lord shall make their life very, very sad and uncomfortable. It’s like what He did to the Egyptians when they were pursuing Israel at the Red Sea. God had to remove the wheels of their chariots; that’s God’s distress. He frustrates their efforts and makes them feel so bad about themselves. The Lord sits in heaven and He laughs; He derides their efforts. He holds them in derision, the Lord speaks in His wrath, and the Lord distresses them. If you have an enemy that is fighting God’s purpose, just trust me, God will take care of it.
Let’s pray. Say with me: Heavenly Father, You sit enthroned above all gods. I am glad that all the plans of the wicked are laughable to You. In Jesus' name, amen and amen.