Psalms 2:1-2,7-8,11-12 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 [Meshiach], saying, 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. 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.
Psalm 2 is a divine announcement — a heavenly decree that demands the world’s attention. It begins with a question: “Why do the nations rage, and the peoples plot in vain?” (Ps. 2:1). The nations rise up, not against injustice or tyranny, but against the rule of God’s Meshiach (Messiah). That Anointed is Yeshua — the Son whom the Father has set on His holy hill in Zion (Ps. 2:6). The psalm strips away all pretense and exposes the heart of human rebellion: it is a refusal to be ruled by His Messiah.
In this psalm, the Father proclaims that Yeshua has been given the nations as His inheritance and the ends of the earth as His possession (Ps. 2:8). This is not poetic symbolism — it is a declaration of destiny. Yeshua is not merely Savior — He is King. He will not rule by diplomacy but with a rod of iron (Ps. 2:9). His authority is final, His dominion unstoppable. Though the kings of the earth conspire, their defiance is met with divine derision—God laughs from heaven (Ps. 2:4), because no scheme can overturn His decree. And when grace is ignored, wrath is awakened.
Yet even in the face of judgment, Psalm 2 is laced with mercy. The Father offers a clear warning: “Now therefore, O kings, be wise; be warned, O judges of the earth” (Ps. 2:10). This is not the cold judgment of a distant God — it is the loving rebuke of a holy God who desires repentance. The call is urgent: “Serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice with trembling” (Ps. 2:11). There is joy in submission, but only when it is coupled with reverence.
Then comes the command that pierces every heart: “Kiss the Son, lest He be angry, and you perish in the way” (Ps. 2:12). To kiss the Son is to surrender, to lay down arms, to recognize that Yeshua is Lord. The picture is one of homage and honor. This is not the kiss of affection but of allegiance. It is the line in the sand. We either bend the knee to Yeshua willingly, or we face His righteous anger.
This psalm reminds us that God’s love and wrath are not opposites — they are expressions of the same holy nature. He is patient, but He is not passive. He warns not because He enjoys judgment, but because He longs to show mercy. But mercy must be received. The alternative is to “perish in the way,” because the way of rebellion always leads to ruin.
Blessed are all who take refuge in Him (Ps. 2:12). That is the final word of Psalm 2, and it is the heartbeat of the gospel. Refuge is available — not in defiance, but in surrender. Yeshua is the Son whom the Father has exalted. He is the rightful King. The question is not whether He will reign — the question is will we bow, or be broken? Kiss the Son while there’s still time. Surrender in faith, and find life, joy, and mercy in Him — for the Kingdom of God is at hand.
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[worthy_plugins_devotion_single_body]Elul is unlike any other month. As we mentioned yesterday, it is the 12th month on the civil calendar and the 6th on the prophetic calendar. This dual position gives Elul a unique character — it both closes a cycle and prepares for a new one. That is why the shofar sounds each day during Elul: it is a wake-up call, reminding us to reflect, repent, and return to the Lord before the great and awesome days of the Fall Feasts.
This begins a very special season on God’s calendar — the month of preparation before the Fall Feasts. The month of Elul is unique: it is the 12th month on the civil calendar and the 6th month on the prophetic/biblical calendar. Each day of Elul is marked by the blowing of the shofar, a trumpet call that awakens the soul. These daily blasts prepare our hearts for Yom Teruah (the Feast of Trumpets, Rosh Hashanah) and ultimately for Yom Kippur (the Day of Atonement).
We have come to the final meditation in this journey through the Z’roah, the Arm of the LORD. From the Arm that redeemed Israel out of Egypt, to the Arm that pierced the dragon, to the Arm that is coming with reward — all of these revelations lead us here: the Arm that brings His people into rest.
Isaiah’s vision looks ahead — not only to the Arm of the LORD revealed in the Exodus or even in the cross, but to the day when that same Arm will come again in glory. This is not a picture of brute force but of purposeful arrival. The Z’roah — the Arm of the LORD — comes clothed with strength to establish His rule, and He does not come empty-handed. His reward is with Him, and His work is before Him. The promise is sure: He is coming, and He is rewarding.
Isaiah recalls the Exodus as the supreme display of God’s Z’roah, His Arm of glory. Though the people saw Moses raise his staff over the Red Sea, it was not Moses’ power that split the waters. Behind the prophet’s hand was the Arm of the LORD — majestic, glorious, and unstoppable. The sea parted not to honor Moses, but to exalt the Name of the God who sent him. The Red Sea became a stage for God to reveal His glory, so that His Name would echo through generations as the Deliverer of His people.
Jeremiah uttered these words when everything around him looked hopeless. Babylon’s armies surrounded Jerusalem, the city was on the brink of destruction, and yet God told Jeremiah to buy a field as a prophetic sign that restoration would come. The prophet responded in awe: the God who created the heavens and the earth by His outstretched arm (bizroa netuyah) is not bound by human circumstances. The same God who set galaxies in place and boundaries for the seas is the God who still moves to redeem His people. Truly, nothing is too hard for Him.
Isaiah’s words summon one of the most dramatic images of God’s saving power: the Z’roah — the Arm of the LORD — cutting Rahab in pieces and piercing the dragon.
Here, Rahab is not the woman of Jericho but a poetic name for Egypt (Psalm 87:4), often symbolizing arrogant nations and the dark spiritual powers behind them. In Hebrew poetry, Rahab also evokes the sea monster of chaos, a stand-in for the forces that oppose God’s order. To say the Arm “cut Rahab in pieces” is to recall how God shattered Egypt’s pride and broke the grip of the powers that enslaved His people.