Deep Dive into Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers 1.8: Saint Augustin: Expositions on the Book of Psalms - Psalm 2

The exposition of Psalm 2 begins by addressing the kings and rulers who vainly rage against the Lord and His Christ, striving to break the bonds and cast away the yoke of the Christian religion. Their ultimate goal—Christ’s destruction—was not accomplished, proving their efforts were futile.

The person speaking in the Psalm is the Lord our Saviour Christ, the Only-begotten Son who is the eternal power and Wisdom of God. He is set as King upon Sion, His holy hill. Sion is explicitly interpreted as the holy Church, symbolizing its eminence and stability, and referencing the desire of the faithful to behold the bright glory of God. As King, Christ preaches His decree and asks the Father for the nations and the uttermost parts of the earth as His inheritance. This possession is acquired for the salvation of mankind and to ensure they bear spiritual fruit.

Those who oppose this kingship will face inevitable divine judgment. God, who dwells in the heavens, holds the persecutors in derision. This divine "laughter" is understood non-literally as the power given to holy souls (the figurative "heavens") to foreknow the certain spread of Christ's rule, thereby recognizing the opposition as vain.

God’s "wrath" is likewise not a human emotional state or mental perturbation, but the mighty, tranquil exercise of justice by which He justly avengeth. This vengeance manifests as the darkening of the mind for transgressors. When God speaks in wrath, it is an act of vexing or judging. The resulting vengeance, prepared for the ungodly, will be "shortly kindled," meaning it will be sudden, catching sinners off guard. Therefore, kings and judges are warned to lay hold of discipline, serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice with trembling to avoid perishing from the righteous way. Those who trust in the Lord will be blessed, exempted from the sudden punishment, and exalted.

Reformed Theologian GPT: https://chat.openai.com/g/g-XXwzX1gnv-reformed-theologian

https://buymeacoffee.com/edi2730