“Why do the nations rage and the peoples meditate on a vain thing? The kings of the earth take their stand and the rulers take counsel together against Yahweh and against His Anointed, saying, ‘Let us tear their fetters apart and cast away their cords from us!’ He who sits in the heavens laughs, The Lord mocks them. Then He speaks to them in His anger and terrifies them in His fury, saying, ‘But as for Me, I have installed My King Upon Zion, My holy mountain.’”
For those who would prove that God has a sense of humor, this passage affords the only testimony of God’s laughter. The subject matter, however, precludes there being any humor in this laughter.
Set before us is the arrogant rebellious attitude of the rulers of human governments who own no God but themselves. They rage and fume against the restrictions put upon them, their governments, and their behavior by the decrees of the Almighty. They are filled with vain ambitions, pompous illusions of grandeur, and exaggerated estimations of their persons and powers. These earthling rulers take counsel among themselves, with the vain hope of breaking the laws and limitations placed upon them by a sovereign God. They disagree, fight and war among themselves until God appears on their horizon; and then they unite and gather themselves together against Him and His Anointed. It is interesting to remember that Pilate and Herod were confirmed enemies until Jesus Christ entered their lives. From that day forward they became friends, united by their common hatred for Christ. This is a common refrain among men who are accustomed to grinding other men under their tyrannic heels: “We do not want this man [Christ] to reign over us” (Luke 19:14) They are unaccustomed to submitting themselves to men, and they think that they will not submit themselves to God either.
The Lord will have them in derision. He laughs at the foolish attempts of men to overthrow His good purpose. That God is not amused is clear in the next verse. He is angry. “He speaks to them in His anger” (Ps. 2:5) When God speaks to wicked men, they hear no voice from heaven. Rather, they experience His displeasure. He terrifies and troubles them. No nation has flaunted the moral laws of God, defied the divine order of justice, integrity, and human relations, and survived to boast of it. All who have are now extinct, with the exception of the newest crop who will also soon follow them to the same inglorious grave.
God has established His own King. Jesus Christ has been crowned King of kings and Lord of lords in the court of heaven. And though earthly rulers will not willingly own His Lordship, He yet rules over them. To Him, every knee will ultimately bow and every tongue will confess His Lordship (Phil. 2:9-11). It would be wise if we did it now while He is yet willing to be our Savior also.
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Conrad Murrell
Conrad Murrell served in evangelistic ministry for over 50 years and was powerfully used by God in many Assemblies of God and Baptist churches in the United States and around the world. Throughout that time, Conrad pastored churches in Texas and Louisiana, successfully hosted numerous Bible conferences, engaged in continuous itinerant preaching, and diligently evangelized throughout the United States and Mexico. In addition to his fruitful ministry, he also wrote several books, many of which are read worldwide today. Mack Tomlinson's biography of Conrad Murrell is a testimony of God's grace and truth in the life of a man called by God for the proclamation of the Gospel.
Conrad Murrell was a significant contemporary and friend to two of the 20th Century's leading experts on revival, Leonard Ravenhill and Richard Owen Roberts, as well as a dearly loved co-laborer and associate of several other significant evangelists of our age, such as Manley Beasley and Al Whittinghill. Like them, he was a committed, passionate, and anointed itinerant minister. He was a man's man, a man of conviction and grit, but most importantly, he was God's man—a man completely devoted to his Lord and Savior.
Laughter | Psalms | sovereignty | Wrath
November 18, 2023
More from Conrad Murrell
The Blessed Man: Psalm 1:1-6
The blessed man rests under the shadow of the wings of the Almighty. The righteousness of Christ is his hope and refuge.
The Megamystery Pt.1
The Bride of Christ is not declining. If anything, she is becoming more glorious. Christ is doing to her according to his unchanging and indefeatable purpose and presenting her to Himself unblemished without spot or wrinkle. This MegaMystery is not something created out of time and mortality. She and her Husband are eternal entities. She has ever existed in the Mind of the Almighty, having been brought into manifest light in the fullness of time. And because she always has been, she forever will be.
The Godly Man: Psalm 1:1-2
It is significant that this book of blessed meditations, often set to music and sung, begins with a contrast between the two men who make up the whole of humanity. While there is an infinite variety in the human race, the contrasts set forth here are the only ones that matter in the end.
Faith Cometh: First Mention Basics Of Faith Pt.1
There is a principle of hermeneutics (the science of Scripture interpretation) that states the first time a subject is mentioned in the Bible, all its foundational principles are present. How valid this is in all cases we are not prepared to argue, but it seems to hold well in the subject of faith.
Faith Cometh: What Faith Is Not Pt.2
Faith is often preached as a tool to obtain blessings from God. It is a gimmick which, when used correctly, can produce an abundance of worldly possessions. Prosperity and success are indicative of nothing. They certainly do not testify of faith.
Faith Cometh: What Faith Is Not Pt.1
All the false ideas of faith must be cast down, or they will constantly rear themselves up in the reader’s mind, taking exception to revealed truth.
Faith Cometh: An Introduction
Do you desire to know what work it is that God wants you to do? Then this is it. Believe Him.
