Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing?
Psalm 2:1
The heathen biblically refers to persons who are NOT counted amongst God’s people (aka Gentiles or people who don’t know God).
They (heathens) raged and imagined a vain thing
And they said, Go to, let us build us a city and a tower, whose top may reach unto heaven; and let us make us a name, lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth. [5] And the Lord came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of men builded. [6] And the Lord said, Behold, the people is one, and they have all one language; and this they begin to do: and now nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do.
Genesis 11:4-6 KJVS
Genesis 11 tells of the building of the tower of Babel. Verse 11 says “they imagined to do”. Imagined to do what?
Genesis 11:4 And they said, Go to, let us build us a city and a tower, whose top may reach unto heaven; and let us make us a name, lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth.
Why was this vain?
Except the Lord build the house, they labour in vain that build it: except the Lord keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain.
Psalm 127:1
We don’t build based on our imagination, but based on God’s instruction i.e. his Word.
The tower of Babel is the result of building on human imagination as opposed to God’s instruction. A modern day example is saying that one can choose their own gender. That is a building based on man’s imagination. That’s Babel (confusion).
How does this concern|testify of Jesus?
He (Jesus) is the revelation of God (2 Cor 4:6) Without him, we cannot know God, we cannot understand the Word and therefore it would be impossible to build without utilizing imagination, because knowing him, is knowing the blueprint for construction and knowing the one who builds (Heb 11:10).
He (Jesus) build the city (his people), he is the tower, his name is the banner of love to which the nations are gathered (unlike the gathering of Babel). Jesus lays the foundation and in getting to know him, we can lay block by block according to his instructions, as opposed to our vain imagination.
Recommended reading If the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do?
Another aspect of the vanity (and the focus of Psalm 2) of those who build on imagination vs God’s word, is that, in doing so, they have positioned themselves for a spiritual battle against him.
What could be more vain?? But how you ask? He says Male and Female, they say “no such thing, we can decide“.
God laughs in verse 4, because it is laughable to think that flesh can win a spiritual | ideological battle against God. The Son, is God’s answer to this battle.
To win the war against lies, one only needs truth. And Christ is the truth of God, revealed to men, to free our minds (our spirit- Eph 4:23) from the cage of lies which held us.
This is how the enemies are dashed in pieces, by truth. The truth shatters the lie. And Jesus said: I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. – John 14:6
Psalm 2:1 Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing?
There are two main reasons:
- Because they don’t know God. Truly, only a fool will stand in opposition to God. So clearly, they have no idea of who they are challenging. Jesus confirms this when he said:
Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. And they parted his raiment, and cast lots. – Luke 23:34
- Because they refuse to keep God in mind and heart. Some who do know God (at least to some extent, still choose to fight against him. But the only way they can function in ignorance, walk in a lie, is to put God out of their thoughts. ‘No God’, means ‘no higher accountability’ and therefore one can revert to vain imaginations, which leads to vain actions.
And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient;
Romans 1:28
