Psalms 2:1-3 says, “Why do the heathen (nations) rage, and the people imagine (plot) a vain thing? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD, and against his Anointed, saying, ‘Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us.”
Unlike many of the Psalms, this one has no superscription identifying the author, but most conservative scholars and theologians tend to attribute it to David. If so, it is around 3,000 years old. Assuming this to be the case, we have the one through whom God promised to establish an eternal kingdom (II Samuel 7:12-16, Luke 1:32-33) speaking on mankind’s incessant rebellion against God and His purposes here on the earth.
This rebellion didn’t begin in David’s time. It’s as old as man himself. Man’s first organized rebellion against God goes all the way back to Genesis 11. Two chapters earlier, God had told the survivors of Noah’s flood for them and their descendants to “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth” (Genesis 9:1 – NKJV). But Genesis 11:4 says that in direct defiance of God’s command this early civilization deliberately disobeyed God saying, “… 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” (Genesis 11:4). Here we see man’s vain attempt to break the restraints God has placed on him, wanting instead to plot his own course, independent of God and His commands.
Unregenerate man today is no different than he has ever been. In the early 2000s the Economic European Community had as one of their official posters a picture of the Tower of Babel, with the title, ‘Europe: Many Tongues, One Voice.’ There are several characteristics of note on this poster. The title seems to be a direct declaration that though God confused the languages of the people at Babel, forcing them to abandon the project and scattered them to fill the earth as He had commanded; here they seem to be declaring that they will overcome God’s judgment and rekindle the dreams of those at Babel. The poster depicts the subjects of this kingdom on it, but they do not look like normal people but more like automatons (a mechanical device made in imitation of human beings). Also, there are twelve stars that surround the tower. But they are all upside down, forming an inverted pentagram (symbol of the rule of evil). This all appears to have been a deliberate message mocking God and declaring their independence to do their own will.
Move forward 20 years and this has progressed further. I recently saw an interview of Elon Musk where he warned about the potential dangers associated with the development of AI (artificial intelligence), noting that if you create something artificial that is smarter than God’s highest earthly creation (mankind), there is no way to predict what will happen; and that they are well on their way to doing this. He expressed his concern, saying that this ongoing development of AI has the potential to destroy civilization and to control, if not destroy, mankind as well. Remember, this is Elon Musk sounding the alarm, not some Bible thumping preacher.
To desire to create something smarter than God’s greatest creation (man), may be the single most audacious thing man has ever attempted, and appears to have the fingerprints of the master deceiver, Satan himself, all over it.
But Psalms 2:4-6 continued, saying, “He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh; the LORD shall have them in derision. Then shall He speak unto them in His wrath, and vex them in His sore displeasure. Yet I have set My king upon My holy hill of Zion.” Like those at the Tower of Babel, man today wants to establish a civilization superior to God’s design. We do not know how far He will allow us to go before He acts, but one thing is certain, God has established His king and His kingdom and He scoffs at man’s efforts to surpass His greatness. The day is coming when He will come down again in the person of His Son and, just like He did at Babel, render final judgment on man’s rebelliousness and Satan’s schemes. That day may be closer than we think.
For God’s glory and His alone,
Pastor Terry.