What is the 'vain thing' in Psalm 2:1?
The vain thing in Psalm 2:1 is the people's imagining that is rooted in vanity, where they are so wrapped up in themselves that they do not want anything to do with a sovereign God. It echoes Solomon's 'vanity, vanity, all is vanity,' describing self-centeredness that excludes God.
Les teaches that Psalm 2:1 asks why the heathen, or Gentiles, rage, and the people, the Jew, imagine a vain thing. He connects this to Solomon's words, 'Vanity, vanity, all is vanity.' The vanity in this case, Les explains, is that they are so wrapped up with themselves that they don't want anything to do with a sovereign God. This understanding is part of the Old Testament introduction that prepares for the Gospel accounts.
Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing?
More Questions
What is the question Psalm 2:1 asks about the nations and Israel?
Psalm 2:1 asks why the Gentile nations rage and why Israel imagines a vain thing—that is, why the people of the world, Jew and Gentile alike, constantly exert themselves for nothing.