They rejected Him because they refused to let God rule over their affairs and did not truly know who He was.
Psalm 2 pictures Gentile rulers and Israel's rulers taking counsel together against the Lord and His Anointed, saying, “Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us.” Les Feldick explains that this means they rejected God's offer of the King and said, “We will not let this man rule over us.” At the same time, 1 Corinthians 2:8 reveals that none of the princes of this world knew who Christ really was — otherwise they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.
Psalm 2:1-3 — This is the foundational prophetic passage describing Gentile and Jewish rulers conspiring against God's Anointed and wanting to throw off His rule.
Psalm 2:4-6 — God's response to the rulers' rejection shows their conspiracy is foolish and that He has already set His King on Zion.
1 Corinthians 2:8 — This verse explains that the princes of this world did not know Christ's true identity, which is why they crucified the Lord of glory.
Psalm 2 opens with the question, “Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing?” It then pictures the kings of the earth and the rulers taking counsel together, “against the LORD, and against his anointed,” saying, “Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us.” Their aim was to free themselves from God's restraint and refuse His Anointed King. Scripture calls this an empty, foolish effort, because “He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh” and God declares, “Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion.” 1 Corinthians 2:8 adds another dimension: “Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.” So the Bible presents both the rulers' willful refusal of God's authority and their ignorance of the true identity of the One they rejected.
Les Feldick teaches that Psalm 2 was prophesied and fulfilled when the high priest and Pilate, representing Israel's rulers and the Gentile rulers, conspired together to put Christ to death. The words “Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us” mean that they rejected God's desire to rule over them and refused His offer of the King. Their plain statement was, “We will not let this man rule over us,” and Rome carried out the crucifixion at Israel's request. Les also stresses that Israel had a valid offer of the King and Kingdom during Christ's earthly ministry. Christ came in fulfillment of prophecy, but the nation's response was “You would not.” He compares this to Israel's rejection of the offer of Canaan — the offer was real, but they rejected it in unbelief. At the same time, Les points to 1 Corinthians 2:8 to show that neither the Romans nor the Jewish high priests truly knew that Jesus was the Son of God, the Messiah of Israel, and the Creator. Had they known, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.
Psalm 2 pictures two groups: the heathen, or Gentiles, raging, and the people of Israel imagining a vain thing. The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers of Israel take counsel together against the Lord and His Anointed. Les Feldick points to the fulfillment when the high priest and Pilate took counsel together to put Christ to death, and he notes that Rome was involved in carrying out Israel's request.
The rulers said, “Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us.” According to Les Feldick, this means they rejected God's desire to rule and refused His offer to be their King. In plain language, their attitude was, “We will not let this man rule over us.”
1 Corinthians 2:8 states that none of the princes of this world knew, for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. Les Feldick applies this to both Romans and Jewish rulers — none of them knew that Jesus was the Son of God, the Messiah of Israel, and the Creator. Their ignorance of His true identity was part of why they put Him to death.
Les Feldick repeatedly stresses that the offer of the King and Kingdom was valid. Christ came in fulfillment of prophecy, offering to set up His Kingdom if Israel would believe. But the nation's response was, “You would not.” Israel rejected the offer in unbelief, just as an earlier generation rejected the valid offer of the land of Canaan.
Because Israel rejected their Messiah and their opportunity for the King, Rome crucified Him at Israel's request. Israel was then dispersed into every nation, the temple and priesthood were destroyed, and Israel almost lost her national identity — all because they rejected their Messiah and their opportunity for the King.
Is It Luck or God? Divine Sovereignty vs. Free Will
to God you could bear with me a little in my folly, and indeed bear with me. Well, now, I guess that's just about how I feel so many times. When I begin to teach some of these things that I know the average believer has never heard, then I just have to say, well, bear with me, sooner or later we're going to show you that this is what the Scripture really says, so bear with me.
Psalm 2's Rejection of the King
Les teaches that when the rulers said, “Let us break their bands asunder and cast away their cords from us,” they were rejecting God's offer of the King, and God in heaven laughs at the foolishness of mankind for rejecting the King they had.
The Offer of the King and Human Free Will
Christ came to offer Himself as Israel's King, riding on a donkey's colt rather than a war horse, but the nation's response was “You would not”; Les also notes that God's sovereignty never removes human free will.
The Valid Offer Rejected in Unbelief
Les compares Israel's rejection of the Kingdom to Israel's rejection of the offer of Canaan — the offer was valid, but they refused it in unbelief.
High Priest and Pilate in Psalm 2
Les shows that Psalm 2 was fulfilled when the high priest and Pilate, representing Israel's rulers and Gentile rulers, conspired to put Christ to death and said, “We'll not let this man rule over us.”
Rome Carries Out the Rejection
Les points out that the words “We will not have this man to rule over us” were fulfilled when Rome crucified Jesus at Israel's request, and Israel's rejection led to the dispersion.
Princes Did Not Know Christ
Les teaches that none of the princes of this world knew the wisdom that Christ was the Son of God, Messiah, and King of Israel — otherwise they would not have rejected and crucified Him.
The Rulers' Ignorance of the Creator
Les explains that neither the Romans nor the Jewish high priests truly knew that Jesus was the Creator of the universe; had they known, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.
Psalm 2:1-3: Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine 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.
This is the direct scriptural account of the rulers conspiring against God's Anointed and wanting to throw off His rule.
Psalm 2:4-6: 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 have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion.
God's response to the rulers' rejection shows that their rebellion is futile because His King is already established.
1 Corinthians 2:8: But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory: Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.
This verse explains the ignorance of the rulers — they did not know that Christ was the Lord of glory, so they crucified Him.
According to Psalm 2, they wanted to throw off God's authority. They said, “Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us,” meaning, as Les Feldick puts it, “We will not let this man rule over us.” They also did not know who Jesus really was; 1 Corinthians 2:8 says had they known, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.
Yes. Psalm 2 mentions both the heathen/Gentiles and the people/Israel. Les Feldick says the high priest and Pilate took counsel together to put Christ to death, and Rome carried out the crucifixion at Israel's request.
Les Feldick teaches it was a valid offer. During Christ's earthly ministry, He presented Himself as King, but the nation's response was “You would not.” Like the generation that refused the offer of Canaan, Israel rejected the Kingdom offer in unbelief.
Les Feldick says they did not know. Neither the Romans nor the Jewish high priests recognized Him as the Son of God and the Creator; had they known, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory, as 1 Corinthians 2:8 states.
Watch the Teaching: Is It Luck or God? Divine Sovereignty vs. Free Will