Why did the Gentiles rage, and the peoples devise empty things?
The psalm opens with a question that expresses astonishment. The turmoil of the pagan nations shows humanity’s organized resistance to God’s rule. Their plans are called “empty,” because no matter how influential and threatening they may seem, they cannot frustrate the purpose established by the Lord. In its initial historical sense, the word refers to peoples rebelling against God’s anointed king. Yet in the New Testament this word is explained as a description of the forces united against Jesus Christ. In Acts 4:25–28, Herod, Pontius Pilate, the pagans, and the leaders of Israel are presented as the peoples and rulers who rose together against the Lord and His Anointed, Jesus Christ. They tried to oppose Christ and put Him to death, but their actions could not frustrate God’s saving plan. On the contrary, God even through their evil intentions carried out what He had determined beforehand. For the believer, this verse is a comfort in times of the world’s upheavals. Human powers may cause pain for a time, but they cannot finally prevail against God’s will. Therefore the believer is called not to look on the world’s clamor with fear, but to rely with confidence on the Lord’s sovereignty.