Thoughts for the Day

Why do the nations conspire,
and the peoples plot in vain?
The kings of the earth set themselves,
and the rulers take counsel together,
against the Lord and his anointed, saying,
‘Let us burst their bonds asunder,
and cast their cords from us.’

He who sits in the heavens laughs;
the Lord has them in derision.
Then he will speak to them in his wrath,
and terrify them in his fury, saying,
‘I have set my king on Zion, my holy hill.’

I will tell of the decree of the Lord:
He said to me, ‘You are my son;
today I have begotten you.
Ask of me, and I will make the nations your heritage,
and the ends of the earth your possession.
You shall break them with a rod of iron,
and dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel.’

Now therefore, O kings, be wise;
be warned, O rulers of the earth.
Serve the Lord with fear,
with trembling kiss his feet,
or he will be angry, and you will perish in the way;
for his wrath is quickly kindled.

Happy are all who take refuge in him.

(Lectionary, New Revised Standard Version)

Thoughts

Psalm 2 is interesting for its complexity. The world that God designed is at war with Him, but we see that His 'anointed' who is a righteous Messiah, will ultimately preserve order. There are three different voices speaking in the psalm:

1. God Himself.
2. The rulers who are against Him.
3. God's anointed who speaks for God.

The 'anointed one' in Hebrew is translated as 'Messiah', in Greek it is 'Christ'. In the original text it is likely to be seen as King David for it was the custom for the king to be thought of as God's son, but Christians have subsequently thought this was Jesus. God gives his Anointed Son full power and authority over His world and over all its peoples, and His potential glory as King, comes not from His strength and might, but from His suffering and death.

Today we see a world at war with itself and with God. So in Europe two ostensibly Christian countries are at war (90% of Ukrainians are active Christians, while in Russia over 70% of its people identify as Christian). In other places Christianity itself is under threat, notably in Korea, Afghanistan, Somalia, Pakistan, Columbia, India, and Libya. In many cases those who convert to Christianity will be given an automatic death sentence.

The Psalm closes with the reminder that despite this ongoing battle we can still find a refuge with God. While we are not guaranteed a peaceful life, we should realise that the Anointed Son is totally in charge and His will, will be done in the end!

Lord God,
Creator of the world
and ruler of all things,
forgive us when we ignore Your wishes
and go our own way.
Help us to realise
that we too are guilty
of causing a rift with You or with others
when we fail to obey Your words
to love You and to love others.
Amen.