Psalm 2 (NRSV)
Read Psalm 2 on biblegateway.com
Verse 1Why do the nations conspire, and the peoples plot in vain?
Verse 2The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord and his anointed, saying,
Verse 3"Let us burst their bonds asunder, and cast their cords from us."
Verse 4He who sits in the heavens laughs; the Lord has them in derision.
Verse 5Then he will speak to them in his wrath, and terrify them in his fury, saying,
Verse 6"I have set my king on Zion, my holy hill."
Verse 7I will tell of the decree of the Lord: He said to me, "You are my son; today I have begotten you.
Verse 8Ask of me, and I will make the nations your heritage, and the ends of the earth your possession.
Verse 9You shall break them with a rod of iron, and dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel."
Verse 10Now therefore, O kings, be wise; be warned, O rulers of the earth.
Verse 11Serve the Lord with fear, with trembling
Verse 12kiss 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.
Devotion
I find it helpful to know that there are three distinct “players” in this psalm: the rulers of the earth (v. 1-3), God (v. 4-6), and God’s anointed king (v. 7-12), who quotes God (v. 7-9) and then speaks to the other rulers (v. 10-12). This is helpful because after the opening question, “Why are the nations in an uproar?” the parallels between the ancient world at the time of this psalm and our present time fade away. While all earthly kings back then were anointed and often claimed to be the Son of God to boost their approval ratings, Jesus was not that sort of king. Still when the Lord in the original psalm says to the earthly king, “You are my son; this day have I begotten you,” we are suddenly transported to the Jordan for a baptism, and then to the mountain for a Transfiguration. The promise of relationship and inheritance transcend time and space for the original disciples and are, therefore, for us as well. Happy are all who take refuge in God, indeed!
Prayer
God of Refuge, why are the nations in an uproar? Remind us again that we are safe in you. Protect us and all who are in harm’s way. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.
Interested in digging deeper into today’s text?
Read more here.