Psalm 2 (A)

Why do the nations rage? Why not choose abundant life and love?

Psalm 2

Why do the nations and people plot against one another, 
setting themselves apart and conspiring 
against the Beloved and those who follow Love's way?
They say to themselves, 
"We are free of Love's law; humility and service are for others."  
The Beloved, who is ever present, can but smile at their foolishness, knowing that one day, they will fall to their knees in regret.  
Distracted by greed and arrogance they do not hear the Beloved's Voice whispering in the silence: 
"Awaken all of you living in darkness!  
We are all One in Love Consciousness.  
You live in my Heart even as
I dwell in yours.
For you are mine;  I am your Beloved.
I have given you abundant life to love and care for all Creation.
May it be for the delight of All.
Yet, to know me, fears and illusions must be faced,
as an iron rod hitting a clay pot
shining light into the darkness."

Reflection:

Why do the nations rage? Why is hate, fear, and violence how the world is ruled? Why do we tear each other apart?

God’s way is subversive. Love, humility, and service are the way.

Why can’t we find a ruler or a person in power who would give up that power or use it for Love’s sake? Because it is terrifying. We are afraid of vulnerability. We are afraid of what Love can do.

But if we face our fears and illusions, if we are brave, if we are willing to let Love lead, we might come to understand the ways of the Beloved.

There is abundant life and love and care for all. We must choose it.

I began writing Psalm reflections during Lent of 2020 shortly after we decided to close the church building, work from home, and worship via zoom.  It is a practice I have continued since.  Many churches use the Revised Common Lectionary (RLC) that rotates scripture on a three-year cycle (A, B, and C).  Starting in Advent 2019, Third Church decided to worship with the texts from Year D, which is still not circulated as are years A, B, and C.  Year D was created with the goal of including scriptures that were left out or not used as frequently as others.  While we were using Psalms in year D, most other lectionary followers were using Year A.  In Advent of 2020 we rejoined those who use the lectionary in year B.  Advent of 2021 year C.  Advent of 2022 year A.

I use the Vanderbilt Divinity Library’s resource for lectionary readings to make text selections.

Year A Psalms

1^st Sunday in Advent Psalm 122, 2^nd Sunday in Advent Psalm 72, 3^rd Sunday in Advent Psalm 146, 4^th Sunday in Advent Psalm 80, Christmas Psalm 96, Psalm 97, Psalm 98, 1^st Sunday after Christmas Psalm 148, New Year Psalm 8, Epiphany Psalm 72, 1^st Sunday after Epiphany Psalm 29, 2^nd Sunday after Epiphany Psalm 40, 3^rd Sunday after Epiphany Psalm 27, 4^th Sunday after Epiphany Psalm 15, 5^th Sunday after Epiphany Psalm 112, 6^th Sunday after Epiphany Psalm 119, Transfiguration Sunday Psalm 2 or Psalm 99.

Ash Wednesday Psalm 51, 1^st Sunday in Lent Psalm 32, 2^nd Sunday in Lent Psalm 121, 3^rdSunday in Lent Psalm 95, 4^th Sunday in Lent Psalm 23, 5^th Sunday in Lent Psalm 130, 6^th Sunday in Lent Psalm 118 or Psalm 31.

Holy Week: Monday Psalm 36, Tuesday Psalm 71, Wednesday Psalm 70, Thursday Psalm 116, Friday Psalm 22, Saturday Psalm 31.

Easter Psalm 118 or Psalm 114, 2^nd Sunday of Easter Psalm 16, 3^rd Sunday of Easter Psalm 116, 4^th Sunday of Easter Psalm 23, 5^th Sunday of Easter Psalm 31, 6^th Sunday of Easter Psalm 66, Ascension of the Lord Psalm 47 or Psalm 93, 7^th Sunday of Easter Psalm 68, Pentecost Psalm 104.

1^st Sunday after Pentecost Psalm 8, 2^nd Sunday after Pentecost Psalm 33 or Psalm 50, 3^rd Sunday after Pentecost Psalm 116 or Psalm 100, 4^th Sunday after Pentecost Psalm 86 or Psalm 69, 5^thSunday after Pentecost Psalm 13 or Psalm 89, 6^th Sunday after Pentecost Psalm 45 or Psalm 145, 7^th Sunday after Pentecost Psalm 119 or Psalm 65, 8^th Sunday after Pentecost Psalm 139 or Psalm 86, 9^th Sunday after Pentecost Psalm 105 or Psalm 119, 10^th Sunday after Pentecost Psalm 17 or Psalm 145, 11^th Sunday after Pentecost Psalm 105 or Psalm 85, 12^th Sunday after Pentecost Psalm 133 or Psalm 67, 13^th Sunday after Pentecost Psalm 124 or Psalm 138, 14^thSunday after Pentecost Psalm 105 or Psalm 26, 15^th Sunday after Pentecost Psalm 149 or Psalm 119, 16^th Sunday after Pentecost Psalm 114 or Psalm 103, 17^th Sunday after Pentecost Psalm 105 or Psalm 145, 18^th Sunday after Pentecost Psalm 78 or Psalm 25, 19^th Sunday after Pentecost Psalm 19 or Psalm 80, 20^th Sunday after Pentecost Psalm 106 or Psalm 23, 21^stSunday after Pentecost Psalm 99 or Psalm 96, 22^nd Sunday after Pentecost Psalm 90 or Psalm 1, 23^rd Sunday after Pentecost Psalm 107 or Psalm 43, 24^th Sunday after Pentecost Psalm 78 or Psalm 70, 25^th Sunday after Pentecost Psalm 123 or Psalm 90, 26^th Sunday after Pentecost Psalm 100 or Psalm 95.

Sources and notes:

“The conclusion of the Old Testament scholarship is that the psalm was composed for use by a Davidic king of Judah on the occasion of his installation. Psalm 2 is one of the royal psalms, so called because their text clearly indicated that they concern rituals and ceremonies for the king. It is the first of a number that belong to the proceedings of the inauguration of a king, or perhaps to a festival celebrating that inauguration (110; 72; 101). Mays p. 45

“The idiom found in the psalms was used to express faith in what the Lord, the God of Israel, was working out through the office of the Davidic kingship. The office, not the individual of the particular historical situation, was its theme.” Mays P. 46

“”You are my son” (v. 7) is the only appearance of “son” as title of the Davidic king in the psalms. It is the ritual counterpart to the prophetic promise, “I will be his father, and he shall be my son,” given to David in II Samuel 7:14 (see its echoes in I Chron. 17:13; 22:10; 28:6).” Mays p. 47

“Psalm 2 is one of the psalms most frequently quoted and alluded to in the NT; from the perspective of early Christianity, it was a messianic psalm par excellence. Yet in the interpretation of the psalm which has been given so far, the psalm has been presented as a royal psalm, to be associated with a king’s coronation; it has not been identified as explicitly messianic. To perceive the transition of the psalm from its royal to messianic character, it is necessary first to perceive certain transitions in biblical history and religious though.” WBC p. 68

The declaration of God to the king, “You are my son,” becomes the central assertion about the relation of Jesus to God. In the Old Testament, “king” and “anointed” are more frequent and important titles, but in the New Testament, “son” moves to the fore as the identification of the One whom God has chosen to represent his kingdom in the world. More than the other titles, it emphasizes the correspondence between the heavenly sovereign and the person of his human regent. The setting of the declaration in the New Testament is the disclosure event, moments when the relation of Jesus to God is revealed. The declaration is heard in the baptism of Jesus (Mark 1:11 and parallels) and his transfiguration (Mark 9:7 and parallels; II Peter 1:17). It is proclaimed as the meaning of his resurrection (Acts 13:33; Rom 1:4). It is God’s central word to and about Jesus (Heb. 1:5; 5:5). Mays pp.48-49

Psalm 2 is found in year A on Transfiguration Sunday.

“Just as it must have seemed to ancient Israelites and Judeans during a variety of monarchical crises, and just as it must have seemed to a restored but embattled post-exilic community, so also it seems to us: It does not appear that God rules the world. But it is precisely the disparity between the proclamations and promises of Psalm 2 and historical actualities that presents us with the crucial interpretative issue. This disparity reveals the strange way that God exercise sovereignty. The power of God is not the absolute power of a dictator but the power of committed love. In wordy terms, might makes right. But on God’s terms, right makes might. The righteous–those who live under God’s sovereignty– will be vulnerable to the powers of the world (Ps 3:1-2), but they will never be without help (3:8). The striking claim of Psalm 2 is that true happiness if found by those “who take refuge in” God (2:12). Thus, like Psalm 1, Psalm 2 calls for a decision: Who rules the world? Whom shall we trust? Will we trust the apparent power of the kings and rulers of the earth–the wicked? Or will we trust God? The “happy,” the righteous, are those who, amid competing claims and powers, put their trust in God. In the eyes of the world, this decision makes no sense.” NIB p. 311

“To take refuge in the LORD is one of the most important expressions for the piety nurture by the psalms. Literally, it means to seek shelter or protected space.Used as a metaphor, it belongs to the psalmic vocabulary of trust, the act of turning to and relying on the LORD’s salvation. Here in the introduction it points forward to all the following prayers, beginning with Psalm 3, and was probably added to Psalm 2 to do just that. They prayers are the liturgy of those who take refuge in the LORD, in the midst of all the power in the world that threaten the way of those who seek to live in the rule of God.” Mays p. 48

WBC Allen, Leslie C. 1983. Word Biblical Commentary: Psalms 101-150. Vol. 21. Waco, TX: Word Books, Publisher.

Bonhoeffer, Dietrich. 1974. Psalms: The Prayer Book of the Bible. 8th ed. Minneapolis, MN: Augsburg Press.

Brueggemann, Walter. 2007. Praying the Psalms: Engaging Scripture and the Life of the Spirit. 2nd ed. Eugene, OR: Cascade.

Brueggemann Brueggemann, Walter. 2014. From Whom No Secrets Are Hid: Introducing the Psalms. Edited by Brent A. Strawn. 1st ed. Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press.

Chittister Chittister, Joan. (2011). Songs of the heart: reflections on the psalms. John Garratt Publishing. 

WBC Craigie, Peter C. 1983. Psalms 1-50–Word Biblical Commentary. Vol. 19. Waco, TX: Word Books.

Creach Creach, Jerome Frederick Davis. 1998. Psalms: Interpretation Bible Studies. Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press.

DAFLER, J. (2021). PSOBRIETY: A journey of recovery through the psalms. Louisville, KY: WESTMINSTER JOHN KNOX.

W de Claisse-Walford, Nancy L. WISDOM COMMENTARY: Psalms Bks. 4-5. Edited by Barbara E. Reid. Vol. 22. Collegeville, MN: Liturgical, 2020. 

W Hopkins, Denise Dombkowski. WISDOM COMMENTARY: Psalms Bks. 2-3. Edited by Barbara E. Reid. Vol. 21. Collegeville, MN: Liturgical, 2016. 

NIB Keck, Leander E. 2015. The New Interpreters Bible Commentary. Vol. 3. Nashville, TN: Abingdon Press.

Lewis, C. S. (2017). Reflections on the Psalms. Harper One, an imprint of Harper Collins Publishers. 

Mays Mays, James Luther. 1994. Psalms. Louisville, KY: John Knox Press.

McCann McCann, J. C. (1993). A theological introduction to the book of Psalms: The Psalms as Torah. Nashville, TN: Abingdon Press.

McCann, J. C., & Howell, J. C. 2001. Preaching the Psalms. Nashville, TN: Abingdon Press.

Merrill, N. C. (2020). Psalms for praying an invitation to wholeness (10th Anniversary Edition ed.). London, England: Bloomsbury Publishing.

Miller Miller, Patrick D. 1986. Interpreting the Psalms. Philadelphia, PA: Fortress Press.

Schlimm Schlimm, Matthew Richard. 2018. 70 Hebrew Words Every Christian Should Know.Nashville, TN: Abington Press.

Spong Spong, M. (Ed.). (2020). The words of her mouth: Psalms for the struggle. Cleveland, OH: The Pilgrim Press.

WBC Tate, Marvin E. 1990. Word Biblical Commentary: Psalms 51-100. Edited by David Allan. Hubbard and Glenn W. Barker. Vol. 20. Waco, TX: Word.

OTL Weiser, Artur. 1998. Old Testament Library: Psalms. Translated by Herbert Hartwell. 3rd ed. New York, NY: Manchester University Press.