Psalm Meditation 989
Seventh Sunday of Easter
June 2, 2019

Psalm 2
1 Why do the nations conspire, and the peoples plot in vain?
2 The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord and his anointed, saying,
3 “Let us burst their bonds asunder, and cast their cords from us.”
4 He who sits in the heavens laughs; the Lord has them in derision.
5 Then he will speak to them in his wrath, and terrify them in his fury, saying,
6 “I have set my king on Zion, my holy hill.”
7 I will tell of the decree of the Lord: He said to me, “You are my son; today I have begotten you.
8 Ask of me, and I will make the nations your heritage, and the ends of the earth your possession.
9 You shall break them with a rod of iron, and dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel.”
10 Now therefore, O kings, be wise; be warned, O rulers of the earth.
11 Serve the Lord with fear, with trembling
12 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.
(NRSV)

Sometimes we learn things that throw off our worldview for the rest of our lives. I was devastated when I discovered that the United States is not the largest nation in world, that my home state of Indiana is not the largest state in the union, and that my dad might not be able to beat up your dad. I was similarly disappointed when I discovered that the nation of Israel was not as powerful as the stories in the Bible indicate. Israel was conquered more often than they conquered their neighbors.

On the one hand, the nations of the world working together to burst the bonds and cast the cords of Israel from them is not very likely. It is possible that most of the nations of the world had not heard of Israel, let alone be concerned about their power and might as a nation. On the other hand, patriotic hyperbole is a normal human tendency. Even if they were not a large powerful nation, there is nothing to keep them from saying so in their own poetry and song.

Though they may not have been much of a force in military might, the God they worshipped has survived countless attacks. Though Israel was not a military powerhouse, the Lord, their God, has become a force to be reckoned with. Though various nations and states have made the attempt to bend the Lord to their will and service, a faithful remnant manages to call the faithful back to the God of the Bible.

May 27, 2019
LCM lcrsmanifold@att.net
http://psalmmeditations.blogspot.com/