Showing posts with label Psalm 2. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Psalm 2. Show all posts
Monday, February 3, 2025
Psalm Meditation 1286
¶Fifth Sunday After Epiphany
¶February 9, 2025
¶Psalm 2
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm%202&version=NRSVUE
(NRSVUE)
¶Even when we are listening intently to someone, and especially to God, it is possible to hear something other than what was intended. We run everything around us through the filters we have developed in our years and experiences. On top of, that we may hear the words as we misinterpret the tone of voice or miss a facial expression that changes the meaning of the word, phrase, or sentence. Yet again, some words have multiple meanings, for instance ‘nuts’ that can be used to hold the open end of a bolt or acts as a seed to plant peanuts, cashews, etc.
¶When God speaks to this psalmist king I have no doubt that
God said, “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. “ I suspect that the psalmist may have added the parts about breaking those nations and dashing them to pieces. How else would a ruler of that age take over a nation except by force? With many years of experience, and other forms of government available to us, we see that it is possible to engage another nations through peaceful means. Aaand, those peaceful means are more permanent than using force ever has been.
¶An important aspect of speaking and listening is knowing the other person. God’s ways are more aligned with peace, justice, and mercy than with needing to be the biggest and strongest and turning the world into a battlefield. God is much more likely to encourage the building of connection and community than in being overpowering. “Happy are all who take refuge in [God}.”
¶February 3, 2025
¶LCM
Thursday, April 7, 2022
Psalm Meditation 1138
¶Palm/Passion Sunday
¶April 10, 2022
¶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)
¶I remember being very upset when I learned that the United States is not the largest country in the world. Having been taught that we are the best/grandest nation, we must also be the biggest. Knowing this about myself makes me wonder how many other nations tell their citizens that their nation is the best/grandest in the world. That the psalmist knows that the rulers of the surrounding nations want to be free of the bonds and cords imposed on them by Israel leads me to believe that the indoctrination is widespread. Especially since one of my seminary professors informed us that Israel was never much of a military power.
¶Whether we are strong or weak, rich or poor, big or small it is a good plan to look to YHWH for help and direction. Though the psalmist knows that God is on our side and will crush all of our enemies, that is seeing God as one of us, one like us, with the same friends and enemies that we have. God does not choose sides in our petty squabbles over ‘stuff.’ God encourages us to love each other, to look for ways to care for one another, and to move in the direction that leads us closer to God.
¶While we are quick to find ways to justify God being on our side over against those with whom we disagree, God does not work that way. We are called and led to serve God by serving each other. Watching our enemies be broken into tiny little pieces is a great revenge/punishment fantasy, but that is all it is if we expect God to do that for us. In serving God we are called to serve those we love as well as those who seem unlovable. “Happy are all who take refuge in him.”
¶March 7, 2022
¶LCM
Monday, May 27, 2019
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/
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/
Monday, May 23, 2016
Psalm Meditation 832
Proper 4
May 29, 2016
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)
I suppose we would not hear of a nation whose collective consciousness said, ‘We are a small, frail nation with no hope of ever being anything but small and frail, we better sit quietly and hope no one notices us.’ We are more likely to believe, ‘We are the best on earth, a force to be reckoned with so don’t turn your back on us unless you are willing to face the consequences.’ According to at least one biblical scholar, the nation of Israel was small and inconsequential as far as military/political powers go. At the same time they were in a great position, geographically and strategically, to defend themselves against most of their foes most of the time.
At the same time, they were a people of great faith who trusted that the God of Abraham and Sarah was watching out for them. If they were defeated it was the fault of the people and not of God. YHWH would keep them safe from all enemies and adversaries as long as they toed the line of covenant faithfulness. Once a rule was broken God turned away from the people and left them to suffer for a time as punishment for their sin of covenant breaking.
As our concept of leadership moved from that of absolute leader with absolute power to a broader distribution of power and influence we saw God in a new light as well. While there are those who see God as an absolute ruler waiting for us to make mistakes so that we can be punished, there are others who see God as one who loves us no matter what. God continues to be saddened, disappointed and angry with us over our actions, however the overarching trait of God is to love us. In this view God is more likely to entice us into faithfulness than to punish our lapses. God claims us each as a child who is loved and cared for as a unique and precious individual.
May 23, 2016
LCM
Proper 4
May 29, 2016
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)
I suppose we would not hear of a nation whose collective consciousness said, ‘We are a small, frail nation with no hope of ever being anything but small and frail, we better sit quietly and hope no one notices us.’ We are more likely to believe, ‘We are the best on earth, a force to be reckoned with so don’t turn your back on us unless you are willing to face the consequences.’ According to at least one biblical scholar, the nation of Israel was small and inconsequential as far as military/political powers go. At the same time they were in a great position, geographically and strategically, to defend themselves against most of their foes most of the time.
At the same time, they were a people of great faith who trusted that the God of Abraham and Sarah was watching out for them. If they were defeated it was the fault of the people and not of God. YHWH would keep them safe from all enemies and adversaries as long as they toed the line of covenant faithfulness. Once a rule was broken God turned away from the people and left them to suffer for a time as punishment for their sin of covenant breaking.
As our concept of leadership moved from that of absolute leader with absolute power to a broader distribution of power and influence we saw God in a new light as well. While there are those who see God as an absolute ruler waiting for us to make mistakes so that we can be punished, there are others who see God as one who loves us no matter what. God continues to be saddened, disappointed and angry with us over our actions, however the overarching trait of God is to love us. In this view God is more likely to entice us into faithfulness than to punish our lapses. God claims us each as a child who is loved and cared for as a unique and precious individual.
May 23, 2016
LCM
Monday, August 19, 2013
Psalm Meditation 688
Fourteenth Sunday of Ordinary Time
August 25, 2013
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)
The psalmist describes God in terms of the most powerful person known at the time: a king. Kings held absolute power over their subjects and were held to the standards of the divine beings who had placed them in this position. For many cultures of the day and time, those divine beings had no real standards except their own wishes and desires. Since it was the divine way, whatever the king chose to do was the way the world worked in any given situation. Those who had any influence with the king could sway royal decision making through gifts, promises, threats and flattery. It was a difficult image of God for those who had no power or influence.
The God of Israel held to a standard of faithfulness, righteousness and steadfast love, so the king was held to this same standard. The Bible makes clear that not every king felt bound by God’s standards of behavior. It was a mark of a great king to behave according to the laws of God and to treat subjects with the same faithfulness, righteousness and steadfast love exhibited by God.
While we no longer see God in the same light as the psalmist, we do see ourselves as bound to God through the faithfulness, righteousness and steadfast love we continue to experience through our relationship with God. We also continue to find comfort as we take refuge in God in the face of the wide variety of trials and temptations we confront on a regular basis.
August 19, 2013
Fourteenth Sunday of Ordinary Time
August 25, 2013
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)
The psalmist describes God in terms of the most powerful person known at the time: a king. Kings held absolute power over their subjects and were held to the standards of the divine beings who had placed them in this position. For many cultures of the day and time, those divine beings had no real standards except their own wishes and desires. Since it was the divine way, whatever the king chose to do was the way the world worked in any given situation. Those who had any influence with the king could sway royal decision making through gifts, promises, threats and flattery. It was a difficult image of God for those who had no power or influence.
The God of Israel held to a standard of faithfulness, righteousness and steadfast love, so the king was held to this same standard. The Bible makes clear that not every king felt bound by God’s standards of behavior. It was a mark of a great king to behave according to the laws of God and to treat subjects with the same faithfulness, righteousness and steadfast love exhibited by God.
While we no longer see God in the same light as the psalmist, we do see ourselves as bound to God through the faithfulness, righteousness and steadfast love we continue to experience through our relationship with God. We also continue to find comfort as we take refuge in God in the face of the wide variety of trials and temptations we confront on a regular basis.
August 19, 2013
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