Discouraged About Politics? Savor Psalm 2!

Update: Listen to my sermon on Psalm 2 here.

Those of us disillusioned and discouraged about the moral and political landscape of the day would do well to meditate on Psalm 2. In savoring the second Psalm, we move from a place of disillusionment with the “kings” of our day to sweet reverence for the one true King.

As I’ve previously explained, Psalms are about being moved from one place to another. The Psalms combine rich theology, imagery, and verse.  Christians who prayerfully quote and mediate on the Psalter – – or better still sing the Psalms like my Covenantor ancestors – – find that they travel from places of noisy disillusionment to peace and rest in Christ.

Sunday I plan to preach on Psalm 2. I won’t get ahead of myself by giving the sermon outline in a blog post, but I hope that many of our people will prepare for the sermon by reading Psalm 2 aloud and reflecting on the imagery. Here are some suggestions for meditating on Psalm 2. You still have to come to church. But these tips will help you get ready.

• Picture the rage of the vain plotting of our day.
  Whether it is the punk in North Korea and his goose stepping army on parade – – or boorish boasting we hear in the politics of the United States, we don’t have to work to hard to find reason to listen to Psalm 2 in our own day.
• Read Psalm 2 aloud to your family. There is something about saying the words of Scripture. Read carefully. Interpret as you go. Consider reading it twice with two different people taking to a turn.
• “Listen” to the sounds of Psalm 2. If the images of the Psalm were multi-media, what would you hear? Who would you hear boasting? Who would you hear laughing? Peter Craigie’s commentary prompted me to make the table to the right so I could consider who is “talking” at each point in the Psalm. But don’t just focus on speech. Listen also to the imagery of smashing pottery. What does wrath quickly kindled sound like?
• Consider the kingdom boundaries proposed by Psalm 2. How large does the LORD say the domain of his kingdom is?
• Reflect on the New Testament usage of Psalm 2. The New Testament leaves no doubt as to how the claims of Psalm 2 will be fulfilled. Our summer intern (the esteemed Ben W.) helped me prepare the table summarizing a sample of the quotation and echoes of Psalm 2 in the New Testament. If the table is hard to read, look up Acts 4:24-26, Revelation 2:27, Revelation 12:25, and Hebrews 1:5).

I know many in our church are discouraged about the state of American politics. I’m with you! But God has made provision for our disillusionment and discouragement. Psalm 2 is the refreshment we need to move from places of disillusionment to refreshment in Christ.