Read: Psalm 2
Why do the nations conspire, and the peoples plot in vain? He who sits in the heavens laughs; the LORD has them in derision (Psalm 2:1 & 4, NRSV).
Sometimes it seems like things are going to hell in a handbasket. That may be an old-fashioned phrase, but it’s an apt description of current reality.
Psalm 2 may seem like a strange place to turn for comfort. On the face of it, the comfort is hard to come by. Front and center are a set of conspiring kings who have sent the faithful running for cover. But God’s reaction is telling. God laughs. Old Testament scholar Pat Miller calls this “one of the most reassuring sounds in the psalter.” From God’s perspective, these upstart kings are like so many dogs conspiring to catch a car. They’re ridiculous. Laughable.
Have you caught the comfort yet? This psalm reassures us that God is in charge. That is a statement of faith of course, especially when most of the evidence is to the contrary. But there it is, nonetheless—a lifeline for the faithful of every age. God—and God’s anointed—are utterly in charge. If we’re reading this psalm from a Christian perspective, that anointed one (literally meshiach/messiah) is none other than Jesus Christ—the Prince of Peace.
So, take that, you conspiring kings. You are no match for this dynamic duo. Repent—or else.
Finally, at the very end of the psalm, comfort becomes explicit and peace becomes possible. “Happy are all who take refuge in him,” the psalmist says. It’s an invitation that’s big enough for everybody—even repentant conspirators. Even for those of us who are feeling like everything is going to hell in a handbasket.
That little benediction is huge, but it’s easy to miss amongst all the mayhem of Psalm 2. So, I was grateful when some of my students called my attention to another comforting verse from Isaiah this week. The verse is from Isaiah 41:13—For, I the LORD your God hold your right hand; It is I who say to you, “Do not fear, I will help you.”
Here is what my student, Nathanial Ryan, had to say about that verse:
The past few years have been anything but normal. Polarization, the global pandemic, and the war in Ukraine have disrupted living and induced uncertainty and worry. We are starkly reminded of the brokenness in our world. And yet, we have a God who not only allows us to complain, cry out, even accuse, but the LORD also hears, and responds with kindness. I was particularly struck by the image in 41:13, the LORD our God holds our right hand. I love this imagery, as it not only gives the picture of a parent leading a small child, but also the fact that the LORD is doing the work done by the dominant hand for us. And while the LORD’s off hand (if there is such a thing) is comforting, lifting and sustaining us, the LORD our God’s right hand is free, marking off the waters and measuring the heavens.
That is an image I can cling to, even on days when it seems like everything is going to hell in a handbasket.
Ponder: What gives you comfort and courage in the midst of mayhem?
Pray: Bring peace to our troubled world, O God, and grant refuge to all who are displaced and afraid. Show us how to work for peace, and help us to trust that, “though the wrong seem oft so strong, you are the ruler yet.”*
*A line from the hymn “This Is My Father’s World” by Maltbie Babcock (1901).
Seeking Shalom Series
The Hebrew word shalom is about much more than the absence of conflict. Yes, shalom is about peace, but it’s also about health and wholeness. God knows we need all three—as individuals, as families, as neighborhoods, as churches, as nations, and as a world.
This series highlights a handful of psalms that seek shalom at every level. Often it is shalom that persists in situations that are anything but peaceful. But I hope that in some small way, these psalms will allow you to experience “the peace of God which surpasses all understanding” (Philippians 4:7).
Carol M. Bechtel