by Harry BuererThe first two Psalms in our scriptures are beloved and well-known among Christians. But, interestingly, they deal with themes that seem to be minimized or ignored in Christianity as a whole.
The first Psalm is a paean to God’s law and the person who lovingly embraces it. “Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers. But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers. Not so the wicked! They are like chaff that the wind blows away. Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous. For the Lord watches over the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish.” (Psalm 1)
This Psalm contrasts two men, or actually an individual and a group. The man who delights in the law of the Lord and meditates on it is contrasted with the wicked and those who walk in their counsel. At the end of the Psalm it calls him righteous, and says that the Lord watches over his way.
There are several Psalms that extol the virtues of God’s law, including Psalm 19 that calls it perfect (19:7) and parallels it with “The fear of the Lord is pure, enduring forever” (19:9). Probably the most well-known Psalm on this theme is Psalm 119, by far the longest Psalm, where a synonym of the law occurs in each of 176 verses. It says things like “I will always obey your law, for ever and ever” (119:44), “Long ago I learned from your statutes that you established them to last forever” (119:152), and “All your words are true; all your righteous laws are eternal” (119:160).
Despite testimonies like these, most Christians are under the impression that the law has been abolished. Jesus states unequivocally (Matthew 5:17-19) that this idea is wrong, and Paul echoes it (Romans 3:31). But second-century Christianity was so desparate to distance itself from Judaism that it abandoned God’s law. The results of that misstep remain today.
The second Psalm, although it might refer at some level to David and the ancient kings of Israel, clearly refers mostly to the future kingdom of God and its messianic king. “Why do the nations conspire and the peoples plot in vain? The kings of the earth take their stand and the rulers gather together against the Lord and against his Anointed One. ‘Let us break their chains,’ they say, ‘and throw off their fetters.’ The One enthroned in heaven laughs; the Lord scoffs at them. Then he rebukes them in his anger and terrifies them in his wrath, saying, ‘I have installed my King on Zion, my holy hill.’ I will proclaim the decree of the Lord: He said to me, ‘You are my Son; today I have become your Father. Ask of me, and I will make the nations your inheritance, the ends of the earth your possession. You will rule them with an iron scepter; you will dash them to pieces like pottery.’ Therefore, you kings, be wise; be warned, you rulers of the earth. Serve the Lord with fear and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son, lest he be angry and you be destroyed in your way, for his wrath can flare up in a moment. Blessed are all who take refuge in him.” (Psalm 2)
In this Psalm the nations are opposing God’s anointed (messiah) king of Israel, but he rules them with a rod of iron and dashes them to pieces like pottery.
This theme of God’s ultimate kingdom under a human king is alluded to in other Psalms. Psalm 72 talks about the king enduring “as long as the sun, as long as the moon, through all generations” (72:5) and ruling “from sea to sea and from the River to the ends of the earth” (72:8).
Another Psalm that deals with God’s coming kingdom is one which Jesus mentions to the Pharisees (Matthew 22:44) to show that the “son of David” is greater than David, Psalm 110. God, in speaking to his Messiah, says, “The Lord will extend your mighty scepter from Zion; you will rule in the midst of your enemies.” (110:2) This king is also a priest. “The Lord has sworn and will not change his mind: ‘You are a priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek'” (110:4).
Many Christian deny that there is a future literal reign of God’s Messiah on the earth and think that the kingdom that Jesus talked so much about is only a spiritual kingdom in the hearts of believers.
We would do well to turn back to these first two Psalms for guidance in the things that matter to God, both then and now. God’s law was given to last until heaven and earth pass away (Matthew 5:18) and to be the standard of God’s righteousness in his physical kingdom which will be established in Jerusalem in the last days (Isaiah 2:3). Let us never forget either of these truths.