Psalm #2

For this post I think that I am going to start at the beginning of the Psalm and work my way toward the end.  The Psalm starts off with a question, "Why rage the heathen furiously?" I interpret this as the author doubting the human race, possibly asking the nobility why are they enraging the lord.  Even though the author doesn't directly it,  I am assuming that that the people of royalty are sinning because they are "with one consent against the Lord."  Because these people are sinning and conspiring against the Lord, they will be forever punished when they reach heaven.  The first half of the Psalm seems like a warning to those people of nobility who are sinning.  The author is saying that if you do not follow the Lord's way, then you will have an eternity of misery in the afterlife.

The author goes on to mention the kings as the "judges" of the world.  This has some irony because in actuality, the Lord is the judge of the world, and the kings are only the judges of the land.  The kings may decide what happens in their kingdom and in their lands, but if they sin at all, the Lord will have revenge in the afterlife.  The Lord is so much more powerful than these kings, that they kings have to "serve the lord with reverence, rejoyce in him with fear."  This is interesting because it is almost as if the author is making out the Lord as something to be frightened of.  I have always seen God as forgiving and merciful, yet this author is making him out as more of a punishing wrathful Lord.

Overall I find this Psalm somewhat aggressive and making the Lord out to be more evil then is intended.  There are many lines where the author talks about the Lord mocking those of nobility as well as the nobles rejoicing in fear.  There is also a recurring theme reminding the sinners that God will have his vengeance in the afterlife.  This seems like a very negative Psalm and I don't particularly like it.