Justice for nations and rulers
Psalm 2 complements the first psalm as a joint introduction to the Psalter. Justice starts at home, but must extend to the nations. Moral and behavioural constructs inferred from the Torah, are supreme above temporal rulers of the world. While this theme has ancient roots in the stories of creation and the establishment of the tribes of Israel, it also has a very modern message, as
… nations conspire and people plot in vain; the rulers of the earth set themselves and leaders take counsel together … ‘Let us break their yoke, let us cast their cords from us.
Psalm 2:1-3
Rulers then and now conspire to throw off the ‘bonds’ or ‘yoke’ of benevolence, truth and justice. There is a lot to be said for separation of church and state, especially given human tendencies to bend religious dogma for selfish purposes, power or control. By omission, also, governments ignore or counter values recognised by humanists, Christianity and most major religions of the world. Does it matter that leaders base decisions and policies on ‘alternative facts’, declare history false, or ignore the law? Of course it does. Words have consequences, sometimes quite unpredicted and unintended. People without power suffer.
Maps drawn by the great navigators of the seventeenth century show how spheres of influence and fiefdoms spread around the world. Planted flags and place names reveal a little of the manoeuvring and politics of exploration and possession, sometimes in the name of God, sometimes in that of nationalism, empire or commerce. Today, rulers change or ignore constitutions to gain or stay in power, use or abuse the church according to their ends, and take little heed of any moral compass. The psalm is a good reminder to dictators and democracies alike that justice should remain a cornerstone of civilisations.
🎵
In amongst the sheep going astray, feeding of the flock and the hallelujahs of The Messiah by George Frederic Handel (1685 to 1759, a contemporary of J S Bach), behold this psalm text turns up in full force. Handel inserted some of this rage into his oratorio in a bass solo air Why do the nations? (quoting v.1) and the furious chorus Let us break their bonds asunder (3). This latter is one of the show-stoppers, sometimes omitted since it’s not an easy sing when taken at full gallop.
Such atmospherics are nevertheless appropriate for Transfiguration Sunday, for which this psalm is scheduled. But Händel’s great music is not a likely choice for a light Sunday morning antiphon. Fortunately, much easier responses are to be found in modern sources (although there is no setting in TiS).
- PFAS 2D is a simple tune. Two refrain text are provided. The first (“You are my son …“) is relevant when associated with the Transfiguration. The alternative general text (“The Lord is King, with trembling bow in worship“) is a good admonition for wayward leaders, but may engage neither the average listener nor singer.
- PFAS also recognises the turbulence and danger of the situation and provides both a ‘Dramatised reading‘ (2B) and a ‘Liturgy for Responsible Exercise of Authority‘ (2E). This latter title sounds a rather cumbersome but there’s no doubting it’s right on theme, ‘Justice for nations and rulers‘.
- Another in NCH by Carolyn Jennings has much milder but more comforting words from the final phrase (12) which refer us back in full circle to the beginning in Psalm 1: “Happy are all who take refuge in God”, whose bonds, according to another chorus in The Messiah, are anything but onerous: “My yolk is easy and my burden is light.”1
- Everett’s singable refrain in TEP notes that the rulers of the world have set themselves against God.
1 Matthew 11:30
Psalms in the South 