(Psalm 2)
This is a valediction of sorts, a farewell address; I plan to be here next Sunday, but this is the last time I’m scheduled to preach here before God calls me on. At the same time, this is also a beginning—and I’m not talking about myself here, I’m talking about this psalm. Believe it or not, the fact that this is the second psalm in the book is important. We tend to think of Psalms as a random collection of texts, but there is actually a structure to the book. Among other things, there is a five-part conclusion to the book—the Hallel psalms, 146-150—and there is an introduction. Some ancient manuscripts combine it into one psalm, but most leave it in two parts, and our English versions follow suit. Psalm 1 is a beatitude describing the life of the faithful individual among the wicked people of this world; Psalm 2 widens the scope to consider the life of the community of faith among the godless nations.