Where Is God in a World of Evil? (Psalm 2)
Evil is real, but it isn’t final. We may not have every answer for evil, but does Psalm 2?
Psalm 2
Today's Scripture Passage
A Few Thoughts to Consider
On the morning of October 7th, 2023, the world awoke to the news that Israel had suffered a brutal invasion by Hamas terrorists. Babies' throats were cut, children were burned alive, women were raped, and the elderly were tormented—making this the largest mass murder of Jewish people since the holocaust.
As is largely the case today, in ancient Israel, the surrounding nations wanted to see Israel wiped off the face of the globe. In Psalm 2, the author highlights this struggle. Acts 4:25-26 indicates David is the writer. This Psalm says:
1 Why do the nations rage
and the peoples plot in vain?
2 The kings of the earth take their stand,
and the rulers conspire together
against the Lord and his Anointed One:
3 “Let’s tear off their chains
and throw their ropes off of us.”
4 The one enthroned in heaven laughs;
the Lord ridicules them.
5 Then he speaks to them in his anger
and terrifies them in his wrath:
6 “I have installed my king
on Zion, my holy mountain.”
7 I will declare the Lord’s decree.
He said to me, “You are my Son;
today I have become your Father.
8 Ask of me,
and I will make the nations your inheritance
and the ends of the earth your possession.
9 You will break them with an iron scepter;
you will shatter them like pottery.”
10 So now, kings, be wise;
receive instruction, you judges of the earth.
11 Serve the Lord with reverential awe
and rejoice with trembling.
12 Pay homage to the Son or he will be angry
and you will perish in your rebellion,
for his anger may ignite at any moment.
All who take refuge in him are happy.
What makes the scene of this passage so dramatic is that the conspirators are not focused on destroying a nation. They are conspiring against God.
But notice God’s response. He laughs. Not in a way that suggests he doesn’t
care, but a laugh that highlights how futile opponents to him are. He holds them in derision, meaning he mocks their opposition.
As Gerald Wilson writes, “The description of God as ‘enthroned in heaven’ is not an attempt to stress his distance and removal from the fray. It is a sign of his exaltation and power that is ‘out of this world.’”[1]
A Meditation to PRAY
Praise | Thank you, Jesus, that you are high above all my earthly fears and foes. I praise you that I don’t have to fear the evil of this world because you are my King and Savior.
Release | I release the fear that fills my heart when I am not keeping my eyes on you. I cast my anxieties on you and trust that you will take care of me.
Ask | Please give me your eyes for what is happening around me. Help me not only to trust you but also to act courageously and do whatever you call me to without letting fear get in the way.
Yield | I surrender my life to you—my physical body, my earthly desires, anything that comes into my mind. Make me like you.
A Challenge to Act Like Christ
Sometimes, the evil in this world feels overwhelming. But it’s here that Psalm 2 should offer us hope. If God laughs at the futility of even the crudest forms of evil on earth, imagine how he views the evil you face today.
Because of Christ’s death on the cross, evil is defeated. Yes, there is still a war that rages within the heart of every person. But we can take heart knowing that the war has already been won when our hope is in Christ.
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[1] Gerald Wilson, NIVAC
