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A meditation, on Psalm 2

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Psalm 2 gives interesting context to the political storms of any given day:

HT, Blastus, from Handel’s Messiah, sung by a Korean singer

Psalm 2: The Reign of the LORD’s Anointed

1 Why do the nations rage
and the peoples plot in vain?
2 The kings of the earth set themselves,
and the rulers take counsel together,
against the LORD and against his Anointed, saying,
3 “Let us burst their bonds apart
and cast away their cords from us.”

4 He who sits in the heavens laughs;
the Lord holds them in derision.
5 Then he will speak to them in his wrath,
and terrify them in his fury, saying,
6 “As for me, I have set my King
on Zion, my holy hill.”

7 I will tell of the decree:
The LORD said to me, “You are my Son;
today I have begotten you.
8 Ask of me, and I will make the nations your heritage,
and the ends of the earth your possession.
9 You shall break2 them with a rod of iron
and dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel.”

10 Now therefore, O kings, be wise;
be warned, O rulers of the earth.
11 Serve the LORD with fear,
and rejoice with trembling.
12 Kiss the Son,
lest he be angry, and you perish in the way,
for his wrath is quickly kindled.
Blessed are all who take refuge in him. [ESV]

It will help to put this in context of Isa 52:13 – 53:12:

He Was Pierced for Our Transgressions

Isa 52:13 Behold, my servant shall act wisely;2
he shall be high and lifted up,
and shall be exalted.
14 As many were astonished at you—
his appearance was so marred, beyond human semblance,
and his form beyond that of the children of mankind—
15 so shall he sprinkle many nations;
kings shall shut their mouths because of him;
for that which has not been told them they see,
and that which they have not heard they understand.


Isa 53:1 Who has believed what he has heard from us?
And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?
2 For he grew up before him like a young plant,
and like a root out of dry ground;
he had no form or majesty that we should look at him,
and no beauty that we should desire him.
3 He was despised and rejected by men;
a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief;
and as one from whom men hide their faces
he was despised, and we esteemed him not.

4 Surely he has borne our griefs
and carried our sorrows;
yet we esteemed him stricken,
smitten by God, and afflicted.
5 But he was pierced for our transgressions;
he was crushed for our iniquities;
upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace,
and with his wounds we are healed.
6 All we like sheep have gone astray;
we have turned—every one—to his own way;
and the LORD has laid on him
the iniquity of us all.

7 He was oppressed, and he was afflicted,
yet he opened not his mouth;
like a lamb that is led to the slaughter,
and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent,
so he opened not his mouth.
8 By oppression and judgment he was taken away;
and as for his generation, who considered
that he was cut off out of the land of the living,
stricken for the transgression of my people?

9 And they made his grave with the wicked
and with a rich man in his death,
although he had done no violence,
and there was no deceit in his mouth.
10 Yet it was the will of the LORD to crush him;
he has put him to grief;
when his soul makes an offering for guilt,
he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days;
the will of the LORD shall prosper in his hand
.


11 Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see and be satisfied;
by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant,
make many to be accounted righteous,
and he shall bear their iniquities.
12 Therefore I will divide him a portion with the many,10
and he shall divide the spoil with the strong,11
because he poured out his soul to death
and was numbered with the transgressors;
yet he bore the sin of many,
and makes intercession for the transgressors.

What is our response to Messiah, risen as prophesied 700 years ahead of time, as attested by 500 witnesses and unstoppable, life transforming resurrection power experienced by millions ever since?

This gives us perspective. END

Comments
Orloog: My statement was directed to those who believe the Jews no longer fall under the laws of Moses and not in regards to you as an agnostic. Since you brought up being an agnostic, this is directed at you. There is no evidence to support macro-evolution at all. One cannot point to micro as evidence of macro. The scientific method is clear that a hypothesis cannot become a theory unless something has been observed and the results duplicated. Neither has happened with macro-evolution. There is no such thing as a scientific fact, since any theory, once it passes the test to go from hypothesis, is subject to change as more information is gathered over time. Pointing to micro-evolution as evidence of macro-evolution is no different than pointing to the universe as evidence of the multiverse. The existence of one does not guarantee the existence of the other. Think of God as a great intellectual being far beyond human understanding, rather than humanizing God. Remove the intellect from the universe and there are certain things that cannot happen. There can be no origin of the universe, since something cannot be created from nothing. There can be no laws of physics, since chaos cannot create order. There can be no origin of life, since life cannot come from no life. Intelligent Design of the universe is the only way even a single law can exist. Energy cannot be created or destroyed, it can only be transferred. They same energy that exists today has existed for billions of years. Since we know energy exists and it cannot be created, where did it come from?BobRyan
July 8, 2020
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LOL, BobRyan, if you do not take the bible for granted, the only statement left in your post is "heaven and earth have not passed away" - and the conclusion you draw from it does not make sense for any agnostic.Orloog
July 8, 2020
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It does not matter if Jews believe Rabbi Yeshua was the Messiah, since the laws of Moses remain for them. Christians and Jews are both waiting for the same moment, which is the Messiah. Christians happen to believe it's the return and Jews happen to believe it is the first appearance, but the event remains the same. The Tanakh, Jewish Bible referred to as the Old Testament by Christians, gets it's name from the three sections it encompasses. Torah, which is Teaching and includes the laws of Moses. Nevi'im, which is the Prophets. Ketuvim, which is the Writings Matthew 5: 17-18 makes things quite clear in regards to the laws of Moses. 17. “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. 18. For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished. This is a direct reference to Torah and Nevi'im. All synagogues have the Torah, but not all have Nevi'im or the Ketuvim. There is no requirement for any synagogue to have all three and the only one Jewish law requires is the Torah. The synagogue Rabbi Yeshua spoke had both the Torah and Nevi'im, which is why he made direct reference to both. Last I checked, heaven and earth have not passed away, which means the laws of Moses continue for the Jews to this day. Gentiles do not fall under Jewish law, including the 10 Commandments. They fall under the 7 laws of Noah.BobRyan
July 8, 2020
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K@33, we have very different opinions about the meaning of the words "clear" and "plain"! BTW: who was Geo III? Could you please stop trying to be cryptic? Do you mean George III? Jesus was the messiah because a famously mad king was moved by music?Orloog
July 8, 2020
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ET @25: "It wasn't a vote" So it is not about a popularity contest. ET @32: "When they start selling that calendar @ Walmart, you will have a point." So it is about a popularity contest. BTW: https://www.walmart.com/ip/2020-Planner-2-days-per-page-with-Islamic-Hijri-dates-Deep-Turquoise-Hardcover/735469970Orloog
July 8, 2020
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ET
The goalpost moved from:
Did anybody tell the Jews?
to
How many Hebrews did agree?
So, they were told, they just were not told convincingly. Well, ET, let me tell you that the Theory of Evolution is a valid scientific theory, explaining the origin of species.Orloog
July 7, 2020
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O, the lack of clarity is yours, not the text's. For example, v. 8 makes clear the fate of the wounded healer, suffering servant: >>8 By oppression and judgment he was taken away; and as for his generation, who considered that he was cut off out of the land of the living, stricken for the transgression of my people?>> This same one -- it is an individual "the righteous one" the innocent given as substitute, sin offering -- is identified as was in OP and already clipped: >>when his soul makes an offering for guilt [--> implying death as noted], he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days; the will of the LORD shall prosper in his hand.>> Resurrection could not be plainer, and of course it is the sign of Jonah as Jesus himself pointed out in his teachings beforehand. Further, note from 52:13 ff >>my servant shall act wisely; he shall be high and lifted up, and shall be exalted . . . 15 so shall he sprinkle many nations; kings shall shut their mouths because of him; for that which has not been told them they see, and that which they have not heard they understand.>> These elements, together, point to a quite clear, unique individual, where for simple example Napoleon simply does not fit the bill of particulars. Likewise, your red herring about particular kings who may not have heard the message and/or may have responded with hostility does not, cannot counter the massive fact of many kings who did hear and respond. Indeed, oddly Geo III, on hearing it the first time, rose in tribute to precisely the figure sung in the Messiah. That, is a famous historical footnote to the Messiah. KFkairosfocus
July 7, 2020
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and we live in the year 1441 AH all because of Muhammad.
When they start selling that calendar @ Walmart, you will have a point. They can't even get the number of days right. Even the Mayans figured that out. The goalpost moved from:
Did anybody tell the Jews?
to
How many Hebrews did agree?
ET
July 7, 2020
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K,
speaking of one hailed by GENTILE kings
Wasn't there an emperor in China who just did not get the note?Orloog
July 7, 2020
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K,
the 700 BC text is quite clear
Sorry, it isn't:
kings shall shut their mouths because of him
Isn't that about Napoleon Bonaparte?Orloog
July 7, 2020
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MMT, yes, and again, implied in the OP with dating on event 35 - 38 AD, record 55 AD. KFkairosfocus
July 7, 2020
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O, the 700 BC text is quite clear, as the OP you were directed to explicitly cites, speaking of one hailed by GENTILE kings, by contrast despised and rejected at large by his own people, yet being wounded healer and sacrificial lamb for sins. So, ironically, remnant patterns are part of the prediction, one not exactly acknowledged by those who championed the rejection among the Jewish nation then or now. Then we see the utterly astonishing text:
10 Yet it was the will of the LORD to crush him; he has put him to grief; when his soul makes an offering for guilt, he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days; the will of the LORD shall prosper in his hand. 11 Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see and be satisfied; by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant, make many to be accounted righteous, and he shall bear their iniquities. 12 Therefore I will divide him a portion with the many,10 and he shall divide the spoil with the strong,11 because he poured out his soul to death and was numbered with the transgressors; yet he bore the sin of many, and makes intercession for the transgressors.
This is why this text has been pivotal since the 30's AD. KFkairosfocus
July 7, 2020
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ET, goalposts? I asked for the source of the claim that Jesus fulfilled a 700 year old prophecy. The Jews of Jesus' time (and I today) have quite a difficulty to connect Psalm 2 to Jesus. Perhaps you can explain how this Psalm specifically refers to Jesus? Without invoking the preposition that "he is the son of God" ?Orloog
July 7, 2020
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ET, and we live in the year 1441 AH all because of Muhammad.Orloog
July 7, 2020
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And Jesus was the messiah?
That's the claim. He was a big enough deal to change how we looked at history. There is a BC and an AD. All because of Jesus. Now the nomenclature has changed but it still means the same thing.
How many Hebrews did agree?
It wasn't a vote. But you moved the goalpost. Why is that? Methinks you are a tad dishonestET
July 7, 2020
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M, well, if Paul wrote this, it must be true, roma locuta and all that. It's like Bilbo Baggins and his Red Book...Orloog
July 7, 2020
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And Jesus was the messiah? How many Hebrews did agree? 10%? 1%? 0.1%?Orloog
July 7, 2020
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Orloog
Source?
For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me. (1 Corinthians 15:3-8)Mac McTavish
July 7, 2020
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The Messiah. The texts were about the Messiah. And yes, the Hebrews knew.ET
July 7, 2020
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K, the texts were about Jesus? Did anybody tell the Jews?Orloog
July 7, 2020
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O, kindly first read the OP and particularly Isa 52 v- 3, c 700 BC. Next, cf the record of early church testimony dating to c 35 - 38 AD, written as a point of reference c 55 AD, 1 Cor 15:1 - 11. The millions since are all around. KFkairosfocus
July 6, 2020
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Messiah, risen as prophesied 700 years ahead of time, as attested by 500 witnesses and unstoppable
Source?Orloog
July 6, 2020
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from Today's daily promise... "But he [was] wounded for our transgressions, [he was] bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace [was] upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. (Isaiah 53:5)"DATCG
July 6, 2020
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AWStar, thanks for that info.DATCG
July 6, 2020
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AW & Q, thanks. BTW, SDG is actually the Reformation motto. KFkairosfocus
July 6, 2020
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Thank you, Awstar! This is absolutely fascinating background information. -QQuerius
July 5, 2020
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Who is the real author of Truth, Beauty and Goodness?
https://www1.cbn.com/cbnnews/us/2011/December/Handels-Messiah-Inspires-Listeners-Transcends-Time German-born George Frideric Handel moved to London in his late thirties. Handel considered himself an opera composer, but public interest was waning in England, and by 1741 a discouraged Handel wondered if retirement was near. "Some people do think at this point, it was kind of like a career crisis ... and it's quite possible that he was thinking of returning to Germany," Martin Wyatt, deputy director of Handel House Museum in London, told CBN News. That's when Charles Jennens handed him the words, or libretto, of "Messiah." Jennens, a literary scholar, carefully selected Old and New Testament scriptures documenting prophecies about the Messiah, Jesus' birth, death on the cross and resurrection. "The Christian message is in part also a response to the kind of growing interest in what is known as deism," Wyatt explained. Since the deists did not believe in the divinity of Christ, Jennens sought to counter that thinking. "For Jennens, I think Messiah was a very personal passion, a very personal mission, and Jennens was a deeply religious man, a very committed Christian," Wyatt said. "We find Jennens writing to another friend of his saying, 'I've done this scripture collection for Handel, and I hope that he will expend his best efforts on it so that it becomes his best oratorio because it's certainly on the best subject. The subject is Messiah,'" Charles Jennens scholar Ruth Smith said. Handel is believed to have composed "Messiah" in only 24 days. Many believe it was divinely inspired. One music scholar described the number of errors in the 259-page score as incredibly low for a composition of its length. It's said that Handel never left his house during those three weeks, and a friend who visited discovered him sobbing with intense emotion. After he wrote the "Hallelujah" chorus, Handel was quoted as saying, "I did think I did see all Heaven before me, and the great God Himself." For Jennens and Handel, "Messiah" would be an evangelistic tool to share the gospel with the masses. They even made the controversial decision to perform "Messiah" in theatres instead of churches to reach a wider audience -- including the performers themselves. Handel used secular singer-actresses to perform the solos, such as Susannah Maria Cibber, a woman with an adulterous past, but who was described as being able to penetrate the heart with her voice, when other, more skilled vocalists could only reach the ear. "He touches people on every possible level," Handel scholar Tim Brown, formerly of Cambridge, told CBN News. "Whether it be on a spiritual level, or musical level, or dramatic level, there's something in Messiah for everybody, and of course for an audience." "If you look at the YouTube flash mob 'Hallelujah' choruses, you will see that hits are currently running at about 43 million," Smith said. "Now I doubt if all those people are Protestant Christians, and if you just watch some of those flash mob Hallelujahs, you can see in the people listening in the shopping mall and so on, you can see the change coming over their faces as they listen, and they are greatly moved." Performances in Handel's day were often benefit concerts, to help release people from debtor's prison and provide for orphans in London's well-known Foundling Hospital. One scholar wrote, "Messiah has fed the hungry, clothed the naked, fostered the orphan... more than any other single musical production in this or any country." However, George Frideric Handel did not want the credit. At the end of "Messiah," Handel wrote the letters "SDG" for Soli Deo Gloria, which means, "To God Alone the Glory."
awstar
July 5, 2020
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I'd like to add that I wouldn't object to socialism if actually worked, but it hasn't. Even the early Christians tried it as recorded in the book of Acts, and encountered problems. Nevertheless, the churches that many Christians attend practice a type of "voluntary socialism" in the form of anonymous benevolence to people in and outside the church, including food, financial help, cars, and lodging to people who are in need. This also extends to prisoners and parolees. Help like this also includes friendship, mentoring, helpful advice and contacts, and spiritual encouragement. This aid and love goes directly to people in the most need without government programs, bureaucracy, massive waste, innumerable forms, waiting in line, and misappropriation. Even the early Christians under persecution and poverty significantly helped society around them:
In 362 A.D. the pagan Emperor Julian wrote to Arsacius, high priest of Galatia, expressing frustration at the failure of the pagan charities to match (or even come close to) the benevolence shown by the Christians who cared for the poor and the stranger. Julian laments, "the impious Galileans [Christians] support not only their poor, but ours as well, everyone can see that our people lack aid from us" (Epistle 22—see Rodney Stark, The Rise of Christianity).
-QQuerius
July 5, 2020
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Passages from the Bible inspired Handel to some of the most beautiful music ever written. The book of Job provided the passage "But I know that my redeemer lives," which brings tears to my eyes when I hear it. Yes, KF recognizes the desire of those who want to repeat history to erase its previous successes and its horrible disasters for the purposes of freeing self appointed leaders to repeat history without objection. Erasing the lessons of history is absolutely essential before any oppressive dictatorship and subsequent genocide can be launched in the name of justice, fairness, or whatever. And its inevitable failure will once again be brushed aside with, "But that wasn't TRUE socialism." -QQuerius
July 5, 2020
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JVL, the cultural icon status of Handel's work is not in doubt. That our post modern world has so far removed itself from roots and has such an impoverished education and too often worse tastes, speaks. I note, we are a communicative, symbolic race and cultural icons carry a good part of our vision; directly relevant to why Red Guards seek to desecrate and smash, then erase and rewrite a new narrative. Too often, one that is only remotely connected to well warranted, responsibly balanced truth. Of course, the pretence is that what they smash and would erase is evil and victory propaganda, but too often that is projection. In the case before us today, the 2nd Psalm and its echo in Isaiah, also its integration into one of the all time great pieces of the musical arts, we have a central issue of what is root reality: the Living God who is not silent, rescues and opens the door to redemption and blessed transformation. It is on that, which we should reflect. KFkairosfocus
July 5, 2020
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