With the Psalms, a shift in the telling occurs in the Old Testament. It is no longer a recitation of the historical events. Now it becomes much more personal, but the tenor never changes. It has always been, and will always be about the relationship between God and mankind, his creation.
The Psalms reflect every aspect of that relationship, the awe and wonder, the difficulty in walking out one's faith, the trials and tribulations that all of God's people encounter at one time or another, especially as regards those who do not believe, and the reward for being faithful.
While the Psalmists know that they are set apart and the struggles and frustrations that come as a result of being different, they also recognize God's sovereignty and ultimate power. The first Psalm starts out by saying:
Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked
or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers.
But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night. - PS 1:1-2 NIV
The wicked, however, are tossed to and fro, they are chaff that the wind blows away. The same can be said for governments, regardless of the era. Let us break their chains, the officials say. We know what's best for our subjects. And all the while, God in heaven is laughing. The one who trusts in God knows he doesn't have to fear even if ten thousand are arrayed against him, and he also knows that the only way to lie down and sleep in peace is with God by his side.
There is no law that can guarantee us fair treatment, no government that can promise us any security, prosperity or safety and conversely, there is no army that can come against us, no hordes we have to fear, and there is nothing that has any greater power than our God.
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