However the poet is barely midway by the poem. This second part on “faith” is only a arrange or feint. It features to introduce the marked distinction between the helpless politicians and the devoted Lord.8 And so the poet segues instantly to a second part on politics that dominates the remainder of the psalm: Blissful are those that hope within the LORD, the psalmist writes,
who executes justice for the oppressed;
who offers meals to the hungry.
The LORD units the prisoners free;
the LORD opens the eyes of the blind.
The LORD lifts up those that are bowed down;
the LORD loves the righteous.
The LORD watches over the strangers;
he upholds the orphan and the widow,
however the way in which of the depraved he brings to smash. (146:7-9)9
little bit of that spectacular record of divine actions sounds acquainted in case you’ve been round “Bibleland” a bit—although familiarity can breed contempt, or at the very least lack of consideration. It pays to suppose once more, subsequently, and punctiliously, about this itemizing of praiseworthy issues concerning the Lord.
First up, God is Justice-Supplier. Spectacular, to make sure, however this isn’t provision of justice within the summary or for simply anybody: it’s particularly justice for the oppressed. Subsequent up, God is Meals-Giver. Incredible, however once more, to not simply anybody: particularly, for the hungry. Subsequent: Freedom-Dispenser for prisoners. Then Eye-Opener for the blind.10 Lifter-upper for these introduced low. Lover of righteous individuals. Protector of immigrants. Upholder of the destitute with out household and with out means.11 The Lord does all of that, says the psalm, and nobody else—positively not politicians: we already know there’s no assist in them.
This survey of divine actions contains a non secular declare concerning the Lord—there may be little doubt about that. It’s what makes God praiseworthy based on the psalmist and why those that belief on this God are really completely satisfied or blessed (ʾašrê, v. 5), and why they sing out in reward (vv. 1-2).
However make no mistake about it: this itemizing can be and equally a profoundly political assertion concerning the Lord. The psalmist says it’s God who does this stuff and no different. Actually not leaders. Don’t belief them. They execute justice for the oppressed, at finest, solely often. Meals for the hungry? Possibly. Pardon for prisoners? Effectively, often solely whether it is politically expedient. Take care of immigrants and the destitute? Right here, as in all the different classes, their observe document is decidedly combined. And that’s true of each side of the aisle and of all human leaders, elected or in any other case. It’s higher to not belief in them. It’s higher to not reward them. It’s higher to not purchase into their plans, that are as finite as they’re, nor belief of their speeches, that are as fragile as their lungs. Each are only one heartbeat from ending. Without end.
And good riddance, too, as a result of there’s solely One, based on Psalm 146, who has saving assist. There may be solely One who’s price hoping in and hoping for. There may be solely One who’s worthy of our reward. Reward the Lord! Reward the Lord, O my soul!
Faith-Politics Mash-Up
That’s how the psalm begins and ends, by praising our praiseworthy Lord. The psalmist moved from faith to politics to faith to politics after which, on the finish, again to the start with faith. On the finish of the day, does that replicate a triumph of faith over politics? I personally wouldn’t object to such a victory—particularly eschatologically—however we mustn’t be naïve about that right here and now. Not in our day and age, as politicized and “religified” as it’s. Extra to the purpose, Psalm 146 will allow no anesthetized faith with out politics. As a substitute, Psalm 146 is, from starting to finish, a religion-politics mash-up.
There are, in spite of everything, many different lords in addition to the Lord God of Israel. There have been, within the historic world, loads of different gods that Israel (or the church) may need worshipped (cf. 1 Cor 8:5). The identical holds true in the present day. In antiquity these rival lords, these different gods, had been usually recognized to do issues—or at the very least their worshippers hoped as a lot. They’d their particular areas of experience, if you’ll. However no matter these different gods did is now claimed by the psalmist as the only work of the one Lord God of Israel and no different. It isn’t the god Shamash who executes justice. No. It’s the Lord! It isn’t the goddess Gula who heals the blind. No. It’s the Lord! It isn’t the god Marduk who made the world. No. It’s the Lord!
However make no mistake about it, the record of God’s praiseworthy religio-political attributes is but nonetheless extra: it’s equally additionally a listing of requirements, a compendium of moral duties. One other psalm, Psalm 82, makes that abundantly clear. Psalm 82 is an odd little psalm that depicts God calling all of the junior godlings in for a board assembly of the heavenly council after which condemning all of them to die like mortals and to fall like princes (Ps 82:7). Why? Not as a result of they didn’t have divine juice of their veins: the psalm notes God’s personal assertion that these junior deities had been divine youngsters of the Most Excessive (v. 6). No, it’s as a result of they didn’t do what they had been alleged to do—what deities are alleged to do: decide justly; refuse to point out partiality, particularly to the depraved; rescue the weak and needy; ship them from the depraved; give justice and preserve the rights of the lowly, the poor, these with out household and with out means (vv. 2-4).
However the junior gods have didn’t do all that and so their little cabal is adjourned, completely and eternally. “Stand up, O God, decide the earth,” the psalmist prays on the finish of Psalm 82, hoping for a similar heavenly verdict to be rendered down right here. “Let your kingdom come…on earth as it’s in heaven”—we’d echo, using phrases of a barely later classic (Matt 6:10; cf. Luke 11:2).
There’s a long-standing line of interpretation that sees the godlings of Psalm 82 as not actually gods however, as a substitute, as judges, individuals with energy, leaders—politicians, if you’ll. And at that time we’re proper again at Psalm 146, aren’t we? Don’t belief them! They can not be trusted with the vital work of God—solely God may be trusted to do this. However based on Psalm 146, our belief in God is well-placed.
There may be nonetheless one thing extra to say, nonetheless, lest we overdo the faith facet of issues and thus come throughout naïve or quietist—neither of which is able to do in a time like now or in a rustic like ours as politicized as it’s. So right here goes nothing: my very own religion-politics mash up, impressed by Psalm 146.
On the one hand, it will be unsuitable—based on the psalm—to imagine that God has “no fingers however ours.” We are saying that form of factor quite a bit however the psalmist wouldn’t like that assertion in any respect.12 It’s the Lord who does this stuff—and no different, definitely no chief, whether or not good or terrible. And but, alternatively, it will be equally unsuitable to suppose that human beings can not assist, or hinder, God’s good work on this planet. The junior deities of Psalm 82 came upon the onerous manner that hindering God’s good work—or at the very least failing to do it—gained them the worst of rewards. Psalm 146 is aware of this too, in two small phrases present in v. 2: “I’ll reward the LORD so long as I reside,” it says, and “all my life lengthy,” it asserts. That may very well be translated barely in another way, and equally effectively, by “I’ll reward the LORD with my life…so long as I reside.”13 The praiseworthy Lord, who’s praiseworthy exactly due to these attributes which can be additionally moral requirements, may be and should be praised in one’s life, with one’s life, so long as one has a life.14 Which suggests, in fact, that the one who praises the justice-providing, food-giving, freedom-dispensing, eye-opening, back-straightening, righteous-loving, immigrant-protecting, destitute-upholding God had higher—if one goes to reward that God with one’s life—had higher begin getting after the nice work of offering justice, giving meals, dishing out freedom, opening eyes, straightening backs, loving righteousness, defending immigrants, and helping the destitute.
Does that sound political to you? Good, as a result of it’s. It’s God’s politics for the pious and for the polis.15 And which means it’s politics and faith all mashed up and intermixed and inextricable all the way in which down as a result of that’s the way in which it’s with this Lord who will brook no rivals, endure no rivals, reply to no president or congress, and who loves righteousness and justice equally and all the time. Reward the Lord! Reward the Lord, O my soul!
Trusting the Son of Man
One remaining thought, evoked by the language of Ps 146:3: There is one son of man that we can belief—the Son of Man! The Human One, Jesus Christ, who is reliable as a result of he isn’t solely son of man but additionally Son of God. And he has been completely vetted and accepted. Luke 9:28-36 is St. Luke’s account of the Transfiguration. There, on the highest of the mountain, Jesus seems in heavenly glory accompanied by two heavyweight leaders of probably the most spectacular, reliable form: Moses and Elijah (v. 30). When Peter, James, and John enter the cloud with these three they hear God’s voice talking: “That is my Son, my Chosen; hearken to him!” (Luke 9:34-35). Right here, then, in Jesus is a pacesetter of leaders, a prince of princes—the Prince of Peace—who could also be trusted and who should be listened to, which is to say, in fact, obeyed.
