As I read through the Pslams with the girls, I am often struck by how relevant they are to our modern political and cultural plight. This of course should not be surprising, since the human hand that penned them was inspired and directed by a divine author who has known us heart and soul since before the dawn of time.
Today I read Psalm 146. In this simple and short poem, the Psalmist – who likely lived roughly 3,000 years ago – shares many of the same concerns as us today. He mentions oppression and persecution, poverty, wrongful imprisonment, sickness and a need for healing, depression, immigration, bigotry, single mothers, and orphans.
Are these not the very issues facing our nation today?
So, next time someone tells you, “The Old Testament is out of date,” tell them to actually read it! I assure you, having been written by a God who exists both inside and outside of time and space, it is still thoroughly relevant. He wrote it with our ancestors as well as our descendants in mind. This is God’s love letter to you. The Bible is his message, written by hundreds of hands over the course of thousands of years, to a broken and darkened world.
Below is a reiteration of Psalm 146. My embellishments are minor and are intended to amplify, not inhibit or alter, the Psalm’s original meaning.
An Ancient Psalm For Modern Distress
Don’t put your trust in a politician or a rich man,
in a son of man, who may seem powerful, but cannot save you.
When his breath departs, he returns to the earth;
and on that very day all his plans die with him.
Blessed are you if your helper is Jesus Christ,
if your hope is in the Lord God of Jacob,
who made Heaven and Earth,
the sea, and all that is in them,
who is faithful forever and ever;
who executes justice for the oppressed,
who gives food to the hungry.
It is not man, but the Lord who sets prisoners free;
who rescues captured soldiers, and vindicates those wrongfully accused.
It is not the mortal physician, but the Lord
who heals the sick and opens the eyes of the blind.
It is not the politician, but the Lord
who lifts up those who are bowed down and broken;
the Lord loves the righteous.
It is not earthly rulers, but the Lord
who watches over the traveler, the alien, the refugee;
He upholds the widow and the fatherless,
but the way of the wicked he will bring to ruin.
Jesus Christ will reign forever,
Your God, O Christian, is sovereign and faithful to all generations.
Praise the Lord!
