ROTFL…Is It Real? Psalm 2
LOL. We all know what this means. We have used these letters hundreds of times…some of us, thousands. I’m not much of a text warrior, but even I’ve typed this shortened version of “laughing out loud” many times. Now, if you hold a seventh-degree black belt in phone texting, you may have even used ROTFL…which of course means “Raccoons Only Take Free Lunches”. LOL, or maybe you are even ROTFL, which, in all seriousness, means “Rolling On The Floor Laughing”…something I have never actually done, even though I have texted it. So, to those handful of people that may have received that textual acronym from me…sorry I led you to believe that I sometimes find myself rolling around the floor laughing at something you sent me. There is literally nothing that funny that will cause me to do that. Well, maybe the 1980 movie “Airplane”. “Surely you can’t be serious”, you say. Yes…yes I am, and stop calling me Shirley. See what I mean? Right about now you are at the very least LOL, but more likely ROTFL.
Alright, now that we have that settled, let’s get down to business. My Bible labels Psalm 2 as, “The Messiah’s Triumph.” And oh, what a triumph it was about 1,000 years later. But at the time of writing this particular Psalm, nations were routinely rising up against what God was accomplishing in his creation. Seems nothing has changed millennia later. And the response of God, both then and now, is the same. Laughter. Don’t believe me? Look at verse 4. “He who sits in the heavens shall laugh.” This is the one time I could actually believe someone rolling on the floor laughing. The creator of all things watching what he created come together and attempt to tear it down. Can you imagine the laughter? But hold on…there is more. Because with the laughter comes derision. With derision comes his voice of wrath. With wrath comes distress. With distress comes displeasure. Derision, wrath, distress, displeasure…all because the creation seeks to sit on the throne of the creator.
Here we have earth’s kings vying for the place of ruling authority, and God’s response is, “Yet, I have set my King on my holy hill of Zion.” In other words God tells them, you can all do your best to be exalted, and it won’t matter, because I am the one who has already chosen the King. Fast forward thousands of years and we see in Revelation 11:15, “The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of his Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever.” It is not the kingdoms of man that will reign forever and ever. No, it is the kingdom God and his Son the Messiah.
Well, how can we avoid having the creator of the universe rolling around the floor of heaven laughing? The writer gives us the answer (or rather answers):
- Be wise
- Serve the Lord with fear
- Rejoice with trembling
- Receive God-inspired instruction
I love the last words of Psalm 2…Blessed are all those who put their trust in Him. “All”. Not some. Not a few. Not just those who appear to have it all together. No…all. And that is the best news ever…LOL not required.
