Ps 2:3

Ps. 2.3

Diagrammed

The Enthroned One  /  laughs  /  in heaven
The Lord                 /   mocks them


Our previous reflections find their fruition in these verses. On a literary level these verses are brilliant, following on the heels of 1-2. As we have already described, verses 1-2 have alienated the reader from these men. And the alienation is not simply one of confusion but of disbelief at their stupidity. The reader, I mean, has been alienated from these men by being placed above them. There are many ways an author can alienate the reader from certain characters and often it can be accomplished in a more ‘horizontal’ manner. What I mean is that the reader is alienated but does not feel superior to the character; they are merely puzzled. The author could, likewise, alienate the reader in such a way that they feel below the character. The character’s utter superiority makes the reader feel small in comparison and humble.

Not so with this Psalm. Here, the reader has been elevated. We have already noted how comical these men are. From their description in verse 1 to their arrogant claims in verse 2, the superiority of the reader to these men has been one of comical superiority. Their stupidity can elicit a laugh, much like the story of Babel is terribly funny in its description of God “peering down” on a tower these men thought was as great as heaven. In these opening verses there is no trace of fear of these men, or a sense that they actually represent a danger.

And now we find out why: Our laughter and the sense of superiority we have already felt are actually rooted in the divine and mocking laughter of God. This verse is wonderful. Following directly on the heels of the arrogant men’s “words of rebellion” one senses in these verses a deep, booming and terrible laughter either emerging or erupting from above.

Abruptness: The switch in perspective is immediate. In some sense the reader, although distanced from these men, is not prepared for this sudden change. It doesn’t say, “And then the Enthroned One laughed in heaven.” It simply begins with his laughter, as if the ‘Enthroned One’ had been laughing all along but the rabble of these men was so distracting that one couldn’t hear it. Or, it may be that the Enthroned One found amusing their gathering together but when they actually said they wanted to throw off his and his anointed’s fetters—that was simply too much and his laughter erupted. I like both images and I think they both work: either the emerging laughter that gathers in strength or the sudden eruption of laughter at the men’s “arrogant words”. 

The Procession of Laughter: Recall that the “words of rebellion” in v. 2 were not prefaced (it doesn’t say, “And then they said, “Let us…”). Their words seemed to just emerge from the puzzled question of v. 1. Their lack of preface only heightens the sense of stupidity of these men because there is no distance between thei description and their words which would allow the reader to, momentarily, pause. Here, though, we have a massive preface to God’s words, and it is one of derisive laughter. Before he speaks, he laughs. Like a royal procession, his laughter actually announces his presence and it is a terrible announcement. One pictures the arrogant men utterly silenced and terrified when this unforeseen and completely overpowering laughter crashes on top of them.

There is something so appropriate and yet so utterly unpredictable about this laughter. The men have been acting so earnestly in their commotion. They not only arm themselves as if for battle but they “join together as one” (are we to hear here the story of Babel?). This is one thing they can all agree on. They speak with one voice. And yet, what meets them? Not an army, not something that matches their earnestness and seriousness. A ‘whirlwind’ doesn’t immediately descend upon them. Nor does an earthquake devour them. Rather---the complete opposite: laughter. There could be nothing more demeaning or humiliating than this response. Nor could there be anything more disarming. God does not “meet them where they are”: this is no “eye for an eye”.

Notice too that this is the laughter of the “Enthroned One” and not the laughter of his anointed. While their war for freedom is being waged against both, the response they receive only comes one: the Lord. Yes, the reader may have been laughing all along, and this laughter is appropriate. But it is one rooted in the divine perspective. Here, there is a distinct separation between the Lord and his anointed. And this separation will be, and is, important to maintain in this Psalm.

“The Enthroned One laughs in heaven”: we mentioned already the kings were the only party in verse 1 with a description (“earthly kings”). We find out here why that adjective was supplied. ‘Heaven’ was not simply a geographical referent; it didn’t mean “up there”. Rather, it meant the place of power, the source of power. When gods were called upon (whether in Israel or outside) the gods were invoked in order to supply the earth with power (whether in battle or in the field). The earth was understood as being sustained “by heaven”/the gods. By describing the kings as “earthly kings” the Psalmist provides them a description they would have certainly found insulting; most kings understood their power to be derived from the gods (or, some saw themselves as actual gods). The Psalmist is essentially saying these kings have no real power. They are simply ‘earthly’. However, here, we see the Enthroned One in heaven. Two images are fused together: the throne and heaven.

By describing the Lord as “the Enthroned One” rather than “the One upon the throne”, we get a sense that the Lord and his throne cannot be separated. They are a unified entity—the source of all power (the throne) cannot be separated from the one who sits upon that throne. Unlike other gods who vie for the throne, this One, in a real sense, is the throne. Or, we might say, that if he left the throne no one else could sit on it.