You Be My Son

Listen. You dey hear am? Voices from far, voices wey vex, dey whisper plans for throne rooms all over di world. Make we break free. Make we throw dia rule comot. And far above all of dem, somebody dey laugh.

Dis na di second psalm, one of di songs of old Israel, wey dem dey sing for Jerusalem. E no dey tell story with names and places di way Genesis dey do. Na royal song, about di king wey God choose, di anointed one. Anointed mean person wey dem pour oil for im head to mark am out for special work. Dem dey anoint kings for Israel. For Hebrew, di word na mashiach, di word wey we dey call Messiah. For di time of di kings, when new son of David sit for di throne, nations wey dey near dey always see am as chance to rebel. Psalm two answer dat moment. And dem dey sing am like drama, with four different voices.

Di first voice na di singer, wey dey look di world. “Why di nations dey rage, and di peoples dey plan empty tin? Di kings of di earth stand up, and di rulers sit down together to plan, against di Lord, and against im Anointed.” And then we hear di rebels demselves. “Make we break dia chains, and throw dia ropes comot from our body.” Di powerful people of di earth want free from God. No more im rules. No more im king. Dem gather dia armies. Dem make dia speeches. Dem feel say dem big well-well.

But then di song raise im eye go heaven. “Di One wey sit for heaven go laugh. Di Lord go laugh dem with disgrace.” No be laugh wey fear dey inside. Na di kind laugh wey you go laugh if one small ant shake im fist for mountain. Then God talk, and im voice be like thunder. “But I don set my King for my holy hill of Zion.” Zion na di hill of Jerusalem. Di rebels fit plan as dem like. God don already crown im king. E don finish.

Now di king imself talk. “I go tell di decree. Di Lord tell me, You be my son. Today I don become your papa. Ask me, and I go give you di nations as your inheritance, di far ends of di earth as your own.” No be only Israel. Di whole earth. At last di singer turn back to di kings wey dey plan, and e give dem advice. Make una get sense. Serve di Lord with fear, and rejoice with trembling. Give di Son correct respect. And di song end with one open door. “Blessed na all di people wey run go hide inside am.” Even di rebels, dem invite dem make dem come in. When dem baptise Jesus for River Jordan, one voice from heaven talk: You be my Son wey I love. Di first Christians sing dis psalm and pray am, as dem believe say Jesus na di Anointed one, di Son wey di nations no fit overthrow.

Dis psalm get one famous place for music. For seventeen forty-two, dem first perform George Frideric Handel oratorio Messiah for Dublin. Near di end of im second part, one bass singer sing Why do the nations so furiously rage together, and di choir carry di rebels words, Let us break their bonds asunder. Some minutes after, di most famous chorus of all come: Hallelujah, for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth.

You be my Son. Na Psalm two be dat. Kings dey plan, but God don set im King for im holy hill, and everybody wey run go meet am dey blessed. So see one question wey you go carry dey go. When di world dey noisy and vex, wetin e change to know say God King don already sit for di throne?