If President Trump had a favourite psalm, I think it would be Psalm 144. If he was looking for a biblical text to defend his current stance on immigration and refugees, I believe this would be his go-to prooftext to bolster his base.
I came across this psalm during my devotional readings and couldn't help but notice a parallel to Mr. Trump's agenda to "Make America Great Again". This psalm seems to touch on many of the major themes of his immigration and refugee platform: the fear of foreigners and their lies and deception; the belief that things will be great again once the foreigners have been dealt with; a reference to a wall that can no longer be breached; and a "God bless America" kind of verse at the end.
I say this to highlight the dangers of taking Holy Scriptures out of their original context and then seeking to apply them to a current situation without first interpreting the text within its biblical context, then the lens of God's new covenant established through Jesus Christ, and finally through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.
This psalm reminds me that the emotions of fear, anger and the desire for vengeance or victory are a poor foundation upon which to proclaim the Good News of Jesus Christ's life, teachings, death and resurrection.
Psalm 144:10b-15 (NIV) [bolded italics mine]
"From the deadly sword deliver me; rescue me from the hands of foreigners whose mouths are full of lies, whose right hands are deceitful. Then our sons in their youth will be like well-nurtured plants, and our daughters will be like pillars carved to adorn a palace. Our barns will be filled with every kind of provision. Our sheep will increase by thousands, by tens of thousands in our fields; our oxen will draw heavy loads. There will be no breaching of walls, no going into captivity, no cry of distress in our streets. Blessed is the people of whom this is true; blessed is the people whose God is the LORD."
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