PSALM 47
Celebration is part of a life with the LORD verse 1- 4
O clap your hands all you people
shout to God with the voice of triumph
For the LORD most high is terrible
HE is a great King over all the earth
HE shall subdue the people under us
and the nations under our feet
HE shall choose our inheritance for us
the excellency of Jacob whom HE loved
SELAH
Sovereignty of the LORD is worthy of praise verse 5- 7
God is gone up with a shout
the LORD with the sound of a trumpet
sing praises to God – sing praises
sing praises to our King
sing praises
For God is the King of all the earth
sing you praises with understanding
Exalting the LORD is expected verse 8- 9
God reigns over the heathen
God sits upon the throne of HIS holiness
the princes of the people are gathered together
even the people of the God of Abraham
for the shields of the earth belong to God
HE is greatly exalted
COMMENTARY:
DAILY SPIRITUAL BREAKFAST: Young Believers
: 1 “Oh, clap your hands, all you peoples! Shout to God with the voice of triumph!” (Psalms 47:1 NKJV; Shout – to raise a shout or give a blast – GHCLOT TO MAKE A LOUD NOISE; to be evil; to become evil, to be made worse; to suffer evil, to receive injury; to cry out with a loud voice, to vociferate; to shout for joy; to sound a trumpet; to sound an alarm; PALEL; to be shouted for joy. CHALOT shout; give a great shout; shout a war-cry; sound the signal for battle; shout in triumph; shout loudly; a shout is raised.
DEVOTION: When I first received Christ as my Savior this little chorus was popular to sing in Bible studies and small groups. It was a joy to think that the God we serve was triumphant and attentive to us as we sang this psalm of praise. Like the children of Israel long ago people want to rejoice over the presence of a Sovereign king. These shouts of joy could only come from willing subjects that truly loved their king.
Years have passed and the little choruses are not sung any longer. The church worships differently but the heartfelt praises remain for those who willingly serve the Supreme commander of the church!
CHALLENGE: Take a moment and reflect on your praise moment today! Have you taken time to extend an act of worship to the one which gives you everything you have this day? Shout to the Lord with a voice of triumph! (Dr. Brian Miller – board member)
DAILY SPIRITUAL LUNCH: Transitional Believers
: 2 For the LORD most high is terrible; he is a great King over all the earth. (3372 “terrible” [yare’] means to be inspiring awe or reverence or fear, to fear God, be honored, revere, respect, reverenced, or held in honor)
DEVOTION: Our thoughts regarding the word “terrible” are not the same as what it means in this verse. We are to make sure that we realize that God is a great King. HE is a king that can be honored by all those who are willing to yield to HIM.
Believers are supposed to yield to the LORD by honoring HIM with our prayers and service. We need to be sure to remember that HE is still on the throne in heaven and watching over us just like HE watched over the children of Israel in the Old Testament. HE knows everything that is happening to us each day.
If we honor HIM and trust HIM HE will be there every moment when we need HIM to provide for our safety and security in this world. We can’t trust in any other like we are supposed to trust in HIM.
HE is in control. HE knows what is happening in our life and we need to make sure we are honoring HIM throughout the day.
CHALLENGE: Keep the LORD high on your mind as you make decisions each day. HE is the one who provides all the answers we need.
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: 4 “He shall choose our inheritance for us, the excellency of Jacob whom he loved. Selah.” (“Choose,” 977 בָּחַר [bachar] 1 to choose, elect, decide for. 1a (Qal) to choose. 1b (Niphal) to be chosen. 1c (Pual) to be chosen, selected. [Strong, J. (2001). Enhanced Strong’s Lexicon. Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software.]).
DEVOTION: In this psalm, the writer mentions reasons for giving praise to God. One is that God will choose our inheritance for us. One of the things that get lost in the debate over man’s free will and God’s election is that God has the right to choose things for men. In this case, God chose the inheritance for His own people Israel.
What does this choice mean? It does not mean that man has no free will, for he can still decide to accept or reject God’s choice. On the other hand, man does not have free will outside of God’s choice, for God has placed limits on man’s free will. God does not react to man’s choices, but rather man reacts to God’s choices.
All of God’s choices are gracious and kind. Many of the details of our lives and attributes are unalterable, such as the place of our birth, our parents, the time of our birth, and our gifts and abilities. Yet each of these has been chosen by God for us, so they are not the result of random chance. He is weaving each of these things into the tapestry we call “our life,” with the intention of creating a beautiful design for people to admire as they look at our lives.
So God does not want us to rebel against His choices for us. We need to accept His design for our lives, so that we will become illustrations of His grace.
CHALLENGE: Are you struggling to accept God’s gracious choice in some facet of your life? Be willing to accept His design in areas you have no control over. Then make your remaining choices with a view to bring Him the most glory! (Dr. Marc Wooten – board member)
DAILY SPIRITUAL SUPPER: Mature Believers
: 6 Sing praises to God, sing praises: sing praises to our King, sing praises. (2167 “sing praises” [zamar] means to offer praise to God using one’s voice as an instrument, make music, praise as an act of worship to God in a chanting or melody or play noes on instrument.)
DEVOTION: The Bible informs us that we are to make time to sing praises to the LORD on a regular basis. This doesn’t have to always be in a church service but it can be.
We are to raise our voices in song to show the LORD that we are thankful to HIM for all that HE is doing for us each day. Our voices are to praise HIM all day long. This is especially true when we attend a worship service.
The children of Israel were to come to the Temple with an attitude to praise that should come out with their voices as they work their way into the Temple area. This is especially true on special occasions.
Today we use our voices to sing praise to the LORD in our worship services. The problem sometimes is that there are people who don’t sing. The LORD gave you a voice to use for the purpose of praising HIM. HE knows if you sing on tune or off tune but HE still wants to hear us sing.
Too many people don’t sing because they think that they are not good singers but that is not what the LORD cares about. HE wants us to have genuine praise for HIM with our voice to show the rest of the congregation that we genuinely love HIM and don’t care what others think of our singing.
CHALLENGE: Our worship is to God each Sunday and we should use our voices during that time to sing praises to HIM. I make a joyful noise unto the LORD when I sing and HE enjoys it even if we don’t think others might.
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: 7 For God is the King of all the earth: sing your praises with understanding. (7919 “understanding” [sakal] means circumspect, intelligent, consider, expert, instruct, prosper, prudent, skillful, have good success, teach, wisdom, or guide wittingly.)
DEVOTION: Too often I have visited churches and found that those who are there to worship are not excited about coming to worship their King. A worship service meets each week to say thank you to the LORD for all HE has done during the week.
Followers of the LORD are to be there to worship the LORD and encourage the brethren. A ho-hum time of worship is not what the LORD wants or expects. HE wants HIS people to be happy to be with other believers. HE also expects those coming to worship to be properly instructed in what worship is all about.
The psalm honors a great King. The great King is the LORD Most High. HE is sitting on a throne of holiness. HE is in control of the whole earth. HE chooses the inheritance for the children of Israel and for the saints of the New Testament. HE protects our world.
The children of Israel knew that they were to praise the LORD. They are told five times to praise the LORD in this short psalm. When we realize what the LORD has done for us, we need to praise.
When we are told to sing to the LORD, we are supposed to do it with clapping of hands, shouting, and praise in our hearts. When we watch people in church are they singing in such a manner? From the pulpit when we lead the singing, we can see the faces of those singing. Some have real joy in their eyes, others have different looks in their eyes.
Does God see us when we sing? Do we consider to WHOM we are singing to in our services? Does HE see our hearts? Are we really praising the LORD when we sing? Is our singing honoring our GREAT KING? There are some of us who can’t keep a tune but we can make a joyful noise unto the LORD. Let’s do it!!! There are too many in the pews that are not singing. Is this a sign that there is no joy in their heart? Are they without a Savior to be thankful for? One day they will meet HIM.
Before church practice singing praises to the LORD so that when you enter the worship service you are ready. Some families fight on the way to church and then expect to praise. It doesn’t happen.
CHALLENGE: Covenant with your family to prepare for worship before you arrive.
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DISCIPLINES OF THE FAITH:
BODY
Chastity (Purity in living)
Fasting (Time alone with LORD without eating or drinking)
Sacrifice (Giving up something we want to serve the LORD)
Submission (Willing to listen to others and LORD)
Solitude (Going to a quiet place without anyone)
SOUL
Fellowship (Gathering together around the Word of God)
Frugality (wise use of resources)
Journalizing (Writing down what you have learned from the LORD)
Study and Meditation (Thinking through your study in the Word)
Secrecy (Doing your good deeds without others knowing but God)
SPIRIT
Celebration (Gathering around a special occasion to worship LORD)
Confession (Tell the LORD we are sorry for our sins on a daily basis)
Prayer (Conversation with God on a personal level)
Silence (Letting the LORD deal with some problems and needs)
Worship (Time to praise the LORD alone or in a group)
Clap hands verse 1
Shout – voice of Triumph verse 1
Sound of the trumpet verse 5
Sing praises verse 6 (4x)
Sing praises with understanding verse 7
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DOCTRINES OF THE FAITH:
Scripture (66 inerrant books of the Bible)
God the Father (First person of the Godhead)
God – Elohim (Creator, Sovereign) verse 1, 5- 9
LORD – Jehovah (Covenant keeping, Personal) verse 2, 5
LORD most high verse 2
Terrible verse 2
Great King verse 2
HE loved Jacob verse 4
Our King verse 6
God is the King verse 7
God reigns over the heathen verse 8
God sits on the throne of HIS holiness verse 8
God of Abraham verse 9
HE is greatly exalted verse 9
God the Son (Second person of the Godhead –God/man, Messiah)
God the Holy Spirit (Third person of the Godhead – our comforter)
Trinity (Three persons of the Godhead who are co-equal = ONE God)
Angels (Created before the foundation of the world – Good and Evil)
Man (Created on the sixth twenty-four hour period of creation)
LORD subdues the people under us verse 3
LORD subdues nations under HIS feet verse 3
Heathen verse 8
Princes of the people verse 9
Sin (Missing the mark set by God on man and angels)
Salvation (Provided by Christ’s death on the cross for our sins)
Worship the LORD verse 1, 5- 7
Inheritance verse 4
Loved verse 4
Understanding verse 7
Israel (Old Testament people of God)
Jacob verse 4
Princes of the people verse 9
People of God verse 9
Abraham verse 9
Church (New Testament people of God)
Last Things (Future Events)
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DONATIONS:
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QUOTES regarding passage
The vision of the psalm takes in a whole new area in the final verse. So far, God’s relation to the world at large has been presented as that of a ‘great king’ (2), i.e. an emperor, whose own people are distinct from the outer circle of his subjects (3f.). Now, with a single word, the real end in view comes into sight. The innumerable princes and peoples are to become one people; and they will no longer be outsiders but within the covenant: this is implied in their being called the people of the God of Abraham. It is the abundant fulfilment of the promise of Genesis 12:3; it anticipates what Paul expounds of the inclusion of the Gentiles as Abraham’s sons (Rom. 4:11; Gal. 3:7–9).
But characteristically the psalm relates this to its theme, the kingly glory of God. Its comment is not ‘the nations will be at peace’, true though it would be, but instead, he is highly exalted. This was, in different words, the climax of 46:10, above and beyond 46:9. It is the point to which everything is moving. Meanwhile the gospel will reveal the unexpected kind of ‘exaltation’ which will begin the process of ‘gathering’ the peoples: ‘I, when I am lifted up …, will draw all men to myself’ (John 12:32). (Kidner, D. (1973). Psalms 1–72: an introduction and commentary (Vol. 15, pp. 195–196). Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.)
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47:7–9. The psalmist called for praise because the Lord reigns (cf. 93:1; 96:10; 99:1; 146:10) over the nations (cf. 47:1, 3, 9). This expression, common to this type of psalm, most likely is a prophetic statement of future certainty. So the psalmist anticipated the sure rule of God in which all nobles and kings will gather before Him as their Sovereign. In His exalted position the Lord will someday reign over all the earth and every knee shall bow before Him (Phil. 2:9–11). To those who believe in Him, the confidence that the truths of this psalm will be fulfilled brings comfort and encouragement during distressing times. (Ross, A. P. (1985). Psalms. In J. F. Walvoord & R. B. Zuck (Eds.), The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (Vol. 1, p. 829). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.)
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A remarkable thing occurs: the rulers and peoples of the Gentile nations join Israel in praising the Lord Jehovah! He is not simply the God and King of Israel, but He is the “king of all the earth.” It was God’s plan when He called Abraham that Israel would be a blessing to all the earth (Gen. 12:1–3; John 12:32; Gal. 3:7–9), for “salvation is of the Jews” (John 4:22). Throughout their history, Israel has been persecuted by many nations of the world, yet it is Israel that has blessed the world. Israel brought us the knowledge of the one true and living God, they gave us the Scriptures, and they gave us Jesus Christ, the Savior of the world. Today, Jews and Gentiles in the church are praising God together (Eph. 2:11ff), and one day in the glorious kingdom, Jews and Gentiles will glorify and praise Him (67:1–7; 72:8–11; Rom. 15:8–13).
The psalmist saw God’s defeat of the Assyrians as a sign of His defeat of all the nations and the establishment of His glorious kingdom. The prophets announced that the Gentiles would turn to the Lord and share the kingdom with Israel (Isa. 2:1–5; 11:1–10; Mic. 4:1–5), and the psalmist looked down the ages and saw this fulfilled. The Gentile leaders, representing their people, will come and give their allegiance and their praise to Jesus Christ, “[a]nd the Lord shall be king over all the earth” (Zech. 14:9). Paul alludes to verse 7 in 1 Cor. 14:15 when he admonishes us to “sing with the understanding.” The word “shields” can refer to kings since they are the protectors of the people (89:18). The kings of the earth belong to the Lord because He is the King of Kings (Rev. 19:16). The image of God sitting upon His holy throne is used often in the book of Revelation (4:2, 9–10; 5:1, 7, 13; 6:16; 7:10, 15; 19:4; 21:5).
For God’s people, everyday is Ascension Day as we praise and worship the exalted and ascended Lord. (Wiersbe, W. W. (2004). Be worshipful (1st ed., pp. 177–178). Colorado Springs, CO: Cook Communications Ministries.)
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Ver. 8. God reigneth over the Heathen, &c.] He reigned over Israel under the former dispensation, and now he reigns over the Gentiles under the Gospel dispensation; as appears by the numerous instances of conversion among them in the first ages of Christianity; and by the many churches that were planted by the means of the apostles; and by the destruction of the Roman Pagan empire under the sixth seal, Rev. 6:12–14 and 12:7–10 and which will still more appear by the destruction of Rome Papal, when all the Heathens shall perish out of the land; and by the fulness and forces of the Gentiles being brought into a submission to him; all which are reasons to sing praises to him. God sitteth upon the throne of his holiness; or his holy throne, which is heaven; on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens; on his father’s throne; having done his work on earth he is received up into heaven, and is set down on a throne at the right hand of God, an honour which none of the angels have: he has ceased from his work and entered into his rest, and sits and sees of the travail of his soul; all which is matter of joy to his people, and a reason why they should sing praises; and the rather, since they are set down with him in heavenly places: or this may be understood of his sitting on the throne of judgment to judge the world in righteousness at the last day, it following upon his reign over the Gentiles; though the other sense best agrees with his immediate ascension to heaven. (Gill, J. (1810). An Exposition of the Old Testament (Vol. 3, p. 722). London: Mathews and Leigh.)
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8 God reigneth over the heathen: God sitteth upon the throne of his holiness.
Now at this moment, over the most debased idolaters, God holds a secret rule; here is work for faith. How we ought to long for the day when this truth shall be changed in its aspect, and the rule now unrecognised shall be delighted in! The great truth that God reigneth in providence is the guarantee that in a gracious gospel sense his promise shall be fulfilled, and his kingdom shall come. “He sitteth upon the throne of his holiness.” Unmoved he occupies an undisputed throne, whose decrees, acts, and commands are holiness itself. What other throne is like this? Never was it stained with injustice, or defiled with sin. Neither is he who sits upon it dismayed, or in a dilemma. He sits in serenity, for he knows his own power, and sees that his purposes will not miscarry. Here is reason enough for holy song. (Spurgeon, C. H. (n.d.). The treasury of David: Psalms 27-57 (Vol. 2, pp. 354–355). London; Edinburgh; New York: Marshall Brothers.)
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FROM MY READING:
(Remember the only author that I totally agree with is the HOLY SPIRIT in the inerrant WORD OF GOD called THE BIBLE! All other I try to gleam what I can to help me grow in the LORD!!)
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The old covenant, being imperfect, was replaced by the new covenant based on grace.
INSIGHT
All the major features of the old covenant, which existed on a literal, physical level, are found in the new covenant on a spiritual, heavenly level. The old covenant had a physical sanctuary, a human high priest, and used real animals for sacrifices. This covenant was inadequate in that it could only deal with sins temporarily; it could not remove sins permanently (v. 7). In the new covenant there is a spiritual sanctuary, a heavenly High Priest, and a celestial Lamb whose death provides permanent forgiveness of sin for an infinite number of people. It is a ‘better covenant, which was established on better promises.’ (v. 6). (Quiet Walk)
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And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him. 1 John 4:16
John has gone on repeatedly writing about the love of God, and you notice how he never tires of doing so. “In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him” (1 John 4:9). “And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Savior of the world” (1 John 4:14). Now [verse 16] he repeats it again. This is because he knew that in his own day and age there were all those so-called mystery religions or curious cults that talked about the love of God; and they all tried to teach that you can know the love of God directly. That is always the characteristic of mysticism; what finally condemns mysticism is that it bypasses the Lord Jesus Christ. Anything that bypasses Christ is not Christian. I do not care what it is, however good, however uplifting or noble; it is Christ who is the manifestation of the love of God, says John.
I do not hesitate, therefore, to aver and to add strongly as follows: I must distrust any emotion that I may have within me with respect to God unless it is based solidly upon the Lord Jesus Christ. In Him God manifested His love. “God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). Therefore, I say that I must never attempt by any means or method to get to know God or to try to make myself love God except in and through my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. I must avoid every other direct approach to God, every direct dealing with God.
A Thought to Ponder: Anything that bypasses Christ is not Christian.
(From The Love of God, pp. 145-146, by Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones)
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Dollars from Heaven
Give, and it will be given to you. They will pour into your lap a good measure–pressed down, shaken together, and running over. Luke 6:38
Our children are better students of us than we are of them. They know–really know–more of what’s going on in your marriage than you think they do. This was certainly the case for a couple who were invited by the wife’s brother and sister-in-law to attend one of our Weekend to Remember marriage conferences. Times had been hard for this couple, from the typical stress of raising four teenage daughters to the strain of having one daughter preparing to graduate and another preparing to marry to the added pressure of temporarily providing a home for a friend and her two children. Truly, this was a couple in need of some refreshment.
But even with their relatives’ offer to pay for the airfare, they still didn’t feel as if they could handle the cost of the hotel, meals and conference fee. Disappointed, they said, “As much as we’d love to go, we just can’t afford it.” But when they returned home that same night, they were met by an incredible sight in their bedroom: 400 one-dollar bills–on the bed, on the floor, even taped to the walls–as well as a card that read: “We love you, Mom and Dad. Have a great time!” Their youngest daughters (ages 10 and 13), knowing what
was going on, had scraped together every cent they had saved to give their parents a gift and the trip of a lifetime.
Don’t ever forget that your children are like little radar units, locked on to the two most important people in their lives. They know how you are doing. That’s why it’s so important to invest regularly in your marriage by getting away.
DISCUSS
When was the last time you took time away to work on your marriage? Pull out a schedule and talk about finding two weekends in the coming year to invest in your marriage. (Moments with You Couples Devotional by Dennis and Barbara Rainey)
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