Psalm 47

Turn to Psalm 47. I told you we’d come back to it. I don’t know how I skipped over it but maybe it was a good thing. Whatever the reason I missed it, we are looking at it this evening.

With only nine verses this is one of the shorter psalms. You might think that since the psalm is shorter this lesson will be shorter. If you thought that you’d be correct. This is a short psalm but it has a lot to say about the worship of God.

You may remember when we read in Luke about Jesus reading in the synagogue from Isaiah 61. I said that Jesus didn’t just happen to open the scroll to that portion of Isaiah. Instead, it would have been handed to him to read. Certain passages were read on certain days of the year. Another example that makes a lot of sense is during the Festival of Purim which celebrates the events recorded in the book of Esther the book of Esther is read.

Likewise, Psalm 47 held a special place in the religious calendar. It would be read each year at Rosh Hashanah or New Year. In fact, it would be read multiple times before the sounding of the ram’s horn indicating the beginning of the year. This is a psalm of celebration and praise to God. It falls immediately after Psalm 46 which was about God’s deliverance of his people from their enemies. As I mentioned, most believe Psalm 46 to have been written after God turned back the attack on Jerusalem by the Assyrians. They had the city surrounded and then one morning 185,000 Assyrians don’t wake up because they had mysteriously died during the night. Psalm 48 is also thought to have been written in response to that story as well. The psalm celebrates God’s victories as it looks into the new year but is fulfilled in the return of Jesus and a new age as there is no doubt that it prophetically has in mind the ascension of the Messiah to his throne and celebrates his reign over the whole earth.

The superscription, like several in this section, reads:

For the director of music. Of the Sons of Korah. A psalm.

Before we start reading the psalm let me ask you a question. Which is more important when worshiping God: joyful celebration with all of our emotions (think contemporary worship) or quiet, meditative reflection (think liturgical worship such as Roman Catholic)? We read in Psalm 46:

He says, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” (Psalm 46:10)

In Habakkuk we read: SLIDE 2

The LORD is in his holy temple; let all the earth be silent before him. (Habakkuk 2:20)

SLIDE 3 I remember the church I attended growing up the choir would often sing that verse at the beginning of the service. The Lord is with therefore we need to be silent. There are a few more verses in the prophets that make similar statements about those coming before God to remain silent (Isaiah 41:1; Zephaniah 1:7; Zechariah 2:13). God tells us to be silent and that’s exactly what liturgical churches do. They emphasize quiet and meditative worship. Contemporary services on the other hand emphasize the emotion and celebration. There’s not much quiet about it. Which is better? Which does God prefer? I think both are needed. We need times of quiet reflection but we also need time celebration. Psalm 47 is the latter.

1 Clap your hands, all you nations; shout to God with cries of joy. (Psalm 47:1)

Clapping draws attention. A clap can either be for good or for bad. I guess it depends on the number of claps. Applause is a way of celebrating or showing appreciation. It’s an outward expression of inward joy. A single clap however, often shows displeasure or derision. Morning the destruction of Jerusalem, Jeremiah said their enemies clapped their hands at the captives: SLIDE 4

All who pass your way clap their hands at you; they scoff and shake their heads at Daughter Jerusalem: “Is this the city that was called the perfection of beauty, the joy of the whole earth?” (Lamentations 2:15)

They weren’t applauding the Israelites but they were showing their contempt for the Israelites and making fun of them. Job talked about how plagues mock those who rebel against God: SLIDE 5

It claps its hands in derision and hisses him out of his place. (Job 27:23)

SLIDE 6 Not all clapping is good but it all draws attention. In this psalm, a psalm of praise, the clapping is celebrating God’s accomplishments. This is not the only place that talks about clapping in praise of God. Psalm 98 talks about rivers clapping their hands for God and Isaiah 55 mentions the trees of the field clapping their hands for God as the mountains burst forth in song. Here, the people of all nations are instructed to clap their hands and shout for joy.

What does that sound like to you? It sounds more like a football game to me. I’m sure there was a lot of clapping and shouting by Pittsburg fans at the game Saturday. There wasn’t much done by the Tennessee fans though.

Does clapping and shouting for joy sound like a worship service? Would you be comfortable in a worship service where that was being done? I’ve been in worship services where the leader encouraged us to give God a clap offering. I did it but it felt uncomfortable. Why? I don’t have a problem clapping and shouting at a football game. But if a running back scoring a touchdown deserves a clap how much more does God? God has done much more than carry a football across a line, he created the world, he gave life to everything that breathes, and he gave his only son for sins. How much more does God deserve our clapping and shouts for joy?

Notice that all nations are to join in praise for God. The psalmist isn’t just addressing the Jews but everyone everywhere. This is a fulfillment of God’s promise to Abraham when he said that all nations would be blessed through him. Spurgeon noted that this is a word for all nations because even:

If they cannot all speak the same tongue, they can all use the symbolic language of the hands.

The psalmist gives the reason for the praise in the next few verses:

2 For the Lord Most High is awesome, the great King over all the earth. 3 He subdued nations under us, peoples under our feet. 4 He chose our inheritance for us, the pride of Jacob, whom he loved. (Psalm 47:1-4)

The psalmist hasn’t used the praise but that’s exactly what he’s doing. The dictionary defines praise as saying something good about someone or something. We give praise to God because he is worthy.

Are you familiar with the concept of positive reinforcement? Animal trainers will use positive reinforcement to teach an animal a new trick. You tell your dog to lie down and when he does it you give him a treat.

When it comes to praising God we do not just praise him as a form of positive reinforcement. We don’t just praise him when he has made us happy. God is deserving of our praise even if we don’t like what’s going on in our lives. We don’t worship God because of what we think he’s done for us lately and we don’t worship God simply because we feel worshipful. We worship God because he always deserves it. We worship God when he has blessed us but if that’s the only time we praise him we have misunderstood what true praise and worship are. Here are the reasons the psalmist gives us for praising God.

SLIDE 7 First, we offer praise to God because the Lord Most High is awesome. Today, a bologna sandwich can be awesome but there was a time when you only called those things awesome that caused awe or terror. My 1828 Webster’s Dictionary defined it as fear mingled with admiration and reverence. You don’t treat a sandwich that way but God deserves it. God is awesome. God is greater than anything else in the entire world.

SLIDE 8-12 I’m sure you’ve seen paintings that left you speechless wondering how in the world the artist painted the picture. When you say good things about the painting you are really saying good things about the artist. When you see a beautiful sunset do we give praise to God? An artist may be extremely talented but God is greater. A sunset may be inspiring but God created it and he is greater. We offer praise to God because he is the Lord Most High and he is awesome. A running back may be gifted but God is greater. A musician may be the greatest of all time but God is greater.

SLDIE 13 Second, we offer praise to God because he is the great King over all the earth. As you know, Queen Elizabeth II died on Thursday at the age of 96. She was the longest-reigning British monarch at seventy years. Already much has been said about how great a queen she was. However great a queen she was God is greater. God is king of all the earth. The pagan gods of that day were imagined to be territorial. Their authority was limited to a geographic region much like Queen Elizabeth’s was. But the psalmist declared that God rules over all the earth.

SLIDE 14 Third, we offer praise to God because he subdued nations under us. Here the psalmist is speaking specifically about Israel. God gave his people the Promised Land and helped them to defeat their enemies. God gave them victories numerous other times as well. The psalmist could also be looking forward to when the Messiah would come and subdue all nations.

SLIDE 15 And fourth, we offer praise to God because he chose our inheritance for us. Israel’s inheritance was the land but ours is spiritual. As Paul wrote to the Ephesians: SLIDE 16

3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. SLIDE 17 4 For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. SLIDE 18 In love 5 he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will – 6 to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. (Ephesians 1:3-6)

SLIDE 20 We are tempted to think we’d be happier if we could choose our inheritance or blessing because we know better what we want. But does it really work that way? One person is blessed with good health, a second with material wealth, and a third with unique abilities and each person wants what another has. God knows us better than we know ourselves and has given us everything we need. And we know we can trust him because of his great love for us. We know, because he sent Jesus to the cross on our behalf that God is for us and not against us. That means we can trust him to do what is best for us.

5 God has ascended amid shouts of joy, the Lord amid the sounding of trumpets. (Psalm 47:5)

The psalmist says that God has gone up, gone up where? He has gone up to his throne. SLIDE 21 Thrones are usually placed on elevated platforms. It allows the king to look out over his loyal subjects but also emphasizes his power and authority. Of course for God his throne is even higher. SLIDE 22 God said in Isaiah 66:1 that heaven is his throne and the earth is his footstool.

SLIDE 23 This is all figurative language used to help us imagine and appreciate more the glory of God. So, the psalmist pictures a king walking up the throne and taking a seat to all the fanfare of the people. Think about the band playing “Hail to the Chief” as the president enters the room. God has come down to help his people and now goes back up to sit on his throne as the people shout for joy and the trumpets sound. The psalmist then tells us:

6 Sing praises to God, sing praises; sing praises to our King, sing praises. 7 For God is the King of all the earth; sing to him a psalm of praise. (Psalm 47:6-7)

Have you ever thought that God loves to hear our praises? He must since we are instructed to do sing his praises so often.

There are some who enjoy music and enjoy singing songs of praise to God. There are also those who don’t enjoy singing. Whether we enjoy or not though, God enjoys it. After all, it was God who gave us the gift of song. Several weeks ago I mentioned my grandfather’s singing ability. As the saying goes, he couldn’t carry a tune in a bucket. Imagine what the world would be like if everyone was like that. Aren’t we thankful for those with beautiful voices? Regardless of the quality of our singing, God loves to hear us sing his praise. He wants us to use what he gives us for his glory. In just these two verses we’re told to sing praises to God five times. It demonstrates just how much God wants us to sing joyfully in praise to God.

The reason for that praise found in verse 7 is a repeat of verse 2. There are many other reasons but here we are reminded that God is king over all the earth and so deserves our praise.

The last Hebrew word in verse 7 is maskil. We’ve seen this word before in the superscripts. We’re told a particular psalm is a maskil. In other words, it is a psalm that teaches and give us greater understanding about a subject. While the NIV translates it as “psalm”, it can also be translated as wisdom or understanding. Therefore, we are to praise God with wisdom and understanding. God wants our worship to be intelligent and not mindless. It’s not that the smarter we are the better we can worship him. Actually, that tends to work against a person. The smarter some people are the less they think they need God and thus stop worshiping him entirely. Instead, we should understand why we are praising him. We should think about who God is and what he has done and not just sing words we don’t mean or understand.

8 God reigns over the nations; God is seated on his holy throne. (Psalm 47:8)

Once again we are reminded of the extent of God’s reign. It is not just limited to the land of Israel but is over the whole earth. Nor is God’s reign just a ceremonial or figurative.

Charles III is now king of England. He is also king over fifteen other commonwealths that include Canada and Australia. While he is recognized as their king, he has no real authority. God is not only king but has authority over all the earth and over every nation. Those nations and the people within them may not recognize God’s authority but one day they will. We know that one day every knee will bow and every tongue confess that Jesus is Lord. One day every person who ever lived will acknowledge God as Lord.

We are told that God sits on his throne. It is his throne and belongs to no one else. Additionally, it is a holy throne.

Sometimes when we read the news or look at what is happening in the world around us we might wonder who is in control. The psalmist assures us that God is.

The psalmist then ends saying:

9 The nobles of the nations assemble as the people of the God of Abraham, for the kings of the earth belong to God; he is greatly exalted. (Psalm 47:9)

The New Living Translation words the verse this way: SLIDE 24

The rulers of the world have gathered together with the people of the God of Abraham. For all the kings of the earth belong to God. He is highly honored everywhere. (Psalm 47:9, NLT)

SLIDE 25 The psalmist sees the day I just spoke of, the day when everyone who ever lived will gather before the throne of God. It won’t just be the Israelites, it will be all people. That will gather together to worship God. It again illustrates the fulfillment of the promise to Abraham when all the earth is blessed through the Messiah. One day all will gather to offer the praise to God that he deserves.