Psalm 47 - Praising God the King

Psalm 47:1-9
O clap your hands, all peoples; Shout to God with the voice of joy. For the Lord Most High is to be feared, a great King over all the earth. He subdues peoples under us and nations under our feet. He chooses our inheritance for us, the glory of Jacob whom He loves. Selah. God has ascended 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 praises with a skillful psalm. God reigns over the nations, God sits on His holy throne. The princes of the people have assembled themselves as the people of the God of Abraham, for the shields of the earth belong to God; He is highly exalted. 

Message: Praising God the King

Time: The psalms were written by many different people across a period of a thousand years in Israel's history. They are thought to have been compiled and put together in their present form by some unknown editor shortly after the captivity ended about 537 B.C.

What the Lord is Saying: 

This passage is probably an ode to a victory celebration, like a military incident.

It begins with a proclamation to clap your hands and make a joyful noise because of the victory we have been given by God. O clap your hands, all peoples; Shout to God with the voice of joy.

With our celebration is acknowledging that our God is to be feared and set apart. He has absolute power over all the nations. For the Lord Most High is to be feared, a great King over all the earth.

God only has to speak and the nations are subdued and under His feet. We celebrate the triumph we have in God Almighty. He subdues peoples under us and nations under our feet.  

At this time, the people were rejoicing in the Land in which God had them dwell. This was the prophets' land. This was a land like any other.  He chooses our inheritance for us, the glory of Jacob whom He loves.The land came into the possession of the people at the time of Jacob's sons.

With poetic words, the Psalmist remarks that God has come to His people, to rescue them and then returned to the heavens with a shout, the sound of a trumpet. Almost like, "it is done." God has ascended with a shout, the Lord, with the sound of a trumpet.

The heart is full of praise. It is overcome with the work of God. I think at times I struggle with this or seeing that God has indeed worked and He is to be praised. It's hard to see sometimes in the world of "want" in which we live. Sing praises to God, sing praises; sing praises to our King, sing praises. 

For God is the King of all the earth; sing praises with a skillful psalm. We are to be instructed through these praises. He is King over all the earth. He is sovereign. He reigns. He is over all. We are amazed. All people should discover this.  

The idea here is that God is over all, not necessarily that he reigns over people that are not of faith, but God's dominion is over the entire world. God reigns over the nations, God sits on His holy throne. 

Everyone will come together under the throne of God. All people will be established under His dominion. Everyone will bow down one day. The princes of the people have assembled themselves as the people of the God of Abraham, for the shields of the earth belong to God

Promise: He is highly exalted.