Psalm 47
God Is King over All the Earth
To the choirmaster. A Psalm of the Sons of Korah.
47:1 Clap your hands, all peoples!
Shout to God with loud songs of joy!
2 For the LORD, the Most High, is to be feared,
a great king over all the earth.
3 He subdued peoples under us,
and nations under our feet.
4 He chose our heritage for us,
the pride of Jacob whom he loves. Selah
5 God has gone up with a shout,
the LORD with the sound of a trumpet.
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 praises with a psalm!
8 God reigns over the nations;
God sits on his holy throne.
9 The princes of the peoples gather
as the people of the God of Abraham.
For the shields of the earth belong to God;
he is highly exalted!
(ESV)
The True King
The Christmas season seems to get longer every year. The day after Thanksgiving isusually the customary day to put up Christmas decorations, but now people replacethe Halloween pumpkin with a Christmas wreath as soon as November rolls around! I’d like to think it’s because the Christmas season is usually the season of joy. What’s not to like about Christmas? The presents, the Christmassy scents, the singing, and the joyful moods. There is, however, a backdrop of fractured nations, war, broken relationships between people groups, divisive politics, and more. We cannot escape the remnants of original sin in today’s world.
Today’s psalm is referred to as an enthronement psalm. It’s a psalm of praise to God’s kingship as the righteous reigning ruler. The Israelites were called to remember the reality of who God is. They were called to “shout to God with loud songs of joy!” The psalmist, in verses 1 through 5, describes a God as a victor over all nations. He is to be feared. All the nations will be subdued. In verses 6 through 9, the psalmist restates the previous section but as the king over the nations. God is to be highly exalted!
In the midst of political strife, wars, and a seemingly godless society, we are presented with the One who is the Great King over all the earth. He is the One to be feared. He is the One to whom all nations will submit. He is the One who sits on the throne. Jesus Christ has come to fulfill his kingly position. But he didn’t come to us as a warrior or a violent revolutionary. He came to us as a servant. He came to us bringing the message of hope. He came to us to lavish us with grace that would lead him to the cross to present to us a means of forgiveness. And we can shout for joy! During this Advent season, may we be reminded of the One who came to us humbly as a child and reigns in authority and grace. Christ is Ruler over all and is highly exalted! Christ will come again to restore this flawed world and will wipe away all sin. He will come again to fix our brokenness. May we find joy in singing praises to our true King! “Clap your hands, all peoples! Shout to God with loud songs of joy!”
Pastor Christian Park