A Song of Triumph in Prospect of God’s Universal Kingdom – Psalm 47

 

Psalm 47                                Commentary By Dennis Edwards

47:1 O clap your hands, all you people; shout unto God with the voice of triumph.

2 Corinthians 2:14 says, “Now thanks be unto God, which always causes us to triumph in Christ.” Even in death, “we are more than conquerors through Him that loved us,” Romans 8:36. God, in the form of a man, “gave Himself for our sins, that He might deliver us from this present evil world,” “and the power of darkness, and has translated us into the kingdom of His dear Son,” Galatians 1:4, Colossians 1:13. “For whosoever is born of God overcomes the world: and this is the victory that overcomes the world, even our faith. Who is he that overcomes the world? He that believes that Jesus is the Son of God,” 1 John 5:4-5.

We need to keep the heavenly vision, for without a vision the people perish, they faint and fall away. We keep the vision by, “looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith,” Hebrews 12:2. “For here have we no continuing city, but we seek one to come,” that is, “an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for He has prepared for them a city,” “the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband,” Hebrews 13:14, 11:16, Revelation 22:2.

^{Psalm 47:2} For the Lord most high is terrible; He is a great King over all the earth.

A stone, in the heavenlies, cut out without hands, is ready to smite the kingdoms of this world. Christ the King will reign triumphant over all. "And the seventh angel sounded (at the end of the three and a half years of great tribulation); and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of His Christ; and He shall reign for ever and ever," Revelation 11:15.

^{Psalm 47:3} He shall subdue the people under us, and the nations under our feet.

Apostle Paul explains how Jesus will fulfil the subduing. 1 Corinthians 15:24-28 (NASB) “Then comes the end, when He (Christ) shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when He shall have put down all rule and all authority and power. For He must reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet. The last enemy that will be abolished is death. For He has put all things in subjection under His feet. But when He says, “All things are put in subjection,” it is evident that He is an exception who put all things in subjection to Him. When all things are subjected to Him, then the Son Himself also will be subjected to the One who subjected all things to Him, so that God may be all in all.”

We see the same imagery in Daniel 7:13-14 (NIV). “In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man (Jesus), coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days (God the Father) and was led into his presence. He (the Son of Man - Jesus) was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all nations and peoples of every language worshiped Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed.”

^{Psalm 47:4} He shall choose our inheritance for us, the excellency of Jacob whom He loved. Selah.

We who have believed on the name of the son of God have obtained the inheritance that could not be obtained through the law. “Christ has redeemed us….that the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Him; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith,” Galatians 3:13-14.  ^“There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you be Christ's, then are you Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise, Galatians 3:28-29. God will choose those that love and obey Him for His inheritance. The blessing of Abraham shall come upon all those that believe and obey the voice of the Lord Jesus Christ.

^{Psalm 47:5} God is gone up with a shout, the Lord with the sound of a trumpet.

At Jesus coming we find the same imagery of shouting and trumpets sounding!

1Thessalonians 4:16-17 “For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:  Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so, shall we ever be with the Lord.

1 Corinthians 15:51-52 “Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.”

Matthew 24:29-31 “Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken: And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And He shall send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other!

^{Psalm 47:6} Sing praises to God, sing praises: sing praises unto our King, sing praises.

God dwells in the praises of His people. In Psalm 100:1-2&4, we read, “Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all you lands. Serve the Lord with gladness: come before His presence with singing…Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise: be thankful unto Him, and bless His name.”

The New Testament has the same admonition. Colossians 3:15-17 “And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also you are called in one body; and be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. And whatsoever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.”

Ephesians 5:18-21 “And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit; Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord; Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ; Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.”

^{Psalm 47:7} For God is the King of all the earth: sing praises with understanding.

Jesus has gotten us the victory. Psalm 98:1 says, “O sing unto the Lord a new song; for he hath done marvellous things: His right hand, and His holy arm, has gotten Him the victory.” In 1 Corinthians 15:57 we read, “But thanks be to God, which gives us the victory though our Lord Jesus Christ.” Daniel 2:44 ^“And in the days of these kings, (the 10 kings of the Antichrist world government), shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, (and destroy the Antichrist, his government, and military), and God’s kingdom shall stand for ever.”

^{Psalm 47:8} God reigns over the heathen: God sits upon the throne of His holiness.

Jesus sits at the right hand of the Father. Revelation 7:9-12 says, ^“After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands; And cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God which sits upon the throne, and unto the Lamb. And all the angels stood round about the throne, and about the elders and the four beasts, and fell before the throne on their faces, and worshipped God, Saying, Amen: Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honour, and power, and might, be unto our God for ever and ever. Amen.” Romans 8:34 “It is Christ that died, yes rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us.”

^{Psalm 47:9} The princes of the people are gathered together, even the people of the God of Abraham: for the shields of the earth belong unto God: He is greatly exalted.

The “shields of the earth” signifies the leaders that protect the peoples of the earth. They shall submit themselves unto God and to Christ at His coming.

In Isaiah 2:2-4, we read, ^“And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the Lord's house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it. And many people shall go and say, Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; and He will teach us of His ways, and we will walk in His paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. And He shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people: and they shall beat their swords into ploughshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore.”

After the terrible time of great tribulation and wrath of God, the millennium dispensation will begin. Jesus will make the wars to cease, He will destroy all armaments, burning much of them by fire. God will be exalted among the nations. He will be exalted in the earth, Psalm 46:9-10.

They shall not hurt nor destroy in all My holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea, Isaiah 11:9. Every knee shall bow and every tongue shall confess that Jesus Christ is Lord over all the earth, Philippians 2:19-11 reads, “ Wherefore, God also hath highly exalted Him, and given Him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” 

Prayer: Lord, help us to walk in victory. Help us to shout and praise You in spite of the difficulties we may be facing at the moment. We know "that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us," Romans 8:18. Help us to keep the heavenly vision. For "eye has not seen, nor ear heard, neither has it entered into the heart of man, the things which God has prepared for them that love Him," 1st Corinthians 2:9.  Help us not to be weary and faint in our minds, but to rise up and fight the good fight with praise and thanksgiving. "In everything give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you," 1st Thessalonians 5:18. "Rejoice in the Lord always, and again I say rejoice!" Philippians 4:4. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.

Originally published November 2024.

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Blessed Is He That Considers the Poor! - Psalm 41

Psalm 41 A Psalm of David                              

Commentary by Dennis Edwards with consideration to William de Burgh, Doctor of Divinity (1801-1866)

41:1 Blessed (or Happy) is he that considers the poor (or weak, persecuted, oppressed, destitute, or afflicted): the Lord will deliver him in time of trouble.

Jesus Himself was despised and rejected, a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief. He was oppressed and afflicted, Isaiah 53:3&7. He told His disciples the following parable.

Matthew 25:34-40 Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: For I was hungry, and you gave me meat: I was thirsty, and you gave me drink: I was a stranger, and you took me in: Naked, and you clothed me: I was sick, and you visited me: I was in prison, and you came unto me. Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when did we see You hungry, and feed You? or thirsty, and gave You drink? When did we see You a stranger, and take You in? or naked, and clothed You? Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come unto You? And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, In as much as you have done it unto one of the least of these My brethren, you have done it unto Me.

Mother Teresa, and Saint Francis before her, and many others have travailed with the poor in seeking to fulfil Jesus’ commandments on helping the poor. Let us do the same in whatever way we are able.

Psalm 41:2-3 The Lord will preserve him, and keep him alive; and he shall be blessed (or prosper) upon the earth: and You will not deliver him unto the will of his enemies. The Lord will strengthen him upon the bed of languishing: You will make all his bed in his sickness, (or be like a nursing father).

God has promised that if we are faithful to care for others in our lives who He brings along our paths, He will care for us. We see the same sentiment in Isaiah.

Isaiah 58:6-11 Is not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that you break every yoke? Is it not to deal your bread to the hungry, and that you bring the poor that are cast out to your house? when you see the naked, that you cover him; and that you hide not yourself from your own flesh (family)? Then shall your light break forth as the morning, and your health shall spring forth speedily: and your righteousness shall go before you; the glory of the Lord shall be your reward. Then shall you call, and the Lord shall answer; you shall cry, and He shall say, Here I am. If you take away from the midst of you the yoke, the putting forth of the finger, and speaking vanity; And if you draw out your soul to the hungry, and satisfy the afflicted soul; then shall your light rise in obscurity, and your darkness be as the noon day: And the Lord shall guide you continually, and satisfy your soul in drought, and make fat your bones: and you shall be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters fail not.

Lord, help us to meditate on Your words and apply them to our lives that we may be blessed. If we want to be happy and healthy in this life and the life to come, let us see how we can help those in need around us.

Psalm 41:4 I said, Lord, be merciful unto me: heal my soul; for I have sinned against thee.

When we are sick, we search our souls to find out if our sickness is a result of having wandered from God’s path. Jesus Himself never sinned, but He carried the sins of the world to the cross.

Isaiah 53:5-8 But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon Him; and with His stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned everyone to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on Him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed, and He was afflicted, yet He opened not His mouth: He is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so He opened not His mouth. He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare His generation? for He was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of My people was He stricken.

Psalm 41:5 My enemies speak evil of me, When shall he die, and his name perish?

The Pharisees and religious leaders wanted Jesus’ name to perish. But as Apostle Peter responded,

Acts 4:10-12 Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by Him does this man stand here before you whole. This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner. Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.

The religious leaders then counselled together on what to do and decided,

Acts 4:17-20 But that it spread no further among the people, let us straitly threaten them, that they speak henceforth to no man in this name. And they called them, and commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus. But Peter and John answered and said unto them, Whether, it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God, judge you. For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard.

Neither should we hide God’s truth within us, but speak forth His truth boldly with love and humility.

Acts 4:13 Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marvelled and took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus.

1 Peter 3:15 But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asks you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear.

Psalm 41:6-8 And if he comes to see me, he speaks vanity: his heart gathers iniquity to itself; when he goes abroad, he tells it (or spreads it abroad). All that hate me whisper together against me: against me do they devise my hurt. An evil disease, say they, cleaves fast unto him: and now that he lies he shall rise up no more.

As with Job, when bad events happen in our lives, others may assume that what is happening is a result of God’s judgment on us because of sin. The Bible says that the curse causeless does not come. Yet, Jesus was without sin. In the case of Job, God allowed his afflictions as a testing. The enemy may be attacking us because of our good work for the Lord. Let us not fall into condemnation for God’s mercies endure forever.

Psalm 41:9 Yea, mine own familiar friend, in whom I trusted, which did eat of my bread, has lifted up his heel against me.

Early expositors agreed that the prophetic word found here as spoken by Jesus in John 13:18 and explained by Jesus, indicates the psalm in applicable to the Messiah.

John 13:21 Verily, verily, I say unto you, that one of you shall betray me.

Psalm 41:10 But You, O Lord, be merciful unto me, and raise me up, that I may requite (or respond to) them.

God was merciful to Jesus and did raise him up on the third day so that He could respond to His enemies both physical and spiritual.

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said,

Matthew 5:44-45a Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them that despitefully use you, and persecute you. That you may be the children of Your Father which is in heaven.

However, in His parables He clearly reveals that there is judgment for the wicked, if he turn not from his wickedness.

Luke 19:27 But My enemies, which would not that I should reign over them, bring hither, and slay them before Me.

Matthew 24:48-51 But and if that evil servant shall say in his heart, My lord delays his coming; And shall begin to smite his fellow-servants, and to eat and drink with the drunken; The lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looks not for him, and in an hour that he is not aware of, And shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Psalm 41:11-12 By this I know that You favour me, because my enemy does not triumph over me. And as for me, You uphold me in my integrity, and set me before Your face for ever.

Jesus’ enemies did not triumph, which means “shout for joy in victory,” over Him. He rose from the dead and sits at the right hand of the Father. He gives us power over death and hell. He calls us to become sons of God. Therefore, we should not fear those that can kill our bodies, but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both our souls and our bodies in hell.

Matthew 10:32-33 Whosoever therefore shall confess Me before men, him will I confess also before My Father which is in heaven. But whosoever shall deny Me before men, him will I also deny before My Father which is in heaven.

Revelation 22:12-14 And, behold, I come quickly; and My reward is with Me, to give every man according as his work shall be. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning, and the end, the first and the last. Blessed are they that do His commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.

Psalm 41:13 Blessed be the Lord God of Israel from everlasting, and to everlasting. Amen, and Amen. (or, truly I say, Amen.)

Published 11th December, 2024. Republished February 23, 2025.

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He Has Put a New Song in My Mouth! . Psalm 40

 

A Psalm of David                                                                Commentary Dennis Edwards

40:1-2 I waited patiently for the Lord; and He inclined unto me, and heard my cry. He brought me up also out of a horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings.

If we wait upon the Lord, which means, if we seek Him in prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, He shall hear us and answer. He will lift us up out of whatever horrible pit we have fallen into; whether it be emotional, financial, or relational. Jesus is the Rock that our feet need to be set upon. He is the stone which the builders rejected that has become the chief cornerstone. If we build the house of our lives upon Him, by obeying and following His word, our ways shall be established and our house shall not be overwhelmed by the storms of life.

Psalm 40:3 And He has put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God: many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the Lord.

Even though at the moment you may feel down and discouraged, if you bring your problem to God in prayer, if you set your feet upon Jesus, the Rock, if you resolved to obey and follow His word, you will find joy again. God will bring you up out of the seemingly impossible situation, that horrible pit you are passing through and you will sing for joy once again. He will restore the joy of your salvation. Hold on. Fight the fight of faith with praise. “In everything give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you,” 1^st Thessalonians 5:18.

Psalm 40:4 Blessed is that man that makes the Lord his trust, and respects not the proud, nor such as turn aside to lies.

Help us not to desire to be like the rich and the proud who love the world. They desire the things of the world; the lusts of the eyes, the lust of the flesh, and the pride of life, which is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passes away, and the lusts thereof. But whosoever does the will of God abides forever, 1 John 2:16-17. They turn aside from God’s good word to the lies of men; to “philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ,” Colossians 2:8.  They turn aside to the lies of the father of lies, Satan himself, and their “minds become corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ,” 2 Corinthians 11:3. Lord, lead us away from temptation.

Psalm 40:5 Many, O Lord my God, are Your wonderful works which You have done, and Your thoughts which are toward us: they cannot be reckoned up in order unto You: if I would declare and speak of them, they are more than can be numbered.

Help us, Lord, to come into Your presence with praise and thanksgiving for the countless blessing You have bestowed upon us. If we count our blessings, and name them one by one, we will be surprised what the Lord has done. Praise is the voice of faith.

Psalm 40:6-8 Sacrifice and offering You did not desire; my ears have You opened: burnt offering and sin offering have You not required. Then said I, Lo, I come: in the volume of the book it is written of me, I delight to do Your will, O my God: yea, Your law is within my heart.

The author of Hebrews quotes the above section from the Septuagint as the following: “Sacrifice and offering You did not desire; a body have You prepared Me.” The author argues that sacrifices and offering were merely a foreshadowing of Christ’s own sacrifice on the cross for the sins of mankind. He argues that the psalm is prophetic of Jesus, of the new and living way to enter into God’s presence through faith in the blood of Jesus who was slain from the foundations of the world. Jesus came as it was prophesised and delighted to do God’s will, not His own. Let us follow in His footsteps.  

Concerning why the Masoretic Hebrew text in translated differently from the Greek Septuagint text, the early church fathers accused the Jewish religious authorities in the first and second centuries of tampering with the Old Testament text. The religious authorities were believed to have done so, in order to hide the prophetic signs of the Messiah found therein which Jesus fulfilled. Where the Hebrew Masoretic text says, “My ears have You opened,” the Greek Septuagint text says, “A body You have prepared.” Since the Hebrew language does not use vowels when written, depending on which vowels you use, you can come up with different meanings. The author of Hebrews in the New Testament is quoting from the Greek Septuagint text and asserting that it was fulfilled in Jesus. He was the body God had prepared as the ultimate sacrifice for the sins of men.

Psalm 40:9-10 I have preached righteousness in the great congregation: lo, I have not refrained my lips, O Lord, You know it. I have not hidden Your righteousness within my heart; I have declared Your faithfulness and Your salvation: I have not concealed Your lovingkindness and Your truth from the great congregation.

Let us be faithful to not hide God within us, but to share the love and truth of the Gospel to all those God puts within our paths. “For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ,” John 1:17. “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature,” Marc 16:15. “And the things that you have heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also, 2 Timothy 2:2.

Psalm 40:11-12  Withhold not Your tender mercies from me, O Lord: let Your lovingkindness and Your truth continually preserve me.  For innumerable evils have compassed me about: my iniquities have taken hold upon me, so that I am not able to look up; they are more than the hairs of my head: therefore, my heart fails me.

We can often fall into discouragement at our own failures to overcome our besetting sins, our personality failures, or our bad habits. But, as David does here, we need to cry out to God that He would preserve us, forgive us, and extend His tender mercies to us.

Psalm 40:13-15 Be pleased, O Lord, to deliver me: O Lord, make haste to help me. Let them be ashamed and confounded together that seek after my soul to destroy it; let them be driven backward and put to shame that wish me evil. Let them be desolate for a reward of their shame that say unto me, Aha, aha.

David prays against his enemies, and no doubt Christ prayed against His spiritual enemies. We, too, must rebuke the spiritual powers that attack us and try to bring our efforts to naught. We must wage spiritual warfare in prayer against the principalities, and powers, and the spiritual forces of darkness in high places that seek to destroy and hinder our important work for the Lord. We must put on the whole armour of God and resist the Devil. “Put on the whole armour of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil!” Ephesians 6:11.

Psalm 40:16-17 Let all those that seek You rejoice and be glad in You: let such as love Your salvation say continually, The Lord be magnified. But I am poor and needy; yet the Lord thinks upon me: You are my help and my deliverer; make no tarrying, O my God.

May the lost and weary sheep searching for God find Him. May God send forth more labourers into the harvest, which is white and ready unto harvest, but the labourers are few. Lord, you are near to those of a broken heart, and you save such as be of a contrite spirit. Though many be our afflictions or problems, Lord, You have promised to deliver us out of them all, Psalm 34:18-19. Save us, O Lord. Deliver us from the hand of man and from those that would rise up against us. O Lord, tarry not, “come quickly. Even so, come, Lord Jesus,” Revelation 22:20.

Prayer: Lord, we look at the world today, a maddening mass of confusion, deception, greed, and perversion. Evil men grow worse and worse deceiving and being deceived. They are the great men of Babylon the Whore, the empire established by the International Bankers. Doomed are they for they themselves shall be attacked by that Wicked One, the beast, or Antichrist who shall eliminate them in one hour.  Sooner or later, a flood of iniquity shall break forth upon the earth. 

Continue to have Your way, Lord. Continue to strengthen and enlighten the people you have raised up since the time of the Pandemic. Help them to receive and follow the truth, come what may. Like Martin Luther King Jr said. Help them to follow the truth that You are showing them, because that is the most important thing in life. Protect them from attacks of the enemy. Strengthen the Godly leaders wherever they may be. Raise up more to join them. Remove those who are hindering your plans and hindering the spread of the gospel. Lord, prepare us for the battles ahead. Help us not be weary in well-doing. Be our strong tower, and light in the days to come. Save us from the hour of temptation that shall come upon the whole earth. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.

First published October 12th, 2024. Edited and republished February 22, 2025 

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The Importance of Being Praiseful! - 2 Chronicles 20

A Victory of Prayer, Praise, and Song: 2 Chronicles 20

By Dennis Edwards

Praise is such an important spiritual discipline. I wanted to read to you a chapter from the Bible which shows you the importance of using praise in your daily life. I’m reading from II Chronicles 20. It says, 

“It came to pass after this also, that the children of Moab, and the children of Ammon and with them other beside the Ammonites, came against Jehoshaphat to battle.”[1]

The children of Moab, and the children of Ammon were descendants from Lot the nephew of Abraham. At the time of the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah Lot had fled from Sodom with his wife and two unwed daughters with the help of the angels. Lot’s wife looked back and turned into a pilar of salt. Lot and his two daughters fled onward to a small town near the mountains and later escaped to a cave to hide from the great destruction. The destruction was so terrible, the daughters feared that they were the only ones left alive. In their distress they decided to get their father drunk and each took a turn to lay with him, to give them seed. The children of Moab and the children of Ammon are the descendants form the sexual relations Lot had with his two daughters. 

The children of mount Seir are descendants of Ishmael and Esau. Ishmael was the son of Abraham by Hagar, Sarah, Abraham’s wife’s maidservant. Sarah had passed the time of child-bearing so encouraged Abraham to go in unto Hagar and bring forth seed through her. Ishmael was the result of Abraham’s sexual relationship with Hagar. Afterwards, God touched Sarah’s womb and Abraham and Sarah brought forth Isaac, the child of promise. Esau, the first born of Isaac, lost his birth-right and his blessing to Jacob his younger brother. He later married one of Ishmael’s daughters hoping to regain favor with his father. 

Back to II Chronicles: 

“Then there came some that told Jehoshaphat, saying, There comes a great multitude against thee from beyond the sea on this side of Syria; and, behold, they be in Hazazontamar, which is Engedi. 

“And Jehoshaphat feared, and set himself to seek the Lord, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah.”[2]

So here we see that there were coming three armies against Judah and Jerusalem, it’s capitol. But the first thing king Jehoshaphat does when he hears about it, is that he proclaims a fast throughout Judah to pray and seek the Lord. Jehoshaphat gets serious with God. He seeks God and makes sure his people do the same. 

“And Judah gathered themselves together, to ask help of the Lord: even out of all the cities of Judah they came to seek the Lord."

We note that the people responded positively. Why was that? It was a result of Jehoshaphat having set out both prophets and priests to teach the word of the Lord to the people previously. The people’s hearts were ready to seek the Lord because they had been partaking of the teaching of the word through God’s prophets and teachers. In 2 Chronicles 17:9 we read,  

“And they (the prophets and priests) taught in Judah, and had the book of the law of the Lord with them, and went about throughout all the cities of Judah, and taught the people.”  

Jehoshaphat’s people were ready to seek the Lord because they had been learning from God’s word. 

“And Jehoshaphat stood in the congregation of Judah, and Jerusalem, in the house of the Lord, before the new court, 

“And said, O Lord God of our fathers, art not thou God in Heaven? And rulest not thou over all the kingdoms of the heathen? And in thine hand is there not power and might, so that none is able to withstand thee? 

“Art not thou our God, who did drive out the inhabitants of the land before thy people Israel, and gave it to the seed of Abraham thy friend for ever? 

“And they dwelt therein, and have built thee a sanctuary therein for thy name, saying, 

“If when evil comes upon us, as the sword, judgment, or pestilence, or famine, we stand before this house, and in thy presence, (for thy name is in this house,) and cry unto thee in our affliction, then thou wilt hear and help.”[3]

At that time God’s Holy Spirit was present in the Temple in Jerusalem. From the time of Moses it had been present in the cloud that led Israel out of Egypt and in the cloud came upon the tabernacle and dwelt therein. Later the Holy Spirit of God’s presence filled the Holy of Holies in the Temple that Solomon built. In 2 Chronicle 6:34-35 we read a part of Solomon’s prayer at the time of the anointing of the Temple.

“If thy people go out to war against their enemies by way that thou shalt send them, and they pray unto thee toward this city which thou hast chosen, and the house which I have built for thy name; then hear thou from the heavens their prayer and their supplication, and maintain their cause.”

Jehoshaphat is reminding both the people and the Lord of the prayer of Solomon. Jehoshaphat is claiming God’s word, God’s promises in his word. He’s helping the people to believe and stand on God’s word.

“And now, behold, the children of Ammon and Moab, (the descendants from Lot) and mount Seir, (the descendants of Ishmael and Esau) whom thou would not let Israel invade, when they came out of the land of Egypt, but they turned from them, and destroyed them not; 

“Behold, I say, how they reward us, to come to cast us out of thy possession, which thou hast given us to inherit. 

“O our God, wilt thou not judge them? For we have no might against this great company that comes against us; neither know we what to do: but our eyes are upon thee. 

“And all Judah stood before the Lord, with their little ones, their wives, and their children.”[4]

We notice here that the whole family was involved in seeking the Lord, in getting desperate with God. It was not just left to the woman, or to the men, but even the “little ones” and the older children participated. 

So then, the spirit of the Lord comes upon Jahaziel, a descendant of Asaph. Asaph was one of the musicians, who like King David, had written some of the famous psalms that we find in the Old Testament. I have found some twelve psalms written by Asaph. We read, 

“Then upon Jahaziel the son of Zechariah, the son of Benaiah, the son of Jeiel, the son of Mataniah, a Levite of the sons of Asaph, came the spirit of the Lord in the midst of the congregation; 

“And he said, Hearken ye, all Judah, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and thou king Jehoshaphat, Thus saith the Lord unto you, Be not afraid nor dismayed by reason of this great multitude; for the battle is not yours, but God’s. 

“Tomorrow go ye down against them: behold, they come up by the cliff of Ziz; and ye shall find them at the end of the brook, before the wilderness of Jeruel. 

“Ye shall not need to fight in this battle: set yourselves, stand ye still, and see the salvation of the Lord with you, O Judah and Jerusalem: fear not, nor be dismayed; tomorrow go out against them: for the Lord will be with you. 

“And Jehoshaphat bowed his head with his face to the ground: and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem fell before the Lord, worshipping the Lord. 

“And the Levites, of the children of the Kohathites, and of the children of the Korhites, stood up to praise the Lord God of Israel with a loud voice on high.”[5]

The Kohathites and Korhites were those who worked with the Levites in the service of the Temple and were the singers, or choral or choir for the worship services. 

“And they rose early in the morning, and went forth into the wilderness of Tekoa: and as they went forth, Jehoshaphat stood and said, Hear me, O Judah, and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem; Believe in the Lord your God, so shall ye be established; believe His prophets, so shall ye prosper. 

“And when they had consulted with the people, he appointed singers unto the Lord, and that should praise the beauty of holiness, as they went out before the army, and to say, Praise the Lord; for His mercy endures forever.”[6]

In the book of Psalms in the Old Testament we can find at least two songs of worshipped used during the Temple sacrifice and service which repeat the phrase, “His mercy endures forever.” One is the first four verses in Psalm 118. I’ll let you read them here. 

“O give thanks unto the Lord; for He is good: for His mercies endures for ever. Let Israel now say, that His mercy endures for ever. Let the house of Aaron (the priests) now say, that His mercy endures for ever. Let them now that fear the Lord say, that His mercy endures for ever.”[7]

In Psalm 136 the phrase, “His mercy endures for ever,” is repeated twenty-six times. I’ll read you the first four verses of this psalm so you get a feeling of the faith it imparted. 

“O give thanks unto the Lord; for He is good: for His mercy endures for ever. O give thanks unto the God of gods; for His mercy endures for ever. O give thanks to the Lord of lords: for His mercy endures for ever. To Him that does great wonders: for His mercy endures for ever.”[8]

The rest of the psalm recites the act of Creation, the deliverance of the children of Israel from Egypt, and the defeat of great Kings whose lands the children of Israel went on to possess. Both these psalms were used regularly in Temple worship and would have been readily available for the singers to sing. The last verse in Psalm 136 concludes with: 

“O give thanks unto the God of heaven: for His mercy endures for ever.”[9]

The singers were going to march ahead of the army, manifesting the people’s faith that God was going to fight for them. This was all done with consultation and prayer and not dictated by the king. This was all done with consultation and prayer and not dictated by the king. It reminds us of Malachi 3:16ª.

“Then they that feared the Lord spake often one to another: and the Lord hearkened, and heard it.”

Also, in Proverbs 11:14 we read about taking counsel when going to war.

Where no counsel is, the people fall: but in the multitude of counsellors there is safety.”

“And when they began to sing and praise, the Lord set ambushments against the children of Ammon, Moab, and mount Seir, which were come against Judah; and they were smitten.”[10]

And now God’s word explains what the “ambushments” were. 

“For the children of Ammon and Moab stood up against the inhabitants of mount Seir, utterly to slay and destroy them: and when they had made an end of the inhabitants of Seir, every one helped to destroy another.”[11]

So God sent a spirit of division between the different armies. First, the two armies who were more closely related, descendants from Lot, destroyed the army that was descendant from Ishmael and Esau. Mount Seir got destroyed first. Afterwards, the descendants of Lot, Moab and Ammon, fought amongst themselves and destroyed each other. 

“And when Judah came toward the watch tower in the wilderness, they looked unto the multitude, and, behold, they were dead bodies fallen to the earth, and none escaped. 

“And when Jehoshaphat and his people came to take away the spoil of them, they found among them in abundance both riches with the dead bodies, and precious jewels, which they stripped off for themselves, more than they could carry away: and they were three days in gathering of the spoil, it was so much. 

“And on the fourth day they assembled themselves in the valley of Berachah; for there they blessed the Lord: therefore the name of the same place was called, The valley of Berachah, unto this day. 

“Then they returned, every man of Judah and Jerusalem, and Jehoshaphat in the forefront of them, to go again to Jerusalem with joy; for the Lord had made them to rejoice over their enemies. 

“And they came to Jerusalem with psalteries and harps and trumpets unto the house of the Lord. 

“And the fear of God was on all the kingdoms of those countries, when they had heard that the Lord fought against the enemies of Israel. 

“So the realm of Jehoshaphat was quiet: for his God gave him rest round about.”[12]

So here we see the importance of using praise to win victories over our enemies. The children of Israel believed that God was with them and therefore they went out in praise. They sent the choir in front of the army to manifest their faith in what the Lord had said to them, that He would fight for them and they would not need to fight. They sang probably from Psalm 118 and Psalm 136 which repeats over and over, “Oh give thanks unto the God of heaven: for his mercy endures for ever.”[13]

What was the results? Were they defeated? No, they won the battle without even fighting. 

Maybe you having a battle in your own life and three armies are coming against you. Maybe you’re sick, and you have financial problems, and you have family problems, and it seems that these armies are just destroying your life. Well, what can you do? You can believe the Lord thy God, that’s the first step. Believing in God is going to establish you, it’s going to give your life a good, solid foundation. 

Step two, you are going to believe His prophets, those of His servants who are bringing forth the fruit of God’s goodness in their lives. In this case in our Bible study, the prophets were telling the people, contrary to the seeming impossible circumstances which they faced, that God was with them and would fight for them, if the trusted and obeyed Him. 

Because the people believed, they used the weapon of praise to defeat their enemy, and their biggest enemies were their own fears and doubts about the situation. They started singing and giving thanks which manifested their faith that God was going to do what He had promised He would do. They sent forth the singers in front of the army to demonstrate their confidence in God’s promises. One man’s faith and desperation, that of king Jehoshaphat, had transformed the whole nation to faith and obedience to God. 

So what about you? Will you lift up your voice, no matter how discouraged you may be, no matter how sick you are, no matter how bad you feel the situation is? Have faith in God. He will not fail you. Get desperate in prayer. Call out to God with your family and loved ones. Seek the Lord while He may be found. 

Then, start praising the Lord. Praise your way out of that valley of despair, or that pit of discouragement that you have fallen into. Praise, and praise, and praise and praise again. Fight those demons of gloom, those demons of depression and God will lift you up. God will reach down and lift you up.

God’s word says, “Draw nigh to God, and He will draw nigh to you. Humble yourself in the sight of the Lord and He will lift you up.”[14] Humble yourself. Call out to God. Use the weapon of praise. Sing and lift up your voice in thanksgiving and praise. And God promises to lift you up and defeat those armies, those difficulties, those demons of discouragement that are battling you. God’s going to raise you up, just like that popular song says. He will lift you up out of that valley of the shadow of death that you have fallen into and you'll stand on His shoulders.

 Use the weapon of praise. It’s a key weapon. Use it today. Praise is the victory. Sing, shout, praise the Lord. "Let everything that has breath praise the Lord,"[15] which is the very last verse of all the psalms and the summary of all the preceding, for He is the victory. 

You may want to follow “The 30 Day Praise Challenge”[16] by Becky Harling and listen to the songs on YouTube she suggests. Learn to give thanks for twenty minutes a day and listen to the songs Becky suggests[17], or ones similar, until they become part and soul of your very being. Praise will change your life for the better. Try it, you won’t be disappointed.

Originally published September 2, 2018

Footnotes:
[1] II Chronicles 20:1
[2] II Chronicles 20:2-3
[3] II Chronicles 20:4-9
[4] II Chronicles 20:10-13
[5] II Chronicles 20:14-19
[6] II Chronicles 20:20-21
[7] Psalm 118:1-4
[8] Psalm 136:1-4
[9] Psalm 136:26
[10] II Chronicles 20:22
[11] II Chronicles 20:23
[12] II Chronicles 20:24-30
[13] Psalm 136:26
[14] James 4:7
[15] Psalm 150:6
[16] https://www.amazon.com/30-Day-Praise-Challenge-Becky-Harling-ebook/dp/B00C62S52U
[17] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dvCDEuANWdI&list=PLXIQnDCwKXFtbmbwcUb8V8R-uGms34ovY

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Psalm 33 - Blessed Is the Nation Whose God Is the Lord

 

Psalm 33 with Commentaries by Dennis Edwards

In some eight manuscripts Psalm 32 and Psalm 33 are found as one continuous psalm. Some scholars therefore consider it the second part of Psalm 32, or an amplification of the last verse where we find, “Be glad in the Lord, and rejoice you righteous: and shout for joy all you that are upright in heart.” Some of the earlier psalms seem to be in pairs, where the idea of one psalm is continued in the next, as is found in Psalm 9 and 10. The fact that Psalm 33 has 22 verses, which is equal to the number of letters in the Hebrew alphabet, makes for regarding it as a complete composition. [Burgh, William de; A Commentary on the Book of Psalms, Dublin, 1860, page 312.]

33:1-2 Rejoice in the Lord, O you righteous: for praise is comely (or appropriate) for the upright. Praise the Lord with harp: sing unto Him with the psaltery and an instrument of ten strings.

A recurrent theme in the Psalms is the importance of thankfulness and praise in our relationship with God. Evangelist Nick Vujicic, who has no arms or legs, says, he has never met a thankful man who was bitter, or a bitter man who was thankful. It’s one or the other. We see Apostle Paul writing, “Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, rejoice,” Philippians 4:4. In Colossians he writes,

Colossians 4:15-17 “And let the peace of God rule in your hearts,…and be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. And whatsoever you do in word or in deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by Him.”

In Ephesians he gives a similar message:

Ephesians 5:18-20 “And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit; speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord; giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Psalm 33:3 Sing unto Him a new song; play skilfully with a loud noise.

In the book of Revelation, we find the four beasts and the twenty-four elders falling down and singing a new song when the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world, opens the little book and looses the seven seals, Revelation 5:5.

Revelation 5:9-10 “And they sung a new song, saying, You are worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for you were slain, and have redeemed us to our God by your blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation; and has made us unto our God kings and priests; and we shall reign on the earth.”

Later, when the 144,000 tribulation saints arrive in the heavenlies, they also sing a new song.

Revelation 14:2-3 “And I heard a voice from heaven, as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of a great thunder: and I heard the voice of harpers harping with their harps; and they sung as it were a new song before the throne, and before the four beast, and the elders: and no man could learn that song but the hundred and forty and four thousand, which were redeemed from the earth.”

Psalm 33:4 For the word of the Lord is right; and all His works are done in truth.

God’s word is right, and God’s word is true. Throughout the Old Testament we find that God is true to His word.

Psalm 119:160 “Your word is true from the beginning: and everyone of Your righteous judgments endures forever.”

Numbers 23:19 “God is not a man, that He should lie; neither the son of man, that He should repent: has He said, and shall He not do it? Or has He spoken, and shall He not make it good?”

Joshua 23:14b “Not one thing has failed of all the good things which the Lord your God spoke concerning you; all are come to pass unto you, and not one thing has failed thereof.”

Isaiah 34:16 “Seek you out of the book of the Lord, and read: no one of these shall fail, none shall want her mate: for My mouth it has commanded, and His Spirit it has gathered them.”

In the New Testament, Jesus calls Himself, “The way, the truth, and the life,” John 14:6. He says if we continue in His words, we would know the truth, and the truth would make us free, John 8:31-32. Just before His death, He said He was going to the Father, but He would send the Holy Spirit, which would lead and guide us into all truth, John 16:13.

Apostle Paul admonishes us that the greatest spiritual gift is love, and that love rejoices in the truth, 1 Corinthians 13:6. He tells us we should speak the truth in love, Ephesians 4:15.

Psalm 33:5-9 He (God) loves righteousness and judgment: the earth is full of the goodness of the Lord. By the word of the Lord were the heavens made; and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth. He gathers the waters of the sea together as a heap: He lays up the depth in storehouses. Let all the earth fear the Lord: let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him. For He spoke, and it was done; He commanded, and it stood fast.

In Genesis 1, we see that God spoke the world into existence and it was good. In John 1, we find the Word was in the beginning with God and by the Word all things were made, “and without Him was not anything made that was made,” John 1:1-3. That Word was later made flesh, and dwelt among us, full of grace and truth, John 1:14. His name was Jesus Christ, the only begotten of the Father.

The New Testament epistles give us the same idea.

 Colossians 1:16-17 “For by Him (Jesus) were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by Him, and for Him: and He is before all things, and by Him all things consist.”

Hebrews 1:1-3 “God, who at different times and various manners spoke in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken unto us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, by whom also He made the worlds; who being the brightness of His glory, and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high.”

Psalm 33:10-11 The Lord brings the counsel of the heathen to nought: He makes the devices of the people of none effect. The counsel of the Lord stands for ever, the thoughts of His heart to all generations.

Similarly in the Proverbs we read,

Proverbs 19:21 “There are many devices in a man’s heart; nevertheless, the counsel of the Lord, that shall stand.”

Eventually the Lord will rule for a thousand years and then for eternity. What God has said shall be done. Jesus said, “Heaven and earth shall pass away, but My words shall not pass away,” Matthew 24:35.

Isaiah 14:27 “For the Lord of hosts has purposed, and who will disannul it? And His hand is stretched out, and who shall turn it back?”

Psalm 33:12 Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord; and the people whom He has chosen for his own inheritance.

As Apostle Paul has explained in his epistle to the Galatians, “And if you be Christ’s, then are you Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise,” Galatians 3:29. He also wrote, “The Spirit itself bears witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God. And if children, then heirs, heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ,” Romans 8:16-17a.

All that believe and obey Jesus Christ are the nation of God, no matter in whatever nation on earth they may exist. We are the children of promise, like Isaac, not the children of the flesh, like Ishmael. As Paul has clarified, “They which are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God: but the children of the promise are counted for the seed,” Romans 9:8.

God’s spirit is calling all mankind to repent and come into the true Shepherd’s fold. All mankind, each and every person is called in some way. Jesus said, “Many are called, but few are chosen,” Matthew 22:14. So few choose His way, “because straight is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leads to life, and few there be that find it,” Matthew 7:14.

Psalm 33:13-15 The Lord looks from heaven; He beholds all the sons of men. From the place of His habitation, He looks upon all the inhabitants of the earth. He fashions their hearts alike; He considers all their works.

God is watching. For that reason, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge,” Proverbs 1:7.

Psalm 33:16-19 There is no king saved by the multitude of a host: a mighty man is not delivered by much strength. A horse is a vain thing for safety: neither shall he deliver any by his great strength. Behold, the eye of the Lord is upon them that fear Him, upon them that hope in His mercy; To deliver their soul from death, and to keep them alive in famine.

God is our true strength, our refuge, our protector, our saviour. “It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man,” Psalm 118:8, the middle verse of the Bible. It is better to trust in the Lord, than to put confidence in anything else to protect and save us. Our obedience to God is our best protection from evil.

Psalm 33:20-22 Our soul waits for the Lord: He is our help and our shield. For our heart shall rejoice in Him, because we have trusted in His holy name. Let Your mercy, O Lord, be upon us, according as we hope in You.

Prayer: Lord, You are our shield and our helper in time of need. We look to You to lead and guide us in the way wherein You would have us walk. You are our hope, help us follow You closely. Let Your mercy and truth guide us and keep us in the path You have for us. Protect us from the snares of the evil one. Be with our loved ones. May You draw them close to You day by day. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.

Originally published February 3, 2025  Link to The Daily Voice - February 3 

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