“Truth for Truckers” *March 17, 2014* Psalm 47 “O’Clap
your hands”
Seven
commands for full worship dominate this Psalm and supply the theme. Although
the Psalms are the worship book of the Old Testament, this Psalm excels in
instruction and emphasizes the highest form of worship which is the
Spirit-filled soul singing the high praises of the LORD. Immediately we are
exhorted: ‘O clap your hands, all ye
people; shout unto God with the voice of triumph.’ Here, two outward
demonstrations of joy-filled worship are described. Clapping the hands does not
indicate applause for performance by an entertainer , but, the bringing of the
hands together in timed rhythm with the worshipful music of praise-filled
understanding (v.7). Edifying praise to God, NOT entertainment!
It has been the tradition of certain
movements within born-again Christianity to shout a hearty amen or praise the
Lord during the preaching time, and when the Spirit of the LORD is in charge of
these utterances the saints are encouraged in the faith and the preacher is
exhorted to preach on! However, in this Psalm the shouts are given in direct
response to the LORD’s awe-inspiring character and His powerful rule over the ‘All the earth’. We would say today
‘Jesus is Lord’ for ‘He is a great King
over all the earth and one day ‘He shall subdue the people under us, and the
nations under our feet’ (v.3)
‘He
shall choose our inheritance for us, the excellence of Jacob whom He loved.
Selah’ (v.4) This declaration looks forward to the day when the Lord Jesus
Christ will indeed be the physical King of kings and Lord of lords when he
returns riding a white horse in victory culminating with the Battle of
Armageddon. The next section of this brief but powerful Psalm starts in (v.5) ‘God is gone up with a shout, the LORD with
the sound of a trumpet.’ His ascension is accompanied with ‘A shout’ indicating the triumph or
victory accomplished by His presence. The trumpet also joins in marking the
LORD’s exit into the heavenlies. Notice, in the classic Rapture passage when
the Lord comes in the clouds there will be a shout and the sound of a trumpet
(I Thessalonians 4:13-18).
Then the great emphasis on singing praises
to God as we are commanded to sing praises to Him an unprecedented five times
in (v.6,7) ‘Sing praises to God, sing
praises: sing praises unto our King, sing praises. For God is the King of all
the earth: sing ye praises with understanding.’ The scene here depicts ‘All ye people’ in musical throng
clapping their hands and shouting but now singing becomes the major mover of
praising God the King, the Omnipotent Ruler of ‘All the earth’ calling all to sing ‘With understanding’ not just an emotional outpouring, but the mind
fully engaged in exalting our God as King.
The LORD being the King ‘Over the heathen’, the Victorious
Ruler, the Enthroned One ‘Sits upon the
throne of His holiness.’ (v.8) Now, his very essence, holiness, enters the
Psalm bringing with it a purifying element to the praise and worship which in
order to be true worship of the God of heaven, it must be pure, it must be
holy, undefiled, totally free from sin. ‘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.’
(v.9) The leaders and the Hebrew people are assembled along with the rulers
of the world recognizing the God of heaven, giving Him the power and the glory,
which looks unto a future day when all heaven and earth will bow the knee to
the Lord Jesus Christ and worship Him in Sprit and Truth!
Recently I had a conversation with a
Pastor. I asked him to describe his worship service and he told me that his
church had a band. I asked him if the band played music with the contemporary
rock n’ roll beat and he never really answered the question, but, after all was
said and done, he ‘Didn’t think I would enjoy the music’. What he described to
me was entertainment, not ministry, no, it was music designed to draw the fly
to the ointment and even though he recognized it smacked of the world’s music,
even though it was offensive to many brethren, it was OK with him. But, you cannot
worship the holy God of heaven in the devil’s backyard! Mark it down! If the
music sounds like the barroom from the outside of the church, the lyrics on the
inside do not make it holy. “They that
are in the flesh cannot please God” (Romans 8:8)!
No comments:
Post a Comment