Psalms 47

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“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 understanding” (Psalm 47:6-7 NKJV).

September 3, 2017

Five times the psalmist calls for praises to be sung to God. Four times, perhaps to move us to passionate intensity. But with the fifth, to “understanding.” The Hebrew word translated “understanding,” is the word “maskil,” which could also be translated “with skill,” or “with a didactic psalm.” The psalmist encouraged praise that engaged both heart and head. Worship, like love, is to be offered to God with all of our heart, soul, mind and strength.

“Sing praises to God, sing praises! …Sing praises with understanding” (Psalm 47:6-7 NKJV).

March 4, 2017

Singing praises to God should engage both the heart and the mind. All kinds of singing is encouraged by God’s Word. The apostle Paul wrote, “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” (Col. 3:16). Modern praise songs, with their simple repetitive phrases, help move the heart, but soon feel shallow without the rich theology found in many older hymns. Both are needed. A survey of the 150 Psalms of the Bible, reveals a wealth of songs and hymns that engage both heart and mind. We are to sing songs that stir our emotion, with an exclamation on the end! But we are also to sing songs that deepen our “understanding,” so that the Word “dwells richly” in our minds too.

“Oh, clap your hands, all you peoples! Shout to God with the voice of triumph! For the Lord Most High is awesome; He is a great King over all the earth” (Psalm 47:1-2 NKJV)

September 3, 2015

This psalm calls all peoples of the world to recognize God as King. It is a call to worship the Lord Most High. He is not just the king of Israel, but over all nations. There is no one higher nor mightier than He. There may be rebellion in the world today against the great King, but His triumph is assured and those who oppose Him are destined to fall. For whom do you offer your worship of clapping and shouting?

“God reigns above the nations, sitting on his holy throne” (Psalm 47:8 NLT)

March 4, 2014

It’s easy to fret about the state of world affairs. The dictators, the warmongers, the kings and presidents who care only for their own fame and power… where is God in all this? The Bible says that He reigns above. In the chain of command, God is atop all. Why then the wars and chaos? According to Acts 4 God has a plan and a purpose even in the midst of this. Instead of fretting, we can entrust the destiny of nations to the Lord while at the same time asking Him to embolden us to share the gospel and to stretch forth His hand to move in the Name of Jesus (Acts 4:29-31). God reigns.