There are several countries around the world which have a monarchy, but in only a handful of them does the monarch have any real or absolute power. In most monarchies, the king or queen has limited ruling power, as that is held by an elected prime minister. Many countries once had a monarchy, but over time they removed the monarch from power and replaced them with elected officials who only hold their position for a limited time. Some people like the idea of a king or queen, and others don’t. There is one King, under whose power the whole world is, and whose power we cannot just throw off, whether we like it or not. Our psalm for this week speaks of this King, the Lord God Yahweh. Let’s take a look at our Scripture for today.
Psalm 47 is one of eleven psalms that the Sons of Korah wrote. Who were these Sons of Korah? Korah lived during the time of Moses, and he was a Levite, a descendant of the tribe of Levi. Levites were caretakers of the Tabernacle, and later the Temple, performed rituals, and they supported the priests, who were descendants of Aaron. Korah wanted to be a priest, and felt that everyone of Israel had that right, even though that was not what God had said. He, along with some others, rebelled, and God opened up the earth and swallowed them alive into the earth (Numbers 16:1-35). Some of Korah’s children remained faithful to God, and did not take part in the rebellion. They became known as the Sons of Korah, and led singing and music in Temple worship.
The Sons of Korah, in today’s psalm, call upon us to celebrate God’s sovereignty and kingship over all the earth. Throughout the Bible, God is often referred to as king. As mentioned, some people like having a monarchy, and others don’t. However, Yahweh is not an overbearing king or tyrant who is only concerned with their own power and privilege. We are invited and encouraged to celebrate God’s rule with enthusiasm.
God rules over all the earth, and over all nations. This psalm shows that Yahweh was not just a local deity, nor was He God of just Israel. He was and is God over all the earth, over all people. We owe Him our allegiance. We can trust Him as our King. Our worship of Him is to be active and joyful because He is a great and awesome God! (vs. 1-2).
As we read further in our psalm, we see some foreshadowing of the Lord Jesus, and His triumphant ascension back to heaven, forty days after the resurrection, along with His future return. We see triumphant shouts and trumpets here (vs. 5). At the time when Jesus will return, sometime in the future, an angel will announce His return by sounding a trumpet (I Thessalonians 4:16). Traditionally when a king made an official entrance, trumpets or some other regal instrument would be played. When Jesus returns, there will also be a glorious shout by the heavenly hosts. Jesus will then reign as King of Kings, and all nations and peoples will worship Him as Lord and God. He is in control of this world as He rules from His throne (vs. 8). One day soon, Jesus will establish His kingdom fully upon earth.
With most kings, the average person cannot just walk up to them, approach them, or talk to them. Generally, an average person cannot go to the king, bringing their petitions to them. Yahweh, our King, wants to hear from us. Scripture tells us that those who have accepted Jesus as their personal Savior can come boldly to His throne, where we will find mercy and grace (Hebrews 4:16). He delights to receive our worship. Jesus cares for us personally, and is intimately involved in our life. No other human king can say that about themselves with their subjects.
As we look back over our psalm we are reminded that just as countries cheer on their king when he comes out in public, so we as believers should praise God enthusiastically. We need to remember that no matter what happens around the world, God is sovereign. What He decides and plans will happen. We should be living in anticipation of Jesus’ coming kingdom. His rule should give us hope. We can look forward to a time when God’s rule will be recognized by all people.
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