Our God Reigns
Psalms 47
September 1, 2019
Last Sunday night we looked at Psalms 46 and a reminder that
When God is with is there is nothing He cannot handle.
• His People Will Not Fear
• His City Will Not Fall
• His Works Will Not Fail
Most agree that Psalms 46, 47, & 48 tend to work together in a theme.
In Psalms 46 God announced the certainty of His earthly reign and exaltation.
He said:
Psalms 46:10 “Cease striving and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”
It was a great promise.
• A guarantee that this whole earth is coming to Him.
• There is no chance that He will lose.
• There is no chance that Satan will overthrow Him.
• He is going to win.
• He is going to reign.
• He is going to be exalted.
Moving from that great announcement,
Psalms 47 is a Psalm of great anticipation.
The Psalmist begins to anticipate the glorious reign of God
And even to call people to rejoice as a result.
It is a Psalm that ponders how great it will be
When Jesus finally takes the throne and rules this world.
In order to study it, I tried for many hours to just come up with a sequential outline,
But I never found one that seemed to follow the pattern.
Instead TONIGHT I would rather show you
The 3 main truths that are woven throughout the Psalm.
• The Psalmist makes 3 distinct points as he anticipates the day God reigns,
• But they aren’t necessarily in sequential order.
• Rather all 3 truths are saturated throughout the Psalm.
And so we’re going to look at them like that,
But since it’s a short Psalm it won’t be hard
To still gain understanding and grasp the heart of the Psalmist.
The First Theme or Point of the Psalmist I want you to see:
#1 THE GLORIOUS REIGN
Psalms 47:2, 5, 7, 8, 9
Verse 2 says, “For the LORD Most High is to be feared, A great King over all the earth.”
You see there the announcement and anticipation
Of our God reigning as “King over all the earth.”
We are not here speaking
Simply of His sovereign authority over all things,
But rather the day in which He physically
Takes the throne of the earth and reigns as King over all things.
And we even understand from previous Psalms
That this is an announcement of the reign of Jesus.
Psalms 2:6-9 “But as for Me, I have installed My King Upon Zion, My holy mountain.” “I will surely tell of the decree of the LORD: He said to Me, ‘You are My Son, Today I have begotten You. ‘Ask of Me, and I will surely give the nations as Your inheritance, And the very ends of the earth as Your possession. ‘You shall break them with a rod of iron, You shall shatter them like earthenware.'”
We are talking about the reign of Christ on the earth.
It shows up again in
(5) “God ascended with a shout, The LORD, with the sound of a trumpet.”
• The ascent there is to the throne.
• It is a picture of His coronation as King.
• It is the day He takes the throne.
He is seen as ascending in power and amid great pomp and pageantry.
In verse 7 we read, “For God is King of all the earth;”
In verse 8, “God reigns over the nations, God sits on His holy throne.”
And in verse 9 we see the former rulers of the world
Coming corporately to submit to this new reigning King.
“The princes of the peoples have assembled themselves as the people of the God of Abraham, For the shields of the earth belong to God; He is highly exalted.”
World rulers have taken a lesson from the people of God
And are coming before Him just like His worshipers do.
They see Him as the One who has captured all other defenses.
“the shields of the earth belong to God”
There are no rebels left with any defense against His rule.
• He alone reigns on the throne.
• He alone sits as sovereign over the earth.
And the Psalmist says: “He is highly exalted”
This is one of the main anticipations of the Psalm.
The Psalmist is focused upon
THE GLORIOUS REIGN of God upon the earth.
He is looking with His mind’s eye to the day
When Jesus sits on the throne of the world.
And we can certainly take a moment and anticipate that great day as well.
There is so much, particularly in the O.T., that speaks of that day.
I want to quickly show you some of them tonight,
If for no other reason, than to build your anticipation as well.
TURN TO: ISAIAH 24
Isaiah 24 DOES NOT begin with the reign of Jesus upon the earth.
Rather, Isaiah 24 reminds us of
The horrific condition of the earth in its present state.
Isaiah 24 reminds us how badly the earth needs a righteous King.
(READ 24:1-6)
It is a prophetic announcement of God’s coming judgment upon a sinful world.
The earth is spoken of as polluted,
But don’t misunderstand the terminology.
God is not referring to a melting polar ice cap
Or burning rain forests or polluted oceans.
Rather God is referring to the iniquity that has stained the earth.
Things like transgression, violation of laws, and broken covenants.
We could easily throw in the shedding of INNOCENT BLOOD since:
Numbers 35:33 “So you shall not pollute the land in which you are; for blood pollutes the land and no expiation can be made for the land for the blood that is shed on it, except by the blood of him who shed it.”
This is the state of the world
And we see God angry and ready to destroy it.
Look down to verse 19
(READ 24:19-23)
We see that the earth is in danger because its transgression is heavy.
And God is promising to punish it.
He has promised to come and rain judgment upon this world
And ultimately to redeem it from its sinful curse.
And this is not the only place this judgment is spoken of:
TURN TO: ISAIAH 63:1-6
• It is a picture of God coming in wrath and judgment to punish this sinful earth.
TURN TO: ISAIAH 10:33-34
• That is the concluding verses of a chapter in which we see God promising judgment on the wicked (here pictured by Assyria)
It’s just a reminder of the sinful present state of this world
And how badly we need a righteous King to reign.
Well God has promised to judge this world
And to set His King upon the throne.
And this King, and His righteous reign is seen in Isaiah 11.
TURN TO: ISAIAH 11:1-9
This is just a small picture, but you see the glorious reign He will have.
• A King not reigning in corruption but in righteousness.
• A King not motivated by lobbyists or popularity, but justice.
• A King who judge in fairness and righteousness.
• A King who will slay the wicked and remove sin from the earth.
This is the reign that the Psalmist is anticipating in Psalms 47.
• He is anticipating the day when Jesus is the “great King over all the earth”
• He is anticipating the day when Jesus “reigns over the nations.”
• He is anticipating the day when Jesus “sits on His holy throne.”
• He is anticipating the day when Jesus “is highly exalted”
And based upon the corruption and pollution of this world,
It is easy to anticipate and eagerly await that day as well.
• We certainly look with eager eyes to the day when Jesus will return and redeem this world from the curse.
• We certainly look with eager eyes to the day when Jesus will reign and rule in righteousness and fairness for the world.
It is an easy day to anticipate!
And that is one of the major points of this Psalm.
It is simply anticipating The Glorious Reign.
But there is a second point that emerges in the Psalm as well.
#2 THE GRACIOUS RESULT
Psalms 47:3-4
I love the thought process here.
The Psalmist cannot separate the reign of Christ
From the effect it will have on His people.
AND WE SHOULDN’T.
Part of our anticipation for Christ to reign
Is because of the promises He has made to us when He does.
Perhaps we start with the day when the Rich Young Ruler walked away sad from Jesus.
It was Peter, in all his honesty, who asked:
Matthew 19:27-29 “Then Peter said to Him, “Behold, we have left everything and followed You; what then will there be for us?” And Jesus said to them, “Truly I say to you, that you who have followed Me, in the regeneration when the Son of Man will sit on His glorious throne, you also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. “And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or farms for My name’s sake, will receive many times as much, and will inherit eternal life.”
It may have been a selfish question, but don’t act like it’s not a common one.
Everyone wanted to know, Peter is just the one to ask.
• Peter could see a world he had forsaken.
• Peter could see that he had left it all for Jesus.
• But it didn’t keep him from wondering, “what then will there be for us?”
And the answer of Jesus is wonderful!
“in the regeneration when the Son of Man will sit on His glorious throne, you also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.”
• Wow, that’s quite a promise.
• Peter, I’m going to make you and the other apostles my chief governors.
• You are going to reign with Me.
And not just you guys.
“everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or farms for My name’s sake, will receive many times as much, and will inherit eternal life.”
In short, the reign of Christ means benefits for His followers.
And you are aware of this.
It is not uncommon for us to read about our INHERITANCE.
Ephesians 1:10b-12 “In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to His purpose who works all things after the counsel of His will, to the end that we who were the first to hope in Christ would be to the praise of His glory.”
1 Peter 1:4 “to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you,”
And this is also why many times we are not only referred to as saints or sons or believers, but also HEIRS.
Romans 8:17 “and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him.”
Galatians 3:29 “And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s descendants, heirs according to promise.”
Galatians 4:7 “Therefore you are no longer a slave, but a son; and if a son, then an heir through God.”
The point being, we also have great anticipation of our Lord reigning upon the throne, because we know we will reap the benefits of that.
And let’s get a little more specific as to what we will inherit.
Matthew 25:34 “Then the King will say to those on His right, ‘Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.”
There Jesus reminds that there is a KINGDOM which we will inherit.
Matthew 5:3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”
Luke 12:32 “Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has chosen gladly to give you the kingdom.”
We are promised to be heirs of the kingdom.
And perhaps the greatest picture of this is found in:
Revelation 21:1-7 “Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth passed away, and there is no longer any sea. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, made ready as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and He will dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be among them, and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away.” And He who sits on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” And He said, “Write, for these words are faithful and true.” Then He said to me, “It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give to the one who thirsts from the spring of the water of life without cost. “He who overcomes will inherit these things, and I will be his God and he will be My son.”
There you see it again.
“He who overcomes will inherit these things”
We are talking about inheriting the kingdom of heaven.
We reign with Christ upon the earth.
All the benefits of the kingdom are ours.
Now notice the Psalmist.
(3) “He subdues peoples under us And nations under our feet.”
• They understood that no longer would they be the trampling mat of the world.
• Christ would come and reign over them and elevate them to the preeminent nation of the world.
(4) “He chooses our inheritance for us, The glory of Jacob whom He loves.”
It is here seen as Sovereign Grace.
• He chose us.
• And He chose our inheritance.
To read it again:
Luke 12:32 “Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has chosen gladly to give you the kingdom.”
We turn our backs upon this world of sin and corruption
And we step into a world of perfection and glory.
We leave behind this sinful world.
We inherit a glorious kingdom.
It is the hope of all those who trust in Christ.
In this world we are outcasts,
We are strangers and aliens.
But look to the day when Christ reigns,
And we reign with Him in His glorious kingdom.
We looked at Isaiah 11 a moment ago.
Well return to it and see the rest.
TURN TO: ISAIAH 11:10-12:6
• Do you see them all coming home?
• Do you see their enemies all cut off?
• Do you hear then the joyful song of chapter 12?
• Do you hear them rejoice for “great in your midst is the Holy One of Israel”?
Earlier we looked at Isaiah 24 and God’s judging a sinful world.
TURN TO: ISAIAH 25:1-9
• Do you see the benefit of those who are His?
• Do you see them defended?
• Do you see them in the banquet?
• Do you see the benefits of death removed along with reproach?
Earlier we looked at Isaiah 63 and the One from Bozra who came to judge the earth. Look at the result.
TURN TO: ISAIAH 65:17-25
• They are the benefits of those who inherit the kingdom.
And now you understand what Jesus meant when He said:
“everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or farms for My name’s sake, will receive many times as much, and will inherit eternal life.”
And the Psalmist just can’t help anticipating all of that.
He anticipates the glorious reign of Christ,
But he also anticipates reigning with Him.
As do we.
Romans 8:18-25 “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us. For the anxious longing of the creation waits eagerly for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groans and suffers the pains of childbirth together until now. And not only this, but also we ourselves, having the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our body. For in hope we have been saved, but hope that is seen is not hope; for who hopes for what he already sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, with perseverance we wait eagerly for it.”
THAT IS US.
• We suffer now, but we won’t suffer always.
• We were saved in hope.
• “we hope for what we do not see” and “with perseverance we wait eagerly for it.”
That is the mindset of the Psalmist as well.
The Psalm Anticipates The Glorious Reign
The Psalm Anticipates The Gracious Result
One more thing the Psalmist anticipates
#3 THE GLOBAL RESPONSE
Psalms 47:1, 2, 6, 7, 9
And it’s easy to see that the GLOBAL RESPONSE of all men
To the reign of Christ IS WORSHIP.
(1a) “O clap your hands, all peoples”
• That is give Him thunderous applause
• Give Him a standing ovation.
• Erupt in exuberant praise.
(1b) “Shout to God with the voice of joy”
• More than when an athlete pushes a pigskin across a goal line.
• Rise to your feet and exalt the great God who reigns.
(2) “For the LORD Most High is to be feared”
What a statement!
The King James says, “For the LORD Most High is terrible”
You may not like that terminology,
But did we not read when He will do this earth?
We laughed at youth camp
During a Q&A when a student asked John MacArthur about the believer’s responsibility to care for the environment.
He said, “If you don’t like what humans are doing to the environment, wait until you see what Jesus is going to do to it.”
There’s truth there isn’t there?
• He’s going to judge the nations.
• He’s going to destroy His enemies.
• He’s going to burn this world with fire.
• He’s going to extinguish sinners.
And the Psalmist calls for praise because of this.
The Psalmist says to applaud Him for this.
The Psalmist says to shout with a voice of joy because of this.
But it’s not just applause and joyful shouting.
(6-7) “Sing praises to God, sing praises; Sing praises to our King, sing praises. For God is King of all the earth; Sing praises with a skillful psalm.”
5 times the Psalmist there told us to sing the praises of God.
I’m just going to reiterated it again,
I do not understand believers who can have the audacity
To tell this King that they have no interest in singing to Him
When He so clearly mandates it.
But not just singing.
The Psalmist said, “Sing praises with a skillful psalm”
The word there for “skillful” is MASKIYL
It means “a song of contemplation”
That is put effort into it and think about what you are singing.
Contemplate who He is and sing accordingly.
To sing with depth and thought.
To sing of who He is and what He did.
This great God deserves the best singing we can give Him.
Songs that truly describe His glory and His work
And praise Him accordingly.
And you also see this worship in the fact that every single human presents themselves before His throne as His people to highly exalt Him.
(9) “The princes of the people have assembled themselves as the people of the God of Abraham”
• They are all there, they have come to worship Him.
• There are no factions wandering around chanting, “Not my King”
• Every knee is bowing…
• Every tongue is confessing…
TURN TO: ISAIAH 66:18-24
Do you see it there?
• Every nation, every person.
• They are all coming to worship and exalt the King.
Verse 23 says that “All mankind will come to bow down before Me,” says the LORD”
TURN TO: ZECHARIAH 8:20-23
• You see it again, people eager to come and worship the King.
TURN TO: ZECHARIAH 14:16-21
• And again, you go or else.
• It is not optional.
• Every person in global worship of this king.
• And the Psalmist anticipates that day.
In fact, because God has promised:
Psalms 46:10 “Cease striving and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”
Since God has promised to be exalted,
The Psalmist in anticipation calls for it now.
• He calls for clapping today.
• He calls for shouting today.
• He calls for singing today.
• He calls for the nations to come and bow today.
And if you’ll think about it, this is who we are.
We are Gentiles who have come and surrendered to Israel’s King.
We have said that we do not want to wait until eternity,
We will start our singing now.
We will begin our worship today.
And this is what we do here tonight.
• We also anticipate His Glorious Reign
• We also anticipate The Glorious Result
• We also anticipate The Global Response
