Applaud Our God in Praise! Psalm 47:1-9

Text: “O clap your hands, all ye people; shout unto God with the voice of triumph.  For the Lord most high is terrible; He is a great King over all the earth.  He shall subdue the people under us, and the nations under our feet.”

Psalm 47:1-3.

Good morning, praising Christian!  There is a reason for genuine Christians to offer the Lord God our praise: He is God Almighty, the Creator of all things; and as such, He deserves only our most fervent praise and gratitude, and the most profound depths of our worshipful love.

Verse 1. “O clap your hands.  "When we approve of the acts, speeches, and appearances of mere mortals on a stage, in a public ceremony; at a planned venue or various gatherings – we show great honour and appreciation of what we have seen, heard, or enjoyed.  How infinitely much more should we clap our hands in worshipful approval, thanksgiving, and appreciation of the Creation, the Divine acts; and the very Presence of the Lord God Almighty Jehovah?  Hallelujah!  We applaud you from our very souls, wonderful Lord God!  Amen."(Dr C.K. McClinton, Ulster Christians, 2017)

Verse 1. “Clap your hands, all ye people.  The most natural and most enthusiastic tokens of exultation are to be used in view of the victories of the Lord and His universal reign.  Our joy in God may be demonstrative, and yet He will not censure it.  The joy is to extend to all nations; Israel may lead the van, but all the Gentiles are to follow in the march of triumph, for they have an equal share in that Kingdom where there is neither Greek nor Jew, but Christ is all and in all.”  (Charles Haddon Spurgeon, Treasury of David, page 223)

Verse 2.  “For the Lord (Jehovah) most high is terrible; He is a great King over all the earth.  Not only is our Lord God ‘a great King over all the earth' – He is, in fact, the Creator Lord God of all the earth!   Nothing exists outside of His Creative powers, grace, and realm.

“Neither is worshipped with men’s hands, as though He needed anything, seeing He giveth to all life, and breath, and all things; and hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times appointed, and the bounds of their habitation:...For in Him we live, and move, and have our being...” (Acts 17:25-28)

Verse 2. “For the Lord. (Or Jehovah), the Self-existent and only God; Most High, most great in power, lofty in dominion, eminent in wisdom, elevated in glory, is terrible.  Omnipotence, which is terrible to crush, is Almighty to protect.” (C.H. Spurgeon, Treasury of David, page 223)

Christian, you and I have been saved by, and should be seeking to faithfully serve, a high and Holy, and omnipotent, omniscient; ever-present Lord God.  Half-hearted, worship, praise and service just will not suffice!  Let us praise and worship our Lord God with sincere, fervent and holy hearts.  Praise the Lord O my soul!  All that is within me, bless His Name!

Verse 4. “He shall chose our inheritance for us.  We submit our will, our choice, our desire, wholly to Him.  Our heritage here and hereafter we leave o Him, let Him do with us as seemeth Him good.”  (C.H. Spurgeon, Treasury of David, page 223)

When we put all the faith that the Lord God has granted us in Him Who has freely granted us faith – we show obedience to Him, and grow in obedience to Him as we learn to depend on Him more and more day by day.  If we believe God is our Father and our Sovereign Saviour and Lord – then, come what may, we can begin to more fully trust Him to take care of us, or not to take care of us, as He alone sees fit.  A good God cannot do bad things to ‘His people’

“And we know that all things (good and not so good) work together for good to them that love God, to then who are the called according to His purpose.”  (Romans 8:28) 

Verse 5. “God is gone up with a shout.  The words are fully applicable to the ascension of the Redeemer.  We doubt not that angels and glorified spirits welcomed Him with acclamations.  He came not without song, shall we imagine that He returned in silence?” (C.H. Spurgeon, Treasury of David, page 224)

Verse 6. “Sing ye praises with understanding. It is to be feared from the slovenly way in which some make a noise in singing that they fancy any sound will do.  On the other hand, from the great attention paid by some to the mere music, we feel sadly sure that the sense has no effect upon them. 

“Is it not a sin to be tickling men’s ears with sounds when we profess to be adoring the Lord?  What has a sensuous delight in organs, anthems, etc., to do with devotion?  Do not men mistake physical effects for Spiritual impulses?  Do they not often offer to God strains far more calculated for human amusement than for Divine acceptance?  An understanding enlightened of the Holy Spirit is then, and then only, fully capable of offering worthy praise.” (C.H. Spurgeon, Treasury of David, page 224)

So many today tell us that they are making utterances in song and praise which they do not themselves understand.  Extreme Charismatic’s and their ilk, actually boast that the offer up worship, prayers, and praises in words and expressions which they themselves do not comprehend – they erroneously seek to declare that the Spirit of God is speaking/singing/praying through them!  What nonsense!  God the Spirit is Communication with a Capital C.!  Spiritual utterances, in this context, can in fact, be only mouthed by God the Spirit Himself!  You and I cannot praise, worship, or pray with the Spirit’s own Divine language!  To say that we can do so, is to place our puny selves in the position of God.

“Likewise the Spirit (Capital S.!) also helpeth our infirmities; for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.  And He that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because He maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God.”  (Romans 8:26-27)

The Lord God will NEVER do things contrary to His own God-breathed Word!

Verse 8. “He sitteth upon the throne of His Holiness. Unmoved, He occupies an undisputed throne, Whose decrees, acts, and commands are Holiness itself.  What other throne is like this?  Never was it stained with injustice, or defiled with sin.”(C.H. Spurgeon, The Treasury of David, p.224)

Thought: Seated upon His throne today, He may well come again tomorrow! Be ready!