The Sovereignty of God by Pastor Dave

“For the Lord Most High is awesome, the great King over all the earth.”
Psalm 47: 2
 
Psalm 47          
 
Observe

• The Psalm opens by confirming God’s sovereign rule over all nations together with a call that all should therefore worship Him (1-2)
• God’s blessing and deliverance for His chosen people is then celebrated (3-4)
• A triumphant, praise filled, procession then follows (5-6)
• The Psalm concludes with great acclamation, identifying God as the true King of the earth, to whom all nations and kings must submit in praise and awe (7-9)

 
Interpret
     This Psalm was for the ‘Director of Music’ to use in acts of worship by God’s people. Although seemingly attributed to the ‘sons of Korah,’ we see the character of David in the writing of the Psalm. This has led to some commentators suggesting that the sons of Korah were those who sang the Psalm. This little introduction, when put together with the Psalm itself, encourages us to see the value, worth and wonder of musical worship and the blessing of gifted leaders and musicians. There is power in Praise.
     The Psalm itself is simply about the complete and ultimate Sovereignty of God. He is the creator of all things, rules over all and so is fully deserved of utter praise and exaltation. The Psalm may have been written for a specific occasion such as the return of the Ark of the Covenant or for the celebration of a particular victory, but who is to say that it was not used on more than one occasion, just as we re-use songs in our worship. Whichever is the case the truths that emanate from this Psalm are many, for example: the joy of praise; the holy nature of worship; the wonder and awe that can be seen in the character of God; the privilege of corporate worship; and the correct focus in said worship and praise.
     There are also clear prophetic overtones and parallels to God’s salvation plan in Christ. As ‘God ascended,’ (4) so has Christ ascended to His rightful place of majesty (Philippians 2: 9-11). As all nations are under God, so will they be subject to Him in fullness on the day of Christ’s return as God’s purposes are fulfilled in and through Christ (Ephesians 1: 7-10, 2: 6-10).
  
Application
     A number of lessons come from this Psalm for us to apply in our lives and our worship:

• Our praise is to be centred on God, His character and His truth. This releases His power and blessings in us and gives us a correct focus not only in our worship but in our lives
• We are all to give of our best in worship with our hearts and the gifts God has bestowed upon us. We are meant to worship together, this honours God
• God is sovereign and over all nations and situations. He has an ultimate plan of salvation. This can give us genuine encouragement as we see wars, troubles and unrest in the world amongst the nations
• As Christ ascended into glory He will return in great acclamation to fulfil God’s purposes. This, through faith, can give us confidence and help us view matters as God does; peace can ensue

 
The Question of Application
     Try praying this Psalm, adding at the end of each verse, an appropriate prayer based on the circumstances you see in the world and face in your life.
 
Prayer
     Blessed are you, God of all the earth; you have called us out of every people and nation to be a royal priesthood and citizens of your holy city. May our words of praise call the world to turn to the joy of fellowship with you, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen   
 
Praise
Rejoice, The Lord is King by William and Tina Slider
King of Kings sung by St. Aidan’s & Nikita Labdon