Psalm Chapter 47

To the chief Musician, A Psalm for the sons of Korah.

Psalm 47:1 O clap your hands, all ye people; shout unto God with the voice of triumph.

God desires for us to worship Him in spirit and in truth. There is nothing wrong in fact the bible supports worshiping God in song, with musical instruments, in voice, in shouting, in hand clapping, in quietness, out loud, whatever....Rejoice in the Lord.

John 4:23 But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him.
24 God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.

Ritual, false worship and worship where our minds are a thousand miles away does not fool God. God sees the depths of our hearts. Worship to be seen of men will also not be accepted by God. My mother once told me about a young lady who prayed fervently at the altar but every once in a while would rise up to look and see if a certain young man was watching her. I realize that we can sometimes overlook this in the teens but I'm just making a point that if our minds are not truly seeking God, He is aware of it. We must worship Him in spirit and in truth.

One way and a great way to worship God is in rejoicing, praising, clapping hands, and shouting. This use to be spoken evil of and criticized but we see here that God delights in this type of worship if it is in spirit and in truth.

Never make fun of or belittle people who openly worship God in shouting and praise. This is to be encouraged. It should not be used to measure a person's spirituality though because there is no way we can determine who is worshipping in spirit and in truth and who is just going along with the crowd. So this type of worship is good and should not be stopped but also it should never be used to base whether a person is where he or she ought to be with God. However, if we praise and shout when our favorite sports team wins a game, how much more should we praise God who brings us out of sin and gives us eternal life.

Psalm 47:2 For the LORD most high is terrible; he is a great King over all the earth.

When we forget this fact and lose our fear of God, this is when sin comes back into a nation.

Psalm 33:12 Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD; and the people whom he hath chosen for his own inheritance.
Psalm 47:3 He shall subdue the people under us, and the nations under our feet.

This doesn't mean that God is for some and against others but He will fight for those who trust Him against evil nations that come against the innocent and come against those that trust in God.

Psalm 47:4 He shall choose our inheritance for us, the excellency of Jacob whom he loved. Selah.

The church did not replace the Jews. God will remember His original people and His promise to Abraham. Israel will be restored back to God in the latter days. That is why you read so much of Israel who is actually Jacob son of Isaac. Isaac was the son of Abraham who was chosen to bring forth the Messiah who we now know as Jesus the Christ. Jacob's name was changed to Israel from whom came the nation of Israel and God's people in the bible. The way of salvation came through Israel.

The religious leadership of Israel rejected Jesus as Messiah and influenced the rest of the nation to reject Him. However, many among the poor, the 12 apostles and remnant of others received Him and was the means of spreading the gospel of Jesus to the entire world.

In the latter days the nation of Israel will discover that their Messiah was none other than Jesus the Son of God who their ancestors delivered to be crucified.

Psalm 47:5 God is gone up with a shout, the LORD with the sound of a trumpet.
6 Sing praises to God, sing praises: sing praises unto our King, sing praises.
7 For God is the King of all the earth: sing ye praises with understanding.
8 God reigneth over the heathen: God sitteth upon the throne of his holiness.

Holiness, righteousness and truth will prevail in the end although it seems not to be so now. Just wait and see for the Lord will reign and rule forever. This is our hope and what we all are waiting for.

Psalm 47:9 The princes of the people are gathered together, even the people of the God of Abraham: for the shields of the earth belong unto God: he is greatly exalted.

God sent Jesus to save us and make a new heaven and new earth without sin and eternal. God will reign supreme and sin will be done away with along with death. All those who obey God and come to Him for salvation will dwell in this kingdom and live forever. All those that do not obey this way of salvation will be lost forever in hell.

God does not want any person to go to hell. Sin though has to be stopped. If we die in sin, we will descend into hell for there is no way to stop sin continuing any other way than the way God made for all mankind to be saved. That way is faith in Jesus. He came to become an offering for sin. He paid for all our sins at His death on the cross.

He did not sin Himself so He did not deserve to die for His own sin like we do. That is why His sacrifice will count on the behalf of all who believe in Him. To believe in Jesus means that you recognize that you are a sinner in need of salvation. You are willing to turn loose of you sin and receive Jesus as savior. God forgives your sin and gives you His Holy Spirit to abide with you and keep you from returning to a life of sin after you receive Jesus Christ. It is still possible to sin but now you have strength to keep it out of your heart.

1John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

What a wonderful promise here. He will cleanse us from all unrighteousness. DC

2Corinthians 5:17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

Psalm 48

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