Praise and Glory to God

By: Dr. Dale Weckbacher

Text: Psalm 47-48

Psalm 47:6-7

Sing praises to God, sing praises!Sing praises to our King, sing praises!⁷ For God is the King of all the earth;Sing praises with understanding.

(NKJV)

I like reading the Psalms because they are a collection of men offering heartfelt praise and crying out to God. In these psalms, the psalmist offers praise to God as King over all the earth and his glory in Zion, the city of God. At the time of the writing of these psalms, God dwelt in the Temple in Jerusalem, but now He lives in the hearts of those who believe in Jesus (1 Corinthians 3:16). However, does the glory of God shine from our temple?

The psalmist begins Psalm 47 by telling all the people to clap their hands and shout to God with the voice of triumph because the Lord is Most High and awesome and King over all the earth (Psalm 47:1-2). As the awesome King over all the earth, God will subdue the peoples of the nations and put them under the feet of the people of God, choosing our inheritance (Psalm 47:3-4). God has gone up with a shout and the Lord with the sound of a trumpet (Psalm 47:5).

Four times the psalmist urges us to sing praises to God and to our King, because He is King of all the earth, praising with understanding (Psalm 47:6-7). God reigns over the nations from His holy throne (Psalm 47:8). The princes of the people have gathered together, the people of Abraham, because the shields of the earth belong to God, who is greatly exalted (Psalm 47:9).

The psalmist begins Psalm 48 by declaring that the Lord is great and to be greatly praised in the city of God on His holy mountain (Psalm 48:1). Mount Zion is beautiful in elevation and the joy of the whole earth, the city of the great King who is in the city’s palaces and a refuge (Psalm 48:2-3). Kings pass by and behold Mount Zion, marveling but also troubled, and hasten away (Psalm 48:4-5). These kings have fear like a woman in labor and like when an east wind breaks the ships of Tarshish (Psalm 48:6-7). The psalmist declares what he has heard, that God will establish the city of God forever (Psalm 48:8).   

The psalmist reflects on his thoughts of the lovingkindness of God in the midst of His temple (Psalm 48:9). He reflects on praise going out to the ends of the earth with the right hand of God full of righteousness (Psalm 48:10). He says to let Mount Zion rejoice and the daughters of Judah are to be glad because of the judgments of God (Psalm 48:11). The Psalmist encourages the people to walk about Zion to count her towers and mark her bulwarks (defensive structures), and to consider her palaces so they can tell them to the next generation (Psalm 48:12-13). The psalm ends with a declaration of God, our God forever and ever, our guide even to death (Psalm 48:14).

In these psalms, the sons of Korah praise God as the ruler of all the earth and His glory in Zion.

• Psalm 47: Praise to God, the ruler of the earth – The nations and peoples of the earth have kings and leaders over them, but the psalmist in this psalm reminds us that the Lord Most High, the King over all the earth, will subdue the peoples and nations under the feet of his people. A Godly leader leads under submission to the will of God (Romans 13:1), and knows earthly leaders are human with faults, but God is perfect and faultless.

• Psalm 48: The glory of God in Zion – In the old covenant, God dwelt on earth in the Temple on Mount Zion. So beautiful was this temple and city that kings marveled at it but were also troubled and hastened away (Psalm 48:2-5). God’s glory brings fear to those who are not part of His kingdom but comfort to His people (Psalm 48:6-8). The psalmist encourages us to find refuge in the God of Zion and to declare it to the next generation (Psalm 48:12-14)

True worshippers worship God in Spirit and truth (John 4:23), a balance of worship that each Church must achieve.

• Truth – This must be the foundation of worship to ensure worship is of God and not a celebrity pastor. Without biblical truth, worship can devolve into an emotional outburst designed to give everyone an experience, making them feel good, but without a foundation of truth. This is like one building his or her spiritual foundation on sand and not the solid foundation of biblical truth (Matthew 7:24-27).

• Spirit – Moving worship from head knowledge to heart relationship. While knowledge of biblical truth is crucial and sets us free (John 8:32), worship in truth without the Spirit can become an academic exercise that lacks power and a relationship with God. Before the coming of Jesus, the world had truth in the written word of God, but Jesus gave flesh to the word so we could have a relationship with it (John 1:14; 14:6). The Samaritan woman met the word of God in the flesh and brought revival to her city by telling others about it (John 4:28-30).

To enter into a relationship with God, one must pray for God to forgive his or her sins and profess their belief in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ to save them from their sins. If you are reading this and have never made this profession of faith, I encourage you to do so now by praying with me.

Dear Lord Jesus, I know I have sinned (Romans 3:23) and know that the penalty for my sin is death (Romans 6:23).  I ask you to forgive me of my sin and cleanse me as you promise in your Word (1 John 1:9).  I believe you died, spent three days in the grave, and resurrected from the dead and now declare you Lord of my life.

If you just prayed, rest assured that God has totally forgiven you and that you are a child of God (2 Corinthians 5:21; John 1:12). Find a Church where the truth of the Bible is taught so you can learn more about the Lord. May God convict, challenge, and bless everyone reading this post.