"Sing praises to God, sing praises: sing praises unto our King, sing praises, For God is the king of all the earth; sing ye praises with understanding." — Psalm 47:6-7
The foundation for this text is set in the first two verses of the psalm; essentially, "… the Lord… is a great King over all the earth." It is this that justifies the injunction, "Sing praises," enjoined five times in our "nugget."
Christianity is, and is to be, a singing faith, and the song of the saints is to be essentially one of praise to the Lord. No one on earth has greater reason to be filled with joy and thanksgiving and praise than the true New Testament believer. As the Psalmist says in another place, "The Lord hath done great things for us, whereof we are glad." In one of our pastorates we had in the congregation a monotone. He did not know he could not carry a tune, and he sang with us his one note at the top of his voice and with great enthusiasm. It is not musical precision that counts, but the joy and gratitude of "the soul that on Jesus has leaned for repose."
Noteworthy here, however, is the fact that it is not His redemption, but His royalty that is to sponsor our song. Remember that creation was initiated with song. "Then the LORD answered Job out of the whirlwind, and said, Who is this that darkeneth counsel by words without knowledge? Gird up now thy loins like a man; for I will demand of thee, and answer thou me. Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? declare, if thou hast understanding. Who hath laid the measures thereof, if thou knowest? or who hath stretched the line upon it? Whereupon are the foundations thereof fastened? or who laid the corner stone thereof; When the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy [Job 38:1-7]?" When sin came in and the King was in essence disowned, the song of the spheres was turned to groaning (Cf. Romans 8:22). When the King sent forth His son to redeem the world the angels sang (Cf. Luke 2:13-15) for the joy that salvation had come to this distinguished planet. And at the consummation of the ages, the singing shifts to heaven itself. There is the choir composed of the four beasts, the twenty four elders and all the redeemed (Rev. 5:9-10) who "give glory and honor and thanks to Him that sat on the throne, Who liveth for ever and ever…" The Lamb King is exalted in song by a select choir of 144 voices in Rev. 14:1-4, "And they sung as it were a new song before the throne, and before the four beasts, and the elders: and no man could learn that song but the hundred and forty and four thousand, which were redeemed from the earth." And, strikingly, as God prepares to manifest His universal authority over all the earth with the outpouring of His wrath in the "seven last plagues," it is the tribulation saints who form the chorus that sings "the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, Great and marvellous are thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints. Who shall not fear thee, O Lord, and glorify thy name? for thou only art holy: for all nations shall come and worship before thee; for thy judgments are made manifest [Rev. 15:3-4]."
From the creation to the consummation, God is glorified in song. So should it be now in all the congregation of the Lord!
However, there is a modifier in our text. "Sing ye praises with understanding." C.H. Spurgeon put it well, and since I cannot improve upon it, let me enter his quote:
"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." (Italics mine.)
He that hath ears to hear, let him hear!!
For God's glory,
"Pastor" Frasier
The foundation for this text is set in the first two verses of the psalm; essentially, "… the Lord… is a great King over all the earth." It is this that justifies the injunction, "Sing praises," enjoined five times in our "nugget."
Christianity is, and is to be, a singing faith, and the song of the saints is to be essentially one of praise to the Lord. No one on earth has greater reason to be filled with joy and thanksgiving and praise than the true New Testament believer. As the Psalmist says in another place, "The Lord hath done great things for us, whereof we are glad." In one of our pastorates we had in the congregation a monotone. He did not know he could not carry a tune, and he sang with us his one note at the top of his voice and with great enthusiasm. It is not musical precision that counts, but the joy and gratitude of "the soul that on Jesus has leaned for repose."
Noteworthy here, however, is the fact that it is not His redemption, but His royalty that is to sponsor our song. Remember that creation was initiated with song. "Then the LORD answered Job out of the whirlwind, and said, Who is this that darkeneth counsel by words without knowledge? Gird up now thy loins like a man; for I will demand of thee, and answer thou me. Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? declare, if thou hast understanding. Who hath laid the measures thereof, if thou knowest? or who hath stretched the line upon it? Whereupon are the foundations thereof fastened? or who laid the corner stone thereof; When the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy [Job 38:1-7]?" When sin came in and the King was in essence disowned, the song of the spheres was turned to groaning (Cf. Romans 8:22). When the King sent forth His son to redeem the world the angels sang (Cf. Luke 2:13-15) for the joy that salvation had come to this distinguished planet. And at the consummation of the ages, the singing shifts to heaven itself. There is the choir composed of the four beasts, the twenty four elders and all the redeemed (Rev. 5:9-10) who "give glory and honor and thanks to Him that sat on the throne, Who liveth for ever and ever…" The Lamb King is exalted in song by a select choir of 144 voices in Rev. 14:1-4, "And they sung as it were a new song before the throne, and before the four beasts, and the elders: and no man could learn that song but the hundred and forty and four thousand, which were redeemed from the earth." And, strikingly, as God prepares to manifest His universal authority over all the earth with the outpouring of His wrath in the "seven last plagues," it is the tribulation saints who form the chorus that sings "the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, Great and marvellous are thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints. Who shall not fear thee, O Lord, and glorify thy name? for thou only art holy: for all nations shall come and worship before thee; for thy judgments are made manifest [Rev. 15:3-4]."
From the creation to the consummation, God is glorified in song. So should it be now in all the congregation of the Lord!
However, there is a modifier in our text. "Sing ye praises with understanding." C.H. Spurgeon put it well, and since I cannot improve upon it, let me enter his quote:
"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." (Italics mine.)
He that hath ears to hear, let him hear!!
For God's glory,
"Pastor" Frasier
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