Recap: This Psalm looks forward to the Messianic Kingdom as God once again exalts the Jewish nation, and all the other nations of the earth bow in submission to the reign of the Messiah from the throne of David. The psalm can be divided into three sections: (i) the victory of the King (1-4); (ii) the royal procession (5-7); and (iii) the King's rule in the world (8-9).
| 47: | 1 | Oh, clap your hands, all you peoples! |
| Shout to God with the voice of triumph! | ||
| 2 | For the Lord Most High is awesome; | |
| He is a great King over all the earth. | ||
| 3 | He will subdue the peoples under us, | |
| And the nations under our feet. | ||
| 4 | He will choose our inheritance for us, | |
| The excellence of Jacob whom He loves. Selah |
(v 1) This part of the psalm starts by calling on everyone in the world to pay attention—it's a message for peoples, nations, and all the earth. The main feeling is joy, because this King (God) is not a cruel ruler. (v 2) However, the first section also shows how awesome and powerful He is, (v 3) emphasizing His right to judge and to choose favorites. (v 4) This choosing might look like favoritism until the end of the psalm. For now, the people of Jacob (Israel) are proud and happy about their victories and their special privilege of knowing God's personal name (Yahweh/the Lord). When the text mentions "Jacob whom he loves," it raises the unanswerable question of Why? God's love is a mystery, and the Bible focuses less on why He loves and more on correcting our doubts and mistakes about that love.
Prayer: Father: I worship you for the prospect of your direct reign on this earth. Lord, I thank you for the promise of giving an inheritance in your kingdom. I also thank you for the special love that you have for us. Lord, I pray that, like the Psalmist, I may also rejoice in your enthronement. Amen.