Scripture Reading(s)
Psalm 149
149:1 Praise the LORD! Sing to the LORD a new song, his praise in the assembly of the faithful.
149:2 Let Israel be glad in its Maker; let the children of Zion rejoice in their King.
149:3 Let them praise his name with dancing, making melody to him with tambourine and lyre.
149:4 For the LORD takes pleasure in his people; he adorns the humble with victory.
149:5 Let the faithful exult in glory; let them sing for joy on their couches.
149:6 Let the high praises of God be in their throats and two-edged swords in their hands,
149:7 to execute vengeance on the nations and punishment on the peoples,
149:8 to bind their kings with fetters and their nobles with chains of iron,
149:9 to execute on them the judgment decreed. This is glory for all his faithful ones. Praise the LORD!
Reflections
The nation of Israel had faced many adversaries and enemies. God alone was the one who was able to grant them this victory and so as a response they turned and praised Him. This Psalm touches on a few different ways that the nation praised God. The first half of this Psalm focused on how they praised God and the second is focused on why they are praising Him.
- How the praised God: they began their praise and thanks by singing and dancing. They recognized that they are giving worship to the one true God, the maker of this world and that they are indeed His creation. They express their joy through music and God honors their praise and recognizing that they are humbly thanking Him for the victory that only He alone could have given them.
- The reason for Praise: the Psalmist begins to describe in detail exactly how the Lord had brought them victory and that gives us the reason why they are so full of joy. They had conquered a great enemy that threatened their land and their people. Due to their devotion to God, He spared them from being overtaken and fought the battle for them. He gave them the skills they needed to win and watched over them.
God remained faithful and carried Israel through a hard and difficult time. Facing their enemies meant that they would either be all destroyed or taken captive. Yet as Gods children, He is able to help us conquer any enemy we face. When God is for us, nothing can stand against us.
The Psalmist mentions two themes in Psalm 149 that seem to sum up what God want’s from His people; humility and faithfulness.
He adorns the humble with victory. Let the faithful exult in glory;
From Adam to Israel to the New Covenant, God desires children who are faithful to Him and who walk in humility. The prophet Micah also delivered the message saying,
what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God. (Micah 6:8)
Some people like to make Christianity complex but that would be adding to the gospel. If we love mercy and faithfully walk humbly with God then we are fulfilling the our part of the covenant. Be warned though, faithfully walking with the Lord is not always easy.
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