Daily Meditations

Psalm 47:5 Shouts of joy Are you, like me, just longing to put a tune to these words? A joyful, exuberant melody, suitable for large groups and accompanied by drums and horns? This verse describes a procession, led by priests in colourful robes, accompanied by Levite singers and musicians weaving their way through rapturous crowds, singing with their hands uplifted and their voices raised in shouts of joy. The procession described may have been an occasion when the Ark of the Covenant was carried up to the Temple and taken into the throne room of God, the Holy of Holies. This was undoubtedly a joyful event and of huge significance to the people who were more than spectators, they were part of the glorious parade, for this was their city, their God, their Ark, their heritage, their hope and their collective identity. In Revelation 11:15-19 a similar, heavenly scene unfolds at the sounding of the seventh trumpet – the last trump. God’s sovereign reign over the earth is about to commence,...

Psalm 47:4 Because He loves us Let’s be clear here, the Israelites were not a war-mongering nation who volunteered to secretly sneak out of Egypt, cross the Red Sea and then inflict carnage and military conquest on everyone who stood in their way. Neither did they set their sights on Canaan and decide to march across the desert in double quick time, to arrogantly trample across that land of promise, driving out its inhabitants and re-setting its borders. In fact, their experience was the very opposite, they left Egypt under the cover of darkness hotly pursued by Pharaoh’s army, they crossed the Red Sea by some kind of miracle and then wandered aimlessly in the wilderness for 40 years with no clue about where they were going! They conquered Jericho by blowing trumpets and instead of cleansing Canaan they wasted years doing deals with the indigenous tribes. If it were not for the Lord God’s constant intervention and miraculous provision, they would never have made it! In fact they never ...

Psalm 47:3 Who is like You, Lord? It’s not possible to truly grasp the enormity of this verse without researching its message. The destiny of Israel was always in God’s hands, they had to bear arms and fight for their land as an act of obedience, but the success of these missions was down to the Lord. In Exodus 15 we find a remarkable song written by Moses and his sister Miriam – I wish I knew the tune! In the song, the right hand of the Lord is credited with the destruction of Egypt’s forces. Philistia is in anguish, the chiefs of Edom are terrified, the leaders of Moab are trembling, and the people of Canaan will melt away. The song says,  “Who among the gods is like you, Lord? Who is like you – majestic in holiness, awesome in glory, working wonders?” In 2 Samuel 8, these predictions are literally fulfilled, and the nations mentioned by Moses and Miriam are listed under King David’s conquests. 2 Samuel 8:6 says, “T he Lord gave David victory, wherever he went.” I wonder if our u...

Psalm 47:2 He is awesome! Isn’t it great when you did deeper into a verse of Scripture and discover that there are hidden delights? On the face of it, this verse is straightforward,  “For the Lord Most High is awesome, the great King over all the earth.”  Why, even a very young believer could pronounce such words! The title,  “Most High”  is borrowed from the time of Abraham. The ancient father of Israel had secured a great military victory over King Kedorlaomer (from the region of Babylon) and in so doing had rescued his nephew, Lot, and also earned the favour of the Canaanite kings of Sodom and Gomorrah. The story unfolds in Genesis 14. On his way back home to his camp, Abraham happened to pass the city of Salem where he was met by its king – Melchizedek. The two men shared bread and wine just outside Jerusalem! Does that remind you of anyone? Melchizedek is named as  “priest of God Most High”  and he uses the name  “Most High”  to pronounce a b...

Psalm 47:1 Intro We have waded our way through some quite depressing Psalms, where the writers have blamed God for their circumstances and poured out their woes. In others there have been threats of dire judgement and the bitter, anguished outpourings of suffering songwriters. What a joy Psalm 47 is! This is a celebration of the reign of the God of Israel – over all nations. Many consider this to be an anthem sung at the annual Feast of the Tabernacles and it was probably part of some kind of procession. A noisy, exuberant, happy Psalm later adapted for singing in the synagogues at Rosh Hashanah – the Jewish New Year. It is used in the Christian liturgy to celebrate the Ascension of Christ. Isn’t it wonderful how this collection of God-given, holy songs fit every mood and every occasion. A reminder that our musical worship should be adaptable and suitable for the occasion, reflecting every emotion and circumstance. God understands! We do not have to be on our best behaviour all of the ...

Psalm 46:11 Selah! This verse is a repeat of verse 7 but there is an adjunct, for the Psalm ends with that delightful little word – “Selah”. It is not recorded in all Bible versions, but it is definitely present in the Hebrew text. It is a good moment to remind ourselves of its meaning, even though that meaning is not entirely clear! In musical terms, it means to pause or be silent, in other words stop singing, be quiet and listen to the instruments. After the words that we have just pondered, that would certainly be a good idea. Practice it right now, let’s go back and ponder the Psalm, its context but also its application for today. Let’s take comfort from the fact that, despite all that is raging around us, God is our refuge and strength. Whatever happens in the future, even terrible natural disasters to the point where it appears the world is being uncreated, we should not fear. God is in His throne room and He continues to pour His river of blessing upon His people. He will shatte...

Psalm 46:10 Be still! “Be still, and know that I am God.”  This little phrase is probably in the top 5 of most loved verses for many Christians. Most interpret it to mean that there are times to just stop from our busy-ness and rest in the calming presence of the Lord God and find His peace. In fact, it does not mean that at all!  “Be still”  in Hebrew means  “Enough!”  God has had enough of the wars and the fighting and the wickedness of mankind, described in the previous verses. “Enough is enough” He says, “Stop all of your striving and acknowledge me as God.”  This is the voice of an angry God who is weary of man’s constant desire to conquer and to subdue and to take control and to have power. “When will you stop and acknowledge me instead of trying to do things your way?”  This interpretation is borne out by the following words,  “I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”  This is not a hopeful wish but a decla...