1. O clap your hands.
The most natural and most enthusiastic tokens of exultation are to be used in
view of the victories of the Lord, and his universal reign. Our joy in God may
be demonstrative, and he will not censure it. All ye people. The joy is
to extend to all nations; Israel may lead, but all the Gentiles are to follow,
for they have an equal share in that kingdom where Christ is all in all. It is
the best hope of all nations that Jehovah rules over them. If they cannot all
speak the same tongue, the symbolic language of the hands they can all use. All
people will be ruled by the Lord in the latter days, and all will exult in that
rule; were they wise they would submit to it now, and rejoice to do so. Shout.
Let your voices keep tune with your hands. Unto God. Let him have all
the honors of the day, and let them be loud, joyous, universal, and undivided. With
the voice of triumph. With glad sounds consonant with such splendid
victories. The prospect of the universal reign of the Prince of Peace is enough
to make the tongue of the dumb sing.
2. For the Lord, Jehovah, the self-existent and only God, most high,
most great in power, lofty in dominion, eminent in wisdom, elevated in glory, is
terrible. None can resist his power or stand before his vengeance; yet as
these are wielded on behalf of his subjects, they are fit reasons for
rejoicing. Omnipotence, which is terrible to crush, is almighty to protect. He
is a great King over all the earth. Not over Judea only, but to the utmost
isles. Not a hamlet or an islet is excluded from his dominion.
3. He with whom
is infinite power shall subdue the people under us. The battle is not
ours but the Lord’s. He will take his own time, but he will certainly achieve
victory for his church. Truth and righteousness will through grace climb to the
ascendant. We wage no doubtful warfare. Hearts the most rebellious, and wills
the most stubborn, will submit to all-conquering grace. Idolatry, infidelity,
superstition, we shall yet tread upon. And the nations under our feet.
The church of God will be the greatest of monarchies; her victory will be
decisive. The people of God have been under the feet of men in long and cruel
persecutions, and in daily contempt; but God will reverse the position, and the
best in character will be first in honor.
4. While as
yet we see not all things put under him, we are glad to put ourselves and our
fortunes at his disposal. He shall chose our inheritance for us. We feel
his reign to be so gracious that we even now ask to be in the fullest degree
the subjects of it. We submit our will, our choice, our desire, wholly to him. The
excellency of Jacob whom he loved. He gave his ancient people their
portion, he will give us ours, and we ask nothing better; this is the most
spiritual and real manner of clapping our hands because of his sovereignty,
namely, to leave all our affairs in his hands, for then our hands are empty of
all care for self, and free to be used in his honor. He loves us, and he will
be our exceeding joy. If we have but a portion in our Lord Jesus, it is enough
for our largest desires. Our best treasure lies in having such a God to trust
in, such a God to love us. Selah. Yes, pause, faithful singers. Here is
abundant room for holy meditation.
5. God is gone up with a shout. Faith hears the people already shouting. The command of
verse 1 is here regarded as a fact. The fight is over; the conqueror rides up
to the gates of the city which is made resplendent with the joy of his return.
The words are fully applicable to the ascension of the Redeemer. We doubt not
that angels and glorified spirits welcomed him with acclamations. He came not
without song; shall we imagine that he returned in silence? The Lord with
the sound of a trumpet. Jesus is Jehovah. The joyful strain of the trumpet
betokens the splendor of his triumph, leading captivity captive, and well might
the clarions ring out the tidings of Emmanuel’s victorious return.
6. Sing praises.
What jubilation is here, when five times over the whole earth is called upon to
sing to God! He never ceases to be good; let us never cease to be
grateful. Strange that we should need so much urging to so heavenly an
exercise. Let him have all our praise; no one ought to have even a particle of
it. Jesus shall have it all. There is everlasting reason for thanksgiving while
we dwell under the shadow of such a throne.
7. For God is the King of all the earth. The Jews of our Saviour’s time resented this truth, but had
their hearts been right they would have rejoiced in it. Alas, how selfishness
turns honey into wormwood. Jehovah is not the God of the Jews only: all the
nations of the earth are, through the Messiah, to own him Lord. Meanwhile his
providential throne governs all events beneath the sky. Sing ye praises with
understanding. Sound doctrine praises God. Even under types and ceremonies,
it is clear that the Lord had regard to the spirituality of worship, and wants
to be be praised thoughtfully. 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
people mistake physical effects for spiritual impulses?
8. Now at
this moment, over the most debased idolaters, God has a secret rule; here is
work for faith. How we ought to long for the day when this rule will be
delighted in! The great truth that God reigneth in providence is the
guarantee that in a gracious Gospel sense his promise will be fulfilled, and
his kingdom will come. He sitteth upon the throne of his holiness. He
occupies an undisputed throne, whose acts and decrees are holiness itself. He
sits in serenity, for he knows his own power, and sees that his purposes will
not miscarry.
9. The princes of the people are gathered together. The psalmist foresees the willing subjects of the great
King assembled to celebrate his glory. Not only the poor and the men of low
estate, but nobles bow down. No people will be unrepresented. Even the
people of the God of Abraham. That same God who was known only to here and
there a patriarch will be adored by descendants as many as the stars. The
covenant promise will be fulfilled: “In thee and in thy seed shall all the
nations of the earth be blessed.” Babel’s dispersion will be obliterated by
the gathering arm of the great Shepherd King. For the shields of the earth
belong unto God. The insignia of pomp, the emblems of rank, the weapons of
war, all must pay loyal homage to the King of all. Those who are earth’s
protectors, the shields of the commonwealth, derive their might from him, and
are his. All principalities and powers must be subject to Jehovah and his
Christ, for He is greatly exalted. In nature, in power, in character, in
glory, there is none to compare with him. Oh, glorious vision of a coming era!
Meanwhile, “Be ye stedfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the
Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.”
Excerpt from:
The Treasury of David
By Charles H Spurgeon
