Psalm forty-seven is from its start a call to worship the God who is victorious, and victorious for us. He is the one who chose us, and who works for us. He is our future, and His will alone is certain and will be accomplished.
There are two things that we need to notice about this psalm, both of which are crucial in the shaping of our praises and how we express them. First, our worship is not without cause, but has its reasons, and we need to know them. Second, our praise, worship, and thanksgiving needs to be expressed, not merely held within our minds or hearts. The later flows out of the first, and both are inseparable from the other.
In three different places this song uses the word for or because, telling us why we should praise God. We should praise Him because he has subdued the political powers under us, His people. Those of the world that have opposed the LORD and those who stand with Him shall submit to His authority, and align themselves with His followers. For this reason, we should worship God. We should praise Him for God rules over this world, including all of creation. The psalm says that “God is king of the Earth.” Where we are is His, His realm, the place of His kingdom. Nothing happens in creation without Him seeing it, or Him ruling over it. So, worship God. Finally, we should worship Him for He will gather all the dispersed peoples, the nations of the world, and they shall become part of the chosen people. He will do this in asserting His authority over the “shields of the earth.” This phrase is a hebraic expression that is alluding to the rulers or princes of the world. In other words, the rule of the Earth which is rightly His will return to Him, and those that rule now will be submissive to His will. If this is so, if we believe it to be true, we should praise Him in anticipation of what is to come.
We should praise God and give Him our worship. To do this however requires that express ourselves from the heart and by the body. We should clap our hands in delight of His victory. We should sing, sing, sing, and sing to the King of all Kings. Our joy should be let loose, so that we shout with acclaim that God is great. We should blow the trumpet of victory and as the announcement of His reign over us. When we use our bodies to express our praise it moves the worship from within us out into the world. There it has its most powerful effect, and is most pleasing to the LORD. It is the whole human person that is called to worship God; we are to worship him with our minds, our hearts, and our bodies. Paul says that this is our “spiritual worship” (Romans 10).
Can I make a suggestion, in that if you are a believer and you are feeling your practice of worship is without any satisfaction, that you set aside some time, and think and write. Think of those things that God has done for you in the past, and those things His word promises you in the future. Give yourself reason for your praise. At first your reasons maybe very simple and immediate. For instance you might write that God has provided you with a place to live, and enough to eat. Then as you progress and continue to think and write, you may be reminded that God forgives you for those specific sins of the day, and even those deep places of shame that has come with you from your past. Finally, as your praise begins to swell, let the Word begin to shape your praise, for what he will do tomorrow. He will come again and in His righteousness make all things new, including you. Make explicit your reasons for praising God, and giving Him your worship.
In closing, I want to give you an encouragement in another direction. If you are a shy person by nature, or have a non-expressive personality, do not let this stop you from moving your praise from within to outside yourself. Express your worship, and make your praise exterior to yourself. Let the God and the world hear and see your praise and thanksgiving. This is something you can grow in, and God is -patient with you, but make the decision that you will express your love to God.
I have been married now more than four decades, and I can say that when we began I was quite clumsy in expressing my love for Taina. Yet as I grew I began to understand that this life is given to us for these very reasons, to be love for the beloved. So I have worked and grown in expressing my love for her, and today I have found that we have a love relationship where love is the point of all we do. So it is with my relationship with God. Today my worship envelopes every part of my life, from my expressions of love, to how I think, to the daily choices that are made. In all love relationships, love must be expressed, sometimes with words, sometimes with actions.
This Psalm says shout to God, sing to the LORD, clap your hands in jubilation, and sing, sing sing, sing! We have reason to praise Him. Let us do it!
