don’t ask

Posted on March 8, 2021 by Jefferson Vann
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don’t ask

Psalm 48:4-7 (JDV)

Psalm 48:4 Notice! The kings assembled; they advanced together.
Psalm 48:5 They looked and froze with fear; they fled in terror.
Psalm 48:6 Shaking seized them there, agony like that of a woman in labor,
Psalm 48:7 as you wrecked the ships of Tarshish with the east wind.

don’t ask

Some people are bold enough to dare God to demonstrate if he has power over them. Don’t do that.

This psalm celebrates the power of God and depicts it by describing the fearful reaction of the kings of the nations to seeing his armies.

We are told in the New Testament that we should fear God rather than humans because God can do more than kill. He can (and will) destroy his enemies— soul and body— in Gehenna. The kings of the nations are right to fear him. Do not doubt his power. You could not survive a demonstration of it.

Lord, we choose to fear you, and thank you for granting us your blessing rather than the destruction we deserve.

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God’s city

Posted on March 7, 2021 by Jefferson Vann

God’s city

Psalm 48:1-3 (JDV)

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Psalm 48:1 Yahveh is great and highly praised in the city of our God. His holy mountain,
Psalm 48:2 rising splendidly, the whole land enjoys Mount Zion – the summit of Zaphon – is the city of the great King.
Psalm 48:3 God is known as a stronghold in its citadels.

God’s city

This psalm is about God being a great king, and a great king deserves a great city. The seat of his power and glory is expected to be strong enough to endure and splendid enough to be enjoyed. Jerusalem does not disappoint.

Cities that are planned and constructed well are a marvel of human achievement, but Jerusalem is something more. God himself is known as the stronghold of its citadels.

So, when John sees a picture of the seat of the new universe God is planning, he calls it the New Jerusalem. God himself is its architect. He is planning a city that is strong enough to last forever,and grand enough to be enjoyed forever.

Lord, we long to see your great and glorious city!

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everyone’s king

Posted on March 6, 2021 by Jefferson Vann
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everyone’s king

Psalm 47:8-9 (JDV)

Psalm 47:8 God reigns over the nations; God is seated on his holy throne.
Psalm 47:9 The nobles of the peoples have assembled with the people of the God of Abraham because the leaders of the land belong to God; he is greatly exalted.

everyone’s king

We Christians often get a mindset where we focus on the needy, the marginalized and the poor as if they are the only ones who need the gospel. That is a natural result of our seeking those have needs in order to introduce them to Christ who has met our need for forgiveness.

But we should keep in mind that Christ came to save sinners, and that includes everyone.

This psalm celebrates God as king over the whole land, and this section highlights the prominent citizens of other nations who will bow the knee to him.

Lord, thank you for being everyone’s king.

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the wisdom of praise

Posted on March 5, 2021 by Jefferson Vann
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the wisdom of praise

Psalm 47:6-7 (JDV)

Psalm 47:6 Sing praise to God, sing praise; sing praise to our King, sing praise!
Psalm 47:7 Sing a song of wisdom, because God is King of the whole land.

the wisdom of praise

The reason praise to God is wise is that he is king of the whole land. There are rival kings and thought systems and worldviews — even beings who pretend to be rival gods. But wisdom chooses the king who will be king after the last battle is fought.

Lots of thoughts go through our minds as we struggle through life. It is difficult to maintain a steady walk and witness. But there is a habit which will always identify us with the God who is king of the whole land. That habit is praise. To sing praises to God is to declare our allegiance to him. That is wise, considering what is going to happen to those who choose the wrong king.

Lord, make us wise singers of praise to you.

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the king’s victory

Posted on March 4, 2021 by Jefferson Vann
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the king’s victory

Psalm 47:5 (JDV)

Psalm 47:5 God goes up amid shouts of joy, Yahveh, with the sound of trumpets.

the king’s victory

The picture before us is of a king advancing to take over territory won in battle. But the king is God himself, accompanied by the joyful shouts of his followers who share his victory, and the trumpets which announce it.

No matter what you are facing today, that picture is a prophecy of your future. Because of this future reality, a present challenge can be bearable. Because we are destined to inherit eternal life, we can confidently face setbacks, difficulties— even our own deaths.

We have seen the future, and God wins, therefore we win.

Lord, thank you for your all encompassing victory.

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a shared reign

Posted on March 3, 2021 by Jefferson Vann
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a shared reign

Psalm 47:3-4 (JDV)

Psalm 47:3 He subdues peoples under us and nations under our feet.
Psalm 47:4 He chooses for us our inheritance – the pride of Jacob, whom he loves. Selah

a shared reign

This psalm introduced God as the great king, and these verses accentuate the fact that the great king is Israel’s king. The nations he subjects under his feet are put under Israel’s feet.

Our king Jesus will do the same for those in his kingdom as well. 1 Corinthians 15 speaks of Jesus returning to reign and subjecting all his enemies to his authority. This will be done in one of two ways. Either he will reconcile the rebels to his authority, or he will eliminate them. Those are the only two options.

Also, just as the nation of Israel participated in God’s reign over the nations, when Christ reigns, his people will also reign with him (2 Timothy 2:12; Revelation 20:6).

Lord, thank you for promise of a shared reign.

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new politic

Posted on March 2, 2021 by Jefferson Vann
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new politic

Psalm 47:2 (JDV)

Psalm 47:2 you see, Yahveh, the Most High, is awe-inspiring, a great king over the whole land.

new politic

Our lowly Jesus, meek and mild, is also a great king who rules over the land all around us. He comes in peace, but he will not allow his enemies to continue ruling in his stead. If you cannot worship God as king, you are not worshiping the biblical God. Our faith is rooted in a promise of a future in which all God’s enemies will be subdued under his feet, either reconciled to him or destroyed forever.

He reigns today, and is calling his kingdom’s citizens to himself through the gospel. His return to the land around us will be glorious. It will also be dreadful for his enemies, and both of these facts are plainly described in scripture.

How do we worship God as king? We must acknowledge his authority to reign over us — today and tomorrow. We must respect his right to reign. God’s kingdom is not a democracy. As we enter the sanctuary, we need to leave our present forms of government and politics at the door. There is a new politic here.

How do we worship God as king? We see him emerge from the empty tomb and bow at his feet. He is victorious, and we celebrate his victory and participate in it, because we have placed ourselves firmly in his camp. We submit to his will, no matter how unpleasant it might prove for us today, because we see his victory ever before us.

Our great king, we worship you!

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make some noise

Posted on March 1, 2021 by Jefferson Vann
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make some noise

Psalm 47:1 (JDV)

Psalm 47:17 Clap your hands, all you peoples; shout to God with a ringing cry.

make some noise

Noise is not always appreciated, but it always gets your attention.

I had to have a little talk with one of my grandchildren once. He had gotten into the habit of running around the house screaming as if he were in a life or death struggle. I told him if he kept doing that, one day he might actually be hurt or in trouble, and people would not notice.

I’m thinking about how our society tends to make a lot of useless noise about so many things, but many of our churches are as quiet as a morgue.

The psalmist would have a problem with that. Worship and testimony about God should stop people in their tracks and be noticed. Clap and shout, blow trumpets and sing, and throw in an electric guitar and drums. Worship is about waking a sleeping world to God’s existence, and who he is.

Lord, may we never be afraid to make some noise as we acknowledge you.

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with us strugglers

Posted on February 28, 2021 by Jefferson Vann
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with us strugglers

Psalm 46:11 (JDV)

Psalm 46:11 Yahveh of Armies is with us; the God of Jacob is our high spot. Selah

with us strugglers

Having God with us does not mean we will be free from struggle. Remember, he is the God of Jacob. Jacob struggled many times, and long periods of time in his life. He even struggled in the uterus of his mother! He even struggled with God himself.

This psalm is about God being our refuge in times of struggle and conflict and warfare. We will have conflict — both internally and externally. But we also have a God who is with us — a God we can rely on to give us peace in the midst of that conflict.

Thank you, God — for being with us strugglers!

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look over their heads

Posted on February 27, 2021 by Jefferson Vann
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look over their heads

Psalm 46:10 (JDV)

Psalm 46:10 “Stop your fighting, and realize that I am God, exalted among the nations, exalted on the land.”

look over their heads

Fear causes us to turn on each other, and before long that fighting escalates and it it hard to see anything else. This psalm — the inspiration of Luther’s “A Mighty Fortress is Our God” — was written in that context.

We need that message today. We need to learn to look over the heads of those with whom we have conflict, to see God’s smiling face. If we can hang on to the reality that our God is higher than our conflicts, bigger than our fears, then we can get the strength to forgive, to cooperate, and to enjoy our differences instead of attacking one another.

Lord, give us the wisdom to look over the heads of our enemies, and see your smiling face — drinking in your peace.

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