Psalms Chapter 33

Psalms Chapter 33 (Unless otherwise stated all Scriptures in this devotional are from the King James Version of the Bible.)

Context

This hymn is a call to worship. A call to sing a song of victory. In fact, the psalmist is asking the congregants to “3 Sing unto him a new song; play skilfully [not under their breath but] with a loud noise.” As one reads the verses in this Psalm, it is evident that the psalmist is speaking to the congregation. Then David ends the Psalm with a verse that acknowledges God’s relationship with His people “22 Let thy mercy, O LORD, be upon us, according as we hope in thee.”

Worship The Lord With Jubilance and Use String Instruments too.

1 Rejoice in the LORD, O ye righteous: for praise is comely for the upright.
2 Praise the LORD with harp: sing unto him with the psaltery and an instrument of ten strings.
3 Sing unto him a new song; play skilfully with a loud noise.

Verses 1-3 identify the purpose for which we were created. Here David notes the type of instruments that the congregation should use to worship God. “2 Praise the LORD with harp: sing unto him with the psaltery and an instrument of ten strings.” There are actually religious group who believe it is a sin to use anything other than a piano and or an organ to accompany worship in a church. This verse does not substantiate that claim. Revelation 14:2 repeats the same sentiments presented by David. “And I heard a voice from heaven, as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of a great thunder: and I heard the voice of harpers harping with their harps:” God lives within the praises of His people. Christians all over the world bring a “sacrifice of praise” into the house of God, or even in their own homes. Something that I found interesting as I research the meaning of these three verses was Longman’s comment. about the meaning of a “new song.” “A new song is a hymn of victory, sung after God has made all things new by his defeat of the forces of evil. The military setting of the present psalm will become obvious in the stanzas that follow (Longman 2014, 166). However, Lawson 2004, has a different perspective on the meaning of the same phrase. “But a new song was heavenly, eternal, God centered, and reflective of a redeemed heart. Likewise, a new song is a new occasion and a new impulse for expressing praise to God” (p. 192). Either way, both researchers are stating that God receives the praise when a new song is sung.

4 For the word of the LORD is right; and all his works are done in truth.
5 He loveth righteousness and judgment: the earth is full of the goodness of the LORD.

“The earth is full of the goodness of the Lord”: Or, loving-kindness (compare Psalm 119:64). The earth is full, not only of God’s glory (Isa. 6:3), and of his riches (Psalm 104:24), but also of his mercy or loving-kindness. A ground of thankfulness that all will acknowledge. All counsel that we receive from God is right, just, and for our benefit. Everything that He created was for our benefit. John 1:1-3 “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” “The same was in the beginning with God.” “All things were made by him; and without him was not anything made that was made.” Sin changed the scenario, but Christians are blessed to experience the richness of God’s love for them in the new birth!

He “Spoke” and Everything Came Into Existence

The song above expresses the meaning of verses 6-9 in a different way than how I have discussed it before.

Creation Week ESV

Gen. 1:3And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.

verse 6 “And God said, “Let there be an expanse[a] in the midst of the waters, and let it separate the waters from the waters.”

verse 9 And God said, “Let the waters under the heavens be gathered together into one place, and let the dry land appear.” And it was so.

verse 11 And God said, “Let the earth sprout vegetation, plants[a] yielding seed, and fruit trees bearing fruit in which is their seed, each according to its kind, on the earth.” And it was so.

verse 14 And God said, “Let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens to separate the day from the night. And let them be for signs and for seasons,[a] and for days and years,

verse 20 And God said, “Let the waters swarm with swarms of living creatures, and let birds[a] fly above the earth across the expanse of the heavens.”

verse 24 And God said, “Let the earth bring forth living creatures according to their kinds—livestock and creeping things and beasts of the earth according to their kinds.” And it was so.

verse 26 Then God said, “Let us make man[a] in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”

It takes faith to believe in all of those God “Said.” Christians walk by faith and not my theory!

10 The LORD bringeth the counsel of the heathen to nought: he maketh the devices of the people of none effect.
11 The counsel of the LORD standeth for ever, the thoughts of his heart to all generations.

When the heathen plans to destroy God’s people, it will NOT happen.

The King of Assyria 2 Kings 6:8-12

⁸Then the king of Syria warred against Israel, and took counsel with his servants, saying, In such and such a place shall be my camp.

⁹And the man of God sent unto the king of Israel, saying, Beware that thou pass not such a place; for thither the Syrians are come down.

¹⁰And the king of Israel sent to the place which the man of God told him and warned him of, and saved himself there, not once nor twice.

¹¹Therefore the heart of the king of Syria was sore troubled for this thing; and he called his servants, and said unto them, Will ye not shew me which of us is for the king of Israel?

¹²And one of his servants said, None, my lord, O king: but Elisha, the prophet that is in Israel, telleth the king of Israel the words that thou speakest in thy bedchamber.

Daniel and the Jealous Leaders: Read about Darius and Daniel in the Lion’s Den.

11 The counsel of the LORD standeth for ever, the thoughts of his heart to all generations. No human being can stand against God’s plans for His people. Do you believe and receive that thought, fact, pronouncement.

We Christians are His inheritance.

To comprehend the immensity of verses 12-15, one must read them as a personal message to each of us from God.

12 Blessed [are the people] is the nation whose God is the LORD; and the people whom he hath chosen for his own inheritance. “But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light” I Peter 2:9 is not speaking about the nation of Israel. It is speaking about God’s children – all Christians. He has opened “The eyes of [our] understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints,” (Ephesians 1:18). “13 The LORD looketh from heaven; he beholdeth all the sons of men [all of us]. 14 From the place of his habitation he looketh upon all the inhabitants of the earth. 15 He fashioneth their hearts alike; [we were all created with the same heart, the same type of blood, same DNA from Noah and his 3 sons.] {And] he considereth all [our] works.”

God Saves His People From Destruction: Military or Otherwise

16 There is no king saved by the multitude of an host: a mighty man is not delivered by much strength.
17 An horse is a vain thing for safety: neither shall he deliver any by his great strength.
18 Behold, the eye of the LORD is upon them that fear him, upon them that hope in his mercy;

Have you ever heard the song “Can’t Touch This?” Well, that is what verses 16-18 are saying. It seems that we don’t really believe it the way that David believed it. My team will remember me saying over and over again, “Take the High Road!” No harm can come against you that God is not aware of. No military might, or psychological game playing, can ever unnerve the people of God. We may need to remove ourselves from the mess for God to act. But rest assured HE will act. Exodus 14:5-29 reminds us that God delivered Israel from Pharoah’s army. This was the most powerful military force on earth, at that time. He will do the same thing for us today too.

19 To deliver their soul from death, and to keep them alive in famine.
20 Our soul waiteth for the LORD: he is our help and our shield.
21 For our heart shall rejoice in him, because we have trusted in his holy name.
22 Let thy mercy, O LORD, be upon us, according as we hope in thee.

David ends the Psalm with a notice to us. God will “deliver us from death and or famine.” He will keep us alive to carry out His kingdom mission. We must “waiteth for the LORD: he is our help and our shield.” David repeats his trust in God through the Psalms. See Psalm 121:1-8

Trust in the Lord. Trust Him to deliver you from all of the horrors of living in a fallen and sinful world! He is our protector. Ephesians 6:10-20 (KJV)

¹⁰Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.

¹¹Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.

¹²For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

¹³Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

¹⁴Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;

¹⁵And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;

¹⁶Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.

¹⁷And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:

¹⁸Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;

¹⁹And for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel,

²⁰For which I am an ambassador in bonds: that therein I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.

References

Cayce, Ken. 2017. “Books of the Bible.” http://www.bible-studys.org/About%20Me.html. Accessed August 29, 2018

Lawson, Steven. 2004. Holman Old Testament Commentary – Psalms. Nashville: B&H Publishing Group. Accessed September 26, 2018. ProQuest Ebook Central.

Longman, Tremper, III. 2014. Psalms: An Introduction and Commentary. Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press. Accessed September 15, 2018. ProQuest Ebook Central.