Make A Joyful Noise – You Deserve My Praise!

Devotional Reading: 1 Kings 8:54-62 Background Scripture: Psalm 95

Rev. Michael J. Hudgins

Sunday, December 14, 2014

A Call to Worship and Obedience

“The psalmist here, as often elsewhere, stirs up himself and others to praise God; for it is a duty which ought to be performed with the most lively affections, and which we have great need to be excited to, being very often backward to it and cold in it.”¹

Psalm 95:1-7 King James Version (KJV)

The Lord is our rock!

How God is to be praised

1 O come, let us sing unto the Lord: let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation.

With holy joy and delight in him. The praising song must be a joyful noise

He is our Saviour, and the author of our blessedness. He is here called the rock of our salvation (Ps. 95:1), not only the founder, but the very foundation, of that work of wonder, on whom it is built. That rock is Christ; to him therefore we must sing our songs of praises, to him that sits upon the throne and to the Lamb.²

2 Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving, and make a joyful noise unto him with psalms.

Spiritual joy is the heart and soul of thankful praise. It is the will of God (such is the condescension of his grace) that when we give glory to him as a being infinitely perfect and blessed we should, at the same time, rejoice in him as our Father and King, and a God in covenant with us.

The Lord is our King!

Luke 19:40

And he answered and said unto them, I tell you that, if these should hold their peace, the stones would immediately cry out.

I don't need no rocks to cry out for me!!!!

God did not want His people to have a king over them, as the nations that did not know God. God was their King and wanted the people to let Him lead them. But when they became dissatisfied and wanted a king, God let them have one. Do we remember the name of the first king who ruled over the Children of Israel?

Much has happened since the days of that first king – the people became divided and formed two kingdoms, called Judah and Israel. They had had many kings since the days of Saul; some of the kings were good and turned the hearts of the people to the Lord and helped them worship Him. Others were bad and led the people to worship idols instead of worshiping the true God.³

3 For the Lord is a great God, and a great King above all gods.

“Because he is a great God, and sovereign Lord of all. He is great, and therefore greatly to be praised. He is infinite and immense, and has all perfection in himself.

He has great power: He is a great King above all gods, above all deputed deities, all magistrates, to whom he said, You are gods (he manages them all, and serves his own purposes by them, and to him they are all accountable), above all counterfeit deities, all pretenders, all usurpers; he can do that which none of them can do; he can, and will, famish and vanquish them all.

He has great possessions. This lower world is here particularly specified. We reckon those great men who have large territories, which they call their own against all the world, which yet are a very inconsiderable part of the universe: how great then is that God whose the whole earth is, and the fulness thereof, not only under whose feet it is, as he has an incontestable dominion over all the creatures and a propriety in them, but in whose hand it is, as he has the actual directing and disposing of all.”⁴

The Lord is our Sovereign!

4 In his hand are the deep places of the earth: the strength of the hills is his also.

“even the deep places of the earth, which are out of our sight, subterraneous springs and mines, are in his hand; and the height of the hills which are out of our reach, whatever grows or feeds upon them, is his also. This may be taken figuratively: the meanest of the children of men, who are as the low places of the earth, are not beneath his cognizance; and the greatest, who are as the strength of the hills, are not above his control. Whatever strength is in any creature it is derived from God and employed for him.”⁵

5 The sea is his, and he made it: and his hands formed the dry land.

“The sea is his, and all that is in it (the waves fulfil his word); it is his, for he made it, gathered its waters and fixed its shores; the dry land, though given to the children of men, is his too, for he still reserved the property to himself; it is his, for his hands formed it, when his word made the dry land appear.

His being the Creator of all makes him, without dispute, the owner of all. This being a gospel psalm, we may very well suppose that it is the Lord Jesus whom we are here taught to praise. He is a great God; the mighty God is one of his titles, and God over all, blessed for evermore.

As Mediator, he is a great King above all gods; by him kings reign; and angels, principalities, and powers, are subject to him; by him, as the eternal Word, all things were made (John 1:3), and it was fit he should be the restorer and reconciler of all who was the Creator of all, Col. 1:16, 20.

To him all power is given both in heaven and in earth, and into his hand all things are delivered. It is he that sets one foot on the sea and the other on the earth, as sovereign Lord of both (Rev. 10:2), and therefore to him we must sing our songs of praise, and before him we must worship and bow down.”⁶

The Lord is our Creator!

With humble reverence, and a holy awe of him

6 O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the Lord our maker.

“Let us worship, and bow down, and kneel before him, as becomes those who know what an infinite distance there is between us and God, how much we are in danger of his wrath and in need of his mercy.” Though bodily exercise, alone, profits little, yet certainly it is our duty to glorify God with our bodies by the outward expressions of reverence, seriousness, and humility, in the duties of religious worship.

He is our Creator, and the author of our being; we must kneel before the Lord our Maker. Idolaters kneel before gods which they themselves made; we kneel before a God who made us and all the world and who is therefore our rightful proprietor; for his we are, and not our own.”⁷

The Lord is Our God!

7 For he is our God; and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand. To day if ye will hear his voice,

Because he is our God, not only has a dominion over us, as he has over all the creatures, but stands in special relation to us: He is our God, and therefore it is expected we should praise him; who will, if we do not? What else did he make us for but that we should be to him for a name and a praise?

“We must praise God with our voice; we must speak forth, sing forth, his praises out of the abundance of a heart filled with love, and joy, and thankfulness—Sing to the Lord; make a noise, a joyful noise to him, with psalms—as those who are ourselves much affected with his greatness and goodness, are forward to own ourselves so, are desirous to be more and more affected therewith, and would willingly be instrumental to kindle and inflame the same pious and devout affection in others also.

We must praise God in concert, in the solemn assemblies: “Come, let us sing; let us join in singing to the Lord; not others without me, nor I alone, but others with me. Let us come together before his presence, in the courts of his house, where his people are wont to attend him and to expect his manifestations of himself.” Whenever we come into God’s presence we must come with thanksgiving that we are admitted to such a favour; and, whenever we have thanks to give, we must come before God’s presence, set ourselves before him, and present ourselves to him in the ordinances which he has appointed.”⁸

We are therefore his, under all possible obligations: We are the people of his pasture and the sheep of his hand. All the children of men are so; they are fed and led by his Providence, which cares for them, and conducts them, as the shepherd the sheep. We must praise him, not only because he made us, but because he preserves and maintains us, and our breath and ways are in his hand. All the church’s children are in a special manner so; Israel are the people of his pasture and the sheep of his hand; and therefore he demands their homage in a special manner.

Psalm 100 King James Version (KJV)

100 Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all ye lands.

2 Serve the Lord with gladness: come before his presence with singing.

3 Know ye that the Lord he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.

4 Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.

5 For the Lord is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.

Singing confuses the enemy – Singing Wins The Battle!

2 Chronicles 20:20-22 King James Version

20 And they rose early in the morning, and went forth into the wilderness of Tekoa: and as they went forth, Jehoshaphat stood and said, Hear me, O Judah, and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem; Believe in the Lord your God, so shall ye be established; believe his prophets, so shall ye prosper.

21 And when he had consulted with the people, he appointed singers unto the Lord, and that should praise the beauty of holiness, as they went out before the army, and to say, Praise the Lord; for his mercy endureth for ever.

22 And when they began to sing and to praise, the Lord set ambushments against the children of Ammon, Moab, and mount Seir, which were come against Judah; and they were smitten.

Psalm 149 King James Version (KJV)

1 Praise ye the Lord. Sing unto the Lord a new song, and his praise in the congregation of saints.

2 Let Israel rejoice in him that made him: let the children of Zion be joyful in their King.

3 Let them praise his name in the dance: let them sing praises unto him with the timbrel and harp.

4 For the Lord taketh pleasure in his people: he will beautify the meek with salvation.

5 Let the saints be joyful in glory: let them sing aloud upon their beds.

6 Let the high praises of God be in their mouth, and a two-edged sword in their hand;

7 To execute vengeance upon the heathen, and punishments upon the people;

8 To bind their kings with chains, and their nobles with fetters of iron;

9 To execute upon them the judgment written: this honour have all his saints. Praise ye the Lord.

1Matthew Henry Commentary

2Matthew Henry Commentary

3http://www.apostolicfaithweca.org/content/battle-won-singing

4Matthew Henry Commentary

5Matthew Henry Commentary

6Matthew Henry Commentary

7Matthew Henry Commentary

8Matthew Henry Commentary

Good News Brings Rejoicing

Good News Brings Rejoicing        – Let Zion Rejoice

Student Textbook                                              Teacher's Handbook

Devotional Reading: Psalms 42:5-11 Background Scripture: Isaiah 52:1, 2 7-12 Psalm 33

Rev. Michael J. Hudgins

Sunday, November 30, 2014

Isaiah 52:1-12 King James Version

1 Awake, awake; put on thy strength, O Zion; put on thy beautiful garments, O Jerusalem, the holy city: for henceforth there shall no more come into thee the uncircumcised and the unclean.

It is not God who is asleep, it is Jerusalem. Zion must wake up to a new reality! In spite of Israel's call in the first exodus to be a peculiar treasure, a holy nation, Zion never fulfilled God's desire regarding that command.

“Despite Israel's having the priestly house of Aaron, the royal dynasty of David, etc., the world does not see the true character of God through His people.” page 107, student text book.

Exodus 19:5-6 New King James Version 

 

5 Now therefore, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be a special treasure to Me above all people; for all the earth is Mine. 6 And you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words which you shall speak to the children of Israel.”

“While studying and reading that comment in the student book, it gave me pause to think and I pray that it did to others that read it. (I hope) Something to think about from that very observation, a question to all of us who claim and proclaim to be born again, saved, Christians:

Does the world see the true character of God through us, or does the world see something entirely different, something that would cause God to become angry with us?”¹

The First Exodus: The Exodus of the Israelites from Egypt, led by Moses

The Second Exodus: Second Exodus back to the Promised Land; the reunification of Israel and Judah; God's restoration and blessing of His covenant people.

After the death of Solomon, the Kingdom of Israel split into two separate kingdoms. The northern ten tribes retained the name Israel, establishing their capital at Samaria. The southern tribes—Judah and Benjamin, along with part of Levi—became known simply as Judah (and its people known as Jews; II Kings 16:5-6)

Zion is to awake to new clothing that will become her strength. She can finally discard the filthy rags of sin and idolatry that led her into exile in the first place, leaving with new garments of beauty and strength.

The beautiful garments refer to a new character of holiness in this regard. The uncircumcised and unclean cannot enter this renewed city. The new reality is that the renewed people of God will be “Holiness to the Lord”. Page 107 and 108 student text.

2 Shake thyself from the dust; arise, and sit down, O Jerusalem: loose thyself from the bands of thy neck, O captive daughter of Zion.

“After the captive daughter of Zion arises from the dust of humiliating captivity, she is enthroned as royalty.

The next 4 verses were not included in the lesson, but I felt it appropriate to include them for a clearer picture of the lesson.

3 For thus saith the Lord, Ye have sold yourselves for nought; and ye shall be redeemed without money.

4 For thus saith the Lord God, My people went down aforetime into Egypt to sojourn there; and the Assyrian oppressed them without cause.

5 Now therefore, what have I here, saith the Lord, that my people is taken away for nought? they that rule over them make them to howl, saith the Lord; and my name continually every day is blasphemed.

6 Therefore my people shall know my name: therefore they shall know in that day that I am he that doth speak: behold, it is I.

(3) Ye have sold yourselves . . .—Literally, ye were sold. The people had complained that Jehovah had “sold them” into the hands of their enemies (Psalm 44:12). “Not so,” is the answer. “There was no real sale, only a temporary transfer, and therefore Jehovah can redeem you at His own pleasure.

God received nothing when he allowed his people to become the slaves of the Babylonians. He took no price for them (see Isaiah 50:1), and therefore is free to claim them back without payment (comp. Isaiah 45:13). He has but to say the word; and he is about to say it. ²

7 How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation; that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth!

A messenger who runs to deliver good news can be described as having beautiful feet even if those feet are covered in dust, calloused, bruised, and cut from the running. The nature of the news is described with the words peace, good, and salvation. All of these concepts converge in the thunderous expression thy God reigneth!

“Verse 7 is one of the better known verses in this section of the book, thanks to its citation in Romans 10:15 Paul in that section of Romans is talking about the nation of Israel, its ultimate salvation at the end of the age as a fulfillment of the promises, and the basis of that restoration in Christ’s death. So the ultimate meaning of this passage in Isaiah concerns the Gospel of Jesus Christ, even though the immediate context refers to news of Israel’s deliverance from exile. But the parallel ideas are obvious. Here is another example of how the “near view” of a prophecy is but a shadow or preview of the “far view” (compare Psalm 118 and the prophecy of the “stone which the builders rejected” which in the Old Testament refers to Israel overlooked by empires, but in the New Testament signifies Christ rejected by the leaders).”³

8 Thy watchmen shall lift up the voice; with the voice together shall they sing: for they shall see eye to eye, when the Lord shall bring again Zion.

The watchmen on the wall receive the good news of the runner and are predicted to join their voices together as if in a choir.

Daniel 4:13

I saw in the visions of my head upon my bed, and, behold, a watcher and an holy one came down from heaven;

Jeremiah 31:6

For there shall be a day, that the watchmen upon the mount Ephraim shall cry, Arise ye, and let us go up to Zion unto the Lord our God.

What is all the shouting about?

The runner's bearing good news, and what the watchmen will see is God's coming as king! That is GOOD NEWS!

9 Break forth into joy, sing together, ye waste places of Jerusalem: for the Lord hath comforted his people, he hath redeemed Jerusalem.

As will the watchmen, the inhabitants of Jerusalem shall break forth in singing as a choir! Talk about a Mass Choir!!! This type of singing is the mark of a redeemed people. Such rejoicing occurs on top of the waste places, or ruins of Jerusalem. Page 109 of student text.

“Verse 9 is a call to praise the LORD for this great deliverance. People are called to praise because the “desolate places” are no longer such—in fact, waste or desolate places are being called to sing will sing for joy. The reason?—the LORD has “comforted” and “redeemed” . So in the future when the exile is over and the rebuilding begins, people will forget their desolation and rejoice in the power of the LORD.”⁴

10 The Lord hath made bare his holy arm in the eyes of all the nations; and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God.

The arm of The Lord = His power to save!

“We may think of a homespun idiom of God “rolling up His sleeves” to bare his holy arm for accomplishing this salvation.” page 110 student text.

“Verse 10 uses a bold anthropomorphism to express the dominant power of God—”He has made bare His holy arm.” It is the idea of pushing back the mantel and exposing the arm for action. “Holy” arm means that His power is unique, incomparable. There is no “arm” like His, no power like His. It will be a mighty salvation.”⁵

For the nations to see the salvation of our God means that they experience it. See page 110 of student text.

God calls His people to respond to His deliverance with purity and confidence (52:11, 12).

11 Depart ye, depart ye, go ye out from thence, touch no unclean thing; go ye out of the midst of her; be ye clean, that bear the vessels of the Lord.

If Israel is to be a holy nation, she must do two things, one negative and one positive: touch no unclean thing and continually be ye clean. God's wrath is gone and His people are established as a holy nation.

“Verse 11 records an address to the exiles that comes from Jerusalem (“from thence” shows that the speaker is not in Babylon), suggesting again the transporting of the prophet in his vision. Since the LORD is present in the march to the holy land, the people must be pure. They must not be defiled by unclean things. After all, they are to be restored as the kingdom of priests. If they truly believe in the LORD, they will separate from the world and follow the LORD’s call to a renewed spiritual service. Thus it is with every kind of deliverance.

The prophet holds out for them the promise of divine protection. Unlike the exodus from Egypt, they will not have to go in haste, or by flight, because the LORD will lead them in the way and be their rearguard as well. “⁶

Leviticus 11:45

For I am the Lord that bringeth you up out of the land of Egypt, to be your God: ye shall therefore be holy, for I am holy.

Leviticus 19:2

Speak unto all the congregation of the children of Israel, and say unto them, Ye shall be holy: for I the Lord your God am holy.

1 Peter 1:16

Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.

2 Corinthians 6:17

Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you.

12 For ye shall not go out with haste, nor go by flight: for the Lord will go before you; and the God of Israel will be your reward.

Haste is not necessary as it was in the first exodus. The God of Israel establishes His kingship over His people as the one who goes before them as well as acting as their rearguard in the pilgrim journey of life. The new exodus is to take place in order for the renewed people of God to be His once again.

The suffering servant of Isaiah 52:13-53:12 takes upon himself the “chastisement” that brings “peace”. By means of this substitutionary atonement, God's people, made up of all of the nations, are set free from sin bondage.

Commentary on Isaiah 52:1-12

The gospel proclaims liberty to those bound with fears. Let those weary and heavy laden under the burden of sin, find relief in Christ, shake themselves from the dust of their doubts and fears, and loose themselves from those bands. The price paid by the Redeemer for our salvation, was not silver or gold, or corruptible things, but his own precious blood.

Considering the freeness of this salvation, and how hurtful to temporal comfort sins are, we shall more value the redemption which is in Christ. Do we seek victory over every sin, recollecting that the glory of God requires holiness in every follower of Christ?

The good news is, that the Lord Jesus reigns. Christ himself brought these tidings first. His ministers proclaim these good tidings: keeping themselves clean from the pollutions of the world, they are beautiful to those to whom they are sent. Zion's watchmen could scarcely discern any thing of God's favour through the dark cloud of their afflictions; but now the cloud is scattered, they shall plainly see the performance. Zion's waste places shall then rejoice; all the world will have the benefit. This is applied to our salvation by Christ.

Babylon is no place for Israelites. And it is a call to all in the bondage of sin and Satan, to use the liberty Christ has proclaimed. They were to go with diligent haste, not to lose time nor linger; but they were not to go with distrustful haste. Those in the way of duty, are under God's special protection; and he that believes this, will not hasten for fear.⁷

Isaiah 52:13 King James Version

13 Behold, my servant shall deal prudently, he shall be exalted and extolled, and be very high.

Isaiah 53:1-12 King James Version

53 Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed?

2 For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him.

3 He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.

4 Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.

5 But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.

6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.

7 He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth.

8 He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare his generation? for he was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was he stricken.

9 And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death; because he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth.

10 Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand.

11 He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities.

12 Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.

1Rev. Michael J. Hudgins

2http://biblehub.com/commentaries/isaiah/52-3.htm

3https://bible.org/seriespage/announcement-comfort-redeemed-isaiah-521-12

4https://bible.org/seriespage/announcement-comfort-redeemed-isaiah-521-12

5https://bible.org/seriespage/announcement-comfort-redeemed-isaiah-521-12

6https://bible.org/seriespage/announcement-comfort-redeemed-isaiah-521-12

7http://www.christnotes.org/commentary.php?com=mhc&b=23&c=52