Whither the Jews followed Him not, even with their eyes. For exalted on the Cross they mocked Him, ascending into Heaven they did not see Him.
God has gone up with jubilation. What is jubilation, but admiration of joy which cannot be expressed in words? As the disciples in joy admired, seeing Him go into Heaven , whom they had mourned dead; truly for the joy , words sufficed not: remained to jubilate what none could express. There was also the voice of the trumpet, the voice of Angels.
For it is said, Lift up your voice like a trumpet. Angels preached the ascension of the Lord: they saw the Disciples, their Lord ascending, tarrying, admiring, confounded, nothing speaking, but in heart jubilant: and now was the sound of the trumpet in the clear voice of the Angels, You men of Galilee , why stand ye gazing up into Heaven?
This is Jesus. Acts As if they knew not that it was the same Jesus. Had they not just before seen Him before them? Had they not heard Him speaking with them? Nay, they not only saw the figure of Him present, but handled also His limbs.
Of themselves then knew they not, that it was the same Jesus? But they being by very admiration, from joy of jubilation, as it were transported in mind , the Angels said, that same is Jesus.
As though they said, If you believe Him, this is that same Jesus, whom crucified, your feet stumbled, whom dead and buried, you thought your hope lost. Lo, this is the same Jesus. He has gone up before you, He shall so come in like manner as you have seen Him go into Heaven.
His Body is removed indeed from your eyes, but God is not separated from your hearts: see Him going up, believe in Him absent, hope for Him coming; but yet through His secret Mercy, feel Him present. For He who ascended into Heaven that He might be removed from your eyes, promised unto you, saying, Lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.
Matthew Justly then the Apostle so addressed us, The Lord is at hand; be careful for nothing. Philippians Christ sits above the Heavens; the Heavens are far off, He who there sits is near Sing praises to our God , sing praises Psalm Whom as Man mocked they, who from God were alienated. Sing praises to our God. For He is not Man only, but God. Whose says the Apostle are the fathers, of whom as concerning the flesh Christ came.
Romans Of the Jews then is Christ, but according to the flesh. But who is this Christ who is of the Jews according to the flesh? Who is over all, God blessed forever. God before the flesh, God in the flesh, God with the flesh. Nor only God before the flesh, but God before the earth whence flesh was made; nor only God before the earth whereof flesh was made, but even God before the Heaven which was first made; God before the day which was first made; God before Angels; the same Christ is God: for In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God , and the Word was God.
John For God is the King of all the earth Psalm And before was He not God of all the earth? Is He not God of both heaven and earth, since by Him surely were all things made?
Who can say that He is not his God? But not all men acknowledged Him their God ; and where He was acknowledged, there only, so to say, He was God. In Judah is God known. Not yet was it said to the sons of Korah, O clap your hands, all you nations. For that God known in Judah, is King of all the earth: now by all He is acknowledged, for that is fulfilled which Isaiah says, He is your God who has delivered you, the God of the whole earth shall He be called.
Isaiah Sing ye praises with understanding. He teaches us and warns us to sing praises with understanding, not to seek the sound of the ear, but the light of the heart. The Gentiles , whence you were called that you might be Christians , adored gods made with hands, and sang praises to them, but not with understanding. If they had sung with understanding, they had not adored stones. When a man sensible sang to a stone insensible, did he sing with understanding?
But now, brethren, we see not with our eyes Whom we adore, and yet correctly we adore. Much more is God commended to us, that with our eyes we see Him not. If with our eyes we saw Him, haply we might despise. For even Christ seen, the Jews despised; unseen, the Gentiles adored. God shall reign over all nations Psalm The author is the person that writes something. What we do know is that something happened that saved the city of Jerusalem.
What was it? We are not sure, but many Christians and Jews think that it was when Sennacherib attacked Jerusalem. BC means "years B efore C hrist came to the earth". Sennacherib was the king of Assyria. Assyria was a strong country, and an enemy of Jerusalem. One night, Assyrian soldiers died. We do not know why. It was a strange illness, but we do not know what it was. This is what the Bible says in 2 Kings :.
I will do this for myself and for my servant David". In the place where the Assyrians were, he killed of them. When the others woke up in the morning, they saw all the dead bodies.
He went and returned to Nineveh, where he lived. Many of the words in these psalms are also words that Isaiah used in his book, but not many other Bible writers used. But it does not matter who wrote these psalms. If you want to know more about Jerusalem, read Psalm 87 in this set of psalms. This is for the music leader. He will always give us help when troubles come.
We will not be afraid when the mountains move a lot as well. It will not fall down. God will give it help early in the morning. The God of Jacob makes us safe. He has done surprising things in the earth!
Know that I am God. I will make them lift me high in all the world. You can read more about the sons of Korah in Psalms in this set of psalms. Verses 1 — 3: A verse is a part of a psalm. Is terrible, none can resist his power or stand before his vengeance; yet as these terrors are wielded on the behalf of his subjects, they are fit reasons for rejoicing. Omnipotence, which is terrible to crush, is almighty to protect. At a grand review of the troops of a great prince, all his loyal subjects are filled with triumph, because their liege lord is so able to defend his own, and so much dreaded by his foes.
He is a great King over all the earth. Not over Judea only, but even to the utmost isles his reign extends. Our God is no local deity, no petty ruler of a tribe; in infinite majesty he rules the mightiest realm as absolute arbiter of destiny, sole monarch of all lands, King of kings, and Lord of lords.
Not a hamlet or an islet is excluded from his dominion. How glorious will that era be when this is seen and known of all; when in the person of Jesus all flesh shall behold the glory of the Lord! Verse 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 shall through grace climb to the ascendant. We wage no doubtful warfare. Hearts the most rebellious, and wills the most stubborn, shall submit to all conquering grace. All the Lord's people, whether Jews or Gentiles, may clap their hands at this, for God's victory will be theirs; but surely apostles, prophets, ministers, and those who suffer and labour the most, may take the largest share in the joy.
Idolatry, infidelity, superstition, we shall yet tread upon, as men tread down the stones of the street. And the nations under our feet. The church of God shall be the greatest of monarchies, her victory shall be signal and decisive. Christ shall take to himself his great power and reign, and all the tribes of men shall own at once his glory and the glory of his people in him. How changed will be the position of affairs in coming ages!
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 shall be first in honour. Verse 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 choose 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. Our heritage here and hereafter we leave to him, let him do with us as seemeth him good. 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 honour.
He was the boast and glory of Israel, he is and shall be ours. He loved his people and became their greatest glory; he loves us, and he shall be our exceeding joy. As for the latter days, we ask nothing better than to stand in our appointed lot, for if we have but a portion in our Lord Jesus, it is enough for our largest desires.
Our beauty, our boast, our best treasure, lies in having such a God to trust in, such a God to love us. Yes, pause, ye faithful songsters. Here is abundant room for holy meditation-- "Muse awhile, obedient thought, Lo, the theme's with rapture fraught; See thy King, whose realm extends Even to earth's remotest ends.
Come, my soul, before him bow, Gladdest of his subjects thou; Leave thy portion to his choice, In his sovereign will rejoice, This thy purest, deepest bliss, He is thine and thou art his. God is gone up with a shout. Faith hears the people already shouting. The command of the first verse is here regarded as a fact. The fight is over, the conqueror ascends to his triumphant chariot, and 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 splendour of his triumph. It was meet to welcome one returning from the wars with martial music. Fresh from Bozrah, with his garments all red from the winepress, he ascended, leading captivity captive, and well might the clarion ring out the tidings of Immanuel's victorious return.
Verse 6. Sing praises. What jubilation is here, when five times over the whole earth is called upon to sing to God! He is worthy, he is Creator, he is goodness itself. Sing praises, keep on with the glad work. Never let the music pause. He never ceases to be good, let us never cease to be grateful. Strange that we should need so much urging to attend to so heavenly an exercise. Sing praises unto our King.
Let him have all our praise; no one ought to have even a particle of it. Jesus shall have it all. Let his sovereignty be the fount of gladness. It is a sublime attribute, but full of bliss to the faithful. Let our homage be paid not in groans but songs.
He asks not slaves to grace his throne; he is no despot; singing is fit homage for a monarch so blessed and gracious. Let all hearts that own his sceptre sing and sing on for ever, for there is everlasting reason for thanksgiving while we dwell under the shadow of such a throne.
Verse 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. They would have kept their God to themselves, and not even have allowed the Gentile dogs to eat the crumbs from under his table.
Jehovah is not the God of the Jews only, all the nations of the earth are, through the Messiah, yet to own him Lord. Meanwhile his providential throne governs all events beneath the sky. Sing praises with understanding. Sing a didactic Psalm. Sound doctrine praises God. Even under the economy of types and ceremonies, it is clear that the Lord had regard to the spirituality of worship, and would be praised thoughtfully, intelligently, and with deep appreciation of the reason for song.
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.
But whatever the precisely historical ascension he had in mind, it was but a picture of a greater victory to come. I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called, with all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love; endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all. But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ. Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men. Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth?
He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things. The only rational response from those who consider the ascension of the King is to acclaim His glory. We sing praises to a God whom we know for the mutual edification of ourselves and others.
But can we legitimately proclaim that Yahweh is King of all the earth? After all, look at the rise of false of religion, militant atheism, a muddled and compromising Christianity! Surely He cannot truly be considered King if all these types of rebellion against His authority continue to exist? Or can He? Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing?
The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD, and against his anointed, saying, Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us. He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the Lord shall have them in derision. Then shall he speak unto them in his wrath, and vex them in his sore displeasure.
Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion. Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession.
Be wise now therefore, O ye kings: be instructed, ye judges of the earth. Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and ye perish from the way, when his wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all they that put their trust in him. There is a willing, joyful compliance on the one hand, but there is also an unwilling, forced compliance on the other.
He sets up kings and he dethrones them. This is a truth that the church needs to grasp. Let us be careful of criticising it. Yet at the same time, let us be careful to continue to pray that His commanded will be done on earth so that the kingdom of heaven will be realised in all of its fullness. Even if we acknowledge His rule de facto, the reality is that rebellion is rife.
But be calm; it is all according to plan! There are at least two assurances here. God is transcendently different and thus He rules differently. And He rules according to His perfect character. The ways of God often perplex us. Consider the rampant criticism of Christianity because of the blood that has been shed in the name of God.
Let us think for a moment of the bloodshed that God commanded in the Old Testament. In Egypt God slew hundreds of firstborn children whose parents would not submit to His Word. Think of the later command for the Jews to destroy the inhabitants of Canaan. Or consider, in the immediate context of this psalm, the , whom God destroyed in a single night. The United Nations would be beside themselves with criticism of such acts! How do we respond?
Let us realise first that it is not our job to defend God. Let us further trust Him, even when we cannot trace Him. How often does God work in ways that we cannot understand! I can think of the time when a missionary from our church prepared for months to enter a hostile land with the gospel. Things went so well for so long.
He met all the right people who pulled all the right strings.
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