Psalms
Chapter 47
2
God, King of All Nations
Clap your hands, all you peoples; acclaim God with shouts of joy.
3
For the Lord, the Most High, is to be feared; he is a great king all over the earth.
4
He brings people under our dominion and puts nations under our feet.
5
He chose our inheritance for us— the pride of Jacob whom he loves!
6
God ascends amid joyful shouts, the Lord amid trumpet blasts.
7
Sing praises to God, sing praises! Sing praises to our King, sing praises!
8
God is King of all the earth; sing to him a hymn of praise.
9
For God now rules over the nations, God reigns from his holy Throne.
10
The leaders of the nations rally, together with the people of the God of Abraham. For in his hands are the great of the earth, God reigns far above.
Commentaries
47
‘Your kingdom come,’ we pray, yet God’s kingdom has already arrived. But we often think of our acceptance of it, our practical acknowledgment of God’s sovereignty. Still, there is always comfort in shifting responsibility to God, as nations, their kings, and military leaders once did. That’s why there is joy in this psalm and God’s presence as He goes up to it. Most likely, this refers to the procession with the Ark being brought up the Temple hill. For us, there is another ‘ascension.’ The glorified body of Christ has shed the chains of place and time, and it holds the power to lead us always and everywhere. This psalm undoubtedly celebrates the feast of the Ascension.
As long as we express the desire of Our Father, ‘Your kingdom come,’ we can pray with this psalm. St. Paul (1 Thes 16-18) says, ‘Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, and give thanks to God at every moment. This is the will of God, your vocation as Christians.’ And, as Christians, we have additional reasons to rejoice because of our Lord’s ascension and his promise to take us to him.