Slices
Prepare
Read the Psalm using The Message translation; then read it again in a different translation.
Bible passage
For the director of music. Of the Sons of Korah. A psalm.
1 Clap your hands, all you nations;
shout to God with cries of joy.
2 For the Lord Most High is awesome,
the great King over all the earth.
3 He subdued nations under us,
peoples under our feet.
4 He chose our inheritance for us,
the pride of Jacob, whom he loved.
5 God has ascended amid shouts of joy,
the Lord amid the sounding of trumpets.
6 Sing praises to God, sing praises;
sing praises to our King, sing praises.
7 For God is the King of all the earth;
sing to him a psalm of praise.
8 God reigns over the nations;
God is seated on his holy throne.
9 The nobles of the nations assemble
as the people of the God of Abraham,
for the kings of the earth belong to God;
he is greatly exalted.
Explore
This psalm declares, in very definite human terms, that God is king. We are called to celebrate his kingship as we would any other victory: clap your hands, sound the trumpet, shout praise. Not only this, the victory is also portrayed in language that announces the complete and overpowering rule of the Lord Most High (v 2).
If the God of the Psalms – this very particular Jewish literary genre – is king, what does it mean for us in the here and now? Top of your list may be a cessation of wars around the world, as we are increasingly aware of the injustice of such all-encompassing conflict. Closer to home, you may be able to identify a neighbourhood dispute, the result of which is injustice faced by particular people and places. Advocating for those without a voice may be the start of God’s rule.
The psalm declares God as ‘king of all the earth’. What does this victory mean for the whole of creation? A stop to the destruction of nature – plants and habitats – may feature in your mind.
Let true victory be as the domino effect that brings about the righteous rule of God in the world: restoration for all of creation so that it can be declared ‘good’, as in the beginning of the world.
Respond
‘Sing your best song to God’ (v 6, The Message). Which song would you sing, given the challenges of life for you at the moment? Use this suggested song* to celebrate with all of God’s creation!
Bible in a year
Read the Bible in a year: Job 3,4; Luke 14
Pray for Scripture Union
Give thanks to God that sport is proving to be such an effective means of sharing God’s love with children and young people not in church. (This week's prayers relate to this story in Connecting You.)
