This weekend, Israeli’s are bracing for retaliatory strikes from Iran and its proxies. The national angst continues to swell as so many families will, once again, have empty seats around their Shabbat tables, hostages are yet to be located and returned, and military reprisals loom heavy from all most every direction. What is to be done? To whom do we look? Upon whom can we trust?
Outside our apartment, here in Jerusalem, a section of a parking lot has become a daily gathering place for prayer — for the Jewish community in our neighborhood. Every morning, around 8AM, men gather with their prayer shawls, and women find a spot with their prayer books, to join together and simply pray. I understand that many of the prayers are written by Rabbi’s and are simply recited to invoke some sort of blessing or to acknowledge the Creator in some way, but it’s all done with a heart of gratitude and petition to God. Prayer takes on many forms.
Today, in my own time of prayer, I was captured by the biblical phrase, “to execute on them the written judgement — this honor have all His saints”. I couldn’t shake it. I remembered that these words are found in Psalm 149, and I went to that passage to meditate on this thought. In the two verses that precede this phrase, there are even more intense phrases. Things like, “execute vengeance on the nations”, “punishments on the peoples”, “binding kings with chains and nobles with fetters of iron”. What in the world is all this intense language and judgement about?
For those of you who might be getting uncomfortable with this language, and aren’t quite sure where I might be taking this, let me put you at ease. I’m not promoting or validating physical violence upon any people group. I am also not hinting at the idea that it is the believers right or responsibility to be the executors or punishers mentioned in the text. So, if you were concerned about that, please relax. There is something much more powerful that demands our attention, when we actually connect to the main point of the passage.
The first six of these nine verses in Psalm 149 are all about praise. Praise, in the context of judgement, is a very interesting juxtaposition. The writer of this Psalm is unknown, but many scholars attribute its writing to King David. If so, David was a man who actually lived between the two tensions of both worshipper and warrior.
I would like to suggest that this Psalm is calling “all His saints” to a very high and holy calling. A calling that is much more simple and much more supernatural than you might think.
We are called to “praise the Lord”.
We are called to “sing to the Lord a new song”.
We are called to “rejoice in our Maker”.
We are called to be “joyful in our King”.
We are called to “praise Him with dance”.
We are called to “sing praises to Him with the timbrel and harp”.
We are called to “be joyful in glory”.
We are called to “sing aloud on our beds”.
We are called to “ let the high praise of God be in our mouths”.
We are called to “have a two-edged sword in our hand”.
These ten callings are ten focus points of responsibility for every believer. This is what we have been enabled to do. This is what we are called to do. This is what we are exhorted to do. This is the part that we can play in fulfilling God’s divine purposes on earth.
When we do what we have been called to do, God will to do what He said He would do.
The Lord will defend His people.
The Lord will execute vengeance on the nations.
The Lord will bring punishments on the peoples.
The Lord will bind kings with chains.
The Lord will bind nobles with fetters of iron.
The Lord will execute on them the written judgement.
The Lord will fulfill all of His purposes.
When we praise the Lord, we are acknowledging His sovereignty.
When we praise the Lord, we are agreeing with His strategies.
When we praise the Lord, we are aligning with what He has spoken.
At this point, I would like to borrow a few verses from a very well known moment in Israel’s history. The verses are found in 2 Chronicles 20, when a great multitude was coming against Israel. Most of you might know the story well, but if not, I encourage you to read the whole account. It’s really amazing.
It’s in this story that we find phrases like, "For we have no power against this great multitude that is coming against us; nor do we know what to do, but our eyes are upon You”, and “Do not be afraid nor dismayed because of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours, but God’s”, and “Do not fear or be dismayed; tomorrow go out against them, for the Lord is with you”, and “Hear me, O Judah and you inhabitants of Jerusalem: Believe in the Lord your God, and you shall be established; believe His prophets, and you shall prosper.”
Here’s the verse that really puts things in perspective for me. It’s 2 Chronicles 20:22, "Now when they began to sing and to praise, the Lord set ambushes against the people of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir, who had come against Judah; and they were defeated.”
Did you catch it? When they began to sing and to praise, the Lord defeated their enemies.
This praise thing is a very powerful priority for every kingdom son and daughter. That is why Psalm 149 ends with this statement: “This honor have all His saints. Praise the Lord!”
I want to encourage us all today. Let’s faithfully do our part, completely trusting God to do His.
Shabbat shalom. ❤️