Read Psalm 149
1 Praise the Lord.
Sing to the Lord a new song,
his praise in the assembly of his faithful people.
2 Let Israel rejoice in their Maker;
let the people of Zion be glad in their King.
3 Let them praise his name with dancing
and make music to him with timbrel and harp.
4 For the Lord takes delight in his people;
he crowns the humble with victory.
5 Let his faithful people rejoice in this honor
and sing for joy on their beds.
6 May the praise of God be in their mouths
and a double-edged sword in their hands,
7 to inflict vengeance on the nations
and punishment on the peoples,
8 to bind their kings with fetters,
their nobles with shackles of iron,
9 to carry out the sentence written against them—
this is the glory of all his faithful people.
Praise the Lord.
Go Deeper
There are several unique themes throughout Psalm 149. In the first few verses, the main theme is the praise of God’s people. There is praise and singing to the Lord. God loves to receive our rejoicing through song. The next couple of verses share the pleasure of true praise. God is first described as our Maker and then our King. As we worship God, whether at church or in our own time with the Lord, we can remember the great power and love He has for us, despite our sins. As we come before the Lord in humility and praise, He will make us all beautiful with salvation.
The psalm also highlights the power of God’s people. For instance, when it says, “Let the godly exult in glory; let them sing for joy on their beds,” it’s referring to how the saints are so happy in God’s glory that waking hours are not enough to express their praise, so they must continue it on their beds.
Psalm 149 describes God’s people as ready for battle and equipped with mighty weapons. The Lord will grant victory to His people and fight for us, but as God’s people, we should also prepare to excel in both praise and the preaching of God’s Word. The last few verses speak to the victory of God’s people. Through the power of praise and the Word of God, we will see the work of God in the nations. God will use all types of people to set right the wrongs of the world.
Throughout this chapter, we see the glory of God and the continuous praises of His people. God finds joy in this praise and adorns those who act in humility. God will also provide us with a two-edged sword to fight the wickedness in the world, and we will find victory through our praise to God and His Word. May these glimpses of God’s heart make us draw closer to Him. After reading this passage, find some quiet time to praise God for everything He has done in your life. Pick up your own two-edged sword and fight the wickedness in the world.
Questions
- How do you praise the Lord? Do you continuously find joy in the presence of the Lord?
- If you are in a season of victory, have you shared your story with other believers so that they may see the work of the Lord in their lives?
- How have you been using your two-edged sword?
Pray this
Dear God,
I lift You up in praise. I am amazed by Your glory and power, and I want to thank You for all the blessings that You have bestowed upon us. I pray that we continue to see those blessings and I ask that You fill our mouths with songs of praise to You. Help us to become more like You and to pick up our two-edged sword to fight the wickedness in the world. Amen.
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4 thoughts on “Psalms of Praise: Psalm 149”
Two edged sword
Heb 4:12 – For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.
Penetrates: God’s word can cut through culture, habits, biases, preconceptions, and doubts to speak to the innermost part of us, whether we are righteous or wicked.
Divides: God’s word can separate truth from error and “divide asunder all the cunning and the snares and the wiles of the devil”
Cuts in any direction: God’s word is versatile and applicable in all situations for our blessing or condemnation, our edification, inspiration, instruction, or chastisement.
God’s word is truth, the word of God penetrates our souls and cuts through our excuses and sins. As we fight our way through this world the best weapon we have is the Word of God.
God thank You for Your Word. Thank You that it exposes and cuts through excuses and sin. God thank You as I battle here and now Your word gives me wisdom and knowledge of what and how to keep my mind on You. God continue to open my eyes of understanding in all that You are. Thank You for the ability to praise You. God I give You praise for all the minutes of this day . Show me Your people through You love goggles, words to speak that build up, and a continual praise for You coming out of my heart and mouth in Jesus name amen.
WOOHOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1
When we begin to grasp the magnitude of the love, grace and mercy of God praise is our natural response. Its effervescence will bubble up and overflow propelling us to go and tell and make disciples in our homes, communities and around the world. May his praise ever be on our lips. May we be marked as a faithful people who praise, sing, dance, rejoice and exult in King Jesus.
4 “For the Lord takes delight in his people; he crowns the humble with victory.”
The world is attracted to confidence and charisma, not to humility, but God “crowns the humble with victory”. I need to learn and apply this lesson better than what I’ve been doing!
God is so rich in grace and mercy that He takes pleasure in His people despite all their/mine sin and weakness. This is cause for great rejoicing! Hallelujah!!