Psalm 149

Psalm Category: A song of victory

Central Thought: The Lord’s victory in the Exodus is a foretaste of His final victory

Keywords: Praise, sing; Lord; judgment

Doxology

Each of the five books of the Psalter closes with a doxology in simple praise to God (41:13; 72:18–19; 89:52; 106:48; 150:1-6). Psalm 149 is the fourth in a series of five doxologies that concludes the whole Psalter, rising in a crescendo for the finale in Psalm 150. Each psalm in the series begins and ends with the call to Praise the Lord, and Psalm 150 begins every line with this call. The chief end of man is to praise God and enjoy Him forever. These doxologies, with the whole of the Psalter, give us a special means to realize our primary purpose.

Structure

The reference to godly ones (vv. 1, 5, 9) reveals the structure of this psalm. The first reference begins the initial section in which we praise the Lord for His victory achieved (vv. 1–4). The third use concludes the second section in which we praise the Lord for His victory anticipated (vv. 6–9). The middle occurrence is transitional, connecting the two themes, in which we praise the Lord for all His victories, always (v. 5).

Sing praise to the Lord for His Victory Achieved! (vv. 1–4)

Praise is offered in singing (vv. 1, 3, 5–6; see Eph. 5:19). This is very suitable because singing requires the participation of our whole being in love for God (see Matt. 22:37). We are called to sing a new song because the Psalms lead us from the past, through the present, to the new heavens and new earth when the newness we sing of will be fully and finally realized (v. 1; see 96:1, 13; 98:1, 9; Isa. 42:1, 9–10; Rev. 5:9; 14:3; 21:1). The Psalms are not only adequate for new covenant praise but are uniquely suited to sustain us in the hope of newness, firm until the end (Heb. 3:6). Those who sing a new song in confident expectation are the godly ones, those who love God in covenant loyalty because He first loved us (1 John 4:19). And we do so in our assembling together for this purpose (v. 1, congregation; Heb. 10:25; Col. 3:16). As we sing the Psalms, the Spirit enables us to persevere to the end.

This joyful praise is to the Lord as God of our creation, providence, and redemption (vv. 2–4; Maker, King, salvation). We sing this praise as individuals and especially as the church (v. 2; Israel, sons of Zion). The elements of dancing, timbrel, and lyre take us back to the Lord’s defining victory and salvation that He achieved over Egypt (v. 3; see Ex. 15:20; Ps. 81:2, 5, 10) rather than directing us to employ these devices in our worship. The instrument of our worship is the voice, resonating the music made with our hearts rather than harps (see Matt. 12:34; Eph. 5:19; Col. 3:16). The significance of His victory in the exodus is that God is gracious to His people by exalting the humble (v. 4; see Deut. 7:6–8).

Sing praise to the Lord for His Victory Always! (v. 5)

As those loved by and loving God (v. 5, godly ones), we are called to reflect on the significance of this gracious glorification (v. 5, exult in glory; see vv. 1–4) with the result of sustained, joyful praise sung to the Lord (v. 5, sing for joy). We are to do this on our beds (v. 5), perhaps in answer to our weeping there (see Ps. 6:6; 30:11), but also in expression of our constant praise day and night, working and resting, in health and sickness, in fasting and feasting, in life and death (see Ps. 1:2; 104:23; Matt. 8:14; Amos 6:4; Isa. 57:2). This reflective interlude also prepares us for the striking passage that follows (vv. 6–9).

Sing praise to the Lord for His Victory Anticipated! (vv. 6–9)

In this section we are thrust from remembering victory achieved to the new song proper of victory anticipated. Just as the Lord commanded the utter destruction of the kings and peoples in Canaan after the exodus (Gen. 15:16; Lev. 18:24), so here we have the divine decree (v. 9; judgment written; see Deut. 20:16) to destroy kings and nobles with their peoples and nations. This can only refer us to the final battle leading to the eternal peace of the new heavens and new earth in which new songs will at last be fully realized (vv. 6–9; see Rev. 19:11; 5:9; 14:3). Jesus is the one with the sharp, two-edged sword (v. 6; see Rev. 1:16; 2:16; 19:15, 21) with which He destroys all those who did not accept His terms of peace in the gospel (2 Thess. 1:5–10; see 2 Cor. 5:18). And we are among those who, with Him, wage His war to end all wars (vv. 6–9; see Rev. 19:8, 14).

Though some tragically misapplied this passage, physical warfare is the present calling of the state, not the church (see Rom. 12:19 and 13:1). Our present calling is to employ the sword of the Spirit, the Word of God, to destroy the deceptions and seductions that cruelly enslave the wicked in order that we would see them delivered from darkness to light and from bondage in their sin to freedom in Christ’s righteousness (see 2 Cor. 10:3; Eph. 6:17, 10; Heb. 4:12; Acts 26:18; Col. 1:13). We are to serve as ambassadors for Christ, earnestly and urgently offering terms of peace to those who are still at war with God and subject to His wrath (Eph. 2:3; 2 Cor. 5:18). Jesus is the One who achieved victory over temptation by His obedience, over sin by His death, over death by His resurrection, and over the tyranny of Satan by His gracious rule at the right hand of God (see Matt. 4:1; Rom. 6:10; 1:4; Acts 2:24). Our present calling is to apply these benefits to sinners by the spiritual power and means of the Spirit.

But this physical warfare is our future calling with Christ at the last great day as the necessary means to fully and finally remove all evil in the new heavens and new earth. Here righteousness will dwell and the new song will be truly and fully sung (see Ps. 96:1, 13; 98:1, 9; 2 Pet. 3:13; Rev. 5:9; 14:3).

Sing Praise to the Lord for His Victories!

Remember the exodus, how the Lord revealed His covenant faithfulness to His people in it, and sing praise to the Lord for His victory. Remember Christ’s victory over temptation, sin, death, and hell, and praise the Lord for His victory. Remember your exodus in Christ (Acts 26:18; Col. 1:13), and sing praise to the Lord for His victory. Remember your present calling to use the sword of the Spirit, the Word of God, to destroy the idolatries and immoralities that hold sinners captive so that the Lord would set them free. Also remember your privileged duty to offer God’s enemies the terms of peace in the gospel so that the Lord would give them repentance, faith, and salvation. And, as you see people saved, sing praise to the Lord for His victory. Finally, sing the new song of Christ’s full and final victory over all His enemies on every side in anticipation of His victory at the last great day and, as you sing, be encouraged to persevere until that day!

Kit Swartz | Comments welcome at oswegorpc@hotmail.com. Sermon audio files and PDF outlines on these Psalms are available at reformedvoice.com.