We believe that Psalms 46, 47, and 48
were written on the occasion in Israel’s history when the Assyrian King Sennacherib
had surrounded the city of Jerusalem with his great army and was demanding
their surrender. King Hezekiah took their letter of demands and laid it out
before the LORD and prayed for deliverance. Because he prayed and trusted the
LORD, the prophet Isaiah came and told him that the LORD would give him a great
victory.
To really appreciate and understand
these three Psalms, please take the time to read about this event in 2 Kings
18-19 and Isaiah 37.
It is possible that after King Hezekiah
prayed, and Isaiah came with the word from the LORD Himself would give a
miraculous victory of this great enemy, that he wrote Psalm 46 in faith and in
anticipation of God answering his prayer. He proclaimed: “God is our refuge
and strength, A very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, Even
though the earth be removed, And though the mountains be carried into the midst
of the sea…” “Be still, and know that I
am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!
The LORD of hosts is with us; The God of Jacob is our refuge.” (Psalm
46:1-2; 10-11)
I can see Isaiah and King Hezekiah
staying up the rest of the night praying and waiting on the LORD. Early the
next morning as the sun begins to rise, the word comes to them that the army of
the Assyrians has been destroyed. The Angel of LORD had come in the night and
killed 185,000 soldiers and their corpses lay across the fields surrounding the
city walls.
It is then that Hezekiah takes up his pen
again and writes Psalm 47! The promise of 46:10,"Be still and know that
I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the
earth", is fulfilled in Ps. 47.
Now after they see this great victory, five times the people are commanded to "sing
praises… sing praises" to the Lord who "is the King of all the
earth…” who "reigns over the nations” (vv. 6-8).
So, it appears that this Psalm was
written to celebrate the defeat of Sennacherib, then it describes the people of
Israel proclaiming to the surrounding Gentile nations the glorious victory of
their God, a victory won without their having to fight a battle! Even to this
day this Psalm is used in the synagogues on Rosh Hashana, the Jewish New Year's
Day.
This Psalm is also used in the church on
Ascension Day. We believe that it is also a Messianic Psalm. “God is gone up
with a shout” (v. 5). After Jesus
resurrection, He ascended into heaven in front of His disciples (Acts
1:9-11). Ephesians 4:8-10 also speaks
of His ascension: “Therefore He says: "When He ascended on high, He led
captivity captive, And gave gifts to men." (Now this, "He
ascended"--what does it mean but that He also first descended into the
lower parts of the earth? He who descended is also the One who ascended far
above all the heavens, that He might fill all things.)”
That was His first ascension! But Jesus
will ascend again after He comes in judgement to destroy the armies of the Antichrist
at the end of the Tribulation. (Revelation 19-20). I believe this Psalm is in anticipation of
this ascension when Jesus sets up His Kingdom on the earth and rules from His
holy throne in Jerusalem for a thousand years.
I trust you are prepared to be a part of
that great celebration day! But even today we can “sing praises” in our
anticipation of that awesome day!
God bless!
