Psalm 47 Summary - 5 Minute Bible Study

Psalm 47 Short Summary:

Psalm 47 is a psalm of worship, written by the Sons of Korah. The author encourages his hearers to clap their hands and sing songs of joy to the Lord. Although there were many reasons to praise God, two are highlighted in Psalm 47, (1) God’s special favor towards the nation of Israel, and (2) God’s power and rule over all nations of the earth.

Psalm 47 Summary

AUTHOR:

• The Sons of Korah (a family of the Tribe of Levi).

NEW TESTAMENT REFERENCES:

• No Know New Testament References.

THEMES:

• God is worthy of worship for ruling over the nations of the world.

• The psalmist praises God for elevating the nation of Israel.

DEFINITIONS:

• Selah (47:4) – This word appears over 70 times in the Psalms. Scholars have tried for years to discover the true meaning of the word, but it remains somewhat of a mystery. Some scholars think it’s a musical pause or a literary pause, calling on the reader to stop and ponder what was just stated.  Other scholars propose its meaning is related to worship, an expression of praise to God. Still others suggest it’s a literary device used by the ancients to mark themes that run through the text. The only other book in the Bible where “Selah” is found is the book of Habakkuk.

• Jacob (47:4) – Jacob was the grandson of Abraham and the son of Isaac. Jacob was the father of the 12 patriarchs, the men from which the 12 tribes of Israel would take their names. Sense he was the father of the nation of Israel, his name is sometimes used to refer to the nation collectively. You’ll see it used this way in Psalm 44:4.

OUTLINE:

• GOD’S FAVOR TOWARDS ISRAEL AND HIS REIGN OVER ALL THE EARTH (47:1-9):

  • Psalm 47 is a psalm of worship, with the author encouraging his hearers to clap their hands and sing songs of joy to the Lord.

  • Although there were many reasons to praise God, two are highlighted in this chapter, (1) God’s special favor towards the nation of Israel, and (2) God’s power and rule over all nations of the earth.

  • The psalmist, who was himself a citizen of the nation of Israel, wrote, “He has subdued peoples under us, and nations under our feet” (47:3).

  • Israel had enjoyed many military victories in their history. The most noticeable way God had blessed Israel was by helping them drive out the wicked inhabitants of Canaan so they could make the land their home.  

  • In light of these victories, the sons of Korah encouraged the people of Israel to “sing praises to God.”

  • In verse 7, the psalmist encourages the people to sing praises to God for the fact that He reigns over all the nations.

  • God wasn’t a local deity who could only help Israel, He controlled all the nations on the face of the earth.

  • As the Israelites had done, the princes of these foreign nations would assemble before God and acknowledge Him as King, whether willingly or unwillingly.
    

APPLICATION:

• With all the political turmoil going on these days, it might be beneficial for us to look back through history, remind ourselves that no politician or policy has ever stopped God’s will from being accomplished, and rest in the fact that God is still sitting on His holy throne.

• Its easy to get weighed down with worry about elections and corruption, and those things aren’t insignificant, they effect our everyday lives, but when you zoom out and observe the big picture, you’ll see that history is quite encouraging.

• Israel and Judah had 20+ rotten kings… God still got His work done.

• The corrupt Jewish officials bribed an inside man to betray Jesus… God still got His work done.

• A governor of Rome was lobbied (peer-pressured) into murdering Jesus… God still got His work done.

• The Jewish government tried to cover up Jesus’ resurrection… everybody still found out about it.

• Governments, politicians, kings, dictators, and rich men have been up to not good for thousands of years, but God is still successfully bringing about His will in the world amidst the apparent chaos.

• What appears as chaos to us is a perfectly organized plan in the mind of God. Satan can’t win because God can turn all his evil for good (Gen 50:20; Rom 8:28).

• That is a reason to “sing praises to God, sing praises! Sing praises to our King, sing praises!”