Thy Strong Word - Psalm 47: Korah Reminds David, God is King of Kings, ☧ Ascends

Rev. Dustin Beck, pastor of Holy Cross Lutheran Church in Warda, Texas, joins host Rev. AJ Espinosa to study Psalm 47.

You might say the Korahites had a legacy of objecting to monarchical power: “You have gone too far!” Korah accused Moses & Aaron. “Why then do you exalt yourselves above the assembly of the LORD?” In collective repentance, the Korahite composer of Psalm 47 does not rebel like his ancestor, but gently reminds the newly-ascended king of Judah that “the LORD, the Most High” is the true king, even over the foreign rulers or “shields of the earth.” Judah’s king was a mere shadow of the King of Creation, anticipating the ascension of Jesus the true Christ, whose rule truly causes “all peoples” to clap, shout, and sing. Faith’s perspective resists rebellion, but pledges ultimate allegiance only to Heaven’s throne.

Lutheran Heritage Foundation - Underwriter of Thy Strong Word — Underwriter of Thy Strong Word

Thy Strong Word is a daily in-depth study of the books of the Bible with host Rev. AJ Espinosa and guest pastors from across the country. Thy Strong Word is graciously underwritten by the Lutheran Heritage Foundation and produced by the LCMS Office of National Mission.

Psalm 47

God Is King over All the Earth

To the choirmaster. A Psalm of the Sons of Korah.

47 Clap your hands, all peoples!
    Shout to God with loud songs of joy!
²For the Lord, the Most High, is to be feared,
    a great king over all the earth.
³He subdued peoples under us,
    and nations under our feet.
⁴He chose our heritage for us,
    the pride of Jacob whom he loves. Selah

⁵God has gone up with a shout,
    the Lord with the sound of a trumpet.
⁶Sing praises to God, sing praises!
    Sing praises to our King, sing praises!
⁷For God is the King of all the earth;
    sing praises with a psalm!^[a]

⁸God reigns over the nations;
    God sits on his holy throne.
⁹The princes of the peoples gather
    as the people of the God of Abraham.
For the shields of the earth belong to God;
    he is highly exalted!

Footnotes

Psalm 47:7 Hebrew maskil

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. esv.org

Rev. AJ Espinosa

It’s no coincidence that the favorite hymn for Rev. AJ Espinosa, host of Thy Strong Word, is Thy Strong Word. Working on his PhD from Concordia Seminary St. Louis, Pastor Espinosa takes breaks from his studies by beating the competition in his favorite video and board games, reading “Mere Christianity,” or getting some quality sleep. When he’s not mixing curries or whipping up a fresh flan for dessert, you may find him researching cryptocurrency, watching Star Trek Discovery, or jamming out to the Coco and Moana Spanish-language soundtracks (with his daughter, of course). Pastor Espinosa lives in California, where he enjoys time at the beach with his wife, Gaby, precious little girls Ellie and Natalie, and exceptionally friendly black cat Heike.