The Song of the Sword

Trent Cornwell

Vision Baptist Church

Book of Psalms • Sermon • Submitted 4 months ago • Presented 4 months ago

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Notes

Transcript

Service Notes

Emilee made it to South Africa

Nate made it to Peru

Zachary update

Sermon Introduction

We will end Psalm, Lord willing, on a Sunday night in February where will have a special emphasis on “truth-filled” music on that Sunday

Christ’s second coming is clearly anticipated in this psalm. John Philip’s calls it “The Song of the Sword.”

The psalm is a hymn that celebrates a victory—but what victory?

Some place this during the time of Nehemiah.

Though important, I am most concerned about where this should be placed in your life today.

We will see the Psalm celebrates a recent victory, perhaps the deliverance from exile;

However, what is unique is that but it replaces the expected reasons for praise with a section of future hope. Take note of v.7-9

This victory is a sign of things to come; we are singing of no less than God’s advent in the future.

Advent simply means: the arrival of a notable person, thing, or event:

Kids are keeping an advent calendar this year. Carsen’s has fishing gear.

Divisions in the Psalm

A command to worship with an exhortation to sing a new song v.1-3

Reasons given God’s delight and His deliverance. v.4

Unexpected way to join in worship is participating in the judgment of God’s enemies. v.5-9

Okay, enough talking about what you will see in the Psalm and time to let the God speak through His Word. This is the reading of God’s holy, inspired Word that He has for you this night.

Psalm 149 (KJV)

1 Praise ye the LORD. Sing unto the LORD a new song, and his praise in the congregation of saints.

2 Let Israel rejoice in him that made him: let the children of Zion be joyful in their King.

3 Let them praise his name in the dance: let them sing praises unto him with the timbrel and harp.

4 For the LORD taketh pleasure in his people: he will beautify the meek with salvation.

5 Let the saints be joyful in glory: let them sing aloud upon their beds.

6 Let the high praises of God be in their mouth, and a twoedged sword in their hand;

7 To execute vengeance upon the heathen, and punishments upon the people;

8 To bind their kings with chains, and their nobles with fetters of iron;

9 To execute upon them the judgment written: this honour have all his saints. Praise ye the LORD.

Let us praise the Lord as a delivered people.

Psalm 149:4 “4 For the LORD taketh pleasure in his people: he will beautify the meek with salvation.”

Went into an Ulta the other day. It was unbelievable. Men have 5 in 1 products. Women have products specially designed for their left elbows on Tuesdays.

Nothing brings beauty to our lives like deliverance.

God demonstrated his delight in His people through deliverance from an earthly enemy.

How much more should we know that we are loved. Romans 8:32 “32 He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?”

The joy of being a delivered people

They are home. Psalm 149:5 “5 Let the saints be joyful in glory: let them sing aloud upon their beds.”

Makes me think of Tim Caucutt and not being able to be home for Christmas

Their is a rest that is found that only God can give.

Let us praise the Lord knowing it pleases the Lord for us to do so.

Sing a new song

Psalm 149:1 “1 Praise ye the LORD. Sing unto the LORD a new song, and his praise in the congregation of saints.”

Exhortation for the children of Israel to sing a song to God on a new occasion of His deliverance.

Song of deliverance for their maker. Psalm 149:2 “2 Let Israel rejoice in him that made him: let the children of Zion be joyful in their King.”

God calls them to worship Him because He formed them as a people. / Let’s pause and consider this as their are people overseas and even inside of our borders who (1) do not acknowledge the people of Israel as a sovereign people (2) if they do they call for their destruction

Outsourced “snake education” to Jeff Bush. Carsen can identify snakes. There are also snakes that walk. We need to help our kids understand this. It isn’t going away and you are not the only person in their lives that will talk to them about this. Let’s make sure they have truth to combat the lies.

Sing among other believers

Psalm 149:1–2 “1 Praise ye the LORD. Sing unto the LORD a new song, and his praise in the congregation of saints. 2 Let Israel rejoice in him that made him: let the children of Zion be joyful in their King.”

Let’s preach to the choir and sing to the congregation

There are time we are told to sing to the nations. Psalm 96:1–2 “1 O sing unto the LORD a new song: sing unto the LORD, all the earth. 2 Sing unto the LORD, bless his name; shew forth his salvation from day to day.”

The posture of praise is brought up often in Scripture.

Psalm 149:3 “3 Let them praise his name in the dance: let them sing praises unto him with the timbrel and harp.”

We should not want to distract from the praise of God. Psalm 115:1 “1 Not unto us, O LORD, not unto us, but unto thy name give glory, for thy mercy, and for thy truth’s sake.”

So you might assume that we should stand real still so as to not be a distraction to others.

In the presence of God, his people fall on their faces in worship (Genesis 17:3; Nehemiah 8:6; Ezekiel 1:28; Revelation 4:9–10; 5:8, 14).

In the presence of God, his people raise their hands in worship (1 Kings 8:22; Ezra 9:5; Nehemiah 8:6; Psalm 63:4; 134:2; 141:2).

In the presence of God, his people bow down in worship (Exodus 34:8; Psalm 5:7; Isaiah 66:23; Zephaniah 2:11).

In the presence of God, his people even dance in worship (2 Samuel 6:14; Psalm 149:3; 150:4).

When the President deplanes from Air Force One, servicemen stand in concrete postures of salute at the bottom of the stairs. Does anyone ever look at the servicemen and say, “Put your hand down! You’re causing a scene”? No, their physical postures do not distract from the President’s glory; they help to display it.

Let us reflect upon the contexts.

This is a very special occasions — not in temple worship, not in tabernacle worship, not in the private worship or the public worship of the patriarchs, but in very specific national contexts.

After the crossing of the Red Sea. Exodus 15:20 “20 And Miriam the prophetess, the sister of Aaron, took a timbrel in her hand; and all the women went out after her with timbrels and with dances.”

After being delivered from 22 cities. Judges 11:32–34 “32 So Jephthah passed over unto the children of Ammon to fight against them; and the LORD delivered them into his hands. 33 And he smote them from Aroer, even till thou come to Minnith, even twenty cities, and unto the plain of the vineyards, with a very great slaughter. Thus the children of Ammon were subdued before the children of Israel. 34 And Jephthah came to Mizpeh unto his house, and, behold, his daughter came out to meet him with timbrels and with dances: and she was his only child; beside her he had neither son nor daughter.”

Men of war coming home from victory. 1 Samuel 18:5–7 “5 And David went out whithersoever Saul sent him, and behaved himself wisely: and Saul set him over the men of war, and he was accepted in the sight of all the people, and also in the sight of Saul’s servants. 6 And it came to pass as they came, when David was returned from the slaughter of the Philistine, that the women came out of all cities of Israel, singing and dancing, to meet king Saul, with tabrets, with joy, and with instruments of musick. 7 And the women answered one another as they played, and said, Saul hath slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands.”

This would be more equivalent to the parades in the street after the end of World War II and people meeting their sons coming off the ships in the harbor.

Expressions of true worship do not distract from God’s glory, they display it

Live consistently. These goes beyond even what is happening in the service; our lives should be consistently pointing to the worthiness of God.

Worked at a camp one summer and just loved the worship services until the lifestyle of the counselors was inconsistent with the words we sang. AWARENESS that my attitude has caused distractions from my family and others from being able to be given to praise.

Praise sincerely. Matthew 6:1 “1 Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them: otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven.”

Daily present your body to the Lord as a living sacrifice. Romans 12:1 “1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.”

Recognize there is day coming you will not be able to refrain from displaying praise to the Lord. Philippians 2:10–11 “10 That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; 11 And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”

Upon moving to GA I met up with a friend who grew up in KY. I asked where he attended church he said “I know there doctrine isn’t what it should be but the men seem to really believe what they are singing.” People should not have to make a choice between those two.

Someday we will be part of a great parade of celebration of victory. This psalm looks forward to that day. Revelation 5:9 “9 And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation;”

Transitional Statement: we have looked at out blessing, our beauty, and our bliss found in God’s deliverance

Praise in our mouth and the Sword in our Hands

Psalm 149:5–9 “5 Let the saints be joyful in glory: let them sing aloud upon their beds. 6 Let the high praises of God be in their mouth, and a twoedged sword in their hand; 7 To execute vengeance upon the heathen, and punishments upon the people; 8 To bind their kings with chains, and their nobles with fetters of iron; 9 To execute upon them the judgment written: this honour have all his saints. Praise ye the LORD.”

We are not to rely on our own cleverness or wisdom, but on God’s Word.

We are also provided with this two edged sword. Hebrews 4:12 “12 For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.”

The Word of God is to be man’s ultimate judge. John 12:48 “48 He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day.”

There is a double action revolver called The Judge. It implies that with the gun the person can render the final verdict on the matter.

It is foolishness for anyone to set themselves up as a “higher critic” of God’s Word.

God’s Word is the weapon we use in our battle with Satan. In the list of the Christian’s armor it is the only weapon for attack; note that all the others are for defense (Ephesians 6:17).

When Satan first attacked the human race in the garden of Eden, his primary goal was to persuade Eve to discard the sword of the Spirit, the Word of God. As long as she relied on what God had said, Satan could get nowhere.

Honor of the Saints to execute judgement

Jesus is returning and when He returns He will not be found in a manger on a silent night.

He is coming to rule and to reign and he brings a sword. Revelation 19:15 “15 And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.”

This Psalm teaches these Hebrew believers they will have the honor of executing judgement Psalm 149:9 “9 To execute upon them the judgment written: this honour have all his saints. Praise ye the LORD.”

This is not a passing thought or just an expression of poetry.

It is a truth. It is a prophecy we will hear again in the NT. 1 Corinthians 6:2–3 “2 Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world? and if the world shall be judged by you, are ye unworthy to judge the smallest matters? 3 Know ye not that we shall judge angels? how much more things that pertain to this life?”

It is written

Psalm 149:9 “9 To execute upon them the judgment written: this honour have all his saints. Praise ye the LORD.”

The Word in which the whole world will be judged is already written.

Every hill is not worth dying on. The fight for the infallibility of the Word of God most certainly is.

Conclusion:

Our God has won victories for us in the past, He is winning victories for us in the present, and He will win a climatic victory for us in the future.

“What is the world coming to? It’s coming to Jesus! - Adrian Rogers

Until that day. Let’s keep a praise in our mouths and the Sword in our hands.

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