Postmodern means that which follows the modern. The modern period was the time when mankind set itself up as the ultimate authority. Scripture, myths, and emotions needed to take second place to science and logic. In falling in love with the scientific method and human rationalism, it was thought that mankind would eventually solve all its problems through scientific progress. Of course, World War I and II put a dent in the popularity of mankind’s ability to get along. The present War on Terror would be an indicator that science and technology have not led us into an age of bliss.
The time after modernism, postmodernism, is skeptical. It says that no story, whether it is the scientific story of evolution or the theistic story of Creation provides absolute meaning to our lives. Everyone has the authority to make up their own story because all that exists is opinion and that doesn’t count for much (which, I guess, is just a postmodernist’s opinion and doesn’t count for much). The problem is that postmodernism will get you killed as a philosophy to live by. If a psychopath or terrorist wants you dead and they’re entitled to their own way of making sense of the world, they have every right to kill you. Your opinion that you should stay alive is just that – a weak opinion.
Reality seems to reveal a self-evident truth that killing the innocent is wrong (deciding who is innocent is a hard one, though). Reality seems to reveal that there are laws and principles at work that are true whether we want them to be or not. Reality reveals that the fierce individualism of postmodernity which allows you to treat the world however you choose is absurd. Reality reveals that there is a unifying force behind all of life – even behind the order in the universe. Reality is best explained by the narrative of Scripture. Scripture claims that there is one God who is the ruler of everything. I can imagine him looking down from heaven at the absurd departure of mankind from logic and reason, from faith and wisdom. I can imagine him saying, “Enough with the postmodernism, already. Don’t make me come down there!” However, he is already here, if we will just see him. We are still living on the planet over which he is king and he reigns despite his tolerance for our rebellion.
Psalm 47
For the director of music. Of the Sons of Korah. A psalm.
1 Clap your hands, all you nations;
shout to God with cries of joy.
2 For the LORD Most High is awesome,
the great King over all the earth.
3 He subdued nations under us,
peoples under our feet.
4 He chose our inheritance for us,
the pride of Jacob, whom he loved.[b]
5 God has ascended amid shouts of joy,
the LORD amid the sounding of trumpets.
6 Sing praises to God, sing praises;
sing praises to our King, sing praises.
7 For God is the King of all the earth;
sing to him a psalm of praise.
8 God reigns over the nations;
God is seated on his holy throne.
9 The nobles of the nations assemble
as the people of the God of Abraham,
for the kings[c] of the earth belong to God;
he is greatly exalted.
Questions
- How are the shouts of the nations described?
- What did God choose for Israel?
- How does the psalm take a local truth and make it universal?
- Do you think of your God as everyone’s God?
- How do people today reduce God from reigning over the nations? How will he put that right?
Going Deeper
Clap your hands in verse one is a Hebrew idiom. Can you find what it means?
Plymothian 
1) As sounding trumpets.
2) God chose Israel’s inheritance.
3) The Local truth was that God has subdued people for the Israelites but they make it a universal truth by saying that God is powerful over all the nations and all the nations should should praise him for his power!
4) I think of Him as God of the universe and the only true God but I do not think that everyone acknowledges him as God. I think that people seek after false God and thus…I don’t know, just because they don’t see HIm as God in no way diminishes His power but I wouldn’t say that He is their God. This is a hard question. Because I feel like it can easily slide into “however you worship God is good” which can turn into “However you view God is great for you” and then it’s not God they are serving but Budda. And I do not think that all worship is glorifying to God.
5) Today people try to rule over the nations themselves. The leaders are obsessed with gaining more and more and not with godly living and taking care of the poor and the widows. It’s terrible how politics truly show the dark, prideful, selfishness of of the human nature instead of the goodness, gentleness, compassion and mercy of our God. When Jesus comes back and he rules we will experience true good leadership and politics. 🙂
How are the shouts of the nations described? “shout to God with cries of joy” (triumphal)
What did God choose for Israel? “He chose inheritance for us”
How does the psalm take a local truth and make it universal? The verse first reflects the nation of Israel, and it is specific, but it goes on to say that the Lord will bless all the nations, making it a universal truth.
Do you think of your God as everyone’s God? Most times, I do not. I was actually just thinking about this when I was doing my lesson for the book of 1 Samuel. In chapter 5, we fined the Philistines holding on to the ark of the covenant. Even though they were not ‘of Israel’ or faithful to God, in the end, they still had to recognize the power of God and His people.
How do people today reduce God from reigning over the nations? How will he put that right? People today reduce God by means of putting him in a box and saying, you are my God and I will hold my opinions, wants and individual desires above your divine sovereignty.
1. How are the shouts of the nations described? … “cries of joy”
2. What did God choose for Israel? He chose Israel’s inheritance.
3. How does the psalm take a local truth and make it universal? First, the psalmist speaks of blessing specific to the Israelites, but then He applies them to the nations shortly afterwards.
4. Do you think of your God as everyone’s God? Nah, I’m not like Oprah. He is the God of everyone, but not everyone’s God.
5. How do people today reduce God from reigning over the nations? How will he put that right? Government leaders try to push God out of the political spectrum. Many even mandate civilians to practice atheism. They lack the faith to allow God to handle policy, economic, and warfare issues and so they never consult Him regarding these subjects. People are so dependent upon the government to sustain them (health, diet, education, housing, etc.) that they take God out of the scenario. When Jesus comes back, He will reign with holy justice and all the tribes and peoples will have to acknowledge His authority.
Going Deeper
Clap your hands in verse one is a Hebrew idiom. Can you find what it means?
I’m not near a concordance of Bible background commentary so…my guess is it means, “Demonstrate delight or joy.”
1.How are the shouts of the nations described?
Shouts to God with cries of joy
2.What did God choose for Israel?
He chose our inheritance for us,
the pride of Jacob, whom he loved.
3.How does the psalm take a local truth and make it universal?
He concentrates on the nation of Israelites and than he expands on how God is an awesome God and all nations should praise Him.
4.Do you think of your God as everyone’s God?
I dont think that my awesome God is everyones God in a sense that people have created their own false god’s and replaced the one true God. I do believe that God is reaching out to be the God of everyones hearts but people are not willing to have a place for this God.
5.How do people today reduce God from reigning over the nations? How will he put that right? I think from all the natural disasters and just all the wars that have been ongoing from generation to generation and the constant mocking of “Were id your God?” really speaks for it self that people see God as not all powerful and in control of the nations because he does not take action. But just like in the psalm the kingdom belongs to God and He is on the throne all will answer to Him in the end.
How are the shouts of the nations described?
What did God choose for Israel?
How does the psalm take a local truth and make it universal?
Do you think of your God as everyone’s God?
How do people today reduce God from reigning over the nations? How will he put that right?
1-As a voice of triumph
2-God will choose Israel’s inheritance and the excellence of Jacob.
3-It gives recognition to God’s universal kingdom.
4-Yes, His kingdom is over people of every nation and culture, and I have a “but” phrase that includes unbelievers and God but I can’t put it to words that sound theologically wrong.
5-People not only don’t put God over the nations but over their lives. God in the appointed day will reign over all the people.
1. As sounding trumpets and shouts of joy.
2. Our inheritance for us.
3. That God is the God of Israel. They take that local truth and say that He is the God of all nations.
4. Yes. This concept can be difficult at times. It can be very difficult at times to connect with people in Africa or someone like Richard Dawkins. It is amazing and revealing that God is the God of every single person on earth. This God conne ts us all in a fearful way. I can’t escape all connection with someone like Dawkins, or worse, Charles Manson. I’m not entirely sure what to think of this. But I know that it binds us ultimately. We came from the same God. And God has/had a plan for all of us, even Charles Manson and Richard Dawkins.
5. Like in 1 Samuel 8, we don’t view God as our king. We put presidents and kings and queens to rule over us. Materialism spreads rampant and we try to replace God with things. Money, cars, women, power, etc. all temporarily gratify us. But God should be our ultimate source of direction and satisfaction.