To GOD, King Of The World

 "Clap your hands, all you peoples;

acclaim GOD with shouts of joy.

For YAHWEH, the Most High, is to be feared;

HE is a great king all over the earth.

HE brings people under our dominion

and puts nations under our feet.

HE chose our inheritance for us--

the pride of Jacob whom HE loves!

GOD ascends amid joyful shouts,

YAHWEH amid trumpet blasts.

Sing praises to GOD, sing praises!

Sing praises to our King, sing praises!"

- Psalm 47:2-3. 4-5. 6-7

('YOUR kingdom come,' we pray, and yet GOD's kingdom has already come.  But we are thinking of our own acceptance of it, our practical acknowledgment of GOD's sovereignty.  However, there is always comfort in throwing responsibility on GOD, as nations, their king and military leader once did.  Hence the note of joy in this psalm, and GOD 'goes up' to the sound of it.  No doubt, this refers to the procession with the Ark, brought up the Temple hill.  For us there is another 'ascension.'  The glorified body of CHRIST has thrown off the chains of place and time, and has power to lead us always and everywhere.  This is surely a psalm for the feast of the Ascension.

For as long as we express the desire of the Our FATHER: 'YOUR kingdom come' we could pray with this psalm, St. Paul [1 Thessalonians 16-18] says, 'Rejoice always, pray without ceasing and give thanks to GOD at every moment.  This is the will of GOD, your vocation as Christians.'  And, as Christians, we have added reasons to rejoice because of the Ascension of our LORD and HIS promise to take us to HIM.)

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