to bind their kings with chains and their nobles with shackles of iron, Sermons
I. GOD'S WORK IN THE WORLD CALLS FOR STROKE AS WELL AS SONG. It is quite true that the weapons of our warfare are "not carnal;" but they are weapons, and they are for a warfare. There is some danger of overdoing the peaceful and submissive side of the Christian religion. There are many evils, and especially those of a private and personal character, which can best - perhaps can only - be met and conquered by submission. But there are other evils, and especially those of a public character, which must be actively dealt with in a spirit of war. For them the servant of God must have strokes - stroke upon stroke. The two injunctions can be, and must be, observed - "Resist not evil;" "Resist the devil." The spirit of the soldier should be in every Christian. (Illustrate by F. W. Robertson of Brighton.) II. GOD'S WORK OF "STROKE" IS NEVER RIGHTLY DONE SAVE AS WE KEEP THE SOUL OF SONG. That keeps us from a wrong spirit in doing what so easily arouses a bad spirit. The song in our soul shows we are only God's servants; and it keeps us reminded that even in doing stern things we are only doing good, trying to waken song in other souls. - R.T.
Let the saints be joyful in glory. I. THEIR NAME. "Saints."1. Because they are separated. Not the world, or the god of this world, but the God who made and redeemed them, is their Master and Lord; God's service is their service; God's will is their law; God's Word is their rule. 2. Because they are sanctified. By the belief of the truth as it is in Jesus their eyes are turned away from viewing vanities, and are turned towards holy objects of contemplation. II. THEIR HONOUR. "In glory." 1. The state of glory. Heaven — eternal rest, but not inaction. 2. The place of glory. The holy city is all glorious, "having the glory of God," within, above, and around. Its sky is ever cloudless, its light is ever clear, its sun never sets, and its day never ends. 3. The society of glory. 4. An eternity of glory. III. THEIR JOYFULNESS. 1. Wholly joyful. 2. All joyful. 3. Ever joyful. (G. Robson.) I. SOME REASONS FOR PRAISE. 1. The delight of God in His people — their prayers, and their praises. 2. The beauty He puts upon His people. This text may be read in three different ways. First, as in our version, "He will beautify the meek with salvation!" Next, "He will beautify the afflicted with deliverance." Hear that, you afflicted ones; jot it down for your comfort. And, next, "He will beautify the meek with victory." The men that cannot fight shall be beautified with victory. When the fighting men and those that stood up for their own rights will find themselves covered with shame, "He will beautify the meek with victory." II. SPECIAL PHASES OF PRAISE. 1. Glorying in God. By anticipation and by foretaste we have already obtained the life eternal, therefore, "let the saints be joyful in glory." "I cannot get up to that," says one. Try. At any rate, get as far as this: wherever there is grace there will be glory. Grace is the egg, and glory is the hatching of it. Grace is the seed, and glory is the plant that comes out of it. Having the egg and the seed, we have practically and virtually the glory; therefore, "Let the saints be joyful in glory." 2. The next special kind of praise is joy in special circumstances: "Let them sing aloud upon their beds."(1) This is a message for the time of sickness. Praise the Lord when you are ill; sing to His glory when you cannot sleep; sing when the head aches, for that is the highest kind of praise that comes out of the body that is racked with pain. "Let them sing aloud upon their beds."(2) Your bed? Why, that is the place of seclusion! There you are alone. Commune with God upon your beds, and sing His praises, if not aloud with the voice, yet aloud with the heart.(3) Upon your bed? Why, that is the place of domestic gathering; for the bed here meant is a couch, on which the Orientals reclined when they ate. Sing the Lord's praises on your couches; that is, when you gather in your families.(4) The bed of death. ( C. H. Spurgeon.) People PsalmistPlaces JerusalemTopics Bands, Bind, Chains, Fetters, Honoured, Iron, Kings, Nobles, Ones, Rulers, ShacklesOutline 1. The prophet exhorts to praise God for his love to the church5. And for that power which he has given to the church Dictionary of Bible Themes Psalm 149:4-9Library The DanceHeinrich Suso Ps. cxlix. 3 To praise Him in the dance! O glorious day! The pilgrim journey done-- No more press forward on the weary way, For all is reached and won! His Hand at last, the Hand once pierced for me, For ever holdeth mine; O Lord, no songs, no harps of heaven wil be Sweet as one word of Thine. Lord, altogether lovely! then at last High shall the guerdon be, Thy kiss outweigh the weary ages past Of hearts that brake for Thee. ...... Yet now I know Thee as the hidden Bread, The living … Frances Bevan—Hymns of Ter Steegen, Suso, and Others The Millennium in Relation to Sin. St. Malachy's Apostolic Labours, Praises and Miracles. Wisdom and Revelation. Psalms Links Psalm 149:8 NIVPsalm 149:8 NLT Psalm 149:8 ESV Psalm 149:8 NASB Psalm 149:8 KJV Psalm 149:8 Bible Apps Psalm 149:8 Parallel Psalm 149:8 Biblia Paralela Psalm 149:8 Chinese Bible Psalm 149:8 French Bible Psalm 149:8 German Bible Psalm 149:8 Commentaries Bible Hub |