"O clap your hands, all ye people; shout unto God with the voice of triumph. For the LORD most high is terrible; he is a great King over all the earth. He shall subdue the people under us, and the nations under our feet. He shall choose our inheritance for us, the excellency of Jacob whom he loved. Selah. God is gone up with a shout, the LORD with the sound of a trumpet. Sing praises to God, sing praises: sing praises unto our King, sing praises. For God is the King of all the earth: sing ye praises with understanding. God reigneth over the heathen: God sitteth upon the throne of his holiness. The princes of the people are gathered together, even the people of the God of Abraham: for the shields of the earth belong unto God: he is greatly exalted." (Psalm 47:1-9)

          The Israelites were to clap their hands in praise and appreciation for God. Praise should be given to God for all that He has done and all that He will do. God deserves praise because He is a great king over all the earth. God is King over the entire earth. God is the Most High! He gave the Jews victory over their enemies as long as they submitted to Him. God blessed the Jews until they turned away from Him to worship idols. God loved Israel and chose the land that would be the inheritance of Jacob. The Jews had a great heritage in that land. It is vitally important that we leave a strong spiritual heritage for our children and grandchildren. The sound of the trumpet was often involved in God giving His people guidance or victory. One example of the use of the trumpet was when the Jews blew the trumpet and shouted and the walls of Jericho fell down. God is King and one way that we praise Him is with our songs. God is worthy to receive our praise because He is king of all the earth.   God continues to be involved in the affairs of the nations of the earth. The God of Abraham is also over us. He is our shield and protector. Let us highly exalt Him.

          The Lord is God over all -- Psalm 47:1-4: This psalm is clearly a psalm of praise dedicated to God. Christians must praise God as the Lord. He is the Most High and awesome God. Everyone should admire and appreciate God. This is seen in that all nations should clap their hands in appreciation to God and in approval of Him. Our God is the Great King over all the earth. "...the most high God ruled in the kingdom of men, and that he appointeth over it whomsoever he will." (Daniel 5:21) The psalmist knew that in the past God had subdued other nations under the Jews and He would do it again. The Jewish nation would be preserved until the arrival of the Messiah. God chose for the Jews a land that was the pride of Jacob. This inheritance involved the presence of God, worship to God and blessings from God.

          The righteous sing praise to God -- Psalm 47:5-7: The thought that, "God is gone up with a shout, the LORD with the sound of a trumpet" likely refers to the rejoicing and sounding of trumpets, when the Ark of the Covenant was lifted up to be carried on the shoulders of the Levites. Should not a people praise their God? Our God is the Mighty, Great and Awesome King. We must sing His praises as those who are not ashamed of our God. God is our King and we owe Him our praise and honor. But also He is King of all the earth. He is over all the kings of the earth. Therefore, there is no nation in which praise should not be offered to Him. Our God is a Mighty God!

          God reigns over all -- Psalm 47:8-9: God reigns or rules over the nations. This is literally true in God's universal dominion over the world. "God is seated on His holy throne." In a much more specific sense God reigns over the heathen when, by obedience to the Gospel, they are brought into the Church of Christ. God rules the nations from His throne of holiness. He is a holy God. His laws are holy; He requires holiness from those who would honor Him. The rulers and others become children of Abraham by choice. These Gentiles gladly come into the light of God's message. They present themselves a free-will offering to the Lord. Paul wrote, "That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith." (Galatians 3:14) God is greatly to be exalted for the hope of salvation.