Psalms 47:7 - Homiletics

Universal dominion.

"God is King of all the earth." We must beware of making too wide a chasm between our sabbath rest and our daily work; devotion and daily duty. The risk is double—of making our religion unreal, and our daily work irreligious. A devout Christian may be tempted to say, "Do not talk to me from the pulpit about earth; talk about heaven! I must launch out again into the rough sea of business and politics to-morrow; let not even the ground-swell disturb the peaceful haven." This is natural enough, but not always well. Our treasure is not on earth, but our work is. The tempter told our Saviour that the kingdoms of this world are delivered to him; but he was sternly rebuked. If he is called "the prince," even "the god of this world," it is a usurped dominion, which it is our business to protest and fight against. "The earth is the Lord's," etc. ( Psalms 24:1 ); "The kingdom is the Lord's" ( Psalms 22:28 ).

I. GOD IS THE ABSOLUTE SOVEREIGN OF MANKIND , AS OF THE WHOLE UNIVERSE . Supreme authority and almighty power are his—his only. Sin cannot change this. The most absolute and mighty despot on earth would become a helpless captive if his troops and people were unanimous in deposing him. But God's power and authority would be exactly the same if every human being defied it. Disobedience could not last an hour if he saw fit to crush it. But he wills to rule, not by mere power, but by wisdom, righteousness, and love—his own eternal law of being and working.

II. GOD 'S REGAL BOUNTY , HIS FATHERLY CARE AND GOODNESS , ARE EXERCISED TOWARDS ALL MEN . ( Matthew 5:45 ; Acts 14:17 ; Acts 17:25 .) The Laplander in his snow hut, no less than the most cultured child of civilization. If he knows every wild bird and beast ( Psalms 50:10-12 ), and not a sparrow falls unnoticed by him, how much less can one human being, even the guiltiest and most debased, be outside his care!

III. GOD 'S IMPERIAL PROVIDENCE CONTROLS ALL HUMAN ACTION . Men rebel against his will, yet his purpose is accomplished ( Psalms 30:10 , Psalms 30:11 ; Acts 3:17 , Acts 3:18 ; 2 Chronicles 10:15 ). Our inability to explain how this is possible does not affect the fact. Were it otherwise, God could not govern the world. Conscience and Scripture alike tell us that freedom and responsibility are not interfered with.

IV. GOD RULES AND CARES FOR NATIONS AS SUCH ; NOT INDIVIDUALS MERELY . For human history is the history of nations. The nation of Israel, constructed (so to speak), educated, governed, blessed, and chastened, as no other has been, holds a unique place in the providence of God and in the religious history of mankind. The full prophetic testimony of this fact is one of the strongest evidences of Old Testament inspiration. In this psalm, e.g; full of national sentiment and triumph, the heathen are regarded, not as conquered foes, but fellow-subjects.

V. THIS REGAL , IMPERIAL RULE IS COMMITTED TO THE LORD JESUS . ( Matthew 28:18 .) The hands nailed to the cross hold the sceptre of the world ( Revelation 2:26 , Revelation 2:27 ). Not for worldly ends; but for the sake of that higher kingdom, specially called in the New Testament "the kingdom of God;" the rule, namely, of righteousness, truth, and love, for which we pray, "Thy kingdom come."

CONCLUSION . To which kingdom do you belong—does each one of us? only to that to which even the most ignorant belongs, without knowing it; the most wicked, against his will? or that which the Son of God and Son of man lived, died, and rose again to found and to make triumphant, and in whose triumph we may share?