Psalm 149:2 Let Israel rejoice in him that made him: let the children of Zion be joyful in their King. The Book of Psalms ends in a sacred tumult of joyous praise. He who ends this life with praising God will in like manner begin the next. Let us begin below the music which shall be prolonged through eternity. Like the birds let us welcome the break of day, which, when life is closing, faith discerns to be near. Concerning this joy, note — I. IT IS PECULIAR TO A CERTAIN PEOPLE. "Let the children of Zion be joyful," etc. No others can be. But ye children of Zion, be thus joyful — 1. Because of your loyalty. Ye delight to think that "the Lord reigneth." But we are also — 2. Attached to His Person. It is not merely His throne, but Himself, that is dear to us. When any thus rejoice they sink themselves in Him, and this heightens our joy. And so does the admiration we feel for Him. II. THIS JOY HAS A MOST PROPER OBJECT. For we should rejoice to be ruled by Him, and that He is Lord of all, and that His power is so great, and His glory likewise. The old poem of one of our writers sings of the "Man of Ross," and declares that every good thing in the town is owing to him and his benevolence. So that if you asked, "Who built this fountain?" or, "Who founded yonder school?" the one answer was, "The Man of Ross." So surely if you ask us concerning our privileges, our hopes, yea, the vast all that we possess, our answer is, "We owe them all to our King." Therefore let us be joyful in Him. III. THIS JOY IS PERMANENT IN ITS SOURCE. Everything here below is uncertain. Many are the reasons for our disquietude. Nevertheless let us be joyful in our King. Yes, though ministers and Church members fall off from true doctrine; though there be many backsliding Christians, and so few zealous and really Christlike; though our own hearts be so cold, our prayers so unworthy, our work so scanty and our fruit so rare. Your bottle, like Hagar's, may be dry, but yonder is the well of water which never can fail you. And when you come to die, then will he the time to be more than ever joyful in your King. IV. THIS JOY HAS CERTAIN OCCASIONS FOR ITS MORE ESPECIAL DISPLAY. When does a nation rejoice in its king? At his coronation. So, when Christ was crowned in our souls. At the royal marriage. So, when Christ united us to Himself. When peace is proclaimed after war. So, when peace was made in and for our souls. At victories. When He keeps His jubilee. On his levee days, when He receives His friends. V. AND THIS JOY IS SURE TO HAVE PRACTICAL RESULTS. An Eastern merchant of great wealth had in his employ a workman of great skill and genius in all works of art. But by some means this workman had fallen deeply into debt, and was sinking deeper day by day. He grew more and more depressed, and as he sank in spirit his old skill and power declined with it. Each product of his hand revealed less power. Meanwhile his creditor became more and more exacting, and at last threatened to sell the poor man's children as slaves, according to the law of the land, unless he was paid his debt. This weighed yet more heavily upon the poor man's soul, and his work was worse and worse. At length the merchant inquired of his steward how it was that this workman, once so renowned, was now producing nothing worthy of his former fame. "No masterpieces come from him now, and our name suffers in the market and in the esteem of the merchants. How is all this?" "My lord," said the steward, "he is daily of a sorrowful countenance and forgets to eat bread. He keeps a long and cruel fast, for he is drowned in debt and that to a cruel creditor, and his soul pines like the heath of the desert, and therefore his hand is slow as that of an herdsman, and his eye dull as that of the owl in sunlight. And this is why his hand hath forgot all its wonted cunning." "Send for him, bring him hither," said his lord. He came. His lord told him that his debt should be all paid, and he and his set free. How that man worked afterwards! ( C. H. Spurgeon.) Parallel Verses KJV: Let Israel rejoice in him that made him: let the children of Zion be joyful in their King.WEB: Let Israel rejoice in him who made them. Let the children of Zion be joyful in their King. |
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