Greetings CHOOSERS...What WILL you CHOOSE to DO.
"I WILL give thanks/praise to the Lord; with all my heart...I WILL tell of all Your wonders. I WILL be glad and exult in You...I WILL sing praise to Your name, O Most High."
(Psalm 9:1-2)
This is entitled..."For the choir director; on Muth-Labben. A Psalm of David" Muth-labben means "death for (or of) the son." but what it refers to is uncertain." (Thanx and a Tip O Da Hat to The Ryrie Study Bible footnote)
In the world of David...things were black and white. There was good/bad, righteous/evil, friends/enemies, right/wrong. In the world of David there was no politically correct, warm fuzzy, pacifist, forgive and forget...of course unless it was when he was in a repentant mode for his own personal sins. (Psalms 32; Psalm 51). Many of David's Psalms were "git em God"...or... "thank You, praise You, I testify about You...cause you "got em". This sometimes goes against the grain of New Testament sensibilities...as Jesus encourages us to "love our enemies."
It's all about attitude. Whatever it is...David made choices to (1) give thanks/praise (2) tell of His wonders (3) be glad (4) exult in You (5) sing praises to His name.
1. Giving thanks/praise (yadah) by extension of the hands...as if to throw a stone or arrow. It is an aggressive form of praise....and NOT half heartily.
2. Tell of His wonders (saphar) by marking as a tally/record/enumerate/recount them).
3. Be glad (samach) in You...by being cheerful, brighten up, be merry.
4. Exult (alats) in You..by jumping for you, acting triumphant.
5. Sing praises (sawmar) to your name by striking/touch fingers to the stringed instrument
and celebrate with music.
This thing called PRAISE...is not a passive exercise in futility. It is a passionate and demonstrative exercise in Worship of the Living God who will save and vindicate us as our enemies swirl around us.
As those whose roots are in the FAT PART of the book (Old Testament)...and our harvest is in the SKINNY PART of the book (New Testament)...we still have enemies...we still trust God in our battles and warfare...but our focus is BEYOND FLESH AND BLOOD.
"In conclusion, be strong in the Lord--be empowered through your union with Him; draw your strength from Him--that strength which His [boundless] might provides. Put on God's whole armor--the armor of a heavy-armed soldier, which God supplies--that you may be able to successfully to stand up against [all] the strategies and the deceits of the devil. For we are NOT wrestling with flesh and blood-contending ONLY with physical opponents--but against (1) the despotism, (2) against the powers (3) against the spirit forces of wickedness in the heavenly (supernatural) sphere." (Ephesians 6:10-12)
Well...the time for HALF-HEARTED praise is over...let's get up...and get it on!!!
Love and Chosen Praise Kisses
Rodney "Exulting" Boyd
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