Psalms 149

In the previous psalm we heard how all of creation, the heavens and their inhabitants, the earth and all its inhabitants, are called upon to praise the LORD as their Creator. That psalm ends with three reasons for the people of Israel, the godly ones of the LORD, who are in close fellowship with Him, to praise the LORD. This call is answered in Psalm 149.

While in Psalm 148 the LORD is magnified as the Creator and Sustainer of the universe (cf. Rev 4:11), in Psalm 149 the LORD is magnified as the Redeemer (cf. Rev 5:9-14) of Israel. Israel’s exalted, impressive redemption can only be praised with a new song. Just as the first song of the Bible and of Israel came about after their redemption from Egypt (Exo 15:1), so the faithful remnant of Israel, after victory over the enemy, goes on to magnify the LORD with a new song (cf. Rev 15:2-3).

The division of the psalm is in accordance with the two reasons to praise the LORD:
Verses 1-4 review: redemption through Christ.
Verses 5-9 preview: reigning with Christ.

The psalm begins with “hallelujah”, “praise the LORD”, the hallmark of the last five psalms (verse 1). Then follows the call to “sing to the LORD a new song”. This new song is consistent with the new period that has begun for God’s people, a period of undisturbed peace and joy with new blessings not enjoyed before. The LORD is the object of the new song, for He has wrought all these blessings for His people. The church is already singing a song of praise on earth (Heb 13:15; Jn 4:23) and will soon sing a new song in heaven (Rev 5:9). Israel is singing the new song on earth.

It is a new song because it is now about the new covenant. It is sung “in the congregation of the godly ones”, the chasidim, which are those who are faithful to the covenant with the LORD. It is also a new song because redemption is something totally new (Isa 43:19), so the words of the older songs are not sufficient to put the new redemption into words (cf. Psa 96:1; 98:1).

The new song is not sung by the few here, but “in the congregation of the godly ones”. They are the redeemed whom God has kept as His people. Through them, as the congregation of the godly ones, His praise is sung. They are the covenant people, the congregation of the righteous.

The fact that they are called God’s “godly ones” here underscores the fact that their song is motivated by the awareness that all the blessings they have received are on the basis of the new covenant. This covenant is based on the coming of the Mediator Who shed His blood. This allows the LORD to give His blessing, which is the inheritance, to the godly ones. It is grace because it is not based on the people’s own righteousness, but on the basis of the accomplished work of Christ, the Mediator of the new covenant.

“Israel”, the people made up of godly ones, is called to “be glad in his Maker” (verse 2). This again emphasizes that the LORD is the origin of His people. He made them (Psa 95:6; 100:3; Isa 44:2). They owe their creation and existence to Him.

They are also called “the sons of Zion”. This is a reminder that they are no longer associated with Sinai, the mountain of the law, but with Mount Zion, the mountain of grace, which is represented here as the mother (Isa 66:8). They have come to Mount Zion (Heb 12:19-25), which means that by grace they are what they are. With Mount Zion is also connected the kingship of the Lord Jesus (Psa 2:6). Therefore, they are called to “rejoice in their King”, Who rules over them in benevolence. He dwells in their midst, He leads them and protects them and blesses them with an abundant blessing.

The purpose of salvation is to celebrate a feast with the LORD (cf. Exo 5:1). It cannot be otherwise than that they will “praise His name with dancing” and “sing praises to Him with timbrel and lyre” (verse 3). Dancing is here a dance performed by a group of persons, who dance in a round dance. It emphasizes communal joy. We also see the round dance, the timbrel and the singing after the earlier deliverance of God’s people, that from slavery in Egypt (Exo 15:1,20-21). It underscores the strong connection between that event and the deliverance of God’s people in the end time.

This King, their Messiah, is the LORD Himself (verse 4). He dwells with His people and “takes pleasure” in them. He finds His joy in them, for they are in the right mind. They are “the afflicted” or “the meek” (Darby Translation). They have become that through His work in and on them in the great tribulation, Christ Himself being their Example and Master (Mt 11:29). That time of distress, when they were trampled on by the nations, is over. The LORD has made them the head of the nations (Deu 26:19). As a result, they now enjoy being beautified “with salvation”.

The time of suffering with Christ is necessary in order to reign with Him. The followers of David who followed him during the time of his rejection by King Saul will reign with David during his kingship. So it is with the believing remnant and so it is with us (Rom 8:17b).

We find the time of glorification in verses 5-9, which is when they will reign with Christ. It is the fulfillment of the Lord Jesus’ promise to His disciples: “And Jesus said to them, “Truly I say to you, that you who have followed Me, in the regeneration when the Son of Man will sit on His glorious throne, you also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel”” (Mt 19:28).

As “the godly ones”, they may “exult in glory” (verse 5). As the objects of His favor or grace, God’s honor – Hebrew kabod –, God’s glory rests upon them like a crown. The time of ikabod – means “away is the honor” – is over, the time when the honor of God’s people was gone (cf. 1Sam 4:21). The LORD has given His people “grace and honor” (Psa 84:11). They have been glorified by Him, made glorious, before the eyes of the nations (Isa 55:5; 60:9). There is every reason to “sing for joy” (Isa 61:10).

This is the time when the remnant, who suffered with Christ in the time of the great tribulation, is glorified with Christ and will reign with Him. And they may do so with an abundance of joy, their “cup overflowing” (Psa 23:5c). We too, when we celebrate the Lord’s Supper, may take the cup of thanksgiving in anticipation that we too, who are now suffering with Christ, will one day, that is, very soon, be glorified with Him.

The remnant may do so “on their beds”. The beds were the places during the great tribulation where they sought the LORD’s face with tears (Psa 6:6). In those places they wrestled with the question marks of life during sleepless nights (Psa 77:5-8). Now the time of tears is over, the tears have been wiped away (Isa 25:8; Rev 21:4). All questions have been answered. They know in some respect as they are known (1Cor 13:12). The beds are now no longer wet with tears, no longer churned over from sleepless nights. They have become places where the believer cannot stop the rejoicing of the day, even in bed he continues to rejoice and praise the LORD.

God, according to His promise, has brought His people into the rest. Previously, the people had come into the land, but not into the rest (Heb 4:9). Each time they forfeited the promised rest through their unfaithfulness to God. But the Messiah, the Man of true rest (1Chr 22:9), through His work on the cross, first gave rest to their consciences. And now they have entered into the rest outwardly as well.

The godly ones of God are also singing and victorious warriors (verse 6). Out of their mouths sound “high praises of God”, while there is “a two-edged sword in their hand”. The first is a testimony of trust in God, while in that trust the sword is taken up to defeat the opponents, leaving no doubt about the outcome of the battle. We see these two aspects in the battle of Jehoshaphat: He puts singers first, then the armed men follow, after which the LORD gives the victory (2Chr 20:21-22).

The struggle of us Christians is not against flesh and blood (Eph 6:12). Therefore, we do not fight with a two-edged sword of iron in our hand, with carnal weapons, but with spiritual weapons that are but Divinely powerful (2Cor 10:4). Our sword is “the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God” (Eph 6:17; Heb 4:12; cf. Isa 49:2).

The praise of God is incompatible with the evil with which the nations have ruled over God’s people. The battle is necessary “to execute vengeance on the nations” (verse 7). It is the vengeance of God that He executes on the nations through His people because of the enmity of those nations against His people (Isa 41:14-16; Jer 51:20; Mic 4:13; 5:7-8; Zec 9:13). His people are the remnant for whom the foretold time to reign has come (Dan 7:22).

It is over and done with the rule of the kings of those nations who have repeatedly besieged, humiliated, hunted down and killed God’s people (verse 8). The kings are deprived of all freedom of action by binding them “with chains.” Also “their nobles”, who have been guilty of robbing His people, lose their freedom and thus their prestige. They are bound “with fetters of iron”.

Vengeance is not a sudden act of retaliation by one who feels that he has been wronged, but takes place “to execute on them the judgment written” (verse 9; Deu 7:1-2; 31:5; 32:41-43; Isa 26:9-10). It is a perfectly just judgment carried out in accordance with what is written long beforehand. The criminals will have no choice but to acknowledge its rightfulness. This righteous retribution will be “an honor for all His godly ones”.

All of God’s actions in judgment, including the judgments He executes through His own, assure His own of His love. Therefore, at the conclusion of this psalm a new “hallelujah!”, “praise the LORD!” is appropriate.