ACCLAIMING THE GREATNESS OF THE LORD 

ACCLAIMING THE GREATNESS OF THE LORD

Text:  Psalm 48:1 – A song. A psalm of the Sons of Korah. Great is the LORD, and most worthy of praise, in the city of our God, his holy mountain.

Title: … the Sons of Korah.  Note    Numbers 26:8-11 – ⁸The son of Pallu was Eliab, ⁹and the sons of Eliab were Nemuel, Dathan and Abiram. The same Dathan and Abiram were the community officials who rebelled against Moses and Aaron and were among Korah’s followers when they rebelled against the LORD.  ¹⁰The earth opened its mouth and swallowed them along with Korah, whose followers died when the fire devoured the 250 men. And they served as a warning sign.  ¹¹The line of Korah, however, did not die out.

V.11 – The line of Korah, however, did not die out.  See Numbers 16:1-35.  It is inferred that the “Sons of Korah” acknowledged the greatness of the LORD and, therefore, in obedience to the LORD, they had “moved away” from their father’s tent. (Numbers 16:23-27 – ²³Then the LORD said to Moses, ²⁴“Say to the assembly, ‘Move away from the tents of Korah, Dathan and Abiram.’ ”

²⁵Moses got up and went to Dathan and Abiram, and the elders of Israel followed him.  ²⁶He warned the assembly, “Move back from the tents of these wicked men! Do not touch anything belonging to them, or you will be swept away because of all their sins.”  ²⁷So they moved away from the tents of Korah, Dathan and Abiram. Dathan and Abiram had come out and were standing with their wives, children and little ones at the entrances to their tents.)

Let us thank the Lord for the provision He has made for us to “move away” from death to eternal life.  John 3:16 – “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

Great is the LORD and most worthy of praise – The following are examples of those by whom the greatness of the Lord has been acclaimed.  Note the various ways in which His greatness has been displayed.

MOSES:  See Exodus 15.  (V.6-7, 11 – ⁶“Your right hand, O LORD, was majestic in power. Your right hand, O LORD, shattered the enemy. ⁷In the greatness of your majesty you threw down those who opposed you. You unleashed your burning anger; it consumed them like stubble.  [See Exodus 14.]

¹¹“Who among the gods is like you, O LORD? Who is like you–majestic in holiness, awesome in glory, working wonders?)

Deuteronomy 3:24 – “O Sovereign LORD, you have begun to show to your servant your greatness and your strong hand. For what god is there in heaven or on earth who can do the deeds and mighty works you do?

JOB:  Job 9:4 – His wisdom is profound, his power is vast. Who has resisted him and come out unscathed?

Job 42:1-2 – Then Job replied to the LORD:  ²“I know that you can do all things; no plan of yours can be thwarted.

ELIHU:  Job 36:5 – “God is mighty, but does not despise men; he is mighty, and firm in his purpose.

DAVID: 1 Chronicles 29:10-13 – ¹⁰David praised the LORD in the presence of the whole assembly, saying, “Praise be to you, O LORD, God of our father Israel, from everlasting to everlasting.  ¹¹Yours, O LORD, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and the splendor, for everything in heaven and earth is yours. Yours, O LORD, is the kingdom; you are exalted as head over all.  ¹²Wealth and honor come from you; you are the ruler of all things. In your hands are strength and power to exalt and give strength to all.  ¹³Now, our God, we give you thanks, and praise your glorious name.

Psalm 145:3 – Great is the LORD and most worthy of praise; his greatness no one can fathom.

ASAPH:  Psalm 77:13-15 – ¹³Your ways, O God, are holy. What god is so great as our God?  ¹⁴You are the God who performs miracles; you display your power among the peoples.  ¹⁵With your mighty arm you redeemed your people, the descendants of Jacob and Joseph. Selah

ISAIAH:  Isaiah 12:6 – Shout aloud and sing for joy, people of Zion, for great is the Holy One of Israel among you.”

Isaiah 63:7 – I will tell of the kindnesses of the LORD, the deeds for which he is to be praised, according to all the LORD has done for us–yes, the many good things he has done for the house of Israel, according to his compassion and many kindnesses.

JEREMIAH:  Jeremiah 10:6-7 – ⁶No one is like you, O LORD; you are great, and your name is mighty in power.  ⁷Who should not revere you, O King of the nations? This is your due. Among all the wise men of the nations and in all their kingdoms, there is no one like you.

Jeremiah 32:17-19 – ¹⁷“Ah, Sovereign LORD, you have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and outstretched arm. Nothing is too hard for you.  ¹⁸You show love to thousands but bring the punishment for the fathers’ sins into the laps of their children after them. O great and powerful God, whose name is the LORD Almighty, ¹⁹great are your purposes and mighty are your deeds. Your eyes are open to all the ways of men; you reward everyone according to his conduct and as his deeds deserve.

NAHUM:  Nahum 1:3 – The LORD is slow to anger and great in power; the LORD will not leave the guilty unpunished. His way is in the whirlwind and the storm, and clouds are the dust of his feet.

PAUL:  Ephesians 3:20-21 – ²⁰Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, ²¹to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.

Let us ask the Lord to help us to acknowledge His greatness and to fulfill our purpose by continuously acclaiming His awesome deeds.  Psalm 115:16-18 – ¹⁶The highest heavens belong to the LORD, but the earth he has given to man.  ¹⁷It is not the dead who praise the LORD, those who go down to silence; ¹⁸it is we who extol the LORD, both now and forevermore. Praise the LORD.