#DailyDevotion Jesus Delights In Us & Gives Us Victory
2 Israel should be happy in Him Who made them, and the people of Zion delight in their King. Psalm 149 Praise the LORD! Sing to the LORD a new song, praising Him in the congregation of His devoted ones. 2 Israel should be happy in Him Who made them, and the people of Zion delight in their King. 3They should praise His name with dancing and play on the tambourine and lyre to Him. 4The LORD delights in His people; He glorifies the humble with victory. 5His devoted ones should rejoice in this honor and shout happily on their beds. 6High praise to God should be in their throats and two-edged swords in their hands to take vengeance on the nations and correct the peoples, 8to bind their kings with chains and their leaders with iron fetters, 9to punish them as it is written. This is an honor which belongs to all His devoted ones. Praise the LORD! 2 Israel should be happy in Him Who made them, and the people of Zion delight in their King.
The antiphon for this Sunday is, “ Israel should be happy in Him Who made them, and the people of Zion delight in their King.” Now considering this time of the Church year we are looking to the last judgment and the return of Christ as our God and King, this makes a lot of sense here. Who is it that made us and who is the King we should delight in? Is it not our LORD Jesus Christ, through whom all things are made and are held together? Jesus is the King of Israel who delivered the Israelites from the Egyptians and all their foes. Jesus is the King of Israel whom they crucified but is risen and ascended to the right hand of the Father as was promised his human ancestor David.
The Psalmist says to sing a new song. So in Rev. 5 they sing, “You are worthy to take the scroll and open the seals on it because You were sacrificed and with Your blood You bought them from every tribe, language, people and nation to be God’s own 10and, made them a kingdom and priests of our God, and they will rule as kings over the earth,” and “The Lamb Who was sacrificed is worthy to receive power and wealth, wisdom and strength, honor, glory, and praise,” and “To Him Who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor, glory and might forever!”
There is this wonderful Gospel statement which I think we should take to heart, “The LORD delights in His people; He glorifies the humble with victory.” Smack dab in the middle of this rejoicing, praising and delighting in Jesus Christ the LORD our God, He is delighting in us and glorifies us with victory. Our faith in Jesus make Jesus delight in us. It is not anything we have done. He gives us the victory over all our enemies and glorifies us. Now I know some of you may feel a little uncomfortable with the following verses where Jesus puts a two-edge sword in our hands to take vengeance on the nations, correct the people, binding kings and their leaders with fetters and punish them. Yet on the Last Day, as Christ has promised in Rev. 2, 26“Be victorious and continue to observe My works until the end, and I will give you power over the nations, 27just as I received it from My Father, and you will rule them with an iron rod, shattering them like pottery.” In chapter 3 of the same Jesus says, 21“Be victorious, and I will have you sit with Me on My throne, as I have won the victory and have sat down with My Father on His throne.” For this reason we should praise the LORD Jesus Christ, be happy in him who made us his own and delight in him.
Almighty God and Father, you have gives us such great and wonderful promises in Christ Jesus your Son. Open our lips so we may sing with all your heavenly hosts and all the saints the new song when Christ Jesus returns in victory for us. In Jesus’ name we sing. Amen.