Psalm 18- The Nations

 Psalm 18- The Nations

Psalms 18:49 (NKJV) 

Therefore I will give thanks to You, O LORD, among the Gentiles, And sing praises to Your name.

Psalms 18:49 (NET) 

So I will give you thanks before the nations, O LORD! I will sing praises to you!

Romans 15:9 (NKJV)

9and that the Gentiles might glorify God for [His] mercy, as it is written: 

[“For this reason I will confess to You among the Gentiles, And sing to Your name.”]

There is a lot in Psalm 18, but this morning I want to concentrate on one verse that is quoted in the New Testament. In the Old Testament we see many references to Israel as the chosen people that should separate themselves from the other nations, but there are prophetic hints here and there that the Lord has a larger plan for the nations. This is one example where the psalmist indicates that the nations will give thanks and praise God. The Apostle Paul expands in this in the letter to the Romans.

Romans 15:7-11

7Therefore, accept one another, just as Christ also accepted us to the glory of God. 8 For I say that Christ has become a servant to the circumcisionon behalf of the truth of God to confirm the promises given to the fathers, 9 and for the Gentiles to glorify God for His mercy; as it is written,

“THEREFORE I WILL GIVE PRAISE TO YOU AMONG THE GENTILES,

AND I WILL SING TO YOUR NAME.” (Ps 18:49)

10 Again he says,

“REJOICE, O GENTILES, WITH HIS PEOPLE.” (Deut 32:43)

11And again,

“PRAISE THE LORD ALL YOU GENTILES,

ANDLET ALL THE PEOPLES PRAISE HIM.” (Ps 117:1)

The word used here is goyem in the Hebrew and ethnos in the Greek. Both mean nations, gentiles or people, referring to the non Jewish nations of the world. Paul explains to the Romans that Jesus came to save all the peoples (ethnic groups) and not just the circumcised Jews. We do. It discount the place that Israel has in salvation history, for through them we have Moses, the prophets and the law (Torah). But as Jesus said, we need to go to all the nations to preach His gospel of the Kingdom of God.

Matthew 28:19-20

19Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

I’m not sure how much the Old Testament psalmist understood of this, but in any case he was used of the Lord to prophesy of the time when all nations would sing Praise to God.

 

Psalm 18:49

ThereforeI will give thanks to You, O LORD, among the Gentiles, And sing praises to Your name.