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Thanksgiving and Praise

12

You will say in that day:

I will give thanks to you, O L ord,

for though you were angry with me,

your anger turned away,

and you comforted me.

 

2

Surely God is my salvation;

I will trust, and will not be afraid,

for the L ord G od is my strength and my might;

he has become my salvation.

 

3 With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation. 4And you will say in that day:

Give thanks to the L ord,

call on his name;

make known his deeds among the nations;

proclaim that his name is exalted.

 

5

Sing praises to the L ord, for he has done gloriously;

let this be known in all the earth.

6

Shout aloud and sing for joy, O royal Zion,

for great in your midst is the Holy One of Israel.

 


5. Sing unto the Lord He continues his exhortation, showing what is the feeling from which this thanksgiving ought to proceed; for he shows that it is our duty to proclaim the goodness of God to every nation. While we exhort and encourage others, we must not at the same time sit down in indolence, but it is proper that we set an example before others; for nothing can be more absurd than to see lazy and slothful men who are exciting other men to praise God.

For he hath done glorious things. When he asserts that God hath done gloriously, he means that there is abundant ground for singing. The Lord does not wish that his praises should be proclaimed without any reason, but holds out a very rich and very abundant subject of praise, when he frees his people from very hard bondage. We have said that this song is not limited to a short period, but, on the contrary, extends to the whole of Christ’s reign. This work therefore is truly glorious, that God sent his Son to reconcile us to himself, (John 3:16, 17,) and to destroy the dominion of death and the devil. (Hebrews 2:14.) If, therefore, we consider the work of our deliverance as we ought to do, we shall have very abundant ground for praising God.

And this hath been made known through all the earth. When he says that this hath been made known, he glances at the calling of the Gentiles, and confirms what has been already stated, that the work is such as ought not to be concealed in a corner, but to be everywhere proclaimed.

6. Shout and sing. He again exhorts the godly to rejoice in the Lord, at the same time reminding them what is the nature of true joy, and on what it is founded. We have no other happiness than to have God dwelling in the midst of us. But for this, our life would be wretched and unhappy, though we should have abundance of other blessings and of every kind of riches. Now, if our heart be set on our treasure, (Matthew 6:21,) this happiness will attract all our feelings.

The Holy One of Israel. He calls him the Holy One, in order to inform us what he intends to prove himself to be to us, while he dwells with us; that is, that not only his majesty may fill our minds with reverence towards him, for it would at the same time overwhelm us with terror; but that he may vouchsafe to make us the objects of his peculiar care, though separated from the rest of the world. He calls him the Holy One, from the effect produced; for, by gathering us to himself, (Ephesians 1:10,) and saving us by his grace, he may be said to sanctify us to be his own property. Accordingly, if God is with us, the conviction of his presence will fill us with inconceivable joy. Hence it follows that, when he is absent, we continue to be exposed to grief and sadness.

By the words, Shout and sing, he means that when God magnifies his power in the midst of us, he gives us occasion for no ordinary joy. Again, by directly addressing the inhabitants of Zion, he intimates that all are not capable of so great a blessing, and at the same time indirectly exhorts them to maintain unity of faith, that, by being united to the Church, we may partake of this blessed joy.


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