Clapping Our Hands For Joy

Psalm 47

For the choir director: A psalm of the descendants of Korah.

1Come, everyone, and clap your hands for joy!

Shout to God with joyful praise!

2For the LORD Most High is awesome.

He is the great King of all the earth.

3He subdues the nations before us,

putting our enemies beneath our feet.

4He chose the Promised Land as our inheritance,

the proud possession of Jacob’s descendants, whom he loves.

Interlude

5God has ascended with a mighty shout.

The LORD has ascended with trumpets blaring.

6Sing praise to God, sing praises;

sing praise to our King, sing praises!

7For God is the King over all the earth.

Praise him with a psalm!

8God reigns above the nations,

sitting on his holy throne.

9The rulers of the world have gathered together.

They join us in praising the God of Abraham.

For all the kings of the earth belong to God.

He is highly honored everywhere.

There’s a controversy brewing in some churches these days: To clap or not to clap—that is the question.

If a soloist does a great job with “O Holy Night,” or the choir really nails “How Great Thou Art,” many church members feel it’s only right to applaud them. Great job! Others feel that applause breaks the mood of worship, turning the church into a nightclub. Where’s the reverence?

Today’s psalm makes it clear that there’s nothing wrong with clapping in itself. This form of worship was obviously used by devout Israelites. But notice that God is the recipient of these praises, not Asaph the harpist. Where’s the reverence? It’s all over the place. See verse 2: “The Lord Most High is awesome.”

So clap or don’t clap in church—but make sure your heart is full of the joy of the Lord, and let your voice and body act accordingly.

O worship the King, all glorious above,

O gratefully sing his power and his love;

Our Shield and Defender, the Ancient of Days,

Pavilioned in splendor and girded with praise.

ROBERT GRANT

Notable Quotable

In verse 5, God has come down from heaven in power and great might to deliver his people and is returning to his throne—W. O. E. Osterley describes it as “the culminating act of the eschatological drama.”