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Commentary on Psalms 147 verses 12–20
Jerusalem, and Zion, the holy city, the holy hill, are here called upon to praise God, Psa 147:12. For where should praise be offered up to God but where his altar is? Where may we expect that glory should be given to him but in the beauty of holiness? Let the inhabitants of Jerusalem praise the Lord in their own houses; let the priests and Levites, who attend in Zion, the city of their solemnities, in a special manner praise the Lord. They have more cause to do it than others, and they lie under greater obligations to do it than others; for it is their business, it is their profession. "Praise thy God, O Zion! he is thine, and therefore thou art bound to praise him; his being thine includes all happiness, so that thou canst never want matter for praise." Jerusalem and Zion must praise God,
I. For the prosperity and flourishing state of their civil interests, Psa 147:13, Psa 147:14. 1. For their common safety. They had gates, and kept their gates barred in times of danger; but that would not have been an effectual security to them if God had not strengthened the bars of their gates and fortified their fortifications. The most probable means we can devise for our own preservation will not answer the end, unless God give his blessing with them; we must therefore in the careful and diligent use of those means, depend upon him for that blessing, and attribute the undisturbed repose of our land more to the wall of fire than to the wall of water round about us, Zac 2:5. 2. For the increase of their people. This strengthens the bars of the gates as much as any thing: He hath blessed thy children within thee, with that first and great blessing, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the land. It is a comfort to parents to see their children blessed of the Lord (Isa 61:9), and a comfort to the generation that is going off to see the rising generation numerous and hopeful, for which blessing God must be blessed. 3. For the public tranquillity, that they were delivered from the terrors and desolations of war: He makes peace in thy borders, by putting an end to the wars that were, and preventing the wars that were threatened and feared. He makes peace within thy borders, that is, in all parts of the country, by composing differences among neighbours, that there may be no intestine broils and animosities, and upon thy borders, that they may not be attacked by invasions from abroad. If there be trouble any where, it is in the borders, the marches of a country; the frontier-towns lie most exposed, so that, if there be peace in the borders, there is a universal peace, a mercy we can never be sufficiently thankful for. 4. For great plenty, the common effect of peace: He filleth thee with the finest of the wheat - wheat, the most valuable grain, the fat, the finest of that, and a fulness thereof. What would they more? Canaan abounded with the best wheat (Deu 32:14) and exported it to the countries abroad, as appears, Eze 27:17. The land of Israel was not enriched with precious stones nor spices, but with the finest of the wheat, with bread, which strengthens man's heart. This made it the glory of all lands, and for this God was praised in Zion.
II. For the wonderful instances of his power in the weather, particularly the winter-weather. He that protects Zion and Jerusalem is that God of power from whom all the powers of nature are derived and on whom they depend, and who produces all the changes of the seasons, which, if they were not common, would astonish us.
1.In general, whatever alterations there are in this lower world (and it is that world that is subject to continual changes) they are produced by the will, and power, and providence of God (Psa 147:15): He sendeth forth his commandment upon earth, as one that has an incontestable authority to give orders, and innumerable attendants ready to carry his orders and put them in execution. As the world was at first made, so it is still upheld and governed, by a word of almighty power. God speaks and it is done, for all are his servants. That word takes effect, not only surely, but speedily. His word runneth very swiftly, for nothing can oppose or retard it. As the lightning, which passes through the air in an instant, such is the word of God's providence, and such the word of his grace, when it is sent forth with commission, Luk 17:24. Angels, who carry his word and fulfil it, fly swiftly, Dan 9:21.
2.In particular, frosts and thaws are both of them wonderful changes, and in both we must acknowledge the word of his power.
(1.)Frosts are from God. With him are the treasures of the snow and the hail (Job 38:22, Job 38:23), and out of these treasures he draws as he pleases. [1.] He giveth snow like wool. It is compared to wool for its whiteness (Isa 1:18), and its softness; it falls silently, and makes no more noise than the fall of a lock of wool; it covers the earth, and keeps it warm like a fleece of wool, and so promotes its fruitfulness. See how God can work by contraries, and bring meat out of the eater, can warm the earth with cold snow. [2.] He scatters the hoar-frost, which is dew congealed, as the snow and hail are rain congealed. This looks like ashes scattered upon the grass, and is sometimes prejudicial to the products of the earth and blasts them as if it were hot ashes, Psa 78:47. [3.] He casts forth his ice like morsels, which may be understood either of large hail-stones, which are as ice in the air, or of the ice which covers the face of the waters, and when it is broken, though naturally it was as drops of drink, it is as morsels of meat, or crusts of bread. [4.] When we see the frost, and snow, and ice, we feel it in the air: Who can stand before his cold? The beasts cannot; they retire into dens (Job 37:8); they are easily conquered then, Sa2 23:20. Men cannot, but are forced to protect themselves by fires, or furs, or both, and all little enough where and when the cold is in extremity. We see not the causes when we feel the effects; and therefore we must call it his cold; it is of his sending, and therefore we must bear it patiently, and be thankful for warm houses, and clothes, and beds, to relieve us against the rigour of the season, and must give him the glory of his wisdom and sovereignty, his power and faithfulness, which shall not cease any more than summer, Gen 8:22. And let us also infer from it, If we cannot stand before the cold of his frosts, how can we stand before the heat of his wrath?
(2.)Thaws are from God. When he pleases (Psa 147:18) he sends out his word and melts them; the frost, the snow, the ice, are all dissolved quickly, in order to which he causes the wind, the south wind, to blow, and the waters, which were frozen, flow again as they did before. We are soon sensible of the change, but we see not the causes of it, but must resolve it into the will of the First Cause. And in it we must take notice not only of the power of God, that he can so suddenly, so insensibly, make such a great and universal alteration in the temper of the air and the face of the earth (what cannot he do that does this every winter, perhaps often every winter?) but also of the goodness of God. Hard weather does not always continue; it would be sad if it should. He does not contend for ever, but renews the face of the earth. As he remembered Noah, and released him (Gen 8:1), so he remembers the earth, and his covenant with the earth, Sol 2:11, Sol 2:12. This thawing word may represent the gospel of Christ, and this thawing wind the Spirit of Christ (for the Spirit is compared to the wind, Joh 3:8); both are sent for the melting of frozen souls. Converting grace, like the thaw, softens the heart that was hard, moistens it, and melts it into tears of repentance; it warms good affections, and makes them to flow, which, before, were chilled and stopped up. The change which the thaw makes is universal and yet gradual; it is very evident, and yet how it is done is unaccountable: such is the change wrought in the conversion of a soul, when God's word and Spirit are sent to melt it and restore it to itself.
III. For his distinguishing favour to Israel, in giving them his word and ordinances, a much more valuable blessing than their peace and plenty (Psa 147:14), as much as the soul is more excellent than the body. Jacob and Israel had God's statutes and judgments among them. They were under his peculiar government; the municipal laws of their nation were of his framing and enacting, and their constitution was a theocracy. They had the benefit of divine revelation; the great things of God's law were written to them. They had a priesthood of divine institution for all things pertaining to God, and prophets for all extraordinary occasions. No people besides went upon sure grounds in their religion. Now this was, 1. A preventing mercy. They did not find out God's statutes and judgments of themselves, but God showed his word unto Jacob, and by that word he made known to them his statutes and judgments. It is a great mercy to any people to have the word of God among them; for faith comes by hearing and reading that word, that faith without which it is impossible to please God. 2. A distinguishing mercy, and upon that account the more obliging: "He hath not dealt so with every nation, not with any nation; and, as for his judgments, they have not known them, nor are likely to know them till the Messiah shall come and take down the partition-wall between Jew and Gentile, that the gospel may be preached to every creature." Other nations had plenty of outward good things; some nations were very rich, others had pompous powerful princes and polite literature, but none were blessed with God's statutes and judgments as Israel were. Let Israel therefore praise the Lord in the observance of these statutes. Lord, how is it that thou wilt manifest thyself to us, and not to the world! Even so, Father, because it seemed good in thy eyes.
"Who sends His crystal like morsels of bread" [Psalm 147:17]. We need not spend our toil again in saying what crystal is. We have already said it, and I do not think that you, beloved, have forgotten it. What is then, "He sends His crystal like morsels of bread"? What is "crystal"? It is very hard, it is very tightly congealed; it can not, like snow, be easily melted. Snow, hardened by many years' duration, and by the succession of ages, is called "crystal," and this "He sends like morsels of bread." What means this? They were too hard, no longer fit to be compared to snow, but to crystal; but they too are predestinated and called, and some of them even so as to feed others, to be useful to others also. And what need is there to enumerate many, whom we happen to know, this one and that one? Every one when he thinks can recall to mind how hardened and obstinate some of those whom he knows have been, how they have struggled against the truth; yet now they preach the truth, they have been made morsels of bread. Who is that one Bread? "We being many," says the Apostle, "are one Body in Christ;" [Romans 12:5] he says also, "we being many are one Bread and one Body." [1 Corinthians 10:17] If then the whole Body of Christ is one Bread, the members of Christ are morsels of Bread. Of some that are hard He makes members of Himself, and useful for feeding others....Behold, the Apostle Paul was a crystal, hard, resisting the truth, crying out against the Gospel, hardening himself, as it were, against the sun....Since then he was crystal, he appeared clear and white, but he was hard and very cold. How was he bright and white? "An Hebrew of the Hebrews; as touching the law, a Pharisee." Behold the brightness of crystal. Now hear the hardness of crystal. "As touching zeal, persecuting the Church" [Philippians 3:5-6] of Christ. Among the stoners of the holy martyr Stephen, was he, hard, perhaps harder than all. "For he kept the raiment of all who were stoning," [Acts 22:20] so that he stoned by the hands of all.
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SUMMARY
Psalm 147:17 serves as a profound declaration of God's absolute and unchallengeable sovereignty over the natural world, particularly highlighting His majestic command over the formidable elements of winter. This verse, embedded within a larger hymn of praise, extols the Lord not only for His immense power displayed in creation but also for His meticulous, providential care for His people, demonstrating that even the most severe forces of nature are mere instruments in His hand, serving His divine and benevolent purposes.
CONTEXT
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
Psalm 147:17 employs several potent literary devices to convey its message of divine sovereignty and power. The most prominent is Personification, where God is presented as an active, almost physical agent "casting forth" His ice, giving Him a tangible and immediate presence in the natural world. This active verb emphasizes His direct involvement and dynamic control. This is further enhanced by the Simile "like morsels," which compares the falling ice to small, numerous pieces of food. This comparison not only emphasizes the abundance and distinctness of the ice but also subtly suggests God's precise and effortless control over even the smallest, most fragmented aspects of nature, as if He is distributing them with ease. Finally, the verse culminates in a powerful Rhetorical Question: "who can stand before his cold?" This question is not meant to be answered literally but to provoke profound reflection on the overwhelming and undeniable power of God, highlighting human fragility and the utter impossibility of resisting divine command or enduring His might.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
This verse profoundly articulates the biblical truth of God's absolute sovereignty over creation. It reminds us that the same God who establishes the stars and governs the heavens also meticulously orchestrates the most minute and formidable aspects of earthly weather. His power is not abstract but intimately involved in the physical world, demonstrating that nothing, not even the most extreme natural forces, operates outside of His deliberate will and control. This divine mastery over the elements serves as a constant reminder of His omnipotence, His wisdom in ordering the cosmos, and His unwavering presence, even in conditions that seem chaotic or destructive to human perception. It calls us to a posture of humility and awe before the Creator.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Psalm 147:17 offers a profound invitation to awe, trust, and humility in the face of God's immense power. In a world that often seeks to control and predict every variable, this verse serves as a potent reminder that ultimate control rests solely with the Creator. When we witness the raw, unyielding power of nature—be it a blizzard, a hurricane, or a drought—we are called to remember that these are not random occurrences but instruments in the hand of a sovereign God. This should inspire deep reverence and worship, knowing that the One who commands the ice and the cold also orchestrates every detail of our lives. In times of personal "cold" or hardship, this verse encourages us to trust in His providence, understanding that His sovereignty extends over every difficulty, working all things according to His perfect will, even when we cannot discern His purposes. It fosters a posture of humility, acknowledging our fragility and dependence on the One who is truly unchallengeable and utterly trustworthy.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Does this verse imply God causes suffering through natural disasters?
Answer: Psalm 147:17 emphasizes God's absolute sovereignty over all natural phenomena, including severe weather like ice and cold. While the Bible affirms God's ultimate control over creation, it also presents a complex picture regarding suffering, which is often a consequence of the Fall and a broken world. This verse primarily highlights His power and majesty, not necessarily His intent to cause suffering in every instance of cold. Rather, it underscores that even the most formidable aspects of nature are under His command, serving His broader purposes, which often include revealing His glory, reminding humanity of their dependence, or fulfilling His redemptive plan. The Bible teaches that God can use natural events for various purposes, including judgment, discipline, or simply as a display of His power, as seen in Job 37:13.
What is the significance of the phrase "like morsels" when referring to ice?
Answer: The Hebrew word for "morsels" (path) typically refers to small pieces or crumbs, often of bread. When applied to ice, as in Psalm 147:17, it creates a vivid image of ice falling in numerous, distinct pieces, rather than a continuous sheet. This could suggest large hailstones, broken chunks of ice, or a heavy, abundant fall of frozen precipitation. The significance lies in emphasizing the sheer quantity and force with which God "casts forth" His ice, highlighting His overwhelming power and the deliberate, almost effortless, ease with which He commands even the most severe elements. It underscores that God's control is precise and abundant, not haphazard or limited, demonstrating His mastery over every detail of creation.
How does God's control over nature, as described here, relate to His care for His people?
Answer: This verse, within the broader context of Psalm 147, beautifully illustrates the interconnectedness of God's cosmic power and His intimate care for His people. The psalm frequently shifts between God's grand control over creation (e.g., Psalm 147:8-9) and His specific concern for Jerusalem and Israel (e.g., Psalm 147:2-3). The profound message is that the same immensely powerful God who commands the unyielding forces of nature is also the one who "heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds" (Psalm 147:3). His absolute sovereignty over the elements assures His people that He is fully capable of protecting, providing for, and delivering them, even in the most challenging circumstances. His power is not distant but actively engaged in their welfare, demonstrating His faithfulness to His covenant.
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Psalm 147:17, with its declaration of God's unchallengeable sovereignty over the elements, finds its ultimate fulfillment and most profound expression in the person and work of Jesus Christ. The Old Testament consistently portrays Yahweh as the One who commands the wind and the waves, the snow and the ice. In the New Testament, we see this divine authority perfectly embodied in Jesus, who is God incarnate. He is the pre-existent Word through whom "all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible" (Colossians 1:16). The very God who "casteth forth his ice like morsels" is revealed in Christ, who, with a mere word, could calm a raging storm, causing the wind and waves to obey Him (Mark 4:39). The rhetorical question, "who can stand before his cold?" echoes the unyielding power of God, a power fully manifest in Jesus, who demonstrated absolute authority over nature, sickness, demons, and even death itself (John 11:43-44). Thus, the awe and trust inspired by God's control over creation in Psalm 147:17 are now directed towards Christ, the Lamb of God who is also the Almighty King, the One before whom all creation bows and no one can ultimately stand in opposition (Philippians 2:10-11). He is the sovereign Lord who not only commands the physical elements but also reigns over all spiritual forces, ensuring that even the "cold" and hardships of life serve His redemptive purposes for those who are in Him (Romans 8:28).