Praises

“He also came so that the Gentiles might give glory to God for his mercies to them. That is what the psalmist meant when he wrote: “For this, I will praise you among the Gentiles; I will sing praises to your name.” And in another place it is written, “Rejoice with his people, you Gentiles.” And yet again, “Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles. Praise him, all you people of the earth.” And in another place Isaiah said, “The heir to David’s throne will come, and he will rule over the Gentiles. They will place their hope on him.”“
Romans 15:9-12 NLT

In a previous blog we considered that Jesus’ mission to Planet Earth was limited to His people, the Jews. That was what God promised, and, as we know, God’s promises always come to fruition. In these next few verses, Paul demonstrated very clearly, from some Old Testament prophecies, that Jesus’ message of salvation and the Kingdom of God, would also apply to the Gentiles. 

In Romans 15:9-12, Paul quoted four Old Testament verses, the first of which comes from Psalm 18, “Therefore I will give thanks to You, O Lord, among the Gentiles, And sing praises to Your name” (Psalm 18:49). The Psalm also appears in 2 Samuel 22, and David wrote it “ … on the day when the Lord had delivered him from the hand of all his enemies, and from the hand of Saul” (2 Samuel 22:1b). But the implication is clear, that there will one day be a time when the Jews and the Gentiles will unite in praises to God. 

The second quote from Paul, in Romans 15:10, comes from Deuteronomy 32, “Rejoice, O Gentiles, with His people; For He will avenge the blood of His servants, And render vengeance to His adversaries; He will provide atonement for His land and His people” (Deuteronomy 32:43). This verse concluded the Song of Moses at the time when Joshua was about to take over the leadership of Israel and lead the Jewish people into the promised land. Moses prophetically could see down through the ages to the time when Jews and Gentiles would be together, part of the atonement.

Thirdly, Paul, in Romans 15:11, quoted from Psalm 117. We read, “Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles! Laud Him, all you peoples! For His merciful kindness is great toward us, And the truth of the Lord endures forever. Praise the Lord!” (Psalm 117:1-2). A short psalm. Only two verses. But why would the Gentiles praise God if they didn’t know Him? Prophetically, a time was coming when the Gentiles would in fact mingle with God’s people, the Jews. The Psalmist could see it coming and wrote a psalm that the Gentiles could pick up in prayer and song.

Lastly, Paul quoted from Isaiah 11:10, “And in that day there shall be a Root of Jesse, Who shall stand as a banner to the people; For the Gentiles shall seek Him, And His resting place shall be glorious“. The prophet Isaiah was declaring a time when a descendant of David would rule the Gentiles as well as His own people. Isaiah described a world where “the lion shall eat straw like an ox” and “the wolf also shall dwell with the lamb” (Isaiah 11:7b, 6). Perhaps this was world described at the end of Revelation – the new Heaven and earth. Or perhaps during the millennial reign and rule of Christ.

As Gentiles, we indeed “give glory to God for his mercies to them”. We indeed enjoy God’s mercies every day, really grateful that His grace extended even to us. 

Lord God, we praise You for Your grace and love so bountifully given to us Gentiles. We give You all the glory this day and every day. Amen.