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God's Sovereign Power

Psalm 147
Keith Mouland • June, 24 2026 • Video & Audio
32 Sermons
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KM
Keith Mouland • June, 24 2026
32 sermons
This sermon provides a verse-by-verse exposition of Psalm 147, highlighting God's sovereign power over creation and His intimate care for humanity. The preacher emphasizes that God builds His church, heals the brokenhearted, and knows every star, demonstrating both infinite power and personal attention to detail. Key themes include the contrast between worldly strength and spiritual meekness, as well as God's provision of natural elements like rain and snow for the benefit of all people. The message underscores that while God is powerful enough to overwhelm with extreme weather, He also melts hard hearts through His word. Ultimately, the sermon calls believers to praise God for His unique revelation to His people and His abundant blessings.
What does the Bible say about God's sovereign power?

The Bible declares God's sovereignty in creation and His power to command the elements, showing His control over all things.

The Scriptures consistently affirm God's sovereign power, particularly illustrated in Psalm 147. This Psalm captures God's authority as He commands the elements, such as the snow and the wind, which obey His commands. In verse 15, it states, 'He sendeth forth his commandment upon earth: his word runneth very swiftly.' This shows that God is not only powerful, but His word is also effective and swift, fulfilling His purposes without delay. The very creation reflects His majesty; the stars, with their vast number, are known by Him, showcasing His intimate knowledge and governance over all creation.

God's sovereignty is also evident in how He interacts with humanity. He lifts up the meek and cares for those who are brokenhearted, emphasizing His mercy and grace. The Psalm reminds believers of God's unique relationship and care for His covenant people, who are the recipients of His statutes and judgments. His authority and power extend further than just creation; they are the foundation of hope and peace within His community, emphasizing that He is indeed in control of all circumstances, both great and small.

Psalm 147:1-20

Why is God's care for the meek important for Christians?

God's care for the meek demonstrates His compassion and the value He places on those who are humble and dependent on Him.

In Psalm 147, it is stated that 'The Lord lifteth up the meek: he casteth down the wicked to the ground' (Psalm 147:6). This dichotomy illustrates the character of God, who does not delight in worldly strength or pride but instead honors humility and meekness. For Christians, this is a profound truth because it reassures believers that they are valued, regardless of their social or material status. God’s elevation of the meek is a reflection of His grace, showing that He actively cares for those who might be overlooked or despised in society.

Moreover, this divine concern highlights the nature of God's kingdom, which often stands in stark contrast to worldly expectations. In showing mercy and lifting up the meek, God invites believers to find identity and strength in their dependence on Him rather than in their own abilities. This principle of meekness resonates throughout the New Testament, where Jesus himself spoke about the blessedness of the meek in the Beatitudes. For Christians, understanding God's care for the meek encourages them to embrace humility and to extend compassion to others, embodying the love and grace they have received from God.

Psalm 147:6, Matthew 5:5

How do we know God's word is powerful?

God's word is demonstrated to be powerful through its fulfillment in creation and its ability to change hearts.

Psalm 147 affirms the effectiveness of God's word by stating, 'He sendeth forth his commandment upon earth: his word runneth very swiftly' (Psalm 147:15). This declaration evidences not only that God speaks but that His words have the power to both create and sustain the universe. By simply speaking, God brings forth snow, ice, and growth—elements of nature that testify to His authority.

Furthermore, the transformational aspect of God's word is highlighted when it references the spiritual impact it has, particularly in 'He showeth his word unto Jacob, his statutes and his judgments unto Israel.' God's word is meant to guide and instruct His people in righteousness and holiness. As believers, we can experience the life-changing power of Scripture, which can penetrate the hardest of hearts, leading individuals to repentance and faith. The testimonies of transformed lives throughout history serve as a testament to the fact that God's word carries an inherent power that no human philosophy or reasoning can match, enabling believers to build their lives upon its truths.

Psalm 147:15, Hebrews 4:12

Sermon Transcript

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He hath blessed thy children within thee. He maketh peace in thy borders, and filleth thee with the finest of the wheat. He sendeth forth his commandment upon earth. His word runneth very swiftly. He giveth snow like wool. He scattereth the hoarfrost like ashes. He casteth forth his ice like morsels. Who can stand before his cold? He sendeth out his word, and melteth them. He causeth his wind to blow, and the waters flow. He showeth his word unto Jacob, his statutes and his judgments unto Israel. He hath not dealt so with any nation, and as for his judgments, they have not known them. Praise ye the Lord.

If you want to text for these few thoughts, it's a bit of an antidote to the current weather. And the final words of verse 17, who can stand before his cold? I'm just trying to sort of make us think of cooler things on this very, very hot evening. that verse has sort of just been at the forefront of my mind really the last couple of days. There isn't a verse that says who can stand before his heat, but there is that verse, who can stand before his cold.

I just want to sort of rapidly run through those verses in that psalm and really just have a sort of a one-line description of them. I don't want to be too long, it's a hot evening. So we begin obviously at verse one. Praise ye the Lord, for it is good to sing praises unto our God, for it is pleasant and praise is comely. As in many Psalms, we're encouraged here to praise the Lord. It's pleasant. Its praise is comely or attractive. And there should be a pleasantness and joy for us in praising God.

Verse two, the Lord doth build up Jerusalem. He gathereth together the outcasts of Israel. We have the promise in scripture that God will build his church. We're told the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. And he's very concerned, isn't he, for those who are rejected, those who are persecuted. Described really as the outcasts of Israel. He healeth the broken in heart and bindeth up their wounds. God is a caring God. He cares for the sad and those who are hurting in different ways, such as the kindness and nature of God.

He telleth the number of the stars all of them all by their names. Apparently in the universe there is something like 10 to the power 24 stars. That is a very, very big number. One followed by 24 zeros. That's a very, very big number. And the Lord kind of knows them all. That's an amazing thing, isn't it?

And we read in Genesis 1.16, when we read there, he made the stars also almost a kind of like, oh, I'll make a few stars as well. Well, Let's think of the amount of stars that there are in the universe. And then great is our Lord and of great power his understanding is infinite. So God intimately knows about his creation and knowing the stars. He's almighty or powerful. and he knows everything, his understanding is infinite.

The Lord lifteth up the meek, the cast of the wicked down to the ground. The quiet, submissive, uncomplaining ones, God doesn't ignore such. Meekness has often been associated with weakness, which is wrong. It's not at all. It's a sign of strength, meekness. But the meek can be quite quiet and uncomplaining, submissive sort of people. But the Lord raises them up. And the wicked, well, they've kind of raised themselves up in their own ego. Well, the Lord will put them down.

Sing unto the Lord with thanksgiving, sing praise upon the harp unto our God. And that's good, isn't it, to sing praise and to be thankful, isn't it? We have much to thank God for, don't we? And here even an instrument was used to help in the praising and in the singing and in the thankfulness to the Lord. And we read in other Psalms, like Psalm 150, we read there of instruments used in the worship of God.

Our God, well, he knows everything, doesn't he? The Lord lifteth up the meek, as I said, and raiseth the wicked, casteth the wicked down to the ground, and then sing unto the Lord with thanksgiving, sing praise upon the harp unto our God, who covereth the heaven with clouds, who prepareth rain for the earth, who make of grass to grow upon the mountains. See, God is a God who is good to all people, whether they believe in him or not. He's good in providence and providing clouds and providing rain.

And I'm sure with this sunshine. The people are very thankful for that, although they probably, like a lot of us, wish it wasn't quite so hot. We make of the grass to grow upon the mountains. That sort of seems quite an impossible thing to grass to grow on mountains, but it does. But our God is a God of the impossible.

He giveth to the beast his food and to the young ravens which cry. As well as people, God is concerned about the animals in the world. Obviously, we are more valuable than the animals, but God cares about the animals and the birds and the fish and the insects, as well as us human beings made in the image of God.

He delighteth not in the strength of the horse, he taketh not pleasure in the legs of a man. See, God delights in things that the world doesn't delight on, and the things that the world delights in, God doesn't delight in those things. And it's not about physical strength, is it? And often, perhaps, that's seen, isn't it? We see strength in horses and in the legs of a man, those who sort of run and run very fast, these athletes, great strength in their legs.

But God delights He delights in not what the world delights in. The Lord take of pleasure in them that fear him, in those that hope in his mercy. See, his delight is in his people, in those who fear him, who respect him and know that they have need of his mercy.

And that's surely with us all, isn't it? We are in need of the mercy of God. As the one cried in the temple, wasn't it? Lord, be merciful to me, a sinner. Praise the Lord, O Jerusalem. Praise thy God, O Zion. May it be, not just as individuals, but as congregations of the Lord's people, that we praise God. Because those who aren't believers, they won't praise God. They might use the name of God, but in a way of blasphemy. But not so with the people of God.

For he hath strengthened the bars of thy gates, he hath blessed thy children within thee. See, God is a God who protects and a God who generously blesses, blessing thy children within thee. That's a sign, isn't it, in the natural world, the gift of children, what a blessing that is. But then spiritually, isn't it, we can think of the many blessings that we have. as children of God and more being added as they are saved by God's grace. Verse 14, he'd make of peace in thy borders and filleth thee with the finest of the wheat. Again, there's protection there. With peace, And that's a lovely thing, isn't it, to know, as Christians, the peace of God that passes all understanding.

And again, there's generously, generous blessing that the Lord gives. Filleth thee with the finest of the wheat. He sendeth forth his commandment upon earth, his word runneth very swiftly. So God's Word, it goes forth, doesn't it? And it's fulfilled.

And God is in control. God knows what he's doing. There's no delay with God. There's no sort of changing his mind or having to allow for something that he didn't expect to happen. No, God is in complete control. And when God says something, then he will do it, for he is in ultimate control.

He giveth snow like wool, he scattereth the hoarfrost like ashes. Well, we know, don't we, that snow and frost, they have a benefit to the ground. And it's good, isn't it? You often say it's good, good for the soil to have had snow or to have had a sharp, hard frost. and snow like wool. See wool is something that's very important, that lovely, isn't it? It can keep us warm. It can't if we don't need keeping warm at the moment. But it does, it keeps us warm. And also, of course, it's a great benefit to sheep, isn't it? And the insulating the sheep.

He cast forth his eyes like morsels, who can stand before his cold? See, really, we are powerless, aren't we? Up against God's creation. And we know, don't we, in extreme temperatures and extreme weather, man seems to be helpless when it's really cold. You know, it affects the trains and it affects so much and We see that and of course we've seen today with the heat that affects the trains and it's caused schools to close, hasn't it as well? And also the meeting that Ango's to on a Wednesday afternoon at Gordon Road was cancelled today because of the heat. So really, we're powerless, really, when God acts with severe temperatures or storms, wind, rain, hail. And man seems to be so powerless as a result.

He sendeth out his word and melteth them. He causeth his winds to blow and the waters flow. Well, we know, don't we, that there is a thawing, isn't there, when in the cold of the winter, then there is ice and then the temperature goes up and it melts, doesn't it? So God brings about this fouring in nature. And so spiritually as well, there is the fouring, the melting of the hard hearts, those who wouldn't have anything to do with God. You know, the Lord can melt their hard hearts and we bless God that he does that. He showeth his word unto Jacob, his statutes and his judgments unto Israel. So there's a general goodness of God and perhaps everybody is presented with God in creation and in storms and things that happen with the weather.

But of course, we know that there is a specific word, isn't there, that there is for the people of God. And we need his statutes and his judgments. We need to be taught the way of God and how to love him and to obey him. And we need the standards of God, don't we, to help us through life. He have not dealt so with any nation, and as for his judgments, they have not known them. Praise ye the Lord. So there was a special love for God's ancient people, people of Israel that we read of in the scriptures, in the Old Testament particularly. But of course, for us today, there's a special love that God has for his people.

So there's a lot, isn't there? Just some very brief comments on those verses. And we see, don't we, the wonder of God. And you see something of the magnificence of God just in those few verses. I felt very much helped with trying to put those few thoughts together. Today has obviously been a very hot day, but I trust that that will be of some benefit to us.

May we bless the Lord, praise the Lord, as it says at the beginning and at the end of the psalm, praise ye the Lord. Amen. Let's sing again our second hymn from Gatsby's 404 to the tune 807. 404. Savior alone, the Lord let us bless, who reigns on his throne, the prince of our peace, who evermore saves us by shedding his blood. All hail Holy Jesus, our Lord and our God. 404. of pity and grace. Thy kindness forever to me we will tell, and say of this Savior, My presence, Lord, thy glorious salvation, still each other see. We've joined the birth-page to complete it cleanly.
Broadcaster:
Ebenezer Baptist Chapel
Theology:
#The Glory of God #The Church #Grace
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Same Scripture

Sermons on Psalm 147

Three things joined together as the Lord builds his church Rowland Wheatley · Luke 4:14-22; Psalm 147:3
He Giveth Snow Like Wool Eric Floyd · Psalm 147:16-20
Sovereignty in Nature and Grace Clay Curtis · Psalm 147:7-20
Ruler of Stars, Ruler of Hearts Clay Curtis · Psalm 147:1-6
The Physician of souls C. H. Spurgeon · Matthew 9:12-13; Psalm 147:3
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