October 1, 2025 -- Psalm 30:1 -- I will extol You--wait what is that word extol? And why do that?

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I will extol you, O LORD, for you have drawn me up
and have not let my foes rejoice.    Psalm 30:1 ESV
 
To extol God is to praise Him enthusiastically. It is heart and hands, mind and mouth all engaged to declare to goodness of God, to speak of His attributes and His saving work. Why will the psalmist extol the LORD?

  • First, it is because God has drawn him up, or it can be translated lifted up. God the Father has lifted the psalmist from the pit of despair, from death in sinfulness and given him life. The Old Testament was originally written in Hebrew. Then much later it was translated into Greek, the language of the New Testament. In John 3 Jesus is “drawn up” or “lifted up” on the cross (the Greek word is the same one used in Psalm 30:1). The New Testament Christian realizes he has been united with Christ in His death so he will be united with Christ in His resurrection. That is how the Christian is drawn up from sin.

  • Second, to be drawn up means that God has done the work. We can not, we did not, save ourselves, so the appropriate response of one who is saved is to give the honour and the credit to God. One sings hymns and spiritual songs and psalms honouring God. Extoling God keeps the goodness of God front and centre in the life of the believer and in that way closes the door on temptations to go back to old habits and sinful ways.

  • Third, the psalmist extols God, notice he calls God the LORD—which is the covenant Name for God. It is the Name by which our God binds Himself to His promises to save us from the wickedness of the world, from the clutches of the Devil and even rescue us from ourselves when we would go back to the Egypt of our sins. Temptations so sin can cause us to forget how bad it was to live in our sins the first go-round. The LORD keeps His promises, He shows grace, even when we are at our weakest.

  • Fourth, the LORD will not let our enemies rejoice over us. It is in worship that the sons and daughters of God recognize the glory of eternity. Those who know God now, delighting in Him, will praise Him for all eternity. It is joy that starts now will never end. Those who hate God can not imagine that there is joy in praising God. They will, instead, do all they can to trample on the Christian, hating him or her. Most kindly put they do so, perhaps without even fully realizing they actually are expressing their hatred towards the LORD God Who has saved that person they maliciously rejoice over. Or, it is possible foes hating the Christian, full well know they hate God, they hate Jesus, and they hate the testimony of the Holy Spirit and therefore they will do what they can to make a Christian miserable.

 
Like the followers of Jesus through-out the ages, who filled with the Spirit rejoiced that they were counted worthy to suffer for the Name of Jesus, so we extol God the LORD when we suffer! The foes and prosecutors will see how we endure, how our hope in Jesus cannot be crushed out of us; it is possible at that moment they will begin to see the blessedness of the LORD, Whom we extol. There is a chance, such witness while we suffer, will bring others to know and serve Jesus as well.
 
Hear, O LORD, and be merciful to me!
O LORD, be my helper!
You have turned for me my mourning into dancing;
you have loosed my sackcloth
and clothed me with gladness,
that my glory may sing your praise and not be silent.
O LORD my God, I will give thanks to you forever!
Psalm 30:10-12 ESV
https://youtu.be/gdDYeoOzGfA?si=7mqbeDOyFYxMnc3g Psalm 30 Song
 

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