Psa 147:19 | KingComments | STEP | are about ‘freezing’ ( ) and ‘melting’ ( ). This section tells us that what man cannot do, God in His omnipotence can do. God does that by sending His Word. That same Word the LORD sends to Israel and to no other people ( ). It is the mighty Word of God doing His work in the hearts of man. God established heaven and earth by His Word ( ; ). By that same Word He works on earth ( ). His Word is His act. When He sends His command to earth, it is for the benefit of man in general and His people in particular. Every command is carried out immediately without hesitation: “His word runs very swiftly.” His Word is represented here as a messenger who carries out his master’s command instantaneously ( ). His Word is not static, but dynamic, even for us ( ; ). When it snows and the earth is covered as with wool, it is done at His command ( ; ; cf. ). When He commands, the frozen dew is scattered like ashes. Similarly, He casts “His ice as fragments”, where we can think of hailstones, on the earth ( ). The second part of is asked as a question. It is a question to which no answer is expected. For everyone knows that against the coldness of ice, which is “His cold” because He causes it to come by His word, no one can stand. He can also send His word to put an end to the snow, hoarfrost and ice ( ). Then His word works to melt everything and make His coldness disappear. Then He causes “His wind to blow”. This causes everything that has melted and become “waters to flow”, so that wherever the waters come, it provides refreshment. These natural phenomena symbolize God’s dealings with His people. He had to bring His cold judgments upon them because of their rebellion against Him, as He foretold in His Word. Hailstones are used by God to strike the earth ( ; ; ; ; ). He also brought those judgments to an end. His people, that is, those who acknowledged the justice of His judgments, He then brought into the refreshing blessing of the realm of peace. After the icy wind of His wrath, they now felt the gentle breeze of His love. As for Israel, we might add the following. The LORD sent His mighty word to transform the ice into water ( ). He is also mighty to send His word to transform Jacob into Israel ( ). The same effect the Word of the LORD has on the remnant of Israel, which He thereby transforms into His people, the true Israel ( ). He has done this only with Israel and with no other nation ( ). God’s Word is not only a Word of commands, but also a Word of announcements. “He declares His words to Jacob”, that is all Israel, all twelve tribes, that is, He communicates to His people what His plans for them are ( ). “Jacob” is the name for the people that recalls the aberrations of God’s Word. There is also mention of “Israel”, which is the name for the people as blessed by God. God makes known to Israel “His statutes and His ordinances”. He has favored Israel more than any other nation by giving them His revealed truth ( ). There is no nation in the ancient world as privileged as Israel, which has the revealed will of God: the written Word of God. This Book with its good laws, customs, morals, intelligence, social life, purity, charity, prosperity, exalts this people above all other nations and spreads around them blessings that can come from nowhere else. The highest benefit that can be done to any people is to give them the Word of God in their own language. In nature, in creation, God makes Himself known to all nations ( ). In His Word, He makes Himself known to His people in a special way. His Word is His revelation to His people as their God. “He has not dealt thus with any nation” ( ). That God has given His people His ‘Word revelation’ ( ; ) underscores their enormous privilege as God’s people. God has given to His people “just ordinances and true laws, good statutes and commandments” ( ). Because the peoples do not know “His statutes” in His Word, they are subject to all forms of evil to which they are led by demonic powers (cf. ). The great contrast with the nations who do not know God’s statutes does not make God’s people haughty, but very grateful. They are no better than the nations. This realization leads them to the exclamation with which the psalm concludes: “Hallelujah!” All praise belongs to the LORD alone.

‏ Psalms 147:19

The Working of God’s Word

Psa 147:15-18 are about ‘freezing’ (Psa 147:15-17) and ‘melting’ (Psa 147:18). This section tells us that what man cannot do, God in His omnipotence can do. God does that by sending His Word. That same Word the LORD sends to Israel and to no other people (Psa 147:19-20). It is the mighty Word of God doing His work in the hearts of man.

God established heaven and earth by His Word (Psa 33:6 ; 9; Heb 11:3). By that same Word He works on earth (Psa 147:15). His Word is His act. When He sends His command to earth, it is for the benefit of man in general and His people in particular. Every command is carried out immediately without hesitation: “His word runs very swiftly.” His Word is represented here as a messenger who carries out his master’s command instantaneously (Isa 55:11). His Word is not static, but dynamic, even for us (1Thes 2:13; 2Thes 3:1).

When it snows and the earth is covered as with wool, it is done at His command (Psa 147:16; Job 37:6; cf. Isa 55:10-11). When He commands, the frozen dew is scattered like ashes. Similarly, He casts “His ice as fragments”, where we can think of hailstones, on the earth (Psa 147:17). The second part of Psa 147:17 is asked as a question. It is a question to which no answer is expected. For everyone knows that against the coldness of ice, which is “His cold” because He causes it to come by His word, no one can stand.

He can also send His word to put an end to the snow, hoarfrost and ice (Psa 147:18). Then His word works to melt everything and make His coldness disappear. Then He causes “His wind to blow”. This causes everything that has melted and become “waters to flow”, so that wherever the waters come, it provides refreshment.

These natural phenomena symbolize God’s dealings with His people. He had to bring His cold judgments upon them because of their rebellion against Him, as He foretold in His Word. Hailstones are used by God to strike the earth (Exo 9:18-25; Job 38:22-23; Eze 13:13; Hag 2:17; Rev 16:21). He also brought those judgments to an end. His people, that is, those who acknowledged the justice of His judgments, He then brought into the refreshing blessing of the realm of peace. After the icy wind of His wrath, they now felt the gentle breeze of His love.

As for Israel, we might add the following. The LORD sent His mighty word to transform the ice into water (Psa 147:18). He is also mighty to send His word to transform Jacob into Israel (Psa 147:19). The same effect the Word of the LORD has on the remnant of Israel, which He thereby transforms into His people, the true Israel (Jer 31:33). He has done this only with Israel and with no other nation (Psa 147:20).

God’s Word is not only a Word of commands, but also a Word of announcements. “He declares His words to Jacob”, that is all Israel, all twelve tribes, that is, He communicates to His people what His plans for them are (Psa 147:19). “Jacob” is the name for the people that recalls the aberrations of God’s Word. There is also mention of “Israel”, which is the name for the people as blessed by God. God makes known to Israel “His statutes and His ordinances”.

He has favored Israel more than any other nation by giving them His revealed truth (Rom 9:4). There is no nation in the ancient world as privileged as Israel, which has the revealed will of God: the written Word of God. This Book with its good laws, customs, morals, intelligence, social life, purity, charity, prosperity, exalts this people above all other nations and spreads around them blessings that can come from nowhere else. The highest benefit that can be done to any people is to give them the Word of God in their own language.

In nature, in creation, God makes Himself known to all nations (Rom 1:19-20). In His Word, He makes Himself known to His people in a special way. His Word is His revelation to His people as their God. “He has not dealt thus with any nation” (Psa 147:20). That God has given His people His ‘Word revelation’ (Deu 4:6-8; Rom 3:2) underscores their enormous privilege as God’s people.

God has given to His people “just ordinances and true laws, good statutes and commandments” (Neh 9:13). Because the peoples do not know “His statutes” in His Word, they are subject to all forms of evil to which they are led by demonic powers (cf. 1Cor 12:2). The great contrast with the nations who do not know God’s statutes does not make God’s people haughty, but very grateful. They are no better than the nations. This realization leads them to the exclamation with which the psalm concludes: “Hallelujah!” All praise belongs to the LORD alone.