Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord

“Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord”

Psalm 33:10 "The LORD bringeth the counsel of the heathen to nought: he maketh the devices of the people of none effect." 

Literally He frustrates the counsel of the heathen, and causes it to fail (see 2 Kings 6:8-12; Dan. 6:5-28).

"He maketh the devices of the people of none effect": The same thing is expressed here as before. In different words, for the further confirmation of it, and that it might be attended to. This is the Lord's doing. He is omniscient, and knows all the secret plots and designs of men. And he is omnipotent, and counteracts them, and confounds them in all their measures. And is faithful to his people, cause, and interest.

In our study of the children of Israel being delivered out of Egypt, we saw how helpless the great pharaoh was. Not only was the great pharaoh of Egypt no match for God, but the gods of the Egyptians were no match either. God's laws are absolute. They are not changeable. Jesus fulfilled the law.

Psalm 33:11 "The counsel of the LORD standeth for ever, the thoughts of his heart to all generations."

By which are meant, not the doctrines of the Gospel, nor the ordinances of it; though these will stand firm, and remain to the end of the world. But the purposes and decrees of God, which are wisely formed in Himself. And are eternal and set, and relate to all things in providence and grace. The Lord does all things according to the counsel of His will in the government of the world, and in the salvation of men. The choice of persons to everlasting life is according to it. And so are their redemption, effectual calling, and glorification.

"The thoughts of his heart to all generations": Which, with respect to his own people, are thoughts of peace, grace, and mercy. These are many, and within himself, were very early, even from all eternity. And have their sure and certain effect (Isa. 14:24; see Prov. 19:21).

The counsel of the LORD is found in the Bible, the Word of God. The Word of God is as current today as our daily newspaper. The Bible is current to all generations. It is the Word of God, and will live on forever. The thoughts of His heart were revealed through Jesus Christ to all of His followers. The world would not understand, but the followers of Jesus would understand.

Psalm 33:12 "Blessed [is] the nation whose God [is] the LORD; [and] the people [whom] he hath chosen for his own inheritance."

For the meaning of the word "blessed" (see Psalm 1:1). The idea here is, that the nation referred to is happy, or that its condition is desirable. What is true of a nation is also as true of an individual.

"Whose God is the Lord": Whose God is Yahweh, for so this is in the original Hebrew. That is, the nation which worships Yahweh, and is under his protection. This is evidently said to distinguish such a nation from those which worshipped false gods or idols. Such a nation is blessed or happy.

"And the people whom he hath chosen for his own inheritance": They are "blessed" in two respects. First, because they know God as Jehovah. And secondly, because He has chosen them out of all the nations of the earth to be His "peculiar people" (see Exodus 19:5; Deut. 4:20; 7:6; 14:2; 1 Kings 8:53; Psalm 135:4).

Some time ago the United States proclaimed belief in God. It seems in the last few years that many people want to get away from the very belief this country was founded upon. We have been blessed, because we proclaimed faith in the One True God. Even our coins proclaimed (In God we trust). It is a very dangerous thing for our nation to wander away from God. We Christians are His inheritance.

Ephesians 1:18 "The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints,"

Psalm 33:13 "The LORD looketh from heaven; he beholdeth all the sons of men."

Where his throne and temple are, upon the earth and men, and things in it, as follows.

"He beholdeth all the sons of men": The evil and the good. Which is contrary to the sense of many wicked men, who imagine He takes no notice of what is done here below. But His eye is upon all, upon all the workers of iniquity, how secret whatsoever they may be. And not only His eye of Providence is upon good men, but His eye of love, grace, and mercy. And He has a special and distinct knowledge of them.

We know that God sees and knows everything. We know also, that He looks at individuals as He did Job.

Job 1:8 "And the LORD said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that [there is] none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil?"

God does not look at the earth and see great masses of people. He looks at individuals. He beholds all the sons of men, one at a time.

Psalm 33:14 "From the place of his habitation he looketh upon all the inhabitants of the earth."

Which is heaven, that is, the habitation of his holiness, and of his glory (Isa. 63:15).

"He looketh upon all the inhabitants of the earth": Good and bad. And not the nation of Israel only, but the Gentile world. Whom in former times He overlooked. But under the Gospel dispensation visits in a way of mercy. By sending His Son to die for them, and by spreading His Gospel among them. By calling them by His grace, by planting churches in the midst of them, and by continuing His Word and ordinances with them.

The place of the habitation of God is heaven. He looks down on us from His lofty position in heaven.

Psalm 33:15 "He fashioneth their hearts alike; he considereth all their works."

“He fashioneth their hearts”: This is the Potter’s Word (compare Gen. 2:7); for the significance of this statement (see Isa. 29:15-16).

We know that God has placed a heart in every individual. This is possibly, the part of man that God will judge. The heart of man is what he is. God notices even when we give a cold cup of water to a little child. No job regardless of how small it is, goes unnoticed of God, if it is done to His glory.