PSALM 89 THE JOYFUL SOUND. "Blessed are the people who have heard the joyful sound". All Israel knew the joyful sound referred to in this psalm. It was the Trumpet of Jubilee. That blast was the sound of freedom. Happy were the people that knew that joyful sound. In the New Testament, it is recorded that at the beginning of our Lord's ministry He entered the synagogue and read the scriptures which told of His coming to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord. The acceptable year was the year of Jubilee. God gave Israel twelve commands about the year of Jubilee. 1. They had to count 7 sabbaths of years = 49 years. 2. At the end of the harvest season of the 49th year the trumpet was to sound throughout the land. 3. They should set apart the 70th year and proclaim liberty throughout the land. 4. It shall be a year of Jubilee to you - Jubilate for a year. 5. Every man was to return to his own possessions. This was the very heart of Jubilee. Whoever had to surrender their home and possessions in the previous years NOW took possession again in the year of Jubilee. 6. Every man was to return to his own family. Glorious family reunions took place all over the land. 7. They were forbidden to sow in the year of Jubilee, but were to reap that which grew of itself, and eat the grapes of undressed vineyards. They had to let the ground do what it would. 8. The year of Jubilee was to be a holy year. It is always better to obey God's commands even though it may seem at tines that nature can go wrong. 9. They were to eat of the increase of the flied. If they left the land alone on the fiftieth year, God would give them an increase. The land would renew itself. 10. When buying or selling anything. they had to take into account the number of years to jubilee. This damped down men's speculations - the very element which continues to ruin the human economy. 11. They were forbidden to oppress one another. 12. They had to fear the Lord in all their dealings with each other. In all the earth, the joyful sound was only heard in Israel. As soon as they heard the trumpet sound they knew that they were delivered from all their debts, and the Happy Year was coming. If because of circumstances they were sold into slavery, they were free at the trumpet sound. If hey were in prison, they were released. It was called the Acceptable Year of the Lord. That sound is not now heard in Israel. BUT Christ came to proclaim liberty and Joy - the Acceptable Year of the Lord. To hear a sound is not always to recognise the sound. Self righteous people NEVER know the joyful sound. To them the Gospel is always for sinners. As a minister for over half a century I have discovered that there are many church goers who want to hear an address, BUT not a Gospel Address. The Gospel is for us all. There is a glorious hymn, sung less and less these days, it begins, "We have heard the Joyful sound Jesus Saves." Our acceptable year was the year we were born again. In fact the very essence of Jubilee Year was starting life all over again. Happy are the people who have heard the joyful sound. They who know it, walk in the light of God, in other words, God is with them all the way. They rejoice in His Name all the day. It is good to KNOW that God is there! It a wonderful feeling when you have a friend whom you can always access by telephone when you need to talk to someone. There is one person, who is always at the end of the line - God Himself. He is always there. We are told that the people who have heard the joyful sound are EXALTED in God's Righteousness. We always know that what God does for us is always right and beneficial. The Psalm continues, "I will sing of the mercies of the Lord for ever." Take note of the mercies of God. Life would be a very dreary thing if we had not heard the joyful sound. We know the SURE MERCIES of God. His sure mercies are en capsuled in His Faithfulness. His wonderful faithfulness is revealed in the way He keeps His promises. Whatever God has promised, He is able to perform. Herein is the perpetual celebration of worship for all the ages to some - God is faithful and He will always wee us through. "Mercy shall be built up forever (Vs.2) - Thy Faithfulness shalt Thou establish in the very heavens." The word translated 'laid up' is a very special one. It virtually means "laid stone upon stone until the last stone is laid with shouts of joy." When they finished rebuilding Jerusalem there was great jubilation. What then will be the great joy when we all get home to our heavenly Father. The works of God are not completed in one earthly day, but the Divine promises are as stable as the heaven of heavens above us. Whatever God has promised - He is able to perform. When the church complete the trumpet will sound. This is the New Testament promise of Jubilee. Let us hear the joyful sound. Of course, the whole basis of Jubilee is the government of God. Left to itself the human inclination is to look after No.1. and forget about others. In verse three of this psalm the Lord declares, "I have made a covenant with my chosen, I have sworn unto David my servant, 'Thy seed will I establish for ever. God engages David to Him by an oath. The seed of David; the reference is singular, not plural, and Christ is the seed of David. When He comes to reign He will reign on the throne of David. God engages us to Him by blood - the blood of the New Covenant - the blood of Christ. GOD RULES!. "Thou rulest even the raging of the sea." THOU RULEST is a perfect continuous sense. YOU ARE RULING. We are, even now, under the rule of God. Do not relegate this to the past, nor push it on to the future. He controls, on sea, in air, on land. If when I get to glory someone says to me, "During whose reign did you live on earth?", my answer will be, "During the reign of Almighty God." There can be no pretender to this throne. God reigns through His only begotten son. God's power to create and sustain the universe makes it possible and easy for Him to do anything, anywhere, anytime. God Rules! Let all rejoice!. God is in control NOW. The extent of His rule is indicated in Verse 12, "The North and the South, Thou hast created them" No matter what the distance is, even distances immeasurable to man, God is there and still ruling. Copyright (c) 1996, Hedley Palmer. All rights reserved. ---------------------------------------------------- file: /pub/resources/text/hpalmer/psalms: ps-089.txt .