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22 I will declare your name to my brothers;

in the congregation I will praise you.

23 You who fear the Lord, praise him!

All you descendants of Jacob, honor him!

Revere him, all you descendants of Israel!

24 For he has not despised or disdained

the suffering of the afflicted one;

he has not hidden his face from him

but has listened to his cry for help.

25 From you comes the theme of my praise in the great assembly;

before those who fear you e will I fulfill my vows.

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A Time to Celebrate

As Solomon said in Ecclesiastes 3:1, NIV

There is a time for everything,

and a season for every activity under heaven:



Moving from suffering to glory, this Psalm turns at verse 22 to celebration. Interesting, isn’t it? After all that misery of the first 21 verses, now we are to celebration. Isn’t that exactly how the Lord works, though? In our darkest time, He is most faithful!

There was a celebration in the congregation. (verses 22-25)

Think of the time of the resurrection. Jesus appeared to believers (the “congregation” of the New Covenant)

1 Corinthians 15:3-8

3 For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance a: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, 5 and that he appeared to Peter, b and then to the Twelve. 6 After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. 7 Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, 8 and last of all he appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born.