“For the LORD takes pleasure in his people; he adorns the humble with salvation.” (Psalm 149:4 ESV)
Psalm 149 has only nine verses and recommend that you read them all. The psalm contains contains many themes. It exalts the saints because of Christ victory on their behalf. It commends the progress of the gospel. It warns of the coming judgment of the world.
Hidden in the middle of this psalm is verse four which describes the character of the Lord. What does the Lord take pleasure in? Is it the most beautiful flower, or the strongest warrior? No. He takes pleasure in his people, those whom he has called. The passage does not state that He takes pleasure in all people, but only his own. In fact later, this psalm mentions God’s judgment on those who are not his people. What makes his people special is that they are the Lord’s own people.
Note that he takes pleasure in them. They please the Lord. Other translations might say that the Lord delights in his people. It should bring you comfort to know that God had decided to delight in you. You are someone special.
Of course, the next phrase should give us pause. He adorns his people, but first He humbles them or brings them low. I might even say that he makes them poor in spirit. This is the work of the Spirit of God; He does so by bringing their sin before them. And by revealing sin, we are brought to repentance and humbled.
As humbled people, the Lord adorns us with the most beautiful covering, salvation. My commentary tells me that this word, adorn comes from the word referring to a headdress worn by upper class women of Jerusalem, the priests, and even bridegrooms. The adorning is a raising up of those humbled to a place of honor at the Lord’s table. And what could be more beautiful that the forgiveness of sins and the robe of Christ?
We come before you in humility and gratitude, acknowledging that you take pleasure in your people. We are humbled by your love and grace, recognizing that our worth is not based on our merits, but on your unfailing love for us. Thank you for adorning the humble with salvation. We bow before you, Lord, in humility, knowing that it is through your grace that we are saved. Help us to always approach you with a contrite heart, recognizing our need for your mercy and forgiveness. Thank you for your gracious gift of salvation through Christ. It is in His precious name we pray, Amen.