John Calvin Commentary Psalms 149:2

"Let Israel rejoice in him that made him: Let the children of Zion be joyful in their King." — Psalms 149:2 (ASV)

Let Israel rejoice in his Maker. He insists upon the same point, that the Lord’s people should remain firmly convinced that their family had not been chosen out in vain from the rest of the world, but that God would be mindful of His covenant, and not allow the mercies which He had extended to them to fail or become extinct.

Although they had been temporarily deprived of the inheritance of the land of Canaan, which was the pledge of their adoption, the Psalmist calls God their Maker, and king of the sons of Zion, to remind them that when adopted to a preeminence above other nations, this was a type of new creation.

So in Psalm 45:6, the Israelites are called the work of God’s hands, not merely because they were like other men created by Him, but because He had formed them anew and distinguished them with a new honor: that of being separated from the whole human race.

The name king has a wider meaning, intimating that as this people was at first formed by God, so it was with the intention that they would always be governed by His power.

The musical instruments he mentions were peculiar to this infancy of the Church, nor should we foolishly imitate a practice that was intended only for God’s ancient people.

But the Psalmist confirms what has already been mentioned: that their religious assemblies, which had been interrupted for a time, would soon be restored, and they would call upon the name of the Lord in the due order of His worship.