Psalm 33: Our Marvelous LORD

Three Questions:

1. What is Praise?

2. Why Should I Praise God?

3. How Should I Praise God?

WHAT IS PRAISE?

Praise Defined: תְּהִלָּה (te-hil-lah)

1. praise, adoration, thanksgiving, (To speak positive words about the excellence of another often occurring in the context singing).

2. renown, reputation, i.e., words that characterize a person or people.

3. glory, i.e., a manifestation of power which causes wonder.

4. deeds that are praiseworthy.[1]

To praise:

1. Praise vocally declares our love, admiration, delight, and gratitude for God based upon His great works, holiness, power, character, honor, dignity, among the rest of His attributes and actions.

2. In short, We exclaim what we know of God and experience in God.

3. Praise is not silent contemplation—that is meditation—praise is audible declarations driven by a heart motivated by the love of God.

WHY SHOULD I PRAISE GOD?

God’s self-revelation and covenantal faithfulness should drive our praise.

1. The covenant name for God is used 13 times in this Psalm; demonstrating that the covenant faithfulness of God moves the psalmist to praise God.

2. The covenant name was given to Moses (), and two things stand out:

a. First, God said this was His “memorial name for all generations.”

b. Second, when God revealed His name to Moses, He also promised to be Israel’s God forever.

3. Sadly, many of us doubt the faithfulness of God, and this greatly affects our ability and desire to praise the Lord.

Spurgeon marveled over this same problem:

“O unbelief, how strange a marvel thou art! We know not which most to wonder at, the faithfulness of God or the unbelief of his people. He keeps his promise a thousand times, and yet the next trial makes us doubt him.”[2] (Charles Spurgeon)

We should praise God because of His marvelous attributes

1. God only speaks what is upright (vs. 4)

2. God is faithful to His work (vs. 4)

3. God loves righteousness and faithfulness (vs. 5)

4. God pours out His lovingkindness (vs. 5)

5. God’s word is powerful (vs. 6)

6. God is unmatched in brilliance and understanding (vs.9-11)

7. God chooses to demonstrate His love (vs. 12)

8. God cares and is concerned about His creation (vs. 13-15)

9. God protects through saving and delivering His children (vs. 16-20)

In short, we praise God because He is absolutely marvelous and stirs a deep awe and reverence within our innermost parts that flows to our outermost parts.

We should praise God because He is our creator

1. By His Word He created all you see and don’t see (vs. 6)

2. Let’s put this into context:

a. If He can create with His word, what can He correct with His hands?

b. If He can create with His word, what can He forgive with His blood?

c. If He can create with His word, what can He restore with His fellowship?

We should praise God because He is our King and Great Counselor

1. God speaks, and we do (vs. 9)

2. God commands, and no one invalidates it (vs. 9)

3. God contradicts and invalidates the wicked plans of man (vs. 10)

4. God plans, and it ALWAYS comes to pass (vs. 11)

5. God chooses, and we are blessed (vs. 12)

Allow me to bring this out in a way that allows us to praise the Lord:

1. What God thinks, plans, and enacts ABSOLUTELY comes to fruition—and none can oppose this.

2. Therefore, in His wisdom and work, the Lord declared us to be His children and saved when we entered into His love and fellowship through the blood of Christ—AND NO ONE NOR NO THING CAN DEFEAT THIS GREAT DECLARATION.

We should praise God because He interacts with us.

1. The Lord lovingly rules over us (vs. 12)

2. The Lord watches over (out for) us (vs. 13)

3. The Lord defends us (vs. 16-19)

4. The Lord helps us (vs. 20)

Again, let’s look at this within the context of the present:

1. God constantly guides us for His glory and our good.

2. God actively protects and sustains us.

3. We praise God because He is our ever-present help and faithfully present within every moment of our life!

4. THOUGH I WALK THROUGH THE VALLEY OF DEATH, I WILL NOT FEAR FOR YOU ARE WITH ME!

I love what Oswald Chambers has to say about this:

“The circumstances of a saint’s life are ordained of God. In the life of a saint there is no such thing as chance. God by His providence brings you into circumstances that you cannot understand at all, but the Spirit of God understands.”[3] (Oswald Chambers)

He adds…

“Your intercessions can never be mine, and my intercessions can never be yours, but the Holy Ghost makes intercession in our particular lives, without which intercession someone will be impoverished.”[4] (Oswald Chambers)

Oswald Chambers skillfully articulates that:

1. We are were God wants us, so we can do what God wants us to do—praise Him.

2. We are were God wants us, so we can experience what he wants us to do—abide in Him.

We should praise God because He is our deliverer.

1. He delivers from worldly wisdom (vs. 8-11)

2. He delivers when we are engaged in vicious warfare (vs. 16-20)

3. He delivers from famine and death of the soul (vs. 19)

Think of it like this:

1. Though we think (and act) differently from the world—God will prove himself (and us) right.

2. Though we walk into the middle of an overwhelming battle—God is our strength and not ourselves.

3. Though we have been mired in sin—God has delivered us from sin and brought us into His life.

So….

What does this look like in real-time; that is…

HOW DO WE PRAISE GOD?

When we praise God, we should do so in at least three ways:

1. Enthusiastically: We are called to praise of God with vigor and joy (vs. 3)

2. Originality: We are called to sing a new song (vs. 3)

3. Competently: We are called to play skillfully (vs. 3)

John Barry insightfully instructs,

“Worship can become stilted when we focus on our place before Yahweh instead of His natural and rightful place. We’re meant to view Yahweh for who He is and what He has done, and to respond to His work by helping others.”[5] (John Barry)

Let’s precisely identify what Barry points out:

1. Worship dies when you look at yourself instead of God.

2. Worship dies when you fail to praise God in the presence of others.

Sadly, many of us struggle to worship the Lord with vigor because:

· We doubt His faithfulness (we think He will abandon us)

· We doubt His sovereignty (we think He is not in control)

· We doubt His goodness (we think He won’t provide)

· We stare at our navels (we are wrongly focused on self)

· We criticize His people (we are wrongly focused on others)

HOW SHOULD I RESPOND?

1. Prayerfully Repent of your sins both privately and corporately

2. Patiently Seek to See God in His Word

3. Passionately Praise God for what you see about God.

4. Persistently Proclaim your testimony and experience of God to others

[1] James Swanson, Dictionary of Biblical Languages with Semantic Domains : Hebrew (Old Testament) (Oak Harbor: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 1997).

[2] C. H. Spurgeon, Morning and Evening: Daily Readings (London: Passmore & Alabaster, 1896).

[3] Oswald Chambers, My Utmost for His Highest: Selections for the Year (Grand Rapids, MI: Oswald Chambers Publications; Marshall Pickering, 1986).

[4] Oswald Chambers, My Utmost for His Highest: Selections for the Year (Grand Rapids, MI: Oswald Chambers Publications; Marshall Pickering, 1986).

[5] John D. Barry and Rebecca Kruyswijk, Connect the Testaments: A One-Year Daily Devotional with Bible Reading Plan (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2012).

[5] John D. Barry and Rebecca Kruyswijk, Connect the Testaments: A One-Year Daily Devotional with Bible Reading Plan (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2012).