Praise the Eternal, Omnipotent God.

Scripture Reading

Psalm 146 NIV84

1 Praise the Lord. Praise the Lord, O my soul. 2 I will praise the Lord all my life; I will sing praise to my God as long as I live. 3 Do not put your trust in princes, in mortal men, who cannot save. 4 When their spirit departs, they return to the ground; on that very day their plans come to nothing. 5 Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the Lord his God, 6 the Maker of heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them— the Lord, who remains faithful forever. 7 He upholds the cause of the oppressed and gives food to the hungry. The Lord sets prisoners free, 8 the Lord gives sight to the blind, the Lord lifts up those who are bowed down, the Lord loves the righteous. 9 The Lord watches over the alien and sustains the fatherless and the widow, but he frustrates the ways of the wicked. 10 The Lord reigns forever, your God, O Zion, for all generations. Praise the Lord.

Introduction

I’m beginning this evening with a new sermon series that I’ve entitled, “The Psalms for Every Season of Life.” All of Scriptures are beneficial for Christians. Even these readings from the book of Joshua, concerning the distribution of land for the Israelites is helpful and profitable for us. Even the genealogies are helpful to us - although sometimes we struggle to see just how. But when Paul said to Timothy in 2 Tim 3:16-17 that All Scriptures is breathed out by God, and profitable, he certainly meant all Scripture.

With that said, the Psalms have a very special place for the believer. The Psalms are really a collection of songs, poetic writings put to melody, that the Israelites would sing as a nation in order to encourage them in their relationship with God, and in order to bring praise to His name.

The Psalms are extremely beneficial to us, because they flow out of the current life experience of the Psalmist, and demonstrate for us Holy Spirit inspired responses to their situations. In doing that, we find deeply practical words for our lives; we find rich theological truths concerning God’s nature and character; we find god-honouring responses to every circumstance that we may face.

The Psalms do not hold back in any way in declaring to us how the Psalmist is feeling in the midst of his present circumstances. But they do so in such a way that God is not dishonoured through the words of the Psalmist.

As we begin, then, our study in the book of Psalms, my hope is that we would be greatly encouraged that no matter what the circumstances of our life are in the present, the Psalms are able to help us to respond rightly to God. The Psalms are applicable to us in our present circumstances, no matter what those are, and they are able to bring hope, help and healing as we respond to God in our own present circumstances in a God-honouring and glorifying manner, as the Psalms guide us to do this.

As we go through this study, my plan is to go to selected Psalms that address particular circumstances. In doing this, I hope to outline particular doctrinal truths that are relevant in those circumstances; I hope to bring some measure of encouragement to those who may facing those circumstances presently, or to prepare others who will face such circumstances in time to come, and then to teach us how to use the Psalms as an encouragement to us. At the end of the day, I want to encourage us as a church to make use of the Psalms extensively in our own lives in order to find hope, truth and encouragement in life.

With that in mind, we are going to begin this evening by looking together at Psalm 146. I turn to this Psalm as a basis from which to work. It’s not so much a Psalm directed at a particular circumstance in life, although it is applicable within such a framework. But I turn to this Psalm because it is a call for God’s people to praise Him, and then sets forth a particular motivation for the praise and worship of God. As such, I think it is a wonderful starting point for our thinking in terms of the situations we will face in life.

The first thing that we note from this Psalm is...

1. The Call to Praise (v.1)

In verse 1, the Psalmist calls for his soul to praise God...

Psalm 146:1 NIV84

1 Praise the Lord. Praise the Lord, O my soul.

There is a repitition that is clearly seen in this very opening verse. “Praise the Lord.... Praise the Lord.” That is the Hebrew parallelism that we will find extensively in the Psalms. But the repitition really serves as an urgent call for the praising of the Lord.

A couple of things that are noteworthy in this call to praise.

Firstly, it is a call to praise Jahweh. The word LORD that is used here is in all caps in our Bibles, indicating that it is a very specific word being used here, and that is JHWH. It’s called the Tetragrammaton - since it is made up of four letters in the Hebrew language.

But this name for Jahweh, Jehovah, was the name by which God had revealed himself to Israel as the true and unique living God among all gods. In the world of the day, there were many gods. Many different nations served many different gods. And very often these gods would compete with each other on the battle field as the nations went to war with each other.

In other words, as the nations went to war against each other, they would see their own gods as the superior god based on the victories in the battle. A clear example of this can be found in 1 Kings 20:28...

1 Kings 20:28 NIV84

28 The man of God came up and told the king of Israel, “This is what the Lord says: ‘Because the Arameans think the Lord is a god of the hills and not a god of the valleys, I will deliver this vast army into your hands, and you will know that I am the Lord.’ ”

The fact is that Israel was serving the living and true God, who was named Yahweh. He had revealed himself in a particular manner to them. And this Psalm is not a call to praise an unnamed god. It is not a call to praise the god of your choosing. It is a call to praise the living and true God - Jehovah!

The second thing that I would point out from this opening verse is that the Psalmist is calling himself to praise the Lord. Note that he says, praise the Lord, O my soul. The Psalmist is in one sense urging himself to sing the praises of Jahweh. He is calling his entire being - for that is what the soul represented - to sing the praises of the Lord.

We must learn that when we are down and out, we are to call ourselves, and to remind ourselves, to sing praises to God.

The second thing that we must note from this Psalm, is...

2. The Duration of our Praise (v.2)

As the Psalmist calls himself to sing praises to God, he makes a declaration in verse 2. It is a promise - a vow. He writes...

Psalm 146:2 NIV84

2 I will praise the Lord all my life; I will sing praise to my God as long as I live.

Again, we find the Parallelism here. He is repeating the same truth over, in slightly different ways. But the fact is that the call here is to praise the Lord all his life.

When the recognition truly comes that God is the true and living God, we must of necessity commit ourselves to the praise and exaltation of that God for all the days that are entrusted to us. One Commentator writes...

Psalms, Volume 2 Introductory Call to Praise the Lord (146:1–2)

Simply put, to be alive is to sing the praises of God and to sing the praises of God constitutes what it means to be alive.

As those who by grace through faith have trusted in Christ, we have recognised the eternal worth and greatness of our God, and are thus called to praise him all our days.

We are not to praise God in a moment of joy; or in a moment of plain sailing in life. We are not called to praise God, and to live a life of praise only when things go well. Rather, as the Psalmist demonstrates here, we are to bring praise to God, and to live lives of praise to God at all times and in every circumstance!

But as the Psalmist goes on, he will now declare why it is that we are to praise God for all of our days. What does wisdom teach us concerning this Jehovah? This leads us to consider thirdly...

3. The Motivation of our Praise (v.3-9)

As we consider the motivation for our praise of God, there are two dimensions that are conveyed. In the first instance, the Psalmist will demonstrate why it is that we are not to place our trust in humans. In other words, our praise of God for all of our days is fitting because placing our trust in earthly vessels is folly. And then secondly, and where we’ll spend most of our time, the Psalmist will declare the certainty of God’s help for man.

So firstly, in terms of our motivtion for praise, note that...

3.1. Human Help is Vain (v.3-4)

In verse 3, the Psalmist writes...

Psalm 146:3 NIV84

3 Do not put your trust in princes, in mortal men, who cannot save.

Here is the basic point - man is not to be trusted.

Notice - his comment is directed at princes - those influential

It is typical / common to place trust in those who appear to be the movers and shakers.

We find in the political arena - when a particular person switches parties, we’re excited. When someone leaves, disappointed.

So often, people attempt to make friends with those that can benefit them.

Proverbs 14:20 NIV84

20 The poor are shunned even by their neighbors, but the rich have many friends.

That is a sad commentary on the nature of man.

But man is a foolish place to put our hope.

Notice the reason behind this...

Psalm 146:4 NIV84

4 When their spirit departs, they return to the ground; on that very day their plans come to nothing.

Man’s life is short lived.

Psalm 37:1–2 NIV84

1 Do not fret because of evil men or be envious of those who do wrong; 2 for like the grass they will soon wither, like green plants they will soon die away.

No knowledge of when he will die.

Ecclesiastes 7:1–2 NIV84

1 A good name is better than fine perfume, and the day of death better than the day of birth. 2 It is better to go to a house of mourning than to go to a house of feasting, for death is the destiny of every man; the living should take this to heart.

House of mourning - a time of sombre reflection.

We cannot think that our lives will continue forever.

We do not know when rulers will be taken.

Sometimes, they rule for far too long...

Sometimes, they hardly start, and their life is snatched away.

Ultimately, God’s working is sovereign.

Bottom line… it is senseless to place our trust in those that have know ability to control the future

NB!!! - This includes ourselves...

We are not the masters of our own destiny, to the extent that we think we are.

Not abdicating our responsiblity… not saying we mustn’t work.

But!! We must have in the forefront of our minds, that we are mere creatures.

Remember the warning from James 5:13-17… we cannot boast about tomorrow.

So then… where is our hope to be? Where is our focus to be?

God’s help!!

3.2. God’s Help is Sure (v.5-9)

Psalmist goes to outline in great detail that God is powerful.

A number of reasons that the Psalmist gives for trusting in God...

3.2.1. The Call to Hope in God

Psalm 146:5 NIV84

5 Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the Lord his God,

To be blessed is quite proprly to live under the divine favour and good of God.

Psalm 1 outlines what this man’s life looks like...

Psalm 1:3 NIV84

3 He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers.

"God of Jacob...” - could refer to the “people of God.” But...

Could also be a reminder of the fact that God entered into covenant relationship - transformed.. renamed. Such is the case with individuals.

Lives are transformed.

Instead of placing hope in man… should be placing hope in God!!

3.2.2. God is the Powerful Creator

Psalm 146:6 NIV84

6 the Maker of heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them— the Lord, who remains faithful forever.

By implication of the fact that God created all things, we may trust in Him

God stands in stark contrast to man…

Ecclesiastes 5:2 NIV84

2 Do not be quick with your mouth, do not be hasty in your heart to utter anything before God. God is in heaven and you are on earth, so let your words be few.

The Scriptures are clear testimony to the fact that God is powerful, eternal,

By his very nature, existence, God transcends man in every way.

It is thus foolishness to trust in man....

But further.... “the LORD, who remains faithful forever...”

When man disapoints - whether by death or otherwise - God is faithful.

Beautiful picture… 2 Tim 4:16....

When our trust is in God, we are trusting in the one who is faithful to His promises!

3.2.3. God is the Powerful Sustainer, Protector and Defender

As we work through these… consider that although the truths are physical, there is a grand spiritual dimension!

Psalm 146:7 NIV84

7 He upholds the cause of the oppressed and gives food to the hungry. The Lord sets prisoners free,

Oppressed...

Proverbs 14:31 NIV84

31 He who oppresses the poor shows contempt for their Maker, but whoever is kind to the needy honors God.

World full of oppression.

World full of people trying to give hope… more often than not, their solutions are less than helpful.

But God is a sure hope for the oppressed, and ultimately, his hand will deliver!

Hungry...

God is the great provider of every need.

Psalm 107:9 NIV84

9 for he satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things.

Certainly true physically

But even more so, true spiritually.

In other words, our longings can be fulfilled through faith in God - as we look to him, trust in him… know him.

Prisoners...

In one sense - speaks of true physical prisoner.

Israel in Egypt.

Israel in Babylonian exile - delivered them .

Spiritually - so much more significant (we will consider this further in a moment...

Psalm 146:8 NIV84

8 the Lord gives sight to the blind, the Lord lifts up those who are bowed down, the Lord loves the righteous.

Blind...

Matthew 9:30 NIV84

30 and their sight was restored. Jesus warned them sternly, “See that no one knows about this.”

John 9:7 NIV84

7 “Go,” he told him, “wash in the Pool of Siloam” (this word means Sent). So the man went and washed, and came home seeing.

Jesus literally opened the eyes of the blind.

But that would always point forward to a greater spiritual reality - opening the spiritual eyes of blindness that prevented man from a true knowledge of God.

We can be encouraged that God has had the express purpose of giving sight - spiritual sight - in order that we might see things that we were previously unable to see.

That we would have understanding.

Bowed Down...

Those who are humbled, or humiliated.

If you have been bowed low

Righteouss...

The Lord loves the righteous… those who are his.

For us - those who are in Christ - God loves them!

Nothing can separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord!

Psalm 146:9 NIV84

9 The Lord watches over the alien and sustains the fatherless and the widow, but he frustrates the ways of the wicked.

Psalms, Volume 3: (Psalms 107–150): An Expositional Commentary The Greatest Blessing

The three cases listed in this verse 9—the alien, the fatherless, and the widow—are often cited in the Old Testament as examples of those who are defenseless. God watches over them and protects them from the wicked.

Wicked…

We must see this contrast…

Contrasts to the righteous in previous verse.

For those who are wicked, there will be punishment...

Their plans will be thwarted.

Notice how all of the above are fulfilled in Christ… Isaiah 61...

4. The Duration of God’s Reign (v.10a)

The New International Version (1984) Psalm 146

The LORD reigns forever,

your God, O Zion, for all generations.

This verse / section stands in contrast to verse 2...

I will praise God all my life…

God reigns forever - for longer than I will live… certainly in this life.

5. The Call to Praise (v.10b)

Finally, closes with another call to praise.

The New International Version (1984) Psalm 146

Praise the LORD.

Application / Conclusion

This Psalm - a call to praise God

That call should affect all our days - every day before us.

And it is a call that has a firm foundation in the person and work of God.

God is eternal; God is omnipotent.

We so often place our trust in people; in ourselves

These are vain hopes!!

Going into this series with the view of learning how we may praise God always.

That praise does not always mean that our life is without difficulty

Does not mean that everything is plain sailing.

But God is worthy of priase and honour - in other words, we worship God in the good times and the bad; in the easy seasons and the difficult.

Sometimes, that is difficult to do.

What do I hope to do…?

1. Recognise - Cloud of great witnesses - hall of faith - Hebrews 11.

Consider them. See that no temptation, no struggle is new to man - there are those who have gone before.

2. Find expression for what we are going through.

We struggle with our anxieties, our concerns, our struggles, our weaknesses, our circumstances, our fears…

We don’t know how to express that in a God-glorifying way.

We often don’t even know if it’s okay to express those.

Going through the Psalms will help.

3. Consider some of the Theology that will help us in our lives

The Psalms are rich in theology.

We need to understand these theological truths if we’re going to live well, endure well etc.

A proper response will only come through good theology - practical theology!

I want us to go to the PSalms to see how it is that God can be worshiped and honoured in all the different kinds of circumstances of life.

Each week, we will briefly look at a different Psalms that is representative of a particular situation.

My prayer is that this would help us, teach us, how it is that we can indeed praise God in every circumstance.