Psalm 146 (2)

Introduction

Whom do you trust?

According to a Gallup poll, Nurses are the most trusted professionals - and have been for 19 years in a row. In the short list of professionals the top five included

nurses,

doctors,

grade-school teachers,

pharmacists, and

police officers.

The least trustworthy were:

Members of congress

Car sales people

Advertisers

Business executives

Lawyers

In case you’re wondering - pastors or clergy ended up right in the middle. I guess I have some work to do.

But the people or organizations in whom we place our trust must do something to demonstrate they are worthy of that trust.

Banks want to prove that they will keep our money secure.

Airlines tout their safety records and timeliness.

Construction companies and Manufacturers work hard to establish safe work environments - building confidence in their employees and investors.

Reminding worshipers of God that He is trustworthy so that our praise of him has substance is the subject of Psalm 146.

Today, we’re going to begin a short series of sermons in the book of Psalms, a sort of “Summer Psalter” to borrow a phrase from Thabiti Anyabwile’s church. Over the next five weeks, Andrew and I will look at the last five Psalms - 146-150.

Before diving into the Psalm for this week, let me just give us a bit of perspective.

The book of Psalms is divided into five smaller books. Each book concludes with a sort of praise marker.

Book 1: Psalms 1-41 (Psalm 41:13)

Book 2: Psalms 42-72 (Psalm 72:18-20)

Book 3: Psalms 73-89 (Psalm 89:52)

Book 4: Psalms 90-106 (Psalm 106:48)

Book 5: Psalm 107-150 (Psalms 146-150)

Some people suggest that the five-fold division is a nod back to the Pentateuch. The five-fold Psalms of Praise at the end of the book (Ps. 146-150) - become the grand finale of the Psalter.

If we could summarize a major point of Psalm 146, we could say that:

Whom we praise reflects whom we trust.

So far, over the course of the service, we have read 9 of the 10 verses of this Psalm.

Overview of Psalm 146

The Psalm begins with a call to praise Yahweh - the personal name for God - the name that God identified himself with to Moses. The Psalmist then confesses that he will praise Yahweh as long a he lives. (Ps. 146:1-2)

He then moves into a brief admonition to not place our trust in earthly rulers because they do not have the ability to permanently save and their plans die when they do. (Ps. 146:3-4)

Then in verses 5-10a, the Psalmist pronounces a blessing on the person who trusts in God - acknowledging that God is the source of all that exists, He sees the week and disadvantaged, and acts accordingly to meet their needs.

The Psalmist also reflects on the permanence of God. Where earthly rulers are temporary, Yahweh is eternal. (Psalm 146:5-10)

In some ways, the Psalm, while being an act of praise, is an argument touting the trustworthiness of God over earthly rulers or “powerful people” (NLT).

Considering Yahweh

Before diving into the message of the Psalm, let’s think briefly about Yahweh. This is a special name that God used to express who He is. Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob knew God as “God Almighty” or “El-Shaddai” - but when God entered into a covenant with Moses and the people of Israel, He identified himself as “Yahweh.” In our English Bibles, we can see when “Yahweh” is used when Lord is written with small capital letters.

God has many names. Those names are used to describe his attributes. In fact, one commentator (Gerald Van Groningen) notes:

Baker Encyclopedia of the Bible The Biblical Idea of Name

Evangelical scholars, however, insist that the Bible clearly states that God employs names to reveal himself. No one name God employs states all that can be said by God about himself; in fact, all the names taken together do not reveal all that God is.

He goes on to state that:

Baker Encyclopedia of the Bible El and Related Names

Yahweh, then, is the name par excellence of Israel’s God. As Yahweh he is a faithful covenant God who, having given his Word of love and life, keeps that Word by bestowing love and life abundantly on his own.

Yahweh is not a name that humans gave to God, but rather a name that God used to express who he is - especially in relation to the covenant.

In this Psalm, it is Yahweh, this covenantal name of God, that we praise. It is Yahweh in whom we trust.

Let’s consider then, this comparison between Yahweh and powerful people. Ultimately, we’ll find there is no comparison.

Yahweh is the creator, powerful people are the created

The Psalmist makes it clear that those who put their trust in God, put their trust in a worthy place.

Psalm 146:5–6 NLT

But joyful are those who have the God of Israel as their helper, whose hope is in the Lord their God. He made heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them. He keeps every promise forever.

God is the source of all life. He is the One who spoke all of creation into existence. He is the one who initiates and sustains all of life - even the lives of “powerful people.”

There is a clear temptation that we have to trust in earthly rulers, nobles, princes or powerful people. These people have influence. They often have positions of authority. We can see them. We can hear them. We can watch their works.

No matter how good or benevolent, eventually, every leader on earth will be a disappointment - I will be a disappointment at some point.

Yahweh, being the source of all life, is the original creator, the creator of creators.

So, when it comes to the challenges of this world, are we trusting in the created or the Creator?

Which brings us to the next line of thought in the Psalm.

Yahweh’s salvation is clear, the salvation of powerful people is deceptive and temporary.

If we were to think about over even just the last couple of years, we would see that human solutions are fatally flawed when it comes to dealing with problems in this world.

The response to the tragic death of George Floyd last year and the deaths of other black citizens at the hand of police officers was to defund the police. They felt that these powerful people had too much power and needed to be handcuffed - even as they handcuffed others. As noble as that call may have been, the outcome would be unsustainable. Fallen people in powerful places make mistakes. The anarchy that would ensue is likely far worse than the problems as they exist now.

Powerful people often use bullying tactics to solve problems - take from one to give to another. Permanently enslave a segment of the population by providing handouts in order to maintain power. Pass laws that promote personal responsibility without true concern for those who simply need a hand from time to time.

Powerful people have a tendency to do what is expedient rather than what is efficacious - or for the greater good. They may promise one thing and then go back on their promise when another course of action may make them look better.

The solutions of powerful people last for a time, but then wane and find themselves in the midst of unintended consequences.

But Yahweh -

Psalm 146:7–9 LEB

who executes justice for the oppressed, who gives food for the hungry. Yahweh sets prisoners free; Yahweh opens the eyes of the blind; Yahweh raises up those bowed down; Yahweh loves the righteous; Yahweh protects the strangers. He helps up the orphan and the widow, but the way of the wicked he thwarts.

Now - in looking at this, you might be thinking - “I know people who are oppressed, hungry, wrongfully imprisioned, blind, and humiliated, they believe in God, if God is so good, why do they face those problems?”

I do wish I fully understood why God allows all of those things. In fact, it seems like there are times when God uses the suffering of His people as a means of conveying His message of hope in the world.

But, when you consider the context. Yahweh, the covenant keeping God of Israel, ultimately freed them from oppression in Egypt and Babylon. He built in systems and means of addressing poverty by calling people to be generous. He called farmers to not plow up to the edges of their fields in order to leave some food for the poor and those who were traveling. In the original covenant, Yahweh provided a means for people to be fairly tried.

Even as we look toward the New Testament, we can see God calling his people to care for orphans and widows, to meet the needs of the poor.

Ultimately, because the entire early church, upon coming to faith, became strangers and exiles in their own land, God’s heart was for them, He cared for them, and encouraged them to care for each other in community - the community we call the church.

We have this confidence that because Yahweh’s timing is not ours, that in eternity, there will be vindication for the oppressed, hungry, wrongfully imprisoned, blind, humiliated, orphaned and widowed.

For those of us who may find ourselves in any of those categories - we can find encouragement that Yahweh’s people should be fulfilling Yahweh’s execution of justice now, but ultimately that Yahweh will have the final say. Press on, remain faithful, trust him - he is trustworthy!

Yahweh reigns forever, powerful people reign only as long as they are alive.

Here in America, we get to experience the change-over of power from one leader to the next every few years. Other nations who live under Monarchies or Dictatorships may feel like that authority is more lasting - but ultimately, it only lasts as long a the leader.

Incidentally, Queen Elizabeth at 69 years of ruling and counting, is currently about 5th on the list of longest reigning monarchs.

But what we have to recognize is that every leader’s influence will only last for a while, but Yahweh’s reign is eternal! We can have a long-term confidence in the reign of God!

Psalm 146:10 a (LEB)

Yahweh will reign forever,

Your God, O Zion, throughout all generations.

Yahweh’s reign on the earth through His people has expanded beyond all geo-political boundaries. What began with the weakest of nations and a small rag-tag group of followers, has blossomed into a people of over 2 billion souls who are alive now, from nearly every nation on earth.

Nations will come and go, but Yahweh’s reign will surpass and outlast them all.

So, because Yahweh is the creator, His salvation is clear, and His reign is eternal, the Psalmist seems to be leading us to conclude…

Therefore, we should praise and trust Yahweh.

Because Yahweh is the God he is, He is THE worthy object of our praise and our trust. We can confidently entrust our lives and our eternity to him and we get to demonstrate that through a life of praise.

Wiersbe writes:

Be Exultant Life Means Praising God (vv. 1–2)

To live a life of praise is to overcome criticism and complaining, to stop competing against others and comparing ourselves with them. It means to be grateful in and for everything (1 Thess. 5:18; Eph. 5:20) and really believe that God is working all things together for our good (Rom. 8:28)

One of the things we discussed this week with the Art Camp kids is the idea that Jesus ushered in a different way of living, an upside down kingdom. As it relates to Psalm 146, we get to think about trusting God by living according to His ways. Choosing meekness over strength. Choosing generosity over selfishness. Choosing to help rather than hurt.

Beloved, how is your confidence in Yahweh? When you sing praises to him, are you going through the motions or is your praise fueled by the reality of who he is? He is your creator. He see you at your greatest and in your greatest need. He knows what needs to be done and will accomplish his will in and through us.

Will you remain faithful to him? Will you praise him through good times and difficulties? Will you remain more confident in the plans of God than the plans of powerful people?

Friend, if you’re not yet a follower of Christ, let me encourage you to consider, whom are you trusting? Are you placing your trust in political parties or social movements? Are you entrusting the outcome of your life to the latest fads and trends? Have you given any thought to the eternal nature of your soul? Are you entrusting eternity to a pile of works or to the One who sees the end from the beginning, the one who began it all, the One who will end it all? Put your trust and your praise in God - beginning with admitting your need to address your sin - your trust in what Jesus did on the cross - taking your sin on His body and paying for it for eternity.

You see - it is in our sin where we are the most poor - despondent and without hope outside of Jesus.

It is in our sin where we are spiritually hungry and orphaned.

It is our sin that leaves us imprisioned in an eternal prison - our only hope of freedom is in God - through Jesus Christ.

Come to Him today.

Memory Verse: Ps. 146:1-2

Psalm 146:1–2 ESV

Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord, O my soul! I will praise the Lord as long as I live; I will sing praises to my God while I have my being.

References:

Crossway Bibles. The ESV Study Bible. Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2008.

Easton, M. G. Illustrated Bible Dictionary and Treasury of Biblical History, Biography, Geography, Doctrine, and Literature. New York: Harper & Brothers, 1893.

Elwell, Walter A., and Barry J. Beitzel. Baker Encyclopedia of the Bible. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, 1988.

Schaff, Philip, ed. Saint Augustin: Expositions on the Book of Psalms. Vol. 8. A Select Library of the Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers of the Christian Church, First Series. New York: Christian Literature Company, 1888.

Augustine of Hippo. “Expositions on the Book of Psalms.” In Saint Augustin: Expositions on the Book of Psalms, edited by Philip Schaff, translated by A. Cleveland Coxe. Vol. 8. A Select Library of the Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers of the Christian Church, First Series. New York: Christian Literature Company, 1888.

Walvoord, John F., and Roy B. Zuck, Dallas Theological Seminary. The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures. Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1985.

Ross, Allen P. “Psalms.” In The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, edited by J. F. Walvoord and R. B. Zuck. Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1985.

Wiersbe, Warren W. Be Exultant. 1st ed. “Be” Commentary Series. Colorado Springs, CO: Cook Communications Ministries, 2004.

https://nurse.org/articles/nursing-ranked-most-honest-profession/