Psalm 148

Introduction

As we begin today, I’d like to do a little word association. I’m going to say something and I’d love for you to respond aloud with a word that you might consider the opposite of this word.

Large - small

Up - down

Fat - skinny

Square - round

Tall - short

Black - white

Female - male

Heaven ...

For most of us we think that the opposite of heaven is hell. In some ways it is. But in scripture, we don’t actually see those as being paired together. Instead, Heaven and Earth are seen as opposing or correlating pairs (The Bible Project Podcast). In fact, there are about 348 verses that refer to heaven and earth, whereas only about 4 verses contrast heaven and hell or hades or sheol - the place of the dead.

Today, as we consider Psalm 148, we get to see how the occupants of the heavens and earth are both commanded to praise Yahweh. We’ll reflect on how they praise Him and why.

We’ve already read the entirety of this Psalm throughout the service.

Let’s pray as we consider this Psalm together.

Before we dive into the content of the Psalm, I want us to take note briefly of the beauty of the Psalm in how it is laid out.

There are two logical divisions in this Psalm

Psalm 148:1-6 - refers to the occupants of the heavens. As we read that earlier, did you notice how there is a movement from general (heavens) to specific - (sun, moon, stars) and then back to general (highest heavens, waters above…). It sort of has this outside to inside and back to outside motion. The second section...

Psalm 148:7-14 - is directed to the occupants of the earth. Here, the Psalmist begins low - from the depths of the waters and moves high - to the weather - then goes a bit lower - to mountains and then to plants and animals - sort of a low - high; high - low direction. Then as he gets to people - the only things on this list with the volition to choose to praise Yahweh - he begins with rulers, then all, men and women, old and young - again a sort of up-down, up-down pattern - until he finally gets to His people.

It’s almost as though the entire Psalm is making a funnel shape - getting down to the main point, the main reason that we and all of creation - both heaven and earth - should praise God:

Psalm 148:13–14 LEB

let them praise the name of Yahweh, because his name alone is exalted. His splendor is above earth and heavens. And he has raised high a horn for his people, praise for all his faithful— for the children of Israel, a people close to him. Praise Yah.

Praise Yahweh from the heavens (Psalm 148:1-6)

It seems strange that the Psalmist would call for the heavens to praise God. The heavens have no clear voice, no will, they simply are, and yet they are called to praise Yahweh.

For the Psalmist, the heavens are the both the abode of God but also the sky and outer spaces. The heavens are up there - out there.

Who is called to praise God from the heavens? (Psalm 148:1-4)

The angels and heavenly hosts are called to praise God. They have voices and volition. In some ways that makes sense. Praise is what they were made to do.

But the other inhabitants of heaven - the stars, planets (which might be the heavenly hosts), the sun, moon, sky - how can they praise God? They have no mind to choose. They have no will to decide whether or not to praise God.

It seems like these things praise God by doing what they were created to do.

The sun gives light to the day time.

The moon and stars give light in the night.

The “waters above the heavens” seem to give rain on the earth.

All of these things praise God by doing what they were created to do.

Why do they praise God? (Psalm 148:5-6)

Because He established them. It is God who put all of the universe into motion. The Psalmist writes that it is God who spoke them into existence.

Psalm 148:5–6 ESV

Let them praise the name of the Lord! For he commanded and they were created. And he established them forever and ever; he gave a decree, and it shall not pass away.

Genesis 1 tells us that God simply said - “Let there be” and there was.

We’ve said this before - it is God who started it all. There are some who believe that God’s spoken word prompted an immediate existence - six declarations, six manifestations, six days of creation. Others believe that God’s spoken word took thousands or millions or billions of years to come to fruition. Still others believe something in between. Whatever the case, however God did it, the heavens praise God because He is their creator.

They get to manifest his handiwork.

Psalm 19:1 ESV

The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.

They get to declare his righteousness - to humanity.

Psalm 97:6 ESV

The heavens proclaim his righteousness, and all the peoples see his glory.

Psalm 8:3–4 ESV

When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him?

The heavens are called to praise Yahweh. It’s what they were made to do. They can’t help it. They reflect His creativity and his power, his righteousness, his splendor.

Not only are the heavens called to praise Yahweh, this Psalm helps us to see that praise for Yahweh should come from the earth as well.

Praise Yahweh from the earth (Psalm 148:7-14)

Who is called to praise Yahweh from the earth?

As the Psalmist contemplates on the the inhabitants of the earth, he seems to be meditating in an upward position. Beginning in the depths:

“great sea creatures and all deeps” - some translations call these sea creatures “sea dragons” - think about what we don’t know in the oceans. There are deep places that are too deep for us to study right now and yet there are creatures, mysterious creatures that live there.

Some of the fish that live down there are beautiful and ugly. In 2017, Scientists discovered a fish at the bottom of the great Mariana Trench. It’s called the “Pseudoliparis swirei, an odd little snailfish caught at 7,966 meters” deep in the ocean, “nearly twice as far below the sea's surface as Wyoming's Grand Teton towers above it.” A National Geographic Article notes that this snailfish is “almost pink, and about twice as long as a cigar, with flesh so translucent you can see its liver from the outside.” In addition to that, it can “withstand more water pressure than 1,600 elephants standing on its head.” According to this article, there are undiscovered depths in the ocean that are another 2 miles deeper - what else exists down there?

From the lowest things on the earth… to

Powerful storms - “fire and hail, snow and mist, stormy wind” - just as the depths of the oceans have their mysteries, the storms and weather patterns that exist above us are mysterious. Massive clouds that hold snow and rain float high above the earth. They seem to unleash nourishment, beauty and fury on the earth. The Psalmist acknowledges that these weather patterns act at the command of the Lord.

Now that he has gone low and high, the psalmist descends a bit to reflect on...

“Mountains and all hills” -

“Fruit trees and tall cedars” - Trees that provide food and those that simply grow tall and provide shade.

Let’s consider some of the largest trees in the world - the Sequoia - found in the western parts of the US. According to the National Park Service, some of these trees can grow to be the same height as a 26 story building. In fact the largest tree in the world is known as the General Sherman tree. It is about the same height as the US Capital building (capital 288; tree 274.9’). The first branch is about 130’ above the ground. The canopy spreads some 106’ wide and the trunk is about 36’ in diameter. As majestic as this tree is, it reaches its’ branches high and wide in praise to God!

“Beasts and all livestock, creeping things and flying birds” - Large animals, small animals, domesticated animals, rodents, and bugs - are all called to praise God.

As with the heavens, they get to praise God in many ways simply by being. Their very existence speaks of the greatness of their creator.

All of these things have no choice but to praise God. They glorify God by their very existence.

But there is another group of creatures on the earth that are called to praise God.

“Rational Beings” (JFB) - After contemplating on all of the other elements of creation, the Psalmist gets to humans.

Psalm 148:11–12 ESV

Kings of the earth and all peoples, princes and all rulers of the earth! Young men and maidens together, old men and children!

Where as the other elements of creation glorify God by their existence, humans in some ways are given a choice. We are the only beings on earth who are truly rational. There is a sense in which all of the other parts of creation should compel us to praise Yahweh, in many ways we get to choose whether or not we will.

The Psalmist is leaving no one out. From the most important or most highly acclaimed to the most overlooked, all are called to praise God.

Kings tend to garner praise for themselves from people.

Other rulers seek power and acclaim.

Young men and women tend to have an eye for each other.

The old have a great deal of experience and the young have little.

And yet all of these are called to praise Yahweh

But why?

Why are they called to praise Yahweh?

We find the answer in the last two verses of the Psalm.

Psalm 148:13–14 ESV

Let them praise the name of the Lord, for his name alone is exalted; his majesty is above earth and heaven. He has raised up a horn for his people, praise for all his saints, for the people of Israel who are near to him. Praise the Lord!

It seems like there are three reasons we are called to praise God.

Three reasons we are called to praise God

Yahweh’s Name - if you remember, two weeks ago, we discussed how Yahweh is the name that God used to identify himself to Moses. It is his covenant name. There is no other name in heaven or on earth that is greater than Yahweh’s name. His name should elicit our praise. His name to endear us to him. Rulers, powerful people, men, women, young and old will do well to acknowledge what creation seems to do naturally. The great creator over all things has made himself known to us. Will we praise him for it?

Yahweh’s Majesty - the Psalmist writes “His majesty is above earth and heaven” (there are those two words again) the splendor, glory, honor, excellency of God is above, better, far superior than all of the majesty of earth or the heavens. We have a tendency to admire beautiful things - constellations, mountain scenes, fields of sunflowers, fish - even people - doting over important people. But the Psalmist here calls us to praise God because he is better. There is none like him. Not only does he have a unique name, but his character and grandeur should cause us to praise.

Yahweh’s Care - When we consider how big and wonderful God is, his majesty and splendor, the God who put all of life into motion and provides sustenance to the universe - this great God has a heart for his people. The Psalmist states that “He has raised up a horn for his people.” This “horn” represents dignity, power, or strength. Israel was not a strong nation, and yet God cared for them.

For us, Ephesians tells us:

Ephesians 2:1 ESV

And you were dead in the trespasses and sins

Ephesians 2:4–9 ESV

But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.

Elsewhere in the NT we read

Romans 5:6 ESV

For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.

Romans 5:8 ESV

but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Oh that we would fully grasp the love and care that we receive from God. He is great and mighty, but Yahweh is also near. He is near to you and to me. He saw us in our helpless state and made a way for us to be in a right relationship with Him.

Closing thoughts:

The inhabitants of the heavens are to praise God by doing what they were created to do because he spoke to him into existence and established them.

The inhabitants of earth are to praise God because

his name is above every name - there is no one equally worthy to be praised.

because his majesty is above everything

his care for his people

Oh praise him! Praise him in song, praise him in prayer. Praise him in submission to his will. Praise him by receiving his salvation through Jesus Christ. Oh praise him.

As I was preparing this, there was a song that continually wormed through my brain. As we close this part of the service, I’d love for us to sing this together.

(sing “Overwhelmed” by Big Daddy Weave)

Pray

Benediction:

Ephesians 3:20–21 ESV

Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

References:

Calvin, John, and James Anderson. Commentary on the Book of Psalms. Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software, 2010.

Carson, D. A., R. T. France, J. A. Motyer, and G. J. Wenham, eds. New Bible Commentary: 21st Century Edition. 4th ed. Leicester, England; Downers Grove, IL: Inter-Varsity Press, 1994.

Jamieson, Robert, A. R. Fausset, and David Brown. Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible. Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 1997.

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

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/article/deepest-sea-fish-identified-snailfish-pseudoliparis-swirei-spd

https://www.nps.gov/seki/learn/nature/largest-trees-in-world.htm