Psalm 150
Notes
Transcript
Introduction
Introduction
Hallelujah!
Praise God in His sanctuary.
Praise Him in His mighty heavens.
Praise Him for His powerful acts;
praise Him for His abundant greatness.
Praise Him with trumpet blast;
praise Him with harp and lyre.
Praise Him with tambourine and dance;
praise Him with flute and strings.
Praise Him with resounding cymbals;
praise Him with clashing cymbals.
Let everything that breathes praise the Lord.
Hallelujah!
Let’s pray.
Over the last few weeks, we have looked at the last chapters of the book of Psalms, the praise chapters. Today, we’ll get to look at the final one.
As we look at the Psalm, we’re going to be launching from an outline that Warren Wiersbe worked up as he studied this passage. While some of this will be a bit of a review from the last couple of weeks, we’ll also take some time to reflect on some implications the passage.
As we look at the Psalm, we can immediately notice that it opens and closes with...
The Focus of Worship: Yahweh (Ps. 150:1a, 6)
The Focus of Worship: Yahweh (Ps. 150:1a, 6)
Psalm 150:1a (ESV)
Praise the Lord!
Psalm 150:6
Let everything that has breath praise the Lord!
Praise the Lord!
There are so many things and people that we are tempted to worship or praise. Some things we should give praise to. I love praising someone for their efforts and their work, their sacrifice. Praise encourages the one who receives the praise, but also edifies the one giving the praise.
But ultimately, as with these other Psalms that we’ve considered over the last few weeks, Yahweh is the one who is truly worthy of our praise. He should be the primary focus of our praise And the only object of our worship.
This short psalm is not short on the exhortation to praise. Typically, when I read through scripture, I’m looking for repetition or patterns. We should obey what Scripture says when it is communicated once. We should especially be mindful to do what it says, when it’s listed 2-3 times. But what about 13 times? In these six verses, there are 13 times that we are called to “praise.” We are going to see where praise should come from, how it should be given, and ultimately why we should praise. The underlying command is that we should praise God.
Speaking of God, notice something interesting the the psalmist does with the language. He opens and closes with the Hebrew combination “hallelujah” that gets translated as “Praise Yahweh” or “Praise the Lord.” But then notice in the second line of verse 1 - the psalmist changes to “praise God.” The Hebrew word that he is using is the more generic word for God - “El.” While Yahweh is the covenant name of God - the name the God gave to Moses to identify himself to his people, El or God the more commonly understood name. It’s important remember that there is only one God - he is triune - Father, Son, Holy Spirit, but he is one. The psalmist understood God - the creator of all things - to be Yahweh.
He - El, Yahweh - is the one we praise.
Understanding the focus of our praise and worship - the psalmist then moves to..
The Places of Worship: Earth and Heaven (Ps. 150:1b)
The Places of Worship: Earth and Heaven (Ps. 150:1b)
Psalm 150:1
Psalm 150:1 (ESV)
Praise God in his sanctuary;
praise him in his mighty heavens!
We spent some time on this a couple weeks ago, so I don’t want to dwell on it too much.
We see here that God’s praise should happen in his sanctuary. We immediately think of places like this, this room, as the location of God’s praise - as His sanctuary. It seems natural. It seems fitting for God’s praise to be in a place like this.
The Psalmist may have been thinking of the temple or the tabernacle - the portable worship tent that was used in the Exodus and early days of Israel’s monarchies.
Several commentators suggest that “sanctuary” refers more broadly to all of the earth. Part of their reasoning is that God’s people would worship in the sanctuary and the sanctuary is only on the earth.
Another way to think about this is that the sanctuary is the place where the kingdom of heaven and earth meet. God commanded the people of Israel to build a sanctuary in which he would dwell - Exodus 25:8 “And let them make me a sanctuary, that I may dwell in their midst.”
It’s in the sanctuary where we think about the things of God. It’s in the sanctuary where we submit our ways to God’s ways in order to live them out in the earth. As followers of Christ, we believe that now we are the sanctuaries or temples of God.
Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own,
So God’s praise should happen here on earth. We learned a few weeks ago that God’s praise happens in the heavens as His creation up there displays His grandeur.
Since we are here on earth, and we are the ones who have the volition to praise, it begs the question - how should we praise Yahweh - to which the Psalmist responds with...
The Means of Worship: musical instruments and human voices (Ps. 150:3-6)
The Means of Worship: musical instruments and human voices (Ps. 150:3-6)
Praise him with trumpet sound;
praise him with lute and harp!
Praise him with tambourine and dance;
praise him with strings and pipe!
Praise him with sounding cymbals;
praise him with loud clashing cymbals!
Let everything that has breath praise the Lord!
Praise the Lord!
There are some churches that have a conviction that worship and praise should be acapella, but it’s clear here that the psalmist urges that praise happen not only with our voices, but also with a variety of musical instruments. Instruments that require breath to operate. Others that require strumming. Still others that require banging.
On commentator (Bratcher referencing Taylor) observed that specific groups of people would traditionally use these instruments.
The priests would use trumpets
The levites or worship leaders would use the lute, harp, and cymbals.
The laypeople would use the other instruments.
All of them would use their voices or their breath.
So, we’ve seen that God alone is to be praise, in heaven and on earth with musical instruments and voices - but why? This gets us to the part of the Psalm that we haven’t addressed yet. If you noticed we are looking at this Psalm from the outside in.
The Reasons for Worship: God’s Acts and Attributes (Ps. 150:2)
The Reasons for Worship: God’s Acts and Attributes (Ps. 150:2)
Verse two in one translation reads:
Praise him for his mighty acts!
Praise him for his surpassing greatness!
There are several different ways that we could really ponder this verse. But let’s think through this in light of the context of the book of Psalms.
Matthew Henry, in his commentary noted that Psalm 1 - the opening psalm of the book - has the same number of verses as Psalm 150 - both being a fitting and intentional introduction and conclusion to the Psalter. In Psalm 1, the psalmist seems to provide a bit of instruction on how someone can live a blessed live.
Blessed is the man
who walks not in the counsel of the wicked,
nor stands in the way of sinners,
nor sits in the seat of scoffers;
but his delight is in the law of the Lord,
and on his law he meditates day and night.
He is like a tree
planted by streams of water
that yields its fruit in its season,
and its leaf does not wither.
In all that he does, he prospers.
The wicked are not so,
but are like chaff that the wind drives away.
Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment,
nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous;
for the Lord knows the way of the righteous,
but the way of the wicked will perish.
Psalm 150 then becomes the conclusion - the bookends of this massive volume.
In between these two chapters, we get to see a variety of songs, prayers, laments, and more that reflect on God and his interactions with His people.
These songs represent some moments of triumph and victory. For example,
I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart;
I will recount all of your wonderful deeds.
I will be glad and exult in you;
I will sing praise to your name, O Most High.
When my enemies turn back,
they stumble and perish before your presence.
For you have maintained my just cause;
you have sat on the throne, giving righteous judgment.
Here the Psalmist is clearly giving thanks to God for the way that he has worked amidst the conflict he encountered.
At other times these songs represent prayers of confession and contrition.
Out of the depths I cry to you, O Lord!
O Lord, hear my voice!
Let your ears be attentive
to the voice of my pleas for mercy!
If you, O Lord, should mark iniquities,
O Lord, who could stand?
But with you there is forgiveness,
that you may be feared.
I wait for the Lord, my soul waits,
and in his word I hope;
my soul waits for the Lord
more than watchmen for the morning,
more than watchmen for the morning.
There are songs that reflect on God’s grace throughout Israel’s history.
O God, we have heard with our ears,
our fathers have told us,
what deeds you performed in their days,
in the days of old:
you with your own hand drove out the nations,
but them you planted;
you afflicted the peoples,
but them you set free;
for not by their own sword did they win the land,
nor did their own arm save them,
but your right hand and your arm,
and the light of your face,
for you delighted in them.
There are songs that cry out to God in lament because he has seemed to forsake his people. Famously, Jesus quoted Psalm 22 on the cross.
My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?
Why are you so far from saving me, from the words of my groaning?
O my God, I cry by day, but you do not answer,
and by night, but I find no rest.
Yet you are holy,
enthroned on the praises of Israel.
So here at the end of the psalter, the psalmist calls for people to praise God for his mighty acts and his awesome attributes or excellent greatness - something that might have already happened if the psalter was used in the course of regular worship - like a hymn book.
But let’s think for a moment about God’s Acts and Attributes:
Acts:
Acts:
Scripture does a lot to inform us of what God has done. We get to see His...
Mighty Creative Works
Mighty Creative Works
God, being the creator of all things has displayed his power by putting everything into motion on earth and in the heavens. He demonstrates his creativity and beauty in the way that he has fashioned animals and plants. He demonstrates his intricate detail in the way that he created you and me.
But at various times throughout history, God’s mighty acts have included...
Miracles
Miracles
Miracles are those events and circumstances where God does something outside of the normal course of events. We can see that in the parting of the Red Sea during the Exodus (Ex. 14). We can see it when God called Moses to fashion a bronze serpent that would lead to the healing of those who had been bitten by a snake (Num. 21). We even get to see it God’s miracle working power when he healed a foreign military leader of Leprosy by having him bathe in the Jordan river seven times (2 Kings 5). We could include all of the miracles that Jesus performed and His acts at the cross - his greatest miracle where he redeemed us from our sin.
We could inClaude His acts of common grace, those things that he does because he is loving and good. Those things that he allows all of humanity to encounter - goodness, love, sense of right and wrong, and more.
But, beyond just the way that God works, we get to praise him for who he is - for his...
Attributes
Attributes
There is really so much we could consider here, but let’s just reflect on a few of God’s attributes. First of all, there are the...
Omni’s
Omni’s
Omniscient - all knowing - 1 John 2:20 “But you have been anointed by the Holy One, and you all have knowledge.”
Omnipotent - Job 42:2 ““I know that you can do all things, and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted.”
Omnipresent - Psalm 139:7-10
Where shall I go from your Spirit?
Or where shall I flee from your presence?
If I ascend to heaven, you are there!
If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there!
If I take the wings of the morning
and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,
even there your hand shall lead me,
and your right hand shall hold me.
Where many of Israel’s neighbors believed in deities who were limited by their geography, Scripture communicates that God’s presence has no limit. He is not in everything, as the pantheists might think, but he is everywhere at all times.
Another attribute that we can consider is God’s...
Sovereignty
Sovereignty
That is his authority and reign over all things. In the book of Daniel, King Nebuchadnezzar lost his mind for 7 years until he acknowledged that God was the sovereign over all things (Dan. 4-5). The early church members called on God’s sovereignty in the face of persecution (Acts. 4:24). Paul included God’s sovereignty, among several other attributes when he urged Timothy to walk in holiness:
I charge you in the presence of God, who gives life to all things, and of Christ Jesus, who in his testimony before Pontius Pilate made the good confession, to keep the commandment unstained and free from reproach until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, which he will display at the proper time—he who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone has immortality, who dwells in unapproachable light, whom no one has ever seen or can see. To him be honor and eternal dominion. Amen.
Scripture also helps us to see that God is...
Familiar
Familiar
In other words, he is knowable - at least to some degree. God has made himself known in so many ways:
in creation: Romans 1:19-20 “For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.”
in his actions to his people - the Psalm 48:3 “Within her citadels God has made himself known as a fortress.”
in his actions toward his enemies - Psalm 9:16 “The Lord has made himself known; he has executed judgment; the wicked are snared in the work of their own hands. Higgaion. Selah”
In Jesus - God has revealed his character most clearly in Jesus Christ. In fact, starting next week, we’re going to look at Jesus through the book of Hebrews. Hebrews opens with these revealing words:
Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, having become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs.
We could continue to talk about God’s attributes of love, justice, his nearness to all his people, the common grace he shows to all humanity, and so much more. In fact, in just a few moments, we’ll reflect on the specific grace and mercy we receive from God through Jesus Christ.
But I do want us to reflect on one final thing.
Can we praise God when He chooses not to act or when His will causes pain?
Can we praise God when He chooses not to act or when His will causes pain?
The Sunday School answer would have to be yes - but it is not easy. There are times when the sovereign plan of God rubs against our own view of what should be good and right. Our limited vision prevents us from being able to see and understand all that God is doing. This side of eternity, we may or may not get to understand why God allows certain things. Why God allowed that ...
job loss
sickness
mental illness
disability
financial turmoil
loved one to die.
We all have experienced varying degrees of pain and suffering. The Psalms give us some insight through the laments that we can and should still praise and worship God, even in the midst of those times.
Job, in the midst of his catastrophic loss proclaimed to his wife:
Job 1:21b (ESV)
The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.”
Elsewhere he says.
Though he slay me, I will hope in him;
yet I will argue my ways to his face.
possible story of Marissa and transition at FBC. Don’t use names or circumstances
in The face of difficulties I life, call out to God. cry out to him. our brothers and sisters in the early church actually praised God that they were counted worthy to suffer forJesus.
Conclusion
Conclusion
As the closing chapter of the Psalms, Psalm 150 calls us to praise God - on earth and in the heavens, with musical instruments and voices, because of his might works and his excellent greatness.
One place where we get to see His mighty works and His excellent greatness collide in the same instance is at Calvary. Jesus Christ, revealed God’s love and mercy for humanity by show us how to live, but also by redeeming us, by taking on himself the punishment that we deserve because of our sin.
That is what we celebrate and recognize in the Lord’s Supper....
Benediction
The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
Memory Verse: Ps. 150:6
Let everything that has breath praise the Lord!
Praise the Lord!
Discussion Questions:
Discussion Questions:
How have you seen God’s mighty works and excellent greatness in your life?
How would you like to see God’s acts and attributes in your life?
Jesus, on the night before he was crucified, poured out his heart before God, asking the the “cup” of the cross be taken from him. How is that an act of worship or praise?
Are there difficult circumstances in which you and I should praise God?
References:
Bratcher, Robert G., and William David Reyburn. A Translator’s Handbook on the Book of Psalms. UBS Handbook Series. New York: United Bible Societies, 1991.
Ellsworth, Roger. Opening up Psalms. Opening Up Commentary. Leominster: Day One Publications, 2006.
Freeman, James M., and Harold J. Chadwick. Manners & Customs of the Bible. North Brunswick, NJ: Bridge-Logos Publishers, 1998.
Henry, Matthew. Matthew Henry’s Commentary on the Whole Bible: Complete and Unabridged in One Volume. Peabody: Hendrickson, 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.