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Psalm 145

Started by Al Moak, May 01, 2004, 08:16:12 PM

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Al Moak

Psalm 145

These last six songs of worship are like the last moments of a great fireworks display.  The master of the display saves some of his most spectacular effects until these moments, and then, in the space of only a few moments the pace quickens and the power increases to a great crescendo, so that the spectators are moved to spontaneous and enthusiastic applause and cheering!

So the king of Israel leads the people in singing these last psalms to their greater King, the Lord of lords and King of kings.  He begins with a statement of purpose: "I will extol You, my God, O King; and I will bless Your name forever and ever!"  It's a joy to David to begin this last, great crescendo, and he does it unreservedly and with all his might.  Catching his obvious enthusiasm, all the people repeat the words in joyful, major-keyed harmony.

Having proclaimed his high purpose, David then proceeds to actually do what he has said he was going to do: he "extols" (highly praises) the Covenant King of Israel.  And he begins it by making a vow.  He sings, "Every day I will bless You, and I will praise Your Name forever and ever!"  

He clearly tells us his reason for beginning this way.  He says, "Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised; and His greatness is unsearchable!"    What he's saying is that he's vowing to bless and praise the Lord daily for the rest of his life and on into eternity and because no one can ever praise and bless the Lord enough! Yet though he can never finish such a wonderful task, yet he will gladly keep on trying!

So the people continue to extol their blessed God by saying, "One generation shall praise Your works to another, and shall declare Your mighty acts."  As long as there are people on the earth, and as long as any of them are capable of appreciating what the Lord has done, so long shall the ever-wonderful story be passed along.  In fact it's a more and more wonderful story as the acts of God continue - and they never cease!  Fathers and mothers shall, generations without end, say to sons and daughters, "You should have seen what the Lord DID!"

God's majesty is just the whole set of characteristic that always move men to stand in awed wonder, never fully able to comprehend how great He truly is, though always deeply impressed by it.  So David, in a quieter and more awed voice sings, "I will meditate on the glorious splendor of Your majesty and on Your wondrous works!"  I think we can easily envision David ceasing his singing for a moment of silence at this point, as one wonderful work of God after another passes through his memory and as he raises his hands toward his God in outright wonder and amazement.

So he continues to respond to the awe-inspiring display in his mind, and still in an awed voice sings, "Men shall. Speak of the MIGHT of Your awesome acts, and I will declare Your GREATNESS.  They shall utter the memory of Your great goodness, and shall sing of Your righteousness!"

Goodness and righteousness, grace and compassion, mercy and tenderness – all are characteristic of Jehovah in everything He does.  For this reason His multitude of works always stands as a constant memorial of praise.  They move David to sing, "All Your works shall praise You, O Lord, and Your saints shall bless You!  They (all those who see it) shall speak of the glory of Your kingdom, and talk of Your power!"  

His works shall praise Him, and His people will respond in praise!  And it's just that consideration of His majesty that should drive all the missionary activity of which His people will ever be capable – it should drive them to tell people everywhere about their wonderful God and His wonderful kingdom!

After all, His is the only Kingdom of its kind in the universe.  Only His kingdom "is an everlasting kingdom," and only His dominion "endures throughout all generations!"  The fact of His glorious kingdom is the most permanent and glorious fact on earth!

It's a truth that should move all people to love and adore Him. See what David says: "The Lord upholds all who fall, and raises up all who are bowed down.  The eyes of all look expectantly to You.  And You give them their food in due season.  You open Your hand, and satisfy the desire of every living thing!"  He supplies the all the needs of the people of His Kingdom.  

With such a God in mind, David approaches the crescendo of this song.  He sings, "The Lord is righteous in all His ways, gracious in all His works!"  In fact,  "The Lord is near to all who call upon Him, to all who call upon Him in truth."  As long as men "call upon Him in truth" –  call upon Him while remembering and believing in the wonderful God described in His Word – He is near to them and hears them.  In fact, for such people, for those who "fear Him" in that way, He will enable them to successfully accomplish their desires, the desires that are right and good - just because they love Him and know Him.  Not only so, but He will "hear their cry and save them" – He'll answer their prayers!

He's that kind of God, sings David, and the result is that "the Lord preserves all who love Him, but the wicked He will destroy."  "The wicked" are just all who don't know this God and who therefore don't serve or worship Him.  They cannot forever coexist with Him and with His people in God's world.  But of those who do serve and worship Jehovah alone, David sings, "My mouth shall speak of the praise of the Lord, and all flesh shall bless His holy name forever and ever!"  This world will one day be so renewed as to forever resound with His praise!

In view of this glorious psalm, we absolutely must ask ourselves whether we worship this God. Is the God we worship the One presented in His written covenant, the Bible?  If that's your God, then you'll rejoice to join with David and the people as they "extol" Him – because you're moved to it by His majesty and goodness!  Will you, then, vow with David to actually, specifically, and joyfully praise God EVERY day?


Ellie

"I will extol You, my God, O King; and I will bless Your name forever and ever!"
"Every day I will bless You, and I will praise Your Name forever and ever!" 
"Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised; and His greatness is unsearchable!" 

This is what I want to say in my photography. May I remember this and not give myself to vainglory (although I believe God smiles with me when I look at what He and I have made and see that it is good)
Ellie

Al Moak

Thanks so much Ellie for commenting.  You are absolutely right, too, that God "smiles" with you and comments about how what you have done by His grace is good.  It's just as it was in Creation originally, on the seventh day God turned, beheld all that He had made, and commented that it was "very good." (Gen. 1:31).  So also you now turn, with Him, and look on what He (and you) have made, and you rejoice with Him.

Pat

What a wonderful God!

Oh, that we might all make God number one in our lives!  Oh, that we might worship and extol Him forever.

"Click for Waterloo Wellington, Ontario Forecast"

Al Moak

And oh, what horror it must be for those who have never known Him and who continue in rebellion against Him!