Psalm 135
Israel was God's special nation, the only nation out of all the nations on earth, that He'd chosen as His own to be preserved, defended, and prospered. They alone were to receive a written covenant in which God's laws were set forth and mankind's only Savior was promised. That covenant alone revealed reconciliation of a chosen people with an estranged God! To this chosen people alone was given the Word of reconciliation and redemption!
The song before us celebrates that special relationship of Israel and the Almighty. Right at the beginning the people sang an exhortation to their priests and Levites to praise this God Who had so wonderfully chosen and blessed them. They were exhorted to "Praise the Lord, for the Lord is good . . . for the Lord has chosen Jacob for Himself, Israel for His special treasure!" The chief work of these representatives of the people who "stand in the courts of the house of our God" was to PRAISE Jehovah!
The song even states a personal reason for these priests to praise the Lord. They sing, "For I know that the Lord is great." Then they continue with their deep conviction of His infinite superiority over "all gods," of His sovereignty over all events in time and space, of His wonderful works in the earth and sea.
Then, in celebration of Israel's uniqueness amongst the nations, the people sing of how He delivered them from Egypt, defeated many strong nations before them, and gave them a promised land as an heritage.
The people then turn to the Lord Himself to sing a chorus of praise. From a people so chosen and blessed as they have been, the chorus of praise they sing is one that should be expected! They say, "Your Name, O Lord, endures forever, Your fame, O Lord, throughout all generations. For the Lord will judge His people, and He will have compassion on His servants!"
The song then turns to a comparison between Jehovah and "the gods" of all the other nations. Simply put, they're all dead and useless, and those who worship them are like them! But, having compared the living, active, all-powerful Jehovah to them, the people sing a final, resounding chorus of praise to that living God. They sing (and shout), "Bless the Lord, O house of Israel! Bless the Lord, O house of Aaron! Bless the Lord, O house of Levi! You who fear the Lord, bless the Lord! Blessed be the Lord out of Zion, Who dwells in Jerusalem!" God has chosen Zion, out of all the places of the earth, in which to reveal Himself.
To bring it all up to date, though, we need to remember that the Old Covenant has become the New Covenant, and that the modern counterpart to Israel is the Church of our Lord Jesus Christ. He now fills that present Zion with His Spiritual presence, and the people of His Church are the people chosen out of all the peoples of the earth to be His own forever!
Oh how we today, then, ought to join His people of all time in singing praise to our God! "Worship Him, all you people! Sing unto God with the voice of joy!" Amen!
Yes..."Praise Ye the Lord out of Israel"...this is wonderful.
Our God reigns and He isnt like the gods of the heathen nations. We can call to Him and He answers....He is One God....and He is the God of Israel and therefore the God of us Christians also. Thank-You Lord Jesus.
I love that "Whatever the Lord pleased, that He did in Heaven and in earth and in the seas and in all the deep places"...when you think about it there was no-one to say "no don't go there"...He didn't need anyone else to tell Him what to do because everything He did/does is perfect.
Our God is the God of "signs and wonders".....Praise Him!
Thank-you dear Pastor Al.
Goodnight from a very hot,heatwaving England.
God BlessAll.
Jenny.
Thanks once again, dear Jenny! I'm so very glad you're enjoying these wonderful poems of Israel. After all, Israel in all ages and the Church of our Lord Jesus Christ are one, so these songs are ours just as they were theirs! We should therefore thank and praise Him just as they were also to do.