Psalm 146 - Praise For The God Of Help And Hope.
Psalm 146 - Praise For The God Of Help And Hope.
Psalm 146:1-10 (NIV) 1 Praise the Lord. Praise the Lord, O my
soul. 2 I will praise the Lord all my life; I will sing praise to my
God as long as I live. 3 Do not put your trust in princes, in mortal
men, who cannot save. 4 When their spirit departs, they return to the
ground; on that very day their plans come to nothing. 5 Blessed is he
whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the Lord his God, 6
the Maker of heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them-- the
Lord, who remains faithful forever. 7 He upholds the cause of the
oppressed and gives food to the hungry. The Lord sets prisoners free, 8
the Lord gives sight to the blind, the Lord lifts up those who are
bowed down, the Lord loves the righteous. 9 The Lord watches over the
alien and sustains the fatherless and the widow, but he frustrates the
ways of the wicked. 10 The Lord reigns forever, your God, O Zion, for
all generations. Praise the Lord.
CONTEXT AND OVERVIEW
Psalms of Praise: Psalms 145-150.
The last five psalms of the psalter all begin and end with
"Praise the Lord," which translates the Hebrew hallelujah. [Believer's
SB]
This is the first of the five Hallelujah psalms with which the
book of Psalms closes. Its theme is a eulogy on the benefits of
having God for a helper. The psalm warns against putting trust in man,
however much power he may be wielding. [SDA Bible Commentary]
These last five psalms overflow with praise. Each begins and
ends with "Praise the LORD." They show us where, why, and how to
praise God. What does praise do? (1) Praise takes our minds off our
problems and shortcomings, and focuses them on God. (2) Praise leads us
from individual meditation to corporate worship. (3) Praise causes us
to consider and appreciate God's character. (4) Praise lifts our
perspective from the earthly to the heavenly. [Life Application SB]
Praise is an evidence of life (vv. 1-2), not just physical
life, but the life of God in the heart. In heaven, it is all praise;
in hell, there is no praise; here on earth, you must make a
choice.
Praise is an encouragement to faith (vv. 3-4). When you have
faith in somebody - your doctor, for instance - you praise that person
to others. When your faith is low, your praise will gradually
subside, but when you major on praise, your faith will grow.
Praise is an encouragement to hope (vv. 5-7). When your hope
is in the Lord, you can praise Him no matter what the circumstances
may be. Faith is the upward look, and hope is the forward look.
Praise is an encouragement to love (vv. 8-10), your love for
God and others, and God's love for you. When you love someone, you
trust that person, and greater trust brings greater love.
Life, faith, hope, and love-all are bound up in the
experience of praise. [Chapter by Chapter Bible Commentary by Warren
Wiersbe re Psa.146]
COMMENTARY APPLICATION
This song [Exodus 15:1-15] and the great deliverance which it
commemorates, made an impression never to be effaced from the memory of the
Hebrew people. From age to age it was echoed by the prophets and
singers of Israel, testifying that Jehovah is the strength and
deliverance of those who trust in Him. That song does not belong to the
Jewish people alone. It points forward to the destruction of all the
foes of righteousness and the final victory of the Israel of God. The
prophet of Patmos beholds the white-robed multitude that have "gotten
the victory," standing on the "sea of glass mingled with fire,"
having "the harps of God. And they sing the song of Moses the servant
of God, and the song of the Lamb." Revelation 15:2, 3. {PP 289.1}
"Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us, but unto Thy name give
glory, for Thy mercy, and for Thy truth's sake." Psalm 115:1. Such was
the spirit that pervaded Israel's song of deliverance, and it is the
spirit that should dwell in the hearts of all who love and fear God, In
freeing out souls from the bondage of sin, God has wrought for us a
deliverance greater than that of the Hebrews at the Red Sea. Like the Hebrew
host, we should praise the Lord with heart and soul and voice for His
"wonderful works to the children of men." Those who dwell upon God's great
mercies, and are not unmindful of His lesser gifts, will put on the
girdle of gladness and make melody in their hearts to the Lord. The
daily blessings that we receive from the hand of God, and above all
else the death of Jesus to bring happiness and heaven within our
reach, should be a theme for constant gratitude. What compassion, what
matchless love, has God shown to us, lost sinners, in connecting us with
Himself, to be to Him a peculiar treasure! What a sacrifice has been made
by our Redeemer, that we may be called children of God! We should
praise God for the blessed hope held out before us in the great plan of
redemption, we should praise Him for the heavenly inheritance and for His
rich promises; praise Him that Jesus lives to intercede for us. {PP
289.2}
What a great contrast this psalm articulates. It contrasts
the faithfulness of God and the instability of people, his
unchanging nature and our fickle, flighty nature, the insecurity of
trusting in people and the security of trusting in God, the injustice of
humanity and the justice of the Lord! God delivers the helpless, the
oppressed, and the hungry. He frees prisoners and gives sight to the blind.
This is the One in whom we are to put our confidence. The Lord who
cares for orphans and widows and foreigners is our helper. He is the
best hope for all those needing support and help, and he has the
ultimate victory over the wicked. Powerful people can't save us. People,
no matter how influential, will die, and all their influence will
go with them. But God's authority and power remain throughout all
generations. In him we have an eternal, unchangeable source of security.
People will disappoint us. But if we put our hope in God, we'll know
real blessing and joy. Spend some time thanking God for how faithful
and true he is. As you pray today, let this psalm fill you with
confidence and hope.
Dear LORD, forgive me for putting my confidence in people
instead of in you. You made heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in
them. You are unchanging and all-powerful and you give justice to the
oppressed and help to those bent beneath their loads. You keep all your
promises. I put my hope in you, and I praise you, Lord! [Praying Through
The Bible By Fuller re Psa. 146:1-5]
LINK TO AN APPLICABLE PRAISE SONG:
With All I Am by Hillsong:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FMrAafe7Mns&feature=related
