Praise

by Merchant, Paul | Category: Meditations In The Psalms | Mar 1990

A recent calendar of an international Christian relief agency displayed each month a poignant picture of people in various countries of the world. The photographs included a laughing group of Malaysian children, a woman from Ecuador carrying her child strapped to her back through the local street market and rickshaw drivers meandering across a street in India, pictures which conveyed the dignity of the people in spite of their abject material poverty. Each month included a quotation from Psalm 146, "Praise the LORD, O my soul... I will sing praise to my God as long as I live... the Maker of heaven and earth ... the LORD, who remains faithful for ever". Praise is distinguished from thankfulness by being concerned with the nature of God without reference to our own state or experience. God is worthy of praise because of the nature of His being. And that is sufficient justification for praise!

Praise in Israel

Most of the psalms of praise were used by the people of Israel in collective worship. The psalms of praise, 145-150, are the epilogue to the book. They are an exuberant celebration of fervent loyalty to a faithful and omnipotent God. The poet is the interpreter of the soul of his people. He expresses what they think and feel. The Psalter was the prayer book and hymn book of Israel. The psalms of praise are rich in specific allusions to God's character, His evidence in creation, His daily activity in the world and His care for His people.

The Psalms were used greatly by the people during David's life and during the reigns of such men of God as King Hezekiah. During the exile they would have nourished the spiritual hope of the people. It is likely that Ezra would have promoted their use when the people returned to the land from Babylon. The songs of the sons of Korah would have been familiar to those attending the temple for worship. The public worship of the people of Israel took place during the annual feasts, the ceremonies of thanksgiving and the renewal of the covenant. The supreme fact that formed the foundation of every religious celebration in Israel was the unchanging faithfulness of God in His will to redeem and save. Their praise arose frequently from the recollection of the past. There is little room for petition in these psalms. There are no hackneyed phrases or tedious choruses here. Praise is our response to the omniscient God.

Only complete when shared

In Psalm 118, the poet exclaims, "Open for me the gates of righteousness; I will enter and give thanks to the LORD", and "Shouts of joy and victory resound in the tents of the righteous"1. The psalm is a call to the people to praise the Lord. Similarly, Psalm 135 calls on the people to praise Him because of His deeds in the past. Reflection upon the deeds of God provokes us to praise. Today, that is most powerfully felt when the Christian considers Calvary, "God demonstrates His own love for us in this: while we were still sinners, Christ died for us"2.

The psalms of praise were written by people who wished to respond to the God whom they knew. The last six psalms convey the strong impression of unrestrained rejoicing and active participation of the people in worship. The delight in the poet's appreciation of his Creator and his Deliverer is not complete until expressed. It is not enough to keep it private. C.S. Lewis writes that "The psalmist is telling everyone to praise God and is doing what all men do when they speak of what they care about"3. God commands us to glorify Him, not because He needs to be praised, but rather because He is inviting us to enjoy Him.

Structure

The psalms take various topics for their praise, however, there is Frequently a common sequence through the psalm which can help us today in our worship. In Psalm 33, David wrote, "By the word of the LORD were the heavens made, their starry host by the breath of His mouth"4. From praise of God as Creator the poet moves on to His authority, "But the plans of the LORD stand firm for ever" (v.11), and to His kingship, "Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD, the people He chose for His inheritance" . Towards the end he progresses to God as the One who judges the enemy and who upholds "those who fear Him, on those whose hope is in His unfailing love"6. This structure of creation - authority - kingship - faithfulness characterizes Psalm 145 in the epilogue of the Psalter. It speaks of God's power and wonderful deeds, of His character, His everlasting kingdom and His faithfulness, "The LORD is faithful to all His promises and loving towards all He has made"7.

The praise is set out in most psalms with an introduction, followed by the main section and finishing with the conclusion. A typical introduction calls the people to praise: "Praise the LORD. How good it is to sing praises to our God, how pleasant and fitting to praise Him!". The main section comprises an elaboration of the grounds for praise and frequently refers to the glory of God in creation, His word and His activity in deliverance and His faithful character. The conclusion is similar to the opening: "Let every creature praise His holy name for ever and ever"9. These observations show us how our approach to God should be without haste or familiarity. Our praise should be descriptive and varied rather than meagre and repetitive. God expects us to consider and weigh our words before engaging in praise.

God the Creator

Much praise begins with what the worshipper can see of His Creator in the natural world around him. Psalm 29 even sees the glory of God in the thunderstorm and "The voice of the LORD strikes with flashes of lightning"10. In contrast, a number of pastoral images at the end of Psalm 147 describe God as the Provider. From this observable evidence of God's power the Psalter then progresses to the power of God's word as shown most strikingly in Psalm 19. Three features of God's character emerge from the appreciation of Him: God is powerful as Creator, His word has power as it comes forth from Him and He delivers those individuals and nations who regard Him with respect. The psalmist conveys such a strong impression of joy in God that in Psalm 148 he calls on the objects of creation to praise God: sun and moon... great sea creatures ... wild animals! He is celebrating the power and infinite diversity of his God, "He commanded and they were created"10. Worshippers today can appreciate how creation displays God's glory in the sunset, the seascape or the dancing butterfly.

The language of praise is frequently metaphorical: "For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is His love ... He makes the clouds His chariot and rides on the wings of the wind"12. However, much present day collective worship is expressed through empirical description with a reluctance to use more appropriate images and metaphors to describe God. The greatness of God as shown in the recent pictures beamed back from the planet Neptune or in the power of an earthquake are evidence of those attributes of God which occupied the observant mind of the psalmist.

God the Deliverer

The Israelites reminisced about their turbulent relationship with their Maker and they recognized Him as the One who delivers. Psalm 105 shows how their praise arose out of their experience. They had known the activity of God in their national history. After relating their history, the author says, "For He remembered His holy promise given to His servant Abraham"13. Their example helps us. Just as they recalled the paschal lamb, the exodus, the crossing of the Red Sea and entering the land, so the Christian can give praise for the Lord Jesus Christ, our Substitute and Sacrifice, for baptism by immersion and for walking in newness of life. The Old Testament exodus was the preliminary experience to complete deliverance through Christ.

God the King

God is perceived as King in many respects. Firstly, the Psalter describes Him as the King in creation, "The LORD sits enthroned over the flood; the LORD is enthroned as King for ever" 14 Psalm 149 repeats the theme. Secondly, He is seen as King of His chosen people controlling their destiny. This faith evokes their possessiveness, "The LORD reigns for ever, your God, 0 Zion, for all generations"15. The last five psalms of the book are replete with references to the justice of the King and His concern for the oppressed. Their praise for His attributes becomes thankfulness for His actions in their lives. He gathers, heals, binds up, sustains, provides, strengthens and satisfies, as described in Psalm 147. This hymn also mentions that, "He gathers the exiles of Israel" and refers to Jerusalem becoming stronger and to having peaceful borders. The psalm may have been written during the exile. The psalmist's praise mentions creation, God's faithfulness, the unique Word and a chosen people. These are all pertinent themes which may nourish corporate worship today.

This brief exploration into the psalms of praise has revealed some signposts to the contemplation of God that will lead us to respond with greater enthusiasm to His abundant expressions of love for us.

References

(1) Ps 118:18,15

(2) Rom 5:8

(3) CS. Lewis Reflections on the Psalms (London, 1974) p 82

(4) Ps 33:6

(5) Ps 33:12

(6) Ps 33:18

(7) Ps 145:13

(8) Ps 147:1

(9) Ps 145:21

(10) Ps 29:7

(11) Ps 148:5