Heart of a Psalmist - Worshipping Christ Through The Psalms

We should both praise and bless him; ‘to bless God is to praise him with a personal affection for him…’ 2 The fervent desire to praise God forever is a proof of the eternal nature of the soul. Worship that is in Spirit and truth connects the human being to the immortal God and brings the greatest delight. But praise is also temporal, locked into time by “I will bless you every day…”. An effective worship serv- ice brings the eternal experience into a specific time period. Just as Israel had appointed feasts of wor- ship, the church should have special times of praise and worship where God’s people can linger in the eternal atmosphere of his presence. Of God’s greatness Delitzsch says: ‘there is no searching out; it is so abysmally deep that no search- ing can reach its bottom…It has, however, been revealed, and is being revealed continually…’ 3 The wonder of God is in his greatness; after explaining the deepest thoughts about our salvation in the New Testament Paul says in the Book of Romans: “Oh, what a wonderful God we have! How great are his riches and wisdom and knowledge! How impossible it is for us to understand his decisions and his meth- ods!.. For everything comes from him; everything exists by his power and is intended for his glory. To him be glory evermore. Amen.” (Rom. 11:33, 36) The first 3 verses of the psalm lead us into praise while the next section (4-7) emphasizes the need to proclaim the identity and wonders of the Lord to everyone. • Tell our children- “Let each generation tell its children of your mighty acts.” (4) This is the first mission of the church, not only to inform the next generation about the history of salvation, but to infuse them with the knowledge of the “mighty acts” of God. • Tell yourself- “I will meditate on your majestic, glorious splendor and your wonderful miracles.” (5) We are to think deeply upon the miraculous things God has done to give us strength and faith for the future. When John the Baptist’s faith was ebbing away in Herod’s prison, Jesus sent him this mes- sage reminding him of the miracles he had performed; “Go back to John and tell him about what you have heard and seen–the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised to life, and the Good News is being preached to the poor.” (Mt. 11:4, 5) • Tell everyone- “Your awe–inspiring deeds will be on every tongue; I will proclaim your great- ness.” (6) Miraculous news travels quickly from tongue to tongue. The greatest of God’s deeds was the sacrifice of his Son upon the cross and his subsequent resurrection. This is the theme of our song of praise; Jesus is alive. • Everyone Tell and Sing- “Everyone will share the story of your wonderful goodness; they will sing with joy of your righteousness.” (7) The Kingdom expands through the telling of the story of Jesus; this happened repeatedly in the Book of Acts: “But God’s Good News was spreading rapidly, and there were many new believers.” (Acts 12:24) This verse also contains the elements of musical prophecy; “will share…” is the translation of the Hebrew word “naba” . ‘The Hebrew prophet was a ‘Nabi’ because, speaking by inspiration, the Divine message bubbled up and overflowed as water issuing from a foun- tain.’ 4 This verse describes the singers appointed by David who sang prophetically under the strong in- spiration of Holy Spirit. This is carried over into the New Testament era where the hearts of all believers can bubble up with a fountain of spiritual praise; “…let the Holy Spirit fill and control you. Then you will sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among yourselves, making music to the Lord in your hearts.” (Eph. 5:18, 19) “The Lord is kind and merciful, slow to get angry, full of unfailing love. The Lord is good to every- one. He showers compassion on all his creation. All of your works will thank you, Lord, and your faith- ful followers will bless you.” (8-10) David lived in a special moment of history when God was revealing the dawning age of his mercy showed to us through Jesus Christ. When writing the verses of this Psalm, David reaches back to God’s conversation with Moses when the Lord revealed the wonders of his nature; “I am the Lord, I am the Lord, the merciful and gracious God. I am slow to anger and rich in unfailing love and faithfulness. I show this unfailing love to many thousands by forgiving every kind of sin and rebellion. Even so I do not leave sin unpunished….” (Ex.34:6, 7) The punishment for sin was laid upon his Son at the cross so we could experience the merciful side of God. ‘The real will of God tends towards favor, which gladly giv- ing stoops to give, and towards compassion…Wrath is only the background of his nature.’ 5 ‘Kindness is a law of God’s universe; the world was planned for happiness.’ 6 II EVERLASTING KINGDOM - 8-16 His Grace

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