Heart of a Psalmist - Worshipping Christ Through The Psalms

the Word has been entrusted to the believers in Christ to share joyfully among the nations; It is the power of God at work, saving everyone who believes– Jews first and also Gentiles.” (Rom. 1:16)

PSALM 148: LET THEM ALL PRAISE Praise Song of the Universe

Like the ending Psalm 150, this song is filled with 13 bursts of the word “Praise” (Hallal) that fill every corner of creation with the celebration of Yahweh. Although it is a psalm that was written after the Jews returned from Babylon, it is partially looking ahead to the end of time and the new heavens and earth that will resound with unhindered praise. ‘The church appears here as the choir-leader of the universe’ 1 igniting the animate and inanimate world to glorify God. It is divided into two sections; the first is a call to the heavenly realm to let their praises flow down: (vs. 1-6) and the second is a call for the earth and all that lives within it to let their praise flow upward to heaven: (vs. 7-12). The psalmist uses the poetic technique of ‘pairing’ things together in the summons of praise: “angels/armies of heaven,… sun and moon,… fire and hail,… fruit trees and all cedars.” ‘Greek again provides (as with Psalms 146 and 147) the explanation that the psalm is to be associated with Haggai and Zechariah.’ 2 The presentation of the unique order of all things in heaven and earth is a declaration of the Lord against the Egyptian god Ptah, who was worshiped throughout the ancient world as the creator. In ‘Teaching of Amenemope’, an ancient Egyptian writer; there is ‘instruction about everything created by Ptah, about heaven…about earth and what is in it…as in the Teaching of Amenemope so also in Psalm 148 we find the series: heaven-sun-moon-stars-sea of heaven-primeval water-fire (lightning)-hail-snow- storm-mountain-hill-trees-animals-offices-groups of people.’ 3 This Psalm reminded the Jews returning from Babylon to never again abandon their God for the idolatry of the nations around them; it is Yah not Ptah, that created all that there is!

The Lord Jesus interacted with many of the elements of his creation mentioned in this Psalm as he ministered here on earth. The song is outlined by the two Calls to Praise:

I PRAISE THE LORD FROM THE HEAVENS ! 1-6 Celestial Praise! II PRAISE THE LORD FROM THE EARTH , 7-14 Terrestrial Praise!

I

PRAISE THE LORD FROM THE HEAVENS ! 1-6 Celestial Praise!

“Praise the Lord! (Hallelujah!) Praise the Lord from the heavens! Praise him from the skies! Praise him, all his angels! Praise him, all the armies of heaven!” (1, 2)

As with all of the last 5 Psalms, (146-150) this Psalm begins and ends with the explosive “Hallelu- jah” that rolls all the exuberant words in the Hebrew language for praise into one comprehensive sound! This summons to praise begins at the highest point; in the heavenly heights. Jesus came from the pin- nacle of heaven to the earth to die for us: “Because of this, God raised him up to the heights of heaven and gave him a name that is above every other name…” (Phil. 2:9) The angels sang at the creation of the worlds, at the birth of Jesus and will continue on for all eternity with the adoration of the Lamb of God as their theme: “Then I looked again, and I heard the singing of thousands and millions of angels around the throne…And they sang in a mighty chorus: ‘The Lamb is worthy–the Lamb who was killed.’” (Rev. 5:11, 12) Even in the humility of his desperate prayer in the garden of Gethsemane, Jesus was the com- mander of all the warrior angels of heaven; “Don’t you realized that I could ask my Father for thousands of angels to protect us, and he would send them instantly?” (Mt. 26:53) The angel ‘hosts’ are now called into their highest ministry of worship.

“Praise him, sun and moon! Praise him, all you twinkling stars! Praise him skies above! Praise him, vapors high above the clouds.” (3, 4)

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