THRU THE BIBLE EXPOSITION

Psalms: God's Nurture Of The Inner Man In The Life Of Faith

CXLVII: Praising God For His Manifold Blessings

(Psalm 147:1-20)

I. Introduction

A. The manifold ways God blesses His people deserves their praise, the theme of Psalm 147:1-20.

B. We thus view this psalm for our insight and edification (as follows):

II. Praising God For His Manifold Blessings, Psalm 147:1-20.

A. The verse numbering system in the Hebrew text matches that of the English Bible (Kittel, Biblia Hebraica, p. 1101), so we stay with the numbering system of the English Bible for clarity with this lesson.

B. We then translate Psalm 147:1-20 as follows:

1. "Praise Jah(weh), for it is good to sing praises to our Elohim, for it is pleasant, fitting to praise Him!" (v. 1)

2. "Jahweh builds up Jerusalem; He gathers the exiles of Israel," Psalm 147:2.

3. "He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds," Psalm 147:3.

4. "He determines the number of the stars and calls them each by name," Psalm 147:4.

5. "Great is our Adonai and mighty in power; His understanding has no limit," Psalm 147:5.

6. "Jahweh sustains the humble but casts the wicked to the ground," Psalm 147:6.

7. "Sing unto Jahweh with thanksgiving; make music to our Elohim on the harp," Psalm 147:7.

8. "He covers the heavens with clouds; He supplies the earth with rain and makes grass grow on the hills," 8.

9. "He provides food for the cattle and for the young ravens when they call," Psalm 147:9.

10. "His pleasure is not in the strength of the horse, nor His delight in the legs of a man;" (Psalm 147:10)

11. "Jahweh delights in those who revere Him, who hope in His loyal love," Psalm 147:11.

12. "Extol Jahweh, O Jerusalem; praise our Elohim, O Zion," (Psalm 147:12)

13. "for He strengthens the bars of your gates and blesses your people within you," Psalm 147:13.

14. "He grants peace to your borders and satisfies you with the finest of wheat," Psalm 147:14.

15. "He sends His command to the earth; His word runs swiftly," Psalm 147:15.

16. "He spreads the snow like wool and scatters the frost like ashes," Psalm 147:16.

17. "He hurls down His hail like pebbles. Who can withstand His icy blast?" (Psalm147:17)

18. "He sends His word and melts them; He stirs up His breezes, and the waters flow," Psalm147:18.

19. "He has revealed His word to Jacob, His laws and decrees to Israel," Psalm 147:19.

20. "He has done this for no other nation; they (the other nations) do not know His laws. Praise Jah(weh)," 20.

C. We note significant observations regarding this psalm as follows:

1. This psalm provides a study in the versatility of God's blessings for His people: (a) besides externally building up Jerusalem and gathering its people (v. 2), (b) God heals the emotional and mental scars of their past defeats (v. 3). (c) The Lord knows the number and names of each of the stars in the sky (v. 4), what likely alludes to the Abrahamic promise of Genesis 15:5 with an allusion to God's knowing the individual needs of every descendant of Abraham! This immense understanding of the needs of every individual of His people evokes the psalmist's praise (v. 5). (d) God sustains the humble but punishes the proud, His power being applied to provide for justice (v. 6), evoking more praise from the psalmist (v. 7)! (e) The Lord then meets man's physical needs, sending rain for the vegetation that in turn feeds cattle and even the scavenging, unclean ravens in grace, v. 8-9. (f) God's delight is not in man's might or works, but in those who revere Him, making His blessings accessible by grace (v. 10-11). (g) God grants relationship peace to the nation of Israel in the midst of His many other stated blessings to them, a fact that the psalmist again uses to admonish Israel to praise the Lord, v. 12-14. (h) God's great power is unleashed to serve the needs of Israel in the changes of the seasons, v. 15-18. (i) The Lord has given His Word to His people, what was not done for any other nation, what evokes another call by the psalmist to praise Jahweh (v. 19-20).

2. The many ways and the great extents to which God goes to bless His people obligate His people to praise Him, what is fitting and pleasant for them to do! May God's people praise their great Lord!

Lesson: Since God uses His infinite attributes to bless His people in manifold ways and to great degrees, His people certainly owe the Lord great praise.

Application: May we praise our wonderful God for all of His manifold blessings to us, for we surely owe it to Him!