THRU THE BIBLE EXPOSITION

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

CXLVIII: Praising God For His Comprehensive Security

(Psalm 148:1-14)

I. Introduction

A. In the setting of the Ancient Near East with its idolatry where pagan man was dreadfully insecure, the manifold ways God provided security for His people Israel deserved their praise.

B. This is the theme of Psalm 148:1-14, and we view it for our insight and edification (as follows):

II. Praising God For His Comprehensive Security, Psalm 148:1-14.

A. The verse numbering system in the Hebrew text matches that of the English Bible (Kittel, Biblia Hebraica, p. 1102), so we stay with the numbering system of the English Bible for clarity with this lesson.

B. We then translate Psalm 148:1-14 as follows:

1. "Praise Jah(weh). Praise Jahweh from the heavens; praise Him in the heights," Psalm 148:1.

2. "Praise Him all His angels; praise Him all His hosts," Psalm 148:2.

3. "Praise Him sun and moon; praise Him all you stars of light," Psalm 148:3.

4. "Praise Him, you heavens of heavens (cf. 2 Cor. 12:2) and you waters that be above the heavens," v. 4.

5. "Let them praise the name of Jahweh; for He commanded, and they were created," Psalm 148:5.

6. "He has also established them forever and ever; He has made a decree which shall not pass," Psalm 148:6.

7. "Praise Jahweh from the earth, you sea monsters, and all deeps," Psalm148:7.

8. "Fire and hail; snow and vapors; stormy wind fulfilling His word," Psalm 148:8.

9. "Mountains and all hills; fruitful trees and all cedars;" (Psalm 148:9)

10. "beasts and all cattle; creeping things and flying fowl;" (Psalm 148:10)

11. "kings of the earth and all people; princes and all judges of the earth;" (Psalm 148:11)

12. "both young men and maidens; old men and children," Psalm 148:12.

13. "Let them praise the name of Jahweh because His name alone is inaccessibly high (exalted); His glory is above the earth and heaven," Psalm 148:13.

14. "He has also raised up a horn (symbol of power, H. A. W., Theol. Wrdbk. of the O. T., 1980, v. II, p. 815-816) of His people, the praise of all His saints; even of the children of Israel, a people near unto Him. Praise Jah(weh)," Psalm 148:14.

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

1. This psalm takes on dramatic significance against the setting of pagan beliefs of the Gentile nations that surrounded ancient Israel, for Israel's neighbors believed that a huge struggle between a chaos monster and hero a god had led to creation when the hero god gained victory over the chaos monster, Bruce K. Waltke, Creation and Chaos, 1974, p. 1-15. Israel's pagan neighbors believed this good state was unstable, that it could be reversed with catastrophic results, so they annually ritually reenacted the creation, using magic to preserve the current creative order that it and man not be destroyed, Ibid., p. 57.

2. In great contrast to the pagan world's insecurity, Israel's God had sovereignly and peacefully called the entire universe into existence so that there was no hostile force threatening to undo it, and that Good God had given the universe to man as a gift of peace and blessing in His grace, Ibid., p. 64.

3. The psalmist thus called on the heavens and all in them to praise the Lord (v. 1-6) and on the earth and all on it to praise the Lord (v. 7-14), that heaven and earth, the universe, might praise the Lord for His great blessings, especially for His security of the creative order. (Ryrie Study Bible, KJV, 1978, ftn. to Psa. 148)

4. Accordingly, the psalmist called on the creation itself to praise the Creator God for the comprehensive security He provided: (a) He alone is Sovereign God, so we have spiritual security over threats from evil spirits and false gods; (b) God's creative order is firmly fixed by divine decree, creating livelihood security in man's experience and (c) God has blessed His people with additional national security relative to threats from Israel's enemies. Opposite pagan man's dreadful insecurity, the people of Israel were to rejoice in the great and comprehensive securities they enjoyed in their Almighty Creator God and praise Him for them!

Lesson: All creation, securely established in God's infinite goodness and sovereignty as Creator God, owed God praise for the comprehensive SECURITY of the creative order thus established by Him.

Application: May we praise God for the security He provides not only in the creative order, but in all of our lives.