Psalm 151 - Unlikely Choice

Psalm 151 (or also known as additions to Psalm 1)

1 I was small among my brothers,

   and the youngest in my father’s house; I tended my father’s sheep. 

2 My hands made a harp; my fingers fashioned a lyre.

3 And who will tell my Lord? The Lord himself; it is he who hears.

4 It was he who sent his messenger and took me from my father’s sheep,

   and anointed me with his anointing-oil. 

5 My brothers were handsome and tall, but the Lord was not pleased with them. 

6 I went out to meet the Philistine, and he cursed me by his idols. 

7 But I drew his own sword;

   I beheaded him, and took away disgrace from the people of Israel.

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The New Testament authors were reading the Septuagint, the Greek translation of the Hebrew Scriptures. Most manuscripts of the ancient Greek text include Psalm 151. Psalm 151 does not appear in the Protestant Bible. It does appear in Bibles that are published with the Apocrypha. Other Christian traditions like the Roman Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox faiths include some of these texts in their scriptures.

I thought it would be fun to comment on this piece of psaltery as I end my reflections on the Book of Psalms. Let me begin by thanking those of you who have consistently read these posts. I very much appreciated your comments and likes and sharing. These keep me motivated. Thank you.

The notes written in the Greek manuscript prior to the psalm says,

"This psalm is ascribed to David as his own composition (though it is outside the number of the one hundred and fifty psalms) after he had fought in single combat with Goliath."

Psalm 151 is about God's choosing of David. There's a theme in the Old Testament that reveals something about Israel's self understanding. It is the theme of the unlikely choice, the choosing of the lesser, the younger, the meek, or the no account.

It's first appearance, I believe, is in Genesis 4 when God chooses to accept the offering of Abel over the offering of the firstborn Cain. Can kills Abel out of jealousy. This first murder not only marks the proliferation of sin after the fall from paradise, it also points forward to Israel's enemies who jealousy attack them.

The theme continues with Abraham. God chose Isaac, Abraham's second son over Ishmael, his firstborn. The Ishmaelites became Arabs. Brothers became enemies.

Jacob was chosen over Esau. Judah was chosen over his brothers Simeon, Reuben, because of their treachery against their brother Joseph whom they sold into slavery, and their bloodlust in avenging the rape of their sister Dinah. Levi was set apart as a priestly clan. Therefore the kings of Israel came from Judah. Saul, Israel's first king, was from the tribe of Benjamin. Benjamin was the younger of the two sons of Rachel. But Judah was chosen even over the descendants of Jacob's favorite wife.

Jesus of Nazareth is from the tribe of Judah, of the line of David. While Jesus was born of the Virgin Mary, making him the firstborn, he came from Nazareth, a town of no account. Remember Nathaniel's response to the idea that the Messiah came from Nazareth.

John 1:46a NIV

“Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?”

The apostle Paul reveals that God continues this theme in the new covenant in Jesus.

1 Corinthians 1:27-29 NIV

But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him.

God's choice of the unlikely is meant to humble us before Him. God reminds us who is in control.

Proverbs 19:21 NIV

Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the Lord ’s purpose that prevails.

David was the youngest of the seven sons of Jesse of Bethlehem. God chose the ruddy little shepherd boy who was too small to wear a man's armor. He walked down to the field of battle confident, not in himself, but in the God of Israel. He knocked down the giant Goliath with a slingshot, then cut off the giant's head with his own sword. Who would've ever thought that would happen? Not a single man there that day would have conceived it. God reminded them that He is with His people, that He fights for His faithful ones.

God chose a shepherd boy who sang songs of praise to the Lord with no one but sheep to hear. The Lord heard. He heard a boy who loved Him with all his heart. He saw in that boy the man who would lead Israel and establish them in righteousness and security. He chose the boy to shepherd Israel and take away their disgrace, a no account bunch of former slaves and sheep herders! God gave them the land of Canaan. God chose Israel over the occupying peoples there. God made an unlikely choice to bless them that they might bless the world. Through God's unlikely choice, Jesus came into the world though a young women in a no account town in Galilee, a region outside of Judah, filled with Samaritans and Romans and all other sorts. Who would've thought the Savior of the world, the One who takes away our disgrace, would come to us in such a way?

Here's the good news! God chose you! However unlikely it may seem to you, God chose you to be an adopted royal child of His.

Ephesians 1:4-5, 12 NIV

For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— in order that we, who were the first to put our hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory.

The next time the world looks down on you, or you look down on yourself, just remember that you are the unlikely choice. You are one after God's own heart. He will do far more than you can ask or imagine in your life, if you seek Him with all your heart.

The Lord be with you. Shalom.

Psalm 150 - Crescendo

Psalm 150:1-6 NIV

Praise the Lord.

Praise God in his sanctuary; praise him in his mighty heavens. 

Praise him for his acts of power; praise him for his surpassing greatness. 

Praise him with the sounding of the trumpet, 

praise him with the harp and lyre, praise him with timbrel and dancing, 

praise him with the strings and pipe, praise him with the clash of cymbals, 

praise him with resounding cymbals. Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.

Praise the Lord.

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Psalm 150 ends the Book of Psalms with the height of praise. The end of the book has built to this moment, a moment of complete and utter praise.

The Hebrew word "halle", translated as praise, appears 13 times, one for every tribe of Israel and one more for everyone else. Therefore the whole of Israel is represented in this call to worship and the hope for gentiles to join in the praise. I'm likely making too much of the numerical meaning, but the idea is consistent with biblical theology. Israel's life of worship and service to the Holy One is a light to the gentiles and a blessing to the world.

This all inclusive call to praise tells us where to praise, the temple and in heaven. It tells us why to praise, because of God's acts of power and surpassing greatness. And it tells us how to praise, with every sort of musical instrument, and with everything that has breath dancing and moving with joy in the Lord.

For years I fronted a Christian rock band. We made a joyful noise before the Lord. We believed everything we did was for the glory of the Lord to help others praise Him and connect with God's love and grace. Of course our music ministry wasn't for everyone, but everyone was invited to join in the celebration. I had taped to my music stand these words from Psalm 33.

Psalms 33:3 KJV

Sing unto him a new song; play skilfully with a loud noise.

This verse for me was a biblical licence to rock as hard as we wanted for Jesus. For boomers who grew up on blues powered rock, our ministry moved hearts and lived closer to God. To others we were an oddity, but no one could say we didn't love the Lord because we testified with our hearts to His acts of power in our lives. What is your joyful noise of praise? Is it your work? Is it your investment in your family? Is it your volunteer service? Find your way to join in the praise.

May you live a life of worship, praising the Lord with all you got. Just as the Book of Psalms builds to complete praise, so does our lives. Never forget your destiny. You are moving in a crescendo toward utter bliss in the presence of God and all the hosts of heaven. Complete and utter praise will be your eternal occupation, as you live united with God and all His faithful beloved. So join the dance. Pick up your instrument of praise. And give the Lord your heart's fullest praise. Praise is what you were made for.

Hallelujah!

Psalm 149 - Doing Battle

Psalm 149:1-9 NIV

Praise the Lord. 

Sing to the Lord a new song, his praise in the assembly of his faithful people. 

Let Israel rejoice in their Maker; let the people of Zion be glad in their King. 

Let them praise his name with dancing and make music to him with timbrel and harp. 

For the Lord takes delight in his people; he crowns the humble with victory. 

Let his faithful people rejoice in this honor and sing for joy on their beds.

May the praise of God be in their mouths and a double-edged sword in their hands,

 to inflict vengeance on the nations and punishment on the peoples, 

to bind their kings with fetters, their nobles with shackles of iron,

 to carry out the sentence written against them—

 this is the glory of all his faithful people. 

Praise the Lord.

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Psalm 149 starts out like a call to worship, an invitation to praise the Lord. It feels much like many other psalms written in the same spirit. Sing new songs, dance and play music in celebration, rejoice in the Maker, the King of the Universe; these are the acts of worship of the people of God.

The psalmist gives reason for praise. The Lord delights in His worshiping people and gives them victory over their opponents. Those who humble themselves in service to the Lord will know victory.

Then the psalm takes a turn that startles me. It seems out of place, but maybe not. The psalmist speaks of victory in terms of punishing the enemies of Israel. The enemies of Israel are the enemies of the Lord, for Lord is bound to Israel through covenant. The picture drawn for us is worshipers leaving the temple with swords in hand, marching out with songs of praise on their lips, ready to hack down their enemies. Imagine yourself being handed a weapon as you leave the sanctuary of your church! It just seems weird.

But thinking about what such a psalm might be saying to us today, I've come around to appreciate this picture. When the Lord delights in those who gather to worship Him, His blessing falls upon them, empowering them to go out and do God's will. The two-edged sword we carry is not made of steel. It is the word of God. Look at the writings of Paul.

2 Corinthians 10:3-5 NIV

For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.

And the writer of Hebrews also said,

Hebrews 4:12-13 NIV

For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.

Therefore worship prepares us for a battle of sorts. First is the battle waged against us in our own souls. As Paul says, our battle is not against flesh and blood, but against wicked spirits. (Ephesians 6:12) With the word of God informing us, our hearts are laid bare before God and we learn where we need transformation in our lives. Transformation begins in the heart. That is where the battle is waged.

The second place we do battle is in the world, as we carry out the will of God. Our calling is not to destroy people who oppose God but to heal, help, and give hope. We fight against poverty, ignorance, unhealthy conditions, oppressive systems, and abusive environments. We advocate for those in our society with no or little voice. We teach good news that gives life. We connect the lost to Christ that they might become whole in God's presence. Through Christ we help the oppressed to find liberty and the sick to become healthy. The war we wage is against that which diminishes life.

So worship the Lord with his people.The Lord delights in you when you join in His praise. He showers His blessings upon you so you can go out in His love and do good works that glorify God's name and breathes life into our world.

Psalm 148 - The Horn

Psalm 148:1-14 NIV

Praise the Lord.

Praise the Lord from the heavens; praise him in the heights above. 

Praise him, all his angels; praise him, all his heavenly hosts. 

Praise him, sun and moon; praise him, all you shining stars. 

Praise him, you highest heavens and you waters above the skies. 

Let them praise the name of the Lord, 

for at his command they were created, 

and he established them for ever and ever—

 he issued a decree that will never pass away.

Praise the Lord from the earth, you great sea creatures and all ocean depths,

 lightning and hail, snow and clouds, stormy winds that do his bidding,

 you mountains and all hills, fruit trees and all cedars,

 wild animals and all cattle, small creatures and flying birds,

 kings of the earth and all nations, you princes and all rulers on earth,

 young men and women, old men and children. 

Let them praise the name of the Lord, for his name alone is exalted;

 his splendor is above the earth and the heavens.

And he has raised up for his people a horn,

 the praise of all his faithful servants, of Israel, the people close to his heart.

Praise the Lord.

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Something I don't think I've mentioned is Hebrew poetic parallelism. Psalm 148 gives a good example of this technique of poetry. The psalm begins and ends with Hallelujah, praise the Lord. The psalm can be broken down into two, possibly three sections. The first section calls the heavens to praise the Lord. The second section calls the earth to praise the Lord. Each section contains the same form and some of the same wording.

Verses 1 and 7 parallel each other.

"Praise the Lord from the..."

Verses 5 and 13 parallel each other.

"Let them praise the name of the Lord, for..."

Both sections call together an all inclusive list of creative works which God has made. In heaven the angels and heavenly hosts are called to praise. The sun, moon and stars, and the weather, are called to praise. Even the waters of darkness, the primordial chaos which God separated from the earth with the creation of the firmament (sky), is called to praise the Lord. On earth all mammals, all geography, all nations and finally all Israel are called to praise.

The end of the second section may be considered a section of its own.

Psalm 148:14 NIV

And he has raised up for his people a horn,

 the praise of all his faithful servants, of Israel, the people close to his heart.

This is a reference to the king of the Jews. Raising up a horn is symbolic language for raising up a strong leader who the people can trust and give their allegiance. The horn of the bull represents brutish strength and vitality. The bull seeds the herd of heifers. They in turn bear young calves to increase the size of the herd. The horns of the bull do battle with other bulls which challenge the contending ruler of the herd. The bull is the master of his herd and watches over them, protecting them from all threats, and leading them to greener pastures and refreshing water.

In the same way, a godly anointed king will watch over Israel and protect her. He will lead Israel in the direction of abundant blessing, where they will enjoy peace, plenty, and refreshment. He will lead them in covenant faithfulness to the Lord. As the king leads the people in keeping all the laws and ordinances of the law of Moses, the blessings of the holy presence of the Lord will surely be enjoyed as God has promised. And as Israel lives the blessed life with the Lord, as His holy people close to His heart, the rest of the earth is blessed and the heavens rejoice. God is with His people.

The symmetry and order of the psalm reflects the order of the holy community which nurtures the blessings of the Lord. It reflects the way the world is supposed to work. With every creature and every created thing praising the Creator, the Lord and His holy people are at the center.

This gives me joy as I wonder at the order God brings. Life would not exist without it. He brings light into darkness, life into wastes, and fruitfulness into barrenness. He spoke life into me through the Christ, the horn He raised up lead us forever.

Psalm 147 - My Provider

Psalm 147:1-20 NIV

Praise the Lord.

How good it is to sing praises to our God, how pleasant and fitting to praise him!

The Lord builds up Jerusalem; he gathers the exiles of Israel.

 He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds. 

He determines the number of the stars and calls them each by name. 

Great is our Lord and mighty in power; his understanding has no limit. 

The Lord sustains the humble but casts the wicked to the ground.

Sing to the Lord with grateful praise; make music to our God on the harp. 

He covers the sky with clouds;

 he supplies the earth with rain and makes grass grow on the hills. 

He provides food for the cattle and for the young ravens when they call.

His pleasure is not in the strength of the horse,

 nor his delight in the legs of the warrior;

 the Lord delights in those who fear him, who put their hope in his unfailing love.

Extol the Lord, Jerusalem; praise your God, Zion. 

He strengthens the bars of your gates and blesses your people within you. 

He grants peace to your borders and satisfies you with the finest of wheat.

He sends his command to the earth; his word runs swiftly. 

He spreads the snow like wool and scatters the frost like ashes. 

He hurls down his hail like pebbles. Who can withstand his icy blast? 

He sends his word and melts them; he stirs up his breezes, and the waters flow.

He has revealed his word to Jacob, his laws and decrees to Israel. 

He has done this for no other nation; they do not know his laws. 

Praise the Lord.

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Psalm 147 is a litany of praise and a call to sing with praise to the Lord. This is clearly a post-exilic work since the exiles are mentioned in verse 2. The exiles gather in Jerusalem to worship. The temple and the great city of God had been destroyed, but now God has brought the Hebrews exiles back and they are rebuilding.

Psalm 147 has a real focus on God as provider and sustainer. God provides healing for the brokenhearted. God provides starlight. God provides clouds, rain, snow and hail, all of which provide water to the ground and growing grass to feed the cattle and wheat to feed the people. God provides peace to Jerusalem. And most of all the Lord's blessed provisions, He reveals His law to Israel as His chosen nation, His treasured possession.

The same word that set the stars in place and named each one, that sends forth the wind and rain, that establishes peace for His people and heals their wounds, is the same word that is creating a holy community. Israel is God's holy project. As Israel becomes holy through faithfulness to God's covenant law, God blesses Israel, and through this blessed holy community, the world receives a chance to be blessed by coming to trust in the unfailing love of God.

Psalm 147:10-11 NIV

His pleasure is not in the strength of the horse, nor his delight in the legs of the warrior; the Lord delights in those who fear him, who put their hope in his unfailing love.

Verses 10 and 11 contrast two responses to God's provision. One is to build armies to secure as much property for yourself as possible, enslaving those you conquer. You can even do this in the name of God! The other is to trust in the unfailing love of God and know that He will provide. The first invites greed, war and arrogance.The second invites generosity, peace, and humility.

Psalm 147 calls me to trust in the unfailing love of God, my provider. I can lay down my anxious craving to gain more and more, out of fear there won't be enough. I can join in singing prays to the Lord for His faithful provision.

Genesis 22:14b NIV

“On the mountain of the Lord it will be provided.”

Psalm 146 - Coach Your Soul

Psalm 146:1-10 NIV

Praise the Lord. Praise the Lord, my soul. 

I will praise the Lord all my life; I will sing praise to my God as long as I live.

Do not put your trust in princes, in human beings, who cannot save. 

When their spirit departs, they return to the ground;

 on that very day their plans come to nothing. 

Blessed are those whose help is the God of Jacob,

 whose hope is in the Lord their God.

He is the Maker of heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them—

 he remains faithful forever. 

He upholds the cause of the oppressed and gives food to the hungry. 

The Lord sets prisoners free, the Lord gives sight to the blind,

 the Lord lifts up those who are bowed down, the Lord loves the righteous. 

The Lord watches over the foreigner and sustains the fatherless and the widow,

 but he frustrates the ways of the wicked.

The Lord reigns forever, your God, O Zion, for all generations. 

Praise the Lord.

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Psalm 146 is another litany of praise quite similar to Psalm 145. It begins with a personal call to worship. The psalmist beckons her own soul to praise the Lord.

Do you ever coach your own soul? It's sort of like talking to yourself, but at a deep level where you are likely to encounter God. After all God lives in those who believe the good news that Jesus is the Christ, the Savior of the world.

Follow the example set for us in Psalm 147. The psalmist addresses her soul inviting praise to the Lord. She commits herself to lifelong praise. That's a colossal commitment, like marriage. She is in covenant with God through His promise to her and her promise to Him. She tells her soul that only the Eternal One is worthy of such trust. She does not ultimately give her heart to kings and princes and other human leaders. They die and their plans die with them. Hope in the God of Jacob/Israel, she tells her soul.

After making her commitment to praise the Lord she recounts the many praiseworthy reasons. Yahweh is creator, faithfully sustaining the universe. He cares for the oppressed, the hungry, the prisoner, the blind, and the beaten down. God watches over the foreigner, not just the Hebrew. He provides for the struggling orphan or widow. God is just and frustrates wicked plans.

The psalm ends addressing the whole of Israel. She celebrates that the Lord reigns forever. She acknowledges that she is in covenant with all who worship the God of Zion. She is not alone in her praise. Her soul joins countless millions over the generations. With a heart of praise she offers one last Hallelujah, the very word that opens the psalm.

When you catch your soul complaining, worrying, fretting, cursing or plotting, turn to your own soul and coach yourself to praise the Lord. For the Lord is faithful to those who trust in Him. Your way will be blessed, not frustrated, when you commit to a life mission to praise the Lord.

Psalm 145 - Praise Forever

Psalm 145:1-21 NIV

I will exalt you, my God the King; I will praise your name for ever and ever. 

Every day I will praise you and extol your name for ever and ever. 

Great is the Lord and most worthy of praise; his greatness no one can fathom.

One generation commends your works to another; they tell of your mighty acts. 

They speak of the glorious splendor of your majesty—

 and I will meditate on your wonderful works. 

They tell of the power of your awesome works—

 and I will proclaim your great deeds. 

They celebrate your abundant goodness and joyfully sing of your righteousness.

The Lord is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in love. 

The Lord is good to all; he has compassion on all he has made.

All your works praise you, Lord; your faithful people extol you. 

They tell of the glory of your kingdom and speak of your might,

 so that all people may know of your mighty acts

 and the glorious splendor of your kingdom. 

Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,

 and your dominion endures through all generations.

The Lord is trustworthy in all he promises and faithful in all he does. 

The Lord upholds all who fall and lifts up all who are bowed down. 

The eyes of all look to you, and you give them their food at the proper time. 

You open your hand and satisfy the desires of every living thing. 

The Lord is righteous in all his ways and faithful in all he does. 

The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth. 

He fulfills the desires of those who fear him; he hears their cry and saves them. 

The Lord watches over all who love him, but all the wicked he will destroy.

My mouth will speak in praise of the Lord. 

Let every creature praise his holy name for ever and ever.

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Psalm 145 is a beautiful psalm of praise attributed to David. In fact the closing of the Book of Psalms begins with Psalm 145. It's all high praise from here on out, building to a crescendo, peaking at Psalm 150.

Praise is the language of God's people. Worship is our life's work. Everything we do ought to be in a spirit of praise.

Colossians 3:17 NIV

And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

I wish I had that kind of discipline. It's something to shoot for. Of course the psalms themselves prove that perpetual praise is not Israel's experience. The psalms are filled with lament, words of sadness, fear, and anger. All of the many human emotions are present in the psalms. But all of them are brought before the Lord, trusting that God is compassionate and cares for His people. So even lament is a form of worship, to honor God with trust in the midst of trial. To believe in God's compassion and goodness is an offering of praise, when no goodness is to be found.

Psalm 145 exalts God as King and proclaims his worth. God is praised from generation to generation. They praise His majesty and tell of His mighty works. They speak of His glorious and everlasting kingdom. All creatures join in the praise!

The litany specifies some of the Lord's praiseworthy attributes. The Lord is compassionate, patient, good, caring, gracious, trustworthy, giving, faithful, and righteous. He is near to all who call on Him and watches over all who love Him. The providence of God is celebrated, how He is faithful to meet the needs of every living creature.

Psalm 145:15-16 NIV

The eyes of all look to you, and you give them their food at the proper time. You open your hand and satisfy the desires of every living thing.

Psalm 145 invites praise. As I read the verses I am drawn into the spirit of praise. My heart soars with the joy that David put into this work. I desire to join the multitude in worshiping the Lord. God inhabits praise. So in all things and in all ways praise the Lord. It's what you were made to do. Praise is our purpose in life.