1O clap your hands, all peoples; shout to God with the voice of joy 2For the Lord Most High is to be feared, a great King over all the earth … 6Sing praises to God, sing praises; sing praises to our King, sing praises… 7… Sing praises with a skillful psalm.
Five times we are called to sing praise, along with clapping for joy. What a wonderful, exciting song! Imagine the triumphal armies returning from a victorious battle where they once again saw God showing Himself to be the powerful King over all the surrounding nations’ militaries.
The psalm, identified as from the guild of Korah’s descendants, probably captures the exultation the Israelites felt throughout their history when battles were won and victory assured. They clearly understood that they were God’s army; they were not just one of many territorial nations that constantly battled in the ancient world. Their mission was to bring all nations under subjection to the “Lord Most High” (vs. 2).
This psalm, on the face of it, does not address God directly in the sense of “We praise You, Lord,” but instead is a call to others to praise Him. This kind of praise psalm has inspired innumerable songs over the years that extol God in the third person, that is, singing about God, not necessarily to God. By analogy, we can extoll someone’s greatness to others when the person is not present. But when that person is present, we change to the 2nd person and praise them directly. When we talk and sing about God to others and encourage them to praise Him, God is listening in, for He is always present.
God accepts all our praises, whether about Him or to Him. Praise is simply the articulation of our heart’s thrill over the greatness of God. While the psalmist calls us to praise God, the psalm itself is praise. Even saying the words, “I praise You,” is tantamount to actually praising God, and this song overflows with it. As Psalm 22:3 says, “You are holy, O You who are enthroned upon the praises of Israel.” Like the angels who called out, “Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord of hosts” (Isa. 6:3) in the presence of God, we honor Him when we sing before others and “Sing praise” consciously before Him. While theologians might dice the concept of praise, the heart full of the Lord will never tire of saying it, for it resonates with those who have godly hearts.
Lord, I praise You for all the great things You have done and for Your perfect and holy character. You will always give me victory over the battles in life that try to drive me away from You.
0 Comments