¹I will give You thanks with all my heart; I will sing praises to You before the gods … ⁸The Lord will accomplish what concerns me; Your lovingkindness, O Lord, is everlasting; do not forsake the works of Your hands.

Unmitigated and exuberant praise saturates this psalm. Whether it was written by King David (it certainly carries the tone of David’s other psalms) or is attributed to a Davidic musical guild (as some commentators suggest), the impact remains the same. The reader is encouraged to fan the memory of answered prayer into praise for the Blessing Giver. Personal praise characterizes the early verses, which are followed by the anticipation that all nations (not only Israel) will join in praising God when they recognize His glory in dealing appropriately with humankind. The result is increased praise for the Lord.

The occasion for this psalm seems to be answered prayer and the need for the continued working of God in the psalmist’s life:

…for You have magnified Your word according to all Your name. On the day I called, You answered me; You made me bold with strength in my soul … do not forsake the works of Your hands. (Ps. 138:2b-3, 8)

David does not focus on victory in battle, winning over life’s reversals, or on whatever may have been vexing him. Rather, he says, the Lord “made me bold with strength in my soul” (vs. 3). It would be so much easier to simply have God take care of the problems that weigh us down, but it is far better for us to mature in our faith to the point where we don’t value quick fixes as much as the maturing of our faith and character to handle the problems we face. Those inner changes are what most magnify the work of God’s hand in our lives. And it is those changes which the psalmist asks for (see also Isaiah 41:10). Just as with David, God promises us today that He will answer our prayers if we center our thoughts and lives on His word and make our requests “in His name” (see John 14:14, 16:23).

The heart of a believer who recognizes and values inner spiritual growth breaks forth readily in praise. God enables him or her to participate with the Lord in what He is doing, and not just be a weak, passive bystander. Notice the first response coming from the psalmist is to “give [the Lord] thanks.” The Hebrew term for thanks conveys a gratitude that is musically expressed. Yet, this gratitude is not just repeating by rote the words of a song. The spiritual person praises God with his whole being. In modern vernacular, David is really into praising God!

The next phrase, beginning with “I will sing praise,” poetically expands on David’s commitment. His praise will not be muted in a pluralistic society where there are many different belief systems. He will praise Yahweh (“the Lord”) unabashedly “before the gods.” [Some English versions include “O Lord” in verse 1, while others do not, due to manuscript issues. But the focus on Yahweh (God’s name) is central to this psalm. David writes of giving thanks to “Your name” in verse 2, and from verse 4 onward, “the Lord” occurs frequently.] In other words, the psalmist proclaims his evangelistic fervor in acknowledging the one true God, whose name is Yahweh, even when others are bowing down to their false gods. He will bow down only to the one true God, whose symbolic residence is the Jewish temple in Jerusalem (vs. 2).

The psalmist expresses his devotion to Yahweh in three ways. He gives thanks, praises, and bows down. As for the Lord, He has “magnified” His word, answered David, and made him bold (vss. 2 and 3). And the emphasis is on the Lord’s lovingkindness and truth. He knows that the Lord always looks after His people and deals in the realities of life. He can be trusted!

Gratitude, praise, and bowing down in worship are not reserved for the “holy huddle” of the super-saints; God desires this kind of relationship with all of humanity. So, David, who is in touch with God’s heart, looks forward to the time when all people will recognize the truth of God’s word (vs. 4) which was conveyed through Moses and the prophets.

Today, we echo the psalmist’s hope for the time when all people will recognize the truth of God’s word as conveyed in the Bible, specifically in the NT teachings of Jesus and the apostles. Some interpreters may use this passage to teach universalism, that is, that all people will eventually become believers and be redeemed. However, the long view of prophecy would suggest that Psalm 138 will be fulfilled either during the millennial kingdom or in the new heavens and the new earth after all the unbelievers will have been judged.

The point here is that Yahweh God is not just for the Jewish people but for all people (John 3:16) to see the glory of the Lord, to honour Him, and to own Him as their God. In more granular detail, the glory they will see will be the great leveling of humanity’s social order. The world will see that Yahweh “regards the lowly” and distances Himself from “the haughty.” This echoes the poetic writings of the prophet Isaiah:

“Let every valley be lifted up, and every mountain and hill be made low; and let the rough ground become a plain, and the rugged terrain a broad valley … (Isa. 40:4)

Is it not true that the tensions and conflict between the haves and the have-nots, are a pervasive part of the human struggle? Is not the demand for justice at the root of most political upheavals? What political leader could make everything right and just? No mere earthly person, but only Yahweh God can do that—He is the one!

Finally, the psalmist expresses his trust and confidence in the Lord, which permits him to make a request (vss. 7-8). He expects that God will bring revival to him in his troubles. As NT believers, we are revived by the truth Jesus left us: “In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33). God will be our defender; we will not buckle under the stress of opposition against us. We can be confident that “The Lord will accomplish what concerns me; Your lovingkindness, O Lord, is everlasting” (vs. 8a). What a great promise! It means that, like David, we can trust God for doing what is right and just for us. We, too, can boldly ask the Lord to “not forsake the works of Your hands” in us. As NT believers, we have this assurance affirmed: “He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus” (Phil. 1:6b).

Lord, I cannot thank, praise, and worship You enough for all that You have done for me. Your lovingkindness and truth are the bedrock of life. That gives me the assured hope of Your continued work in my life.