One of
life’s all consuming passion must be to praise God. There is nothing more
important, more uplifting and more exhilarating than to bring constant praise
to our great and wonderful God! Psalm 135 echoes this theme.
In
verses 1-3 the call to praise God is issued. The priests and the Levites are specifically
called to praise Him. They are referred here as the servants of the Lord who
stand in His house. God had specially chosen them to serve in His presence. He
had chosen Jacob and the people of Israel for Himself. In the New Testament, we
know that we are chosen through Christ for adoption as children of God. We are
now a member of His larger family. Hence, in his first letter, Peter tells us
that we are a kingdom priest. We are God’s peculiar people summoned to declare
His praise.
In verses 4-18, the Psalmist gives three specific reasons
why God should be praised:-
1.
In verses 5-7, the Psalmist tells
us that He is a great God, the Lord above all so called gods. He is the One who
sovereignly controls heaven and earth and has the right to do whatever He pleases.
The nature and the elements are created to serve His purpose.
2. In verses 8-14, the author tells us
that He had a particular concern for Israel. From verse 4, we know that Israel as
a nation has been specially chosen to be His people. Here we are told how He had
delivered them from their bondage in Egypt in the smiting of the first born of
Egypt. God also dealt with all their oppressors in their journey and those in the
Promised Land as well. He gave them a great heritage in the rich land of Canaan.
Today, we know that in Christ, we believers have become members of His larger family.
His great promises for us are now found in Christ. Hence this call is also issued
to us. And as He had delivered Israel in history, He will also deliver us from
all our oppressors, so that like them, we may be free to serve Him too.
3. In verses 15-18, the Psalmist gives
the third reason for why God is worthy of praise. It is because He is
infinitely greater than worthless idols that are just products of the human hands.
In contrast to the Sovereign Lord, idols are lifeless. They are made with eyes that
cannot see. They have noses but cannot breathe. They are just lifeless idols. What’s worst is that everyone who worships
them are like them – dumb and lifeless.
In the
concluding verses 19-21, the Psalmist exhorts all to honor and bless the Lord. Beginning
from Israel, to Aaron, and the Levites and all who fear the Lord, the Psalmist
urges all to bless the Lord. In Christ this exhortation to them is also an
exhortation to us, members of God’s larger family. Hence like them, we who fear
God must also honor and praise Him. So let us bring unceasing praise to Him.
Let them flow continually and constantly out of our lips and our lives. For we
serve the True and Living God!
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