PRAISE YE THE LORD. (Part 4)
Psalm 147. Verses 5-9 read:
Great is our Lord, and of great power: His understanding is infinite. The LORD lifteth up the meek: He casteth the wicked down to the ground. Sing unto the LORD with thanksgiving; Sing praise upon the harp unto our God: Who covereth the heaven with clouds, who prepareth rain for the earth, Who maketh grass to grow upon the mountains. He giveth to the beast his food, And to the young ravens which cry.
God’s greatness is absolute and perfect. He is great in his person or nature, and he is equally great in his power or might. God’s nature offers men the opportunity to experience his love, care, and benevolence. In his power, men experience his mighty interventions of healing, deliverance, restoration, and the like. The psalmist says that God’s understanding is infinite. Yes, he is the very embodiment of all knowledge and mysteries. These divine qualities make God befitting of praise.
God does not relinquish his duty towards men, especially to men who commit to their covenant with him. To men who demonstrate the quality of meekness, God exalts, but he casts to the ground or demotes wicked men. God’s interventions to men are worthy of praise. The psalmist, therefore, calls for singing or the making of melody. Our singing must have the under-listed qualities.
- It must be directed to God. God must be the object of our praise.
- Our singing must express thanksgiving to God. It must render appreciation to the Most High.
- Our singing of praise must be on the harp or musical instruments.
Here, we see two aspects of praise, which the Hebrew language describes as “Tehillah,” meaning “a song of praise,” and “Zamar,” which refers to the making of music on instruments. The psalmist concludes by enumerating some of the acts of God for which men must praise him. They are:
- God covers the heaven with clouds. This serves as a protection from the intense heat of the sun.
- He prepares rains for the earth. This contributes to the fruitfulness of plant life on earth.
- He makes grass grow upon the mountain. By this, God provides grazing pasture for the care of flock.
- He gives food to beasts. Even the wildest of creatures, God reaches out to them with their daily portion.
What an awesome God we serve. He cares and caters for every aspect of his creation without exemption. May our praise not cease to exalt to our all-surpassing God.
SHALOM 🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏