Scripture Reading(s)
Psalm 148
148:1 Praise the LORD! Praise the LORD from the heavens; praise him in the heights!
148:2 Praise him, all his angels; praise him, all his host!
148:3 Praise him, sun and moon; praise him, all you shining stars!
148:4 Praise him, you highest heavens, and you waters above the heavens!
148:5 Let them praise the name of the LORD, for he commanded and they were created.
148:6 He established them forever and ever; he fixed their bounds, which cannot be passed.
148:7 Praise the LORD from the earth, you sea monsters and all deeps,
148:8 fire and hail, snow and frost, stormy wind fulfilling his command!
148:9 Mountains and all hills, fruit trees and all cedars!
148:10 Wild animals and all cattle, creeping things and flying birds!
148:11 Kings of the earth and all peoples, princes and all rulers of the earth!
148:12 Young men and women alike, old and young together!
148:13 Let them praise the name of the LORD, for his name alone is exalted; his glory is above earth and heaven.
148:14 He has raised up a horn for his people, praise for all his faithful, for the people of Israel who are close to him. Praise the LORD!
Reflections
This Psalm is a reflection on how the heavens and the earth give God unwavering Praise. He is to be placed at the highest form of our worship. He is to come before anything else in our lives and there is nothing else that is worthy enough for us to turn and worship besides Him.
Think about the most important thing in your life. Whether it be your job, school, spouse, kids, friends, nothing can come close to how much higher we are to place God in our lives. The Psalmist touches on how even creation itself is to turn and worship its creator.
There are moments in our lives when we allow for other things to become “idols” that take the place of our true worship towards God. I am guilty of letting myself get distracted by the business of this world to take over my quiet time with God and my devotion to Him and His word.
Here are a few practical ways that we can take the time to spend time in God’s word everyday:
- Pick a time of day-stick to it
- Pick a book of the Bible and go through one chapter each day
- Make a prayer list- include a list of things that you are thankful for and answered prayers
Doing these things will increase our love and devotion for God. Spending time with Him will open your eyes to every reason why we should always make God the forefront of our praise and worship
What a great psalm of praise to YHWH. I used YHWH because “the LORD” in our English Bibles is actually not what appears in the original texts. “the LORD” is translated rather than the name of God, YHWH, out of respect for the name. However, this psalm of praise for God’s great name makes more sense using God’s actual name.
“He has raised up a horn for his people”
What might seem an inconspicuous line in this psalm is actually the focus. Such praise was being given because of how great He is but also because of the statement at the end of the psalm. But what is a horn?
Traditionally, a horn signified power and strength, along with the symbol of an arm or hand. That is why we read about the might arm of the Lord. But I think in this context we might also consider the second thing a horn can symbolize which is salvation and security. It seems a strange image but it harkens back to the horns on the altar in the temple. One could lay hold of them and be granted asylum. We see a famous case of this in 1 Kings 1:50 when Adonijah does so while Solomon was seeking to put him to death. Thus, raising up a horn for the people of Israel could easily represent the safety and salvation of the Lord, even for those who have sinned. One reason why blood was sprinkled on the horns during the atonement process in Leviticus.
I say all that to say this: God has always been a God of salvation. He has always provided a way for sinners to find salvation and redemption and safety. Let us always rejoice in the fact that even in the midst of our sin God granted us salvation. All we have to do is take hold of it as Adonijah did.
[Featured image from spurgeononline.com]