Meditations on the Psalms

The manner of request: O LORD, I call to you; come quickly to me. Hear my voice when I call to you (verse 1). Out of fear of going along with the wicked and a desire to have a pure heart, the psalmist cries out for speedy divine help. How lovely it is for a man in temptation to hasten to ask for grace to overcome the temptation facing him, asking for purity when tempted by lust for impurity, and requesting long-suffering when about to lose his temper. A wise person does not wait until he falls into sin to ask for purification: he asks for immunity from sin as soon as he is tempted by it, before he ever falls into it.

Two similes (verse 2):

Setting a guard over the mouth: Set a guard over my mouth, O LORD; keep watch over the door of my lips (verse 3). The psalmist asks the Lord to keep him from using the unbecoming language that his enemies use, according to the commandment, keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking lies (Psalm 34:13). Therefore he says, I said, 'I will watch my ways and keep my tongue from sin; I will put a muzzle on my mouth as long as the wicked are in my presence' (Psalm 39:1). The reason: He who guards his lips guards his life, but he who speaks rashly will come to ruin (Proverbs 13:3), and He who guards his mouth and his tongue keeps himself from calamity (Proverbs 21:23). He says to the Lord, May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer (Psalm 19:14). So the Lord answers him, Then will I purify the lips of the peoples, that all of them may call on the name of the LORD and serve him shoulder to shoulder... The remnant of Israel will do no wrong; they will speak no lies, nor will deceit be found in their mouths. They will eat and lie down and no one will make them afraid (Zephaniah 3:9,13). So, let us heed the warning of the apostle James, We all stumble in many ways. If anyone is never at fault in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to keep his whole body in check... The tongue also is a fire... With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God's likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be (James 3:2,6,9,10). No doubt that out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things (Matthew 12:34,35). This is what the psalmist hastens to ask of the Lord.

Purity of heart: Let not my heart be drawn to what is evil, to take part in wicked deeds with men who are evildoers; let me not eat of their delicacies (verse 4). After asking the Lord to keep him away from sins of the tongue, the psalmist asks the Lord to purify his heart from sins of thought and action, so that he can say, I seek you with all my heart; do not let me stray from your commands... Direct my footsteps according to your word; let no sin rule over me (Psalm 119:10,133). He does not want to do what the wicked do; he does not want to share in their iniquities, delicacies or physical pleasures: They eat the bread of wickedness and drink the wine of violence (Proverbs 4:17). The commandment says, Do not envy wicked men, do not desire their company; for their hearts plot violence, and their lips talk about making trouble (Proverbs 24:1,2).

Bearing reproach: Let a righteous man strike me--it is a kindness; let him rebuke me--it is oil on my head. My head will not refuse it. Yet my prayer is ever against the deeds of evildoers (verse 5). The wicked wanted the psalmist to join them in their joys and banquets, and maybe he felt like doing so. His believing friends seem to have heard of it and rebuked him. He was hurt by their rebuke and warning because it felt like they were hitting him on the head, although he knew full well that Wounds from a friend can be trusted, but an enemy multiplies kisses (Proverbs 27:6). He did not refuse their rebuke and even considered the pain resulting from it a kindness and a pleasure as sweet as the smell of an aromatic oil, for Perfume and incense bring joy to the heart, and the pleasantness of one's friend springs from his earnest counsel (Proverbs 27:9). He who listens to a life-giving rebuke will be at home among the wise. He who ignores discipline despises himself, but whoever heeds correction gains understanding (Proverbs 15:31,32). He who rebukes a man will in the end gain more favor than he who has a flattering tongue (Proverbs 28:23).

Accepting rebuke from his friends, the psalmist continues to pray so that he may not join the wicked in their evil deeds.

Weary without cause: When my spirit grows faint within me, it is you who know my way. In the path where I walk men have hidden a snare for me (verse 3). The psalmist's spirit was so overwhelmed by the intensity of trouble that he nearly fainted. He almost lost his life, just as Jonah did in the belly of the fish (Jonah 2:7). But he knew that the Lord watched him and knew his path.He knew that he was innocent of the charges they made against him. His enemies, too, watched him and knew the ways he walked; they hid snares in them to trap him. What a world of difference between the destructive, plotting knowledge of the enemies and the caring, delivering knowledge of God. Surely he will save you from the fowler's snare and from the deadly pestilence. He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart (Psalm 91:3,4).

Weary without friends: Look to my right and see; no one is concerned for me. I have no refuge; no one cares for my life (verse 4). The psalmist asked the Lord to look on his right side, where supporters would stand to lend him support, to see that there was none able to help him or none who even knew him. The Lord would see that the psalmist no longer had a refuge. His friends deserted him and no longer called on him. He was like the sick man of Bethesda, who spent 38 years waiting for a relative or a friend to help him by throwing him into the pool whenever the water stirred, but who found no one to care for his soul (John 5). No one appreciated the psalmist or the danger he was in. How lonely he must have felt! Christ provided the cure for this feeling as He said, But a time is coming, and has come, when you will be scattered, each to his own home. You will leave me all alone. Yet I am not alone, for my Father is with me (John 16:32). In a similar situation the apostle Paul said, At my first defence, no one came to my support, but everyone deserted me. May it not be held against them. But the Lord stood at my side and gave me strength, so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed and all the Gentiles might hear it. And I was delivered from the lion's mouth. The Lord will rescue me from every evil attack and will bring me safely to his heavenly kingdom. To him be glory for ever and ever. Amen (2 Timothy 4:16-18).

"My Rock": Praise be to the LORD my Rock. The psalmist blesses God who has already blessed him, as it was said, Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ (Ephesians 1:3). The psalmist also blesses his Lord because He was his mighty, unchangeable Rock, who can be completely trusted, who is the place of protection and rest: The shadow of a great rock in a thirsty land (Isaiah 32:2).

"My Trainer": Who trains my hands for war, my fingers for battle. As a shepherd boy David killed a lion and a bear that took a sheep from his flock, then later killed Goliath who defied the armies of the Lord (1 Samuel 17). Shortly after that he said, He trains my hands for battle; my arms can bend a bow of bronze (Psalm 18:34), for the believer is always engaged in spiritual warfare, both on the inside and the outside. The flesh within him lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh. His adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking to devour him. Therefore the believer must receive the Lord's training to lead a life of victory, walking according to the Spirit and resisting the devil that he may flee from him. Therefore put on the full armour of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand (Ephesians 6:13). God trains the believer and says to him, I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you and watch over you (Psalm 32:8).

"My loving kindness": God's loving kindness is intense, constant and unchangeable. Man needs it everywhere and at all times. The believer assigns this divine loving kindness to himself, saying, My loving kindness. Christ is the loving kindness of God because he carries the sins of all those who receive Him as Lord and Saviour. Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead (1 Peter 1:3).

"My fortress": To whom he runs in time of peril and when he finds complete protection he says, For you have been my refuge, a strong tower against the foe. I long to dwell in your tent forever and take refuge in the shelter of your wings (Psalm 61:3,4).

"My high tower": A warrior finds protection in his fortified tower; even when under siege he finds in it all the weapons, water and food supply he needs. Towers are usually erected on a high rock to be able to hold out. Although the Lord is a high tower, He does not hold Himself high above the God-fearer, but rather comes down to his level to deliver and protect him.

"My Deliverer": The Lord is the Rock whose work is perfect (Deuteronomy 32:4), who teaches those who fear Him how to defend themselves, as well as providing them with the refuge and shelter as they run to Him. He rescues and he saves; he performs signs and wonders in the heavens and on the earth. He has rescued Daniel from the power of the lions (Daniel 6:27).

"My shield": The One in whom the psalmist takes refuge. A shield is a piece of wood covered with leather. It was used by fighters to ward off arrows. From the west, men will fear the name of the LORD, and from the rising of the sun, they will revere his glory. For he will come like a pent-up flood that the breath of the LORD drives along (Isaiah 59:19). The fighter relies on the shield for protection against arrows, to keep his body from any harm or wounds. The arrows may even sink into the shield sometimes, so the fighter removes them and shoots them back at the enemy. Thus what was meant for evil turns out to be for good, protection and defence. This subdues the enemy and defeats him.

"My Patron": Who subdues my people under me. Absalom made several attempts to overthrow his father David, and some of David's own friends took sides with Absalom against David. But the Lord delivered David and subdued his people under him (2 Samuel 15-19). When a man's ways are pleasing to the LORD, he makes even his enemies live at peace with him (Proverbs 16:7).

Man is a breath: This was the name given to Abel by Adam, for his name means breath or vapour. Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes (James 4:14). The wicked hurt him and sickness weakens him. You have made my days a mere handbreadth; the span of my years is as nothing before you. Each man's life is but a breath... each man is but a breath (Psalm 39:5,11).

Man is a shadow: The psalmist wonders at God's concern for man, who is but a shifting shadow, never staying in one place, and when it ends it leaves no trace behind. A shadow seems to be something, but it is actually nothing. Its existence depends on the light falling on an object. What is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him? (Psalm 8:4).

The Lord who granted victory: The exodus is an example of this. The Lord frightened the enemy and cut him down to size. He granted victory to His servants by His divine glory, bringing down a pillar of cloud, making use of the wind and commanding the sea to deliver the godly and destroy the violent. By His divine power He flashed lightning and scattered them. He shot his arrows and scattered the enemies, great bolts of lightning and routed them. The valleys of the sea were exposed and the foundations of the earth laid bare at your rebuke, O LORD, at the blast of breath from your nostrils (Psalm 18:14,15).

The enemy who was defeated: The enemies came along like a sweeping stream, but the Lord said to those who feared Him, When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow you (Isaiah 43:2). The enemies are strangers to the faith; Christ said about them, The time is coming that whoever kills you will think that he offers God service. And these things they will do to you because they have not known the Father nor Me (John 16:2,3). The right hand of the enemies is a false right hand. The right hand is lifted up for prayer, but the prayer of the enemies is false. It is also lifted up for confirming an oath, but the oaths and promises of the enemies are deceitful. Christ said to such enemies, You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it (John 8:44).

A confidence expressed through singing: The psalmist was confident of the Lord's victory, so he prepared the people and composed a tune on a harp of ten strings. He walked in faith, not according to what his eyes could see, for faith sees what cannot be seen. Therefore he saw God's victory coming. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing psalms (James 5:13).

Confidence resulting from past dealings: On recalling the past, the psalmist recognized that God saved David from the deadly sword, that is from the woes of war, as well as other leaders of His people. As a result his soul was reassured because The eternal God is your refuge (Deuteronomy 33:27).

Confidence because the enemy is defeated: The psalmist was confident of the enemy's defeat because the enemy was wicked. The prayer he prayed as he lifted up his right hand was a hypocritical, insincere prayer because this same hand wielded the sword to slay the innocent. The right hand he lifted up to confirm an oath was also ready to swear falsely. Therefore he must be punished. 'No weapon forged against you will prevail, and you will refute every tongue that accuses you. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and this is their vindication from me,' declares the LORD (Isaiah 54:17).

Sons: Then our sons in their youth will be like well-nurtured plants (verse 12a). As a result of the Lord's blessings and powerful providence for weak man, his sons become like plants grown up at the time of their youth. This was described by the psalmist in the Psalms of Ascents in this way, Sons are a heritage from the LORD, children a reward from him. Like arrows in the hands of a warrior are sons born in one's youth... Your wife will be like a fruitful vine within your house; your sons will be like olive shoots around your table (Psalm 127:3,4; 128:3). Sons are a real treasure; they are plants whose roots need to be grounded in good soil and suitable environment. They have the promise of a blessed future of growth, bloom and fruitfulness because they are watered by the living water. Yet at the scent of water it will bud and put forth shoots like a plant (Job 14:9).

Daughters: And our daughters will be like pillars carved to adorn a palace (verse 12b). In this happy condition the daughters, who required little trouble to raise them, are like sculptured pillars that bind the roof of the house together in harmony and unity. The psalmist must have been thinking of the beautiful, strong pillars with their grandeur and stability that adorn palaces when he saw his beautiful daughters in their bright garments and golden ornaments, with their bodies growing strong from abundant food and good health. Perhaps the psalmist also recalled the Scripture, O daughters of Israel, weep for Saul, who clothed you in scarlet and finery, who adorned your garments with ornaments of gold (2 Samuel 1:24). It is good if the psalmist was thinking of physical health, but it is better if he was thinking of intelligence. And it is better if he was thinking of spiritual progress. Today's daughters are tomorrow's mothers. A wife of noble character who can find? She is worth far more than rubies. Her husband has full confidence in her and lacks nothing of value (Proverbs 31:10,11).

Men are weak: They are the sons of Adam. Adam is derived from the "adamah", the earth, for the LORD God formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being (Genesis 2:7). The masters of today are the dust of tomorrow, to be trodden on by man and beast!

Men cannot deliver anyone: Who cannot save. Man cannot save himself, unless he receives help from above; neither can he redeem himself from the punishment of sin. Being unable to deliver himself, how much less is he able to deliver someone else!

Men are mortal: When their spirit departs, they return to the ground (verse 4a). Man is like dust that is scattered by the wind. No matter how high he goes up in the air, his inevitable destiny is the grave. By the sweat of his face he shall eat bread till he returns to the ground, for out of it he was taken: By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground, since from it you were taken; for dust you are and to dust you will return (Genesis 3:19). How then can we rely on that which does not exist?

Man's plans are short-lived: On that very day their plans come to nothing (verse 4b). Man assumes that he will live forever, so he dreams, plans and aspires. But what is our life? It is a vapour that appears for a little time and then vanishes away (James 4:14). We ought to say, If it is the Lord's will, we will live and do this or that (James 4:15). A wise man is a man who prays, Show me, O LORD, my life's end and the number of my days; let me know how fleeting is my life. You have made my days a mere handbreadth; the span of my years is as nothing before you. Each man's life is but a breath. Man is a mere phantom as he goes to and fro (Psalm 39:4-6). How can we possibly trust in someone as frail as we are? This is what the LORD says: 'Cursed is the one who trusts in man, who depends on flesh for his strength and whose heart turns away from the LORD... But blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose confidence is in him' (Jeremiah 17:5,7).

The Lord is the Creator: The Maker of heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them--the LORD, who remains faithful forever (verse 6). The believer's sufficiency is in the Lord because He is the powerful Creator of the heavens and earth, the One who holds absolute authority in all of them. His authority is over the heavens as well as the sun, moon, stars and planets that exist in them. He is the author of the earth together with everything on it, the universe and those who inhabit it: The king's heart is in the hand of the LORD; he directs it like a watercourse wherever he pleases (Proverbs 21:1). Therefore we say to Him, You alone are the LORD. You made the heavens, even the highest heavens, and all their starry host, the earth and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them. You give life to everything, and the multitudes of heaven worship you (Nehemiah 9:6).

The Lord is faithful: Who remains faithful forever (verse 6a). The believer's sufficiency is in the Lord because He is faithful to His promises, as Joshua said, Not one of all the LORD's good promises to the house of Israel failed; every one was fulfilled (Joshua 21:45). Solomon the wise said, Praise be to the LORD, who has given rest to his people Israel just as he promised. Not one word has failed of all the good promises he gave through his servant Moses (1 Kings 8:56).

The Lord is compassionate (verses 7-9): The believer's sufficiency is in the Lord because He shows compassion for all. Christ said, The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor (Luke 4:18,19). The psalmist lists eight types of people for whom the Lord shows compassion:

The Lord punishes the wicked: But he frustrates the ways of the wicked (verse 9c). The Lord is sufficient for the believer because He punishes the wicked, bringing a blessing for the believer out of his crookedness . The LORD detests the way of the wicked but he loves those who pursue righteousness (Proverbs 15:9) because it is a way departing from the Lord, not the way of the upright commandment, and those who depart from the Lord shall be written in the dust (Jeremiah 17:13). The Lord returns the evil of wicked upon his head, just as He said to King Ahab who killed Naboth the Jezreelite and usurped his vineyard, In the place where dogs licked up Naboth's blood, dogs will lick up your blood--yes, yours! (1 Kings 21:19). The Lord twists the way of the wicked to protect the believer from him, bringing out of the eater something to eat, and out of the strong something sweet (Judges 14:14). Such was the case with Joseph, who said to his brothers, You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives (Genesis 50:20).

The Lord is King: The LORD reigns forever, your God, O Zion, for all generations. Praise the LORD (verse 10). The believer's sufficiency is in the Lord because He is the King of kings and Lord of lords, whose dominion knows no end. All the kings of the earth die and perish, but the Lord lives forever--the believer praises Him because He owns the believer's life, sits on the throne of his heart, deserves his thanksgiving, exaltation and praise. Therefore the believer declares His righteousness, makes known His goodness and tells everyone of His generosity. The Lord is the everlasting Master, not limited by space or place, not the God of just one people, for He says, I was found by those who did not seek me; I revealed myself to those who did not ask for me (Romans 10:20, quoting from Isaiah 65:1). He says, Him who overcomes I will make a pillar in the temple of my God. Never again will he leave it. I will write on him the name of my God and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which is coming down out of heaven from my God; and I will also write on him my new name (Revelation 3:12). Hallelujah! Praise Him, bless Him and glorify Him! Then He will bless you, keep you, make His face shine upon you, be gracious to you, lift up His countenance upon you, and give you peace (Numbers 6:26).

Praise is good: Praise the LORD. How good it is to sing praises to our God... Lift up your voices with thanksgiving so that the good Lord may hear them, for There is only One who is good (Matthew 19:17) and it is praise that pleases him. Since all creation praises the Lord of the universe, it is only worthy for us to join it in magnifying Him, for He said, He who sacrifices thank offerings honours me, and he prepares the way so that I may show him the salvation of God (Psalm 50:23). Praise is good when it is directed to God who is good to all those who seek his face. He is the source of all goodness. When we sing praises to him, both our hearts and thoughts become good--we also rejoice, increase in strength and take heart. Despair and fear go away as we defeat the devil and overpower our enemies. It is good for those who hear us praise God because this prompts them to join us in the joys of praise, in accordance with the commandment, Is any one of you in trouble? He should pray. Is anyone happy? Let him sing songs of praise (James 5:13). Praise is the best way to use language. It is the most enjoyable meeting, in which the brothers and sisters flow harmoniously together as they rejoice in the common Father to whom they sing.

Praise is pleasant: How pleasant ... to praise him! (verse 1b). It is equally pleasant to the Lord and the singer; it refreshes both mind and heart. Praise the LORD, for the LORD is good; sing praise to his name, for that is pleasant (Psalm 135:3).

Praise is fitting: How fitting to praise him! (verse 1c). It is fitting for the Lord because He is our benefactor, for in Him we live and move and have our being, and apart from Him we can do nothing. It is fitting for the divine majesty, as much as it is fitting for us, so that we may return a little of his benefits, for everything we possess comes from Him. So let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise--the fruit of lips that confess his name (Hebrews 13:15). It is fitting to praise Him because it is an expression of our love to the One who has loved us out of the goodness of His heart. He gave Himself for us to restore our souls from captivity in the land of deception and bring us back to His sheepfold, to bless us, to make room for us after we have been distressed, to bring us closer to Himself after we have been far away, to heal us after being sick, to satisfy us after being hungry and to clothe us with the garment of righteousness after the nakedness of sin.

God builds up and gathers: The LORD builds up Jerusalem; he gathers the exiles of Israel (verse 2). When the Israelites disobeyed, the Lord let them be taken into exile to Babylon and they were thus denied access to His holy temple in Jerusalem, where they were supposed to worship Him. When the seventy years of exile came to an end, He brought them back home where they rebuilt the fallen walls of Jerusalem. Then their mouths were filled with laughter, their tongues with songs to the good Lord who gathered their scattered companies. They praised Him because He built up what the enemy tore down; He did not neglect his city, did not let His saints down, aided the weak and upheld the fallen. The prophecy of Isaiah was fulfilled to them, The ransomed of the LORD will return. They will enter Zion with singing; everlasting joy will crown their heads. Gladness and joy will overtake them, and sorrow and sighing will flee away (Isaiah 51:11). The Lord is still building up the believers as temples for the Lord after sin has torn them down and estranged them from God: We are the temple of the living God. As God has said: 'I will live with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people' (2 Corinthians 6:16).

God comforts: He heals the broken-hearted and binds up their wounds (verse 3). How much did the Israelites grieve in their captivity as they remembered their city and sacred vessels, which the heathen profaned and destroyed! They also grieved for their sins, which gave them into the hands of a heathen nation that did not know God, so that their iniquities have separated them from their God and their place of worship. To express this, Nehemiah the governor said, When I heard these things, I sat down and wept. For some days I mourned and fasted and prayed before the God of heaven.... but I said to the king, '...Why should my face not look sad when the city where my fathers are buried lies in ruins, and its gates have been destroyed by fire?' (Nehemiah 1:4; 2:3). But the Lord comforted them and healed their broken hearts through his mercy. Today, the Lord comforts us, too, for Christ came to our planet to heal the broken-hearted (Luke 4:18) who are crushed by sin, the betrayal of someone dear to them, the loss of a relative or simply by giving up all hope. As the soul bows down under the this heavy load and cries to the Lord, He hears, binds up, restores, forgives, heals, redeems from the pit of despair and crowns life with love and compassion (Psalm 103). How glorious it is to remember that we have hope in Christ, who himself suffered when he was tempted and is able to help those who are being tempted (Hebrews 2:18).

God knows: He determines the number of the stars and calls them each by name. Great is our Lord and mighty in power; his understanding has no limit (verses 4,5). God said to his friend Abraham, Look up at the heavens and count the stars--if indeed you can count them (Genesis 15:5). Now he says to mankind, Lift your eyes and look to the heavens: Who created all these? He who brings out the starry host one by one, and calls them each by name. Because of his great power and mighty strength, not one of them is missing ... Do you not know? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom (Isaiah 40:26,28). Let us, therefore, praise the Creator of the universe, who knows the number of the stars He created and identifies them by name. None of them falls without His permission, for He is the Creator of all things and they exist by His command. His powerful word brought all things into being out of nothing, and it will sustain them forever. The LORD does whatever pleases him, in the heavens and on the earth, in the seas and all their depths (Psalm 135:6). He brought us into being and He looks after us. Even the very hairs of our head are all numbered, and none of them falls without his permission (Matthew 10:30). He knows us by name (John 10:3), He feels for us, is distressed with us and the angel of His presence saves us (Isaiah 63:9). He says to us, Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine (Isaiah 43:1).

God judges justly: The LORD sustains the humble but casts the wicked to the ground (verse 6). When the Israelites sinned, God punished them with justice, handing them over to their enemies. In captivity their hearts were broken over their sins, thus the merciful and just God fulfilled his promise to Solomon, If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land (2 Chronicles 7:14). God lifted up the countenance of gentle and humble Nehemiah who confessed the sins of the children of Israel, the sins of his father's house and his own sins (Nehemiah 1:6), and cast the wicked who delayed the building of the Lord's house to the ground. Truly, the LORD loves the just and will not forsake his faithful ones. They will be protected forever, but the offspring of the wicked will be cut off; the righteous will inherit the land and dwell in it forever (Psalm 37:28,29). The LORD is known by his justice; the wicked are ensnared by the work of their hands. The wicked return to the grave, all the nations that forget God (Psalm 9:16,17). As to the meek, blessed are they for they will inherit the earth (Matthew 5:5).

Giving thanks for the agricultural wealth: He covers the sky with clouds; he supplies the earth with rain and makes grass grow on the hills (verse 8). The people must give thanks to the Lord because He did not create them just to leave them to fend for themselves, rather He took care of them and met all their needs. He prepared everything that makes plants and grass grow. Even the uninhabited mountains received their share of the Lord's providence just as abundantly as the valleys. He waters the mountains from his upper chambers; the earth is satisfied by the fruit of his work. He makes grass grow for the cattle, and plants for man to cultivate--bringing forth food from the earth (Psalm 104:13,14).

Giving thanks for the animal wealth: He provides food for the cattle and for the young ravens when they call (verse 9). We give thanks to the Lord who looks after all of his creation, both weak and strong. Cattle are big and strong in body and man uses them to help him, but the Lord gives them their food because they cannot provide food for themselves. As to the young ravens that cannot look after themselves, the Lord also provides for them. God asked Job, Who provides food for the raven when its young cry out to God and wander about for lack of food? (Job 38:41). Christ answered, Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds! (Luke 12:24). Let us give thanks to the Lord who does not forget anyone.

Giving thanks for the divine pleasure: His pleasure is not in the strength of the horse, nor his delight in the legs of a man; the LORD delights in those who fear him, who put their hope in his unfailing love (verses 10,11). Listing weapons of war in his days, the psalmist mentions the strength of the horse and the ability of men to run in attack and retreat. He seems to be saying that the Israelites, who could not stand in war against the armies of the Babylonian kingdom, returned to their land owing to the Lord's pleasure with them. Their return was not based on their military superiority, but on their fear of the Lord and hope in his unfailing love. The Lord honours those who fear Him and submit to Him in love and obedience. The psalmist said, No king is saved by the size of his army; no warrior escapes by his great strength. A horse is a vain hope for deliverance; despite all its great strength it cannot save. But the eyes of the LORD are on those who fear him, on those whose hope is in his unfailing love (Psalm 33:16-18).

God's care (verses 13,14):

God's authority (verses 15-20):

The angels and His heavenly hosts: Praise him, all his angels, praise him, all his heavenly hosts (verse 2). This was David's appeal: Praise the LORD, you his angels, you mighty ones who do his bidding, who obey his word. Praise the LORD, all his heavenly hosts, you his servants who do his will (Psalm 103:20,21). This is also what Isaiah saw them doing when he said, I saw the Lord seated on a throne, high and exalted, and the train of his robe filled the temple. Above him were seraphs ... And they were calling to one another: 'Holy, holy, holy is the LORD Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory' (Isaiah 6:1-3). Angels did the same when Christ was born; a great company of the heavenly host appeared, praising God and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests (Luke 2:13,14). John the author of Revelation said, I looked and heard the voice of many angels ... They encircled the throne ... In a loud voice they sang: 'Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honour and glory and praise!' Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them, singing: 'To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honour and glory and power, for ever and ever!' (Revelation 5:11-13). As his servants and ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation, they praise the Master of heaven and earth (Hebrews 1:14).

The sun, the moon and the stars: Praise him, sun and moon, praise him, all you shining stars (verse 3). God is light; in Him there is no darkness at all (1 John 1:5). The psalmist calls on all luminous creatures to lift up songs of praise to the source of their splendour and radiance, who works in them to make them give off light to the universe, for he made two great lights--the greater light to govern the day and the lesser light to govern the night. He also made the stars. God set them in the expanse of the sky to give light on the earth (Genesis 1:16,17). They rotate in their orbit declaring at all times the glory of the great Maker who loves his creation. The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge (Psalm 19:1,2). Today, we praise the Lord who has not left us groping in the darkness of the world and the murkiness of sin, but rather sent us Christ, saying, I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life (John 8:12). So, let us live as children of light (Ephesians 5:8), letting our light shine before men, that they may see our good deeds and praise our Father in heaven and join us in offering songs of praise to Him (Matthew 5:16).

The highest heavens and the waters: Praise him, you highest heavens and you waters above the skies (verse 4). Moses said about the highest heavens, To the LORD your God belong the heavens, even the highest heavens, the earth and everything in it (Deuteronomy 10:14). The apostle Paul ascended to the third heaven (2 Corinthians 12:2). Later Jewish writings claimed that there are seven heavens. Here the psalmist calls upon the highest heavens to extol their Creator, joined by the waters of the clouds, of which the book of Genesis says, And God said, 'Let there be an expanse between the waters to separate water from water.' So God made the expanse and separated the water under the expanse from the water above it. And it was so. God called the expanse 'sky.' And there was evening, and there was morning--the second day. And God said, 'Let the water under the sky be gathered to one place, and let dry ground appear.' And it was so (Genesis 1:6-9). These waters are at the Lord's disposal, who in the six hundredth year of Noah's life, made all the springs of the great deep burst forth and the floodgates of the heavens were opened. And rain fell on the earth forty days and forty nights ... But God remembered Noah ... and the waters receded. Now the springs of the deep and the floodgates of the heavens had been closed, and the rain had stopped falling from the sky (Genesis 7:11,12; 8:1,2).

He commanded and they were created: Let them praise the name of the LORD, for he commanded and they were created (verse 5). The psalmist says that the essential reason why these creatures praise God is that he brought them into being by his command. Had he not commanded, they would not have existed. All creation senses this privilege; that is why it praises the Lord and makes his glory and the greatness of handiwork known. Today, we praise Him because He created us physically when we were born physically. But there are those amongst us who praise him more because they have become a new, spiritual creation through the second birth, the birth from above. If you have not been born again, please listen to Christ's words, No one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit (John 3:5,6). The Lord created us in his image, but we corrupted that image with our sins. But now, if we repent, He will re-create us, so that we may be able to say, For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do (Ephesians 2:10).

He set them in place: He set them in place for ever and ever (verse 6a). The Lord's works praise Him because He created them and set them in place; all things are under His control and in Him all things hold together (Colossians 1:17). They all exist by His power and will and are set in place to testify to His goodness. The word of the LORD is right and true; he is faithful in all he does. The LORD loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of his unfailing love. By the word of the LORD were the heavens made, their starry host by the breath of his mouth (Psalm 33:4-6).

He gave a decree that will never pass away (verse 6b). Creation praises God because He made laws and decrees for it that it cannot pass or overstep. It is the Lord who appoints the sun to shine by day, who decrees the moon and stars to shine by night, who stirs up the sea so that its waves roar (Jeremiah 31:35). He is also the one who established His covenant with day and night and the fixed laws of heaven and earth (Jeremiah 33:25).

The seas and those that dwell in them: Praise the LORD from the earth, you great sea creatures and all ocean depths (verse 7). He calls upon the huge sea creatures and the reptiles of all kinds to praise the Lord who created them when God said, 'Let the water teem with living creatures...' So God created the great creatures of the sea and every living and moving thing with which the water teems, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind (Genesis 1:20,21). Let them praise Him because He looks after them and feeds them despite the huge amount of food they require. The psalmist calls on the ocean depths, where the great sea creatures live, to join in praising the Lord; for He made the oceans the dwelling place of such immense creatures as well as the small creatures. The mighty and fierce animals travel by sea, just as the weak and gentle. He made these waters carry the colossal ships as well as the small pleasure boats.

The forces of nature: Lightning and hail, snow and clouds, stormy winds that do his bidding (verse 8). The psalmist invites what we call the forces of nature to praise the Lord. They are in fact the forces of the Lord, whether visible or invisible, whose effect can be felt. The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going (John 3:8). The psalmist saw in the storm the flashes of lightning, together with the peals of thunder, accompanied by hail at one time and snow at another, forming thick clouds. In all these the Lord reveals His power and through such natural phenomena He meets the needs of His creation: As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it (Isaiah 55:10,11).

The highlands and plants: You mountains and all hills, fruit trees and all cedars (verse 9). The psalmist invites the mountains and the hills to humble themselves before the lofty Lord, to magnify His name and sing praises to Him. He also invites the fruit trees and the tall, fragrant, evergreen cedars to join the mountains in singing and bowing before the Lord, who rules as a kind sovereign over them. The mountains and hills will burst into song before you, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands (Isaiah 55:12). The believers learn from the high mountains and from the plants to realize that in the Lord they are exalted above the world and its sufferings. Thus they humble themselves under God's mighty hand, that He may lift them up in due time (1 Peter 5:6), and they become like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither (Psalm 1:3).

Dumb animals: Wild animals and all cattle, small creatures and flying birds (verse 10). The psalmist invites wild animals that prey on others to get their food, the cattle that graze, all earth-bound animals, big and small, as well as the birds of the air, which do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet the Lord feeds them. He calls all of these to praise the Lord, who deserves to hear from us the sound of thanksgiving and praise because His compassions are new every morning.

All mankind: Kings of the earth and all nations, you princes and all rulers on earth, young men and maidens, old men and children (verses 11,12). The invitation to praise ends with calling man, the crown of creation, to praise the Lord. The psalmist calls all mankind of all walks of life, ages, races and backgrounds to sing praises to God. He starts off with calling those in authority, such as kings and rulers, who have been commissioned by God to rule their peoples with justice when He installed them in their lead-ership position and presidential offices, and imparted them with enough wisdom to do His good will. Then He addresses all nations in general to offer praise to God, in which their tongues would give expression to their gratitude in the form of songs and hymns of praise and thanksgiving to the good Lord, who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth (1 Timothy 2:4).

After inviting all nations to praise, the psalmist specifically addressed some age groups, such as boys and girls in their budding years, to look up and see the beauty of the Lord, and anticipate a bright future. He also addressed the elders with their wisdom and dignity, as well as the youth with all their vigour and enthusiasm, to give emphasis to the fact that the Lord is God, that all else is meaningless, a chasing after the wind.

They praise the glorious Name: Let them praise the name of the LORD, for his name alone is exalted; his splendour is above the earth and the heavens (verse 13). The name of the Lord signifies His character; it reveals His attributes, power and compassion. His glory covered the heavens and his praise filled the earth (Habakkuk 3:3). Give thanks to the LORD, call on his name; make known among the nations what he has done, and proclaim that his name is exalted. Sing to the LORD, for he has done glorious things; let this be known to all the world (Isaiah 12:4,5). There is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved (Acts 4:12). He did acts of kindness and administered justice, and all the universe was full of His glory. He alone is worthy to receive glory and thanks and honour.

They praise him because he granted victory to his people: He has raised up for his people a horn, the praise of all his saints (verse 14a). The horn symbolizes victorious power. When God raises up for His people a horn, it means that he grants them victory, exaltation and honour, to the praise and boasting of all His saints: As it is written: 'Let him who boasts boast in the Lord' (1 Corinthians 1:31, quoted from Jeremiah 9:23,24). If you make the Most High your dwelling--even the LORD, who is my refuge--then no harm will befall you, no disaster will come near your tent ... 'Because he loves me' (Psalm 91:9,10,14). Yet the LORD set his affection on your forefathers and loved them, and he chose you, their descendants, above all the nations ... He is your praise; he is your God, who performed for you those great and awesome wonders you saw with your own eyes (Deuteronomy 10:15,21).

They praise Him because He brought them closer to Himself: Of Israel, the people close to his heart. Praise the LORD (verse 14b). God chose the children of Israel and brought them closer to Himself, not because they were more numerous than other peoples, for they were the fewest of all peoples, but rather out of His love for them (Deuteronomy 7:7). To be close to God is to be reconciled to Him, because sin separates us from Him, but He reconciles us to Himself through Christ, All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them (2 Corinthians 5:18,19). Closeness also implies a fellowship of intimacy and affection. This is why we say, Our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ (1 John 1:3). Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God's people and members of God's household (Ephesians 2:19). Being close to Him makes us want to imitate Him in obedience to the apostle's command, Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children. and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God (Ephesians 5:1,2). Being close to Him puts us under His care and protection. It also means that we will be forever with Him, as the psalmist said, The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want ... and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever (Psalm 23:1,6). The psalmist concludes the psalm with the expression Praise the LORD! So praise the Lord, magnify Him and extol Him!

They received a new blessing: Praise the LORD. Sing to the LORD a new song (verse 1a). God has given the believers various blessings and these are renewed every day; great is His faithfulness (Lamentations 3:22,23). Whenever the believer receives a new blessing he sings a new song out of gratitude for the new kindness. The Lord's dealings with the believers are wonderful, various and generous beyond limits. He deserves to be thanked by them everyday. He has given them a new life when they had been on the verge of death, delivered them from certain perils and temptations far greater than their capacity to bear, and He supplies their everyday needs. He still gives liberally to His people to reveal His kindness, goodness and riches to them in tangible and evident ways. This refreshes them and renews their strength as they enter a new depth with Him and learn a new lesson about Him. This makes them shout, Sing to the LORD, you saints of his; praise his holy name ... weeping may remain for a night, but rejoicing comes in the morning (Psalm 30:4,5). Sing joyfully to the LORD, you righteous; it is fitting for the upright to praise him. Praise the LORD with the harp; make music to him on the ten-stringed lyre. Sing to him a new song; play skilfully, and shout for joy (Psalm 33:1-3). Sing to the LORD a new song; sing to the LORD, all the earth. Sing to the LORD, praise his name; proclaim his salvation day after day (Psalm 96:1,2). In praise the believers express their love for the Lord, their gratitude for His kindness and their magnification of His person because He loved them first.

They are saints: His praise in the assembly of the saints (verse 1b). The sound of praise rings out in the midst of the assembly of the saints, those who fear the Lord, after they have attained the beginning of knowledge. The saints are those who are honest in doing their duties for the Lord, those who rejoice greatly in his commandments, which make wise the simple. The Scriptures say about them, Praise the LORD. Blessed is the man who fears the LORD, who finds great delight in his commands (Psalm 112:1). They fear and revere the Lord, not for fear of punishment or in obedience to a harsh master, but in order to please Him as someone they love, honour and respect. The saints will sing a new song or rather a song that is renewed every day. Who could possibly praise the Lord like the saints?! Who could possibly proclaim his kindness like the elect?! They proclaim His kindness by word and action.

They are joyful: Let Israel rejoice in their Maker; let the people of Zion be glad in their King (verse 2). The psalmist calls those who love the Lord to sing to the Lord songs of joy for two reasons:

The Lord's delight: For the LORD takes delight in his people (verse 4a). Man's greatest desire is for God to delight in him; for then he says, You have filled my heart with greater joy than when their grain and new wine abound. I will lie down and sleep in peace, for you alone, O LORD, make me dwell in safety (Psalm 4:7,8). The Lord is not delighted with us because of our own righteousness, but because of His abundant love: For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life (John 3:16). Whoever takes shelter in Christ's atonement will please the Lord, because the Lord no longer sees the penitent's sins. He rather sees Christ's propitiatory work and credited Christ's own righteousness to him. That is why we can pray, Forgive us our transgressions and atone for our sins.

The beauty of life: He crowns the humble with salvation (verse 4b). Disobedience has corrupted the beautiful, innocent picture and the pure nature, in which God created the first man. God created man in his own image (Genesis 1:27). All have turned aside, they have together become corrupt and man became immersed in wrongful deeds and unbelief. When God looks down from heaven to see if there are any who understand, any who seek God, He finds that they have all become corrupt. Therefore He calls out in love, Turn to me and be saved, all you ends of the earth; for I am God, and there is no other (Isaiah 45:22). He offers free salvation to everybody. Blessed are the poor in spirit who recognize their crushing need for God's mercy, and call out, God, have mercy on me, a sinner (Luke 18:13). They pray, Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me (Psalm 51:10). God crowns the repentant sinner and clothes him with garments of salvation and arrays him in a robe of righteousness (Isaiah 61:10). This is the true robe of godliness that covers all misdeeds; it is a God-given garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair (Isaiah 61:3). When one puts on the garments of salvation he gets transformed in his own eyes and the eyes of others, because God who forgives us sanctifies us every day. The Scripture lists a number of different sins, after which it says to the believers, And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God (1 Corinthians 6:11).

God runs the greatest beauty shop. He beautifies the lips with good words, the ears with listening to good words, the hands with good work and the feet with going to good places. How happy is the humble, meek and teachable person whom the Lord crowns and beautifies with salvation from his sins.

Honoured: Let the saints rejoice in this honour (verse 5a). The saints are held in honour because they remain in the Lord, rejoicing in Him, their eyes gazing upon His beauty, deriving their code of conduct from His law and awaiting the glory with which God will crown them. They say after a pure life of battle, I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day--and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing (2 Timothy 4:7,8). Saints who revere the Lord and are fearful of disobeying the One they love will be like Stephen, the first Christian martyr. He looked up to heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God (Acts 7:55). What magnificent glory and honour the saints enjoy here on earth as they live under God's protection. And what magnificent glory awaits them after death, as Christ said to the penitent thief, Today you will be with me in paradise (Luke 23:43).

Rested: Let the saints ... sing for joy on their beds (verse 5b). At nightfall when the saint goes to bed, he retires to be by himself and recall God's kindness toward him. He says, With singing lips my mouth will praise you. On my bed I remember you; I think of you through the watches of the night. Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings (Psalm 63:5-7). Then he calls his soul to account to evaluate what has been done through the day. If he has done good things, he gives thanks to God who was good to him and helped him do good things. And if he has done bad things, he repents to God in a heartfelt prayer, and God, in turn, confirms His forgiveness to him. Thus his heart is set at rest and his tongue breaks forth in jubilation on his bed. Even when a believer falls ill, he still sings because The LORD will sustain him on his sickbed and restore him from his bed of illness (Psalm 41:3), and because he knows that it is the LORD who heals him (Exodus 15:26).

Expressive: May the praise of God be in their mouths (verse 6a). They always give expression to their praise of God's kindness and greatness whenever they open their mouth. They meditate on His love, which loosens their tongues to praise the abundance of His compassions, make known all acts of His care and proclaim what He has done with them. Their delight is in the law of the LORD, and on His law they meditate day and night (Psalm 1:2). Let us, therefore, testify to the Lord and meditate on Him at all times, so that all fear may flee from us, all persecution may be removed, and all help, joy and victory may come to us.

Armed: And a double-edged sword in their hands (verse 6b). The psalmist is not speaking about an ordinary metal sword, such as would be used in ordinary warfare, but rather of the Word of the Lord, which is the sword of the Spirit (Ephesians 6:17). It is powerful and active, and being sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow. It judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart (Hebrews 4:12). The saint realizes that his weapon is spiritual, as the apostle said, The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds (2 Corinthians 10:4). The Christian's attitude to the deadly, physical weapons of war is to be the same as that of Christ his Master, who, when Judas came to him, accompanied with a large crowd armed with swords and clubs, sent from the chief priests and the elders of the people ...one of Jesus' companions reached for his sword, drew it out and struck the servant of the high priest, cutting off his ear. 'Put your sword back in its place,' Jesus said to him, 'for all who draw the sword will die by the sword' (Matthew 26:47-54).

The judgment of the peoples: To inflict vengeance on the nations and punishment on the peoples (verse 7). Light hurts the sick eye. In the same way the believers' praises and joy light the way for those who love God, but hurt the eyes of the wicked since they expose their sins. That is why the wicked attack the people of light. If the world hates you, said Christ, keep in mind that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you (John 15:18,19). The believers' vengeance on the nations is not a matter of hatred on their part, nor a disciplinary punishment through devastating weapons and murderous armies, for the apostle commands, Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse.... Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody.... On the contrary: 'If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head' (Romans 12:14,17,20). The vengeance on the peoples is rather meted out through the proclamation of the message of love and salvation. This message becomes a blessing to whoever accepts it, and a curse to those who don't.

The capture of kings: To bind their kings with fetters, their nobles with shackles of iron (verse 8). The believers who praise God capture kings. God has appointed the kings and the nobles to obey Him and administer His judgment. If they do not do that, He punishes them and gives them over to be defeated. It was customary in wars for the victorious army to take the defeated king captive, bound up and humiliated, and put the nobles in shackles of iron. The psalmist here is announcing the victory of the kingdom of God over the power of darkness, the binding up of its prince, the devil, and the chaining of the demonic host. This is a future vision because the kingdom of the Messiah will surely defeat the devil. Christ said, I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven (Luke 10:18). The apostle Jude said, And the angels who did not keep their positions of authority but abandoned their own home--these he [God] has kept in darkness, bound with everlasting chains for judgment on the great Day (Jude 6). Therefore the psalmist gives this advice to the disobedient kings, Therefore, you kings, be wise; be warned, you rulers of the earth. Serve the LORD with fear and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son, lest he be angry and you be destroyed in your way, for his wrath can flare up in a moment. Blessed are all who take refuge in him (Psalm 2:10-12).

The execution of divine sentence: To carry out the sentence written against them (verse 9a). God has written a sentence that says, The wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23) and The soul who sins is the one who will die (Ezekiel 18:20). Woe to those who make unjust laws, to those who issue oppressive decrees (Isaiah 10:1). God says, See, it stands written before me: I will not keep silent but will pay back in full; I will pay it back into their laps (Isaiah 65:6). Job said, For you write down bitter things against me and make me inherit the sins of my youth (Job 13:26). God will surely execute His written sentence, but He has delegated this task to the saints, for the Scriptures say, Do you not know that the saints will judge the world? (1 Corinthians 6:2).

The glory of the saints: This is the glory of all his saints (verse 9b). The wicked will be defeated and the believers will have victory; this is the glory of His saints. The Lord honours those who honour Him, but those who despise Him will be disdained (1 Samuel 2:30). Let us praise the Lord and proclaim His truth throughout the land, because our praise will lead some to repentance, while it condemns others to eternal destruction. Our singing is a testimony to the righteous God, and our acclamation is a proclamation of the blessedness, happiness and peacefulness of all those who follow Him in trust, love and obedience. This is when we hear Him say, Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world (Matthew 25:34). At the same time, He will pronounce this dreadful judgment on the wicked, Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels ... Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life (Matthew 25:41,46).

The Lord's sanctuary is the house of worship: The Lord is present everywhere, but He is present in His house in a special way, as Christ explained, For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them (Matthew 18:20). The psalmist advises us, Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name; bring an offering and come into his courts. Worship the LORD in the splendour of his holiness; tremble before him, all the earth (Psalm 96:8,9) because holiness adorns your house for endless days, O LORD (Psalm 93:5). Let us praise Him in His house, where we sanctify and worship Him, and pray as Christ taught us, Hallowed be your name. The place of worshipping God may not be a church building, but a jail. When Paul and Silas were put in jail in Philippi, they prayed aloud and sang hymns to God, and the other prisoners listened to them. Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken. At once all the prison doors flew open and everybody's chains came loose (Acts 16:25,26).

The Lord's sanctuary is where the believer is alone with him: Wherever the believer kneels down to pray is a sanctuary of the Lord. Christ commanded us, But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you (Matthew 6:6). How lovely it is to have the believer's prayers mixed with his praises to the Lord, as he gives thanks and requests, praising and supplicating.

The Lord's sanctuary is his heavens: The psalmist said, Praise him in his mighty heavens. The same word used for "heavens" is also translated in Genesis 1:7 "expanse". The LORD is in his holy temple; the LORD is on his heavenly throne (Psalm 11:4). Heaven refers to different things: the skies where birds fly, the sphere of the stars and the higher heavens, where angels praise him. The prophet Isaiah heard the angels sing, Holy, holy, holy is the LORD Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory (Isaiah 6:1-3). And in heaven His saints, who have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb sing, Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb (Revelation 7:10).

Praising God in His mighty heavens makes us ponder on God's power and holiness. Power without holiness is oppressive and wreaks havoc, and holiness without power cannot accomplish the goal. Through the power of God's holiness there is nothing impossible for Him, and every good gift comes from Him. So, let us praise this great, holy and all-powerful God everywhere we worship Him.

The trumpet announced the communication of the inspiration: When God gave His law to His people, the event was accompanied by a very loud trumpet blast (Exodus 19:16). And when the Lord revealed a special message through the apostle John to the seven churches, the event was preceded by the sound of trumpet. John says, On the Lord's Day I was in the Spirit, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet, which said: 'Write on a scroll what you see and send it to the seven churches ... Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this' (Revelation 1:10,11; 4:1). The intended meaning is that God's voice is always clear and easily heard; no ear can miss it. He who has ears, let him hear (Matthew 13:9).

The trumpet blast announced the commencement of feasts: The Israelites would blow the horn whenever a feast was about to start, as the Bible says, Sound the ram's horn at the New Moon, and when the moon is full, on the day of our Feast (Psalm 81:3). They also sounded the trumpet to announce the beginning of the jubilee year, when each one was to be released of his debts and the lands that were given in pledge were to be returned to their original owners (Leviticus 25:9,10). Christ referred to the true year of Jubilee, which started with His coming (Luke 4:19) because If the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed (John 8:36).

The trumpet announced the approach of Yom Kippur: The Jews announced the commencement of the great Day of Atonement throughout the land by means of a trumpet. It is the only day of fasting to the Jews, on which the high priest used to enter the Most Holy Place with blood on behalf of himself, then go out to return with more blood to atone for the sins of the people (Leviticus 16:34; 25:9). This was a symbol of Christ's sacrificial work on the cross, for Christ, our high priest, entered the Most Holy Place by His own blood (not with blood on behalf of Himself), having obtained eternal redemption (Hebrews 9:12).

The trumpet announced the mobilization for war: The Israelites used to blow the trumpet to warn the nation and mobilize the people for war (Jeremiah 4:5). As for us today, we are engaged in a spiritual warfare with the devil and his angels. Therefore, let us always blow the trumpet in obedience to Christ's command, Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation (Matthew 26:41). The apostle also exhorts us, Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings (1 Peter 5:8,9).

The trumpet will announce Christ's second coming: For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever (1 Thessalonians 4:16,17; compare 1 Corinthians 15:52).