God, the Only Sufficient Help

Transcription

1 1 Commentary by Dr. Clyde M. Miller God, the Only Sufficient Help Psalm 146:1-10

2 2 Text: Psalm 146:1-10, God, the Only Sufficient Help Commentary By Clyde M. Miller 1. Praise the LORD. Praise the LORD, O my soul. 2. I will praise the LORD all my life; I will sing praise to my God as long as I live. 3. Do not put your trust in princes, in mortal men, who cannot save. 4. When their spirit departs, they return to the ground; on that very day their plans come to nothing. 5. Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the LORD his God, 6. the Maker of heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them the LORD, who remains faithful forever. 7. He upholds the cause of the oppressed and gives food to the hungry. The LORD sets prisoners free, 8. the LORD gives sight to the blind, the LORD lifts up those who are bowed down, the LORD loves the righteous. 9. The LORD watches over the alien and sustains the fatherless and the widow, but he frustrates the ways of the wicked. 10. The LORD reigns forever, your God, O Zion, for all generations. Praise the LORD. (NIV)

3 3 Introduction: I. Each of the last five psalms in the Psalter begins and ends with the imperative exclamation Praise the Lord, Hebrew, halleluyah! A. These psalms, like Psalm (the Egyptian Hallel) and Psalm (The Great Hallel), are known as Hallel (Praise) Psalms. 1. Psalm 113:1-9, Praise the LORD. Praise, O servants of the LORD, praise the name of the LORD. Let the name of the LORD be praised, both now and forevermore. From the rising of the sun to the place where it sets, the name of the LORD is to be praised. The LORD is exalted over all the nations, his glory above the heavens. Who is like the LORD our God, the One who sits enthroned on high, who stoops down to look on the heavens and the earth? He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap; he seats them with princes, with the princes of their people. He settles the barren woman in her home as a happy mother of children. Praise the LORD. (NIV) 2. Psalm 114:1-8, When Israel came out of Egypt, the house of Jacob from a people of foreign tongue, Judah became God's sanctuary, Israel his dominion. The sea looked and fled, the Jordan turned back; the mountains skipped like rams, the hills like lambs. Why was it, O sea, that you fled, O Jordan, that you turned back, you mountains, that you skipped like rams, you hills, like lambs? Tremble, O earth, at the presence of the Lord, at the presence of the God of Jacob, who turned the rock into a pool, the hard rock into springs of water. (NIV)

4 4 3. Psalm 115:1-18, Not to us, O LORD, not to us but to your name be the glory, because of your love and faithfulness. Why do the nations say, "Where is their God?" Our God is in heaven; he does whatever pleases him. But their idols are silver and gold, made by the hands of men. They have mouths, but cannot speak, eyes, but they cannot see; they have ears, but cannot hear, noses, but they cannot smell; they have hands, but cannot feel, feet, but they cannot walk; nor can they utter a sound with their throats. Those who make them will be like them, and so will all who trust in them. O house of Israel, trust in the LORD he is their help and shield. O house of Aaron, trust in the LORD he is their help and shield. You who fear him, trust in the LORD he is their help and shield. The LORD remembers us and will bless us: He will bless the house of Israel, he will bless the house of Aaron, he will bless those who fear the LORD small and great alike. May the LORD make you increase, both you and your children. May you be blessed by the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth. The highest heavens belong to the LORD, but the earth he has given to man. It is not the dead who praise the LORD, those who go down to silence; it is we who extol the LORD, both now and forevermore. Praise the LORD. (NIV) 4. Psalm 116:1-19, I love the LORD, for he heard my voice; he heard my cry for mercy. Because he turned his ear to me, I will call on him as long as I live. The cords of death entangled me, the anguish of the grave came upon me; I was overcome by trouble and sorrow. Then I called on the name of the LORD: "O LORD, save me!" The LORD is gracious and right-

5 5 eous; our God is full of compassion. The LORD protects the simplehearted; when I was in great need, he saved me. Be at rest once more, O my soul, for the LORD has been good to you. For you, O LORD, have delivered my soul from death, my eyes from tears, my feet from stumbling, that I may walk before the LORD in the land of the living. I believed; therefore I said, "I am greatly afflicted." And in my dismay I said, "All men are liars." How can I repay the LORD for all his goodness to me? I will lift up the cup of salvation and call on the name of the LORD. I will fulfill my vows to the LORD in the presence of all his people. Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints. O LORD, truly I am your servant; I am your servant, the son of your maidservant; you have freed me from my chains. I will sacrifice a thank offering to you and call on the name of the LORD. I will fulfill my vows to the LORD in the presence of all his people, in the courts of the house of the LORD in your midst, O Jerusalem. Praise the LORD. (NIV) 5. Psalm 117:1-2, Praise the LORD, all you nations; extol him, all you peoples. For great is his love toward us, and the faithfulness of the LORD endures forever. Praise the LORD. (NIV) 6. Psalm 118:1-19, Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever. Let Israel say: "His love endures forever." Let the house of Aaron say: "His love endures forever." Let those who fear the LORD say: "His love endures forever." In my anguish I cried to the LORD, and he answered by setting me free. The LORD is with me; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me? The LORD is with me; he is my helper. I will look in triumph on my

6 6 enemies. It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in man. It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in princes. All the nations surrounded me, but in the name of the LORD I cut them off. They surrounded me on every side, but in the name of the LORD I cut them off. They swarmed around me like bees, but they died out as quickly as burning thorns; in the name of the LORD I cut them off. I was pushed back and about to fall, but the LORD helped me. The LORD is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation. Shouts of joy and victory resound in the tents of the righteous: "The LORD's right hand has done mighty things! The LORD's right hand is lifted high; the LORD's right hand has done mighty things!" I will not die but live, and will proclaim what the LORD has done. The LORD has chastened me severely, but he has not given me over to death. Open for me the gates of righteousness; I will enter and give thanks to the LORD. This is the gate of the LORD through which the righteous may enter. I will give you thanks, for you answered me; you have become my salvation. The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone; the LORD has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes. This is the day the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it. O LORD, save us; O LORD, grant us success. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the LORD. From the house of the LORD we bless you. The LORD is God, and he has made his light shine upon us. With boughs in hand, join in the festal procession up to the horns of the altar. You are my God, and I will give you thanks; you are my God, and I will exalt you. Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever. (NIV)

7 7 7. Psalm 135:1-21, Praise the LORD. Praise the name of the LORD; praise him, you servants of the LORD, you who minister in the house of the LORD, in the courts of the house of our God. Praise the LORD, for the LORD is good; sing praise to his name, for that is pleasant. For the LORD has chosen Jacob to be his own, Israel to be his treasured possession. I know that the LORD is great, that our Lord is greater than all gods. The LORD does whatever pleases him, in the heavens and on the earth, in the seas and all their depths. He makes clouds rise from the ends of the earth; he sends lightning with the rain and brings out the wind from his storehouses. He struck down the firstborn of Egypt, the firstborn of men and animals. He sent his signs and wonders into your midst, O Egypt, against Pharaoh and all his servants. He struck down many nations and killed mighty kings- Sihon king of the Amorites, Og king of Bashan and all the kings of Canaan- and he gave their land as an inheritance, an inheritance to his people Israel. Your name, O LORD, endures forever, your renown, O LORD, through all generations. For the LORD will vindicate his people and have compassion on his servants. The idols of the nations are silver and gold, made by the hands of men. They have mouths, but cannot speak, eyes, but they cannot see; they have ears, but cannot hear, nor is there breath in their mouths. Those who make them will be like them, and so will all who trust in them. O house of Israel, praise the LORD; O house of Aaron, praise the LORD; O house of Levi, praise the LORD; you who fear him, praise the LORD. Praise be to the LORD from Zion, to him who dwells in Jerusalem. Praise the LORD. (NIV)

8 8 8. Psalm 136:1-16, Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good. His love endures forever. Give thanks to the God of gods. His love endures forever. Give thanks to the Lord of lords: His love endures forever. to him who alone does great wonders, His love endures forever. who by his understanding made the heavens, His love endures forever. who spread out the earth upon the waters, His love endures forever. who made the great lights His love endures forever. the sun to govern the day, His love endures forever. the moon and stars to govern the night; His love endures forever. to him who struck down the firstborn of Egypt His love endures forever. and brought Israel out from among them His love endures forever. with a mighty hand and outstretched arm; His love endures forever. to him who divided the Red Sea asunder His love endures forever. and brought Israel through the midst of it, His love endures forever. but swept Pharaoh and his army into the Red Sea; His love endures forever. to him who led his people through the desert, His love endures forever. (NIV) II. Psalm 146, like Psalm 144 and Psalm 145, borrows freely from other psalms. (NIV) A. Psalm 144:1-15, Praise be to the LORD my Rock, who trains my hands for war, my fingers for battle. He is my loving God and my fortress, my stronghold and my deliverer, my shield, in whom I take refuge, who subdues peoples under me. O LORD, what is man that you care for him, the son of man that you think of him? Man is like a breath; his days are like a fleeting shadow. Part your heavens, O LORD, and come down; touch the mountains, so that they smoke. Send forth lightning and scatter {the enemies}; shoot your arrows and rout them. Reach down your hand

9 9 from on high; deliver me and rescue me from the mighty waters, from the hands of foreigners whose mouths are full of lies, whose right hands are deceitful. I will sing a new song to you, O God; on the ten-stringed lyre I will make music to you, to the One who gives victory to kings, who delivers his servant David from the deadly sword. Deliver me and rescue me from the hands of foreigners whose mouths are full of lies, whose right hands are deceitful. Then our sons in their youth will be like well-nurtured plants, and our daughters will be like pillars carved to adorn a palace. Our barns will be filled with every kind of provision. Our sheep will increase by thousands, by tens of thousands in our fields; our oxen will draw heavy loads. There will be no breaching of walls, no going into captivity, no cry of distress in our streets. Blessed are the people of whom this is true; blessed are the people whose God is the LORD. (NIV) B. Psalm 145:1-21, I will exalt you, my God the King; I will praise your name for ever and ever. Every day I will praise you and extol your name for ever and ever. Great is the LORD and most worthy of praise; his greatness no one can fathom. One generation will commend your works to another; they will tell of your mighty acts. They will speak of the glorious splendor of your majesty, and I will meditate on your wonderful works. They will tell of the power of your awesome works, and I will proclaim your great deeds. They will celebrate your abundant goodness and joyfully sing of your righteousness. The LORD is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in love. The LORD is good to all; he has compassion on all he has made. All you have made will praise you, O LORD; your saints will extol you. They will tell of the glory of your kingdom and speak of your might, so that all men may know of your mighty acts and the glorious splendor of your kingdom. Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and your dominion endures

10 10 through all generations. The LORD is faithful to all his promises and loving toward all he has made. The LORD upholds all those who fall and lifts up all who are bowed down. The eyes of all look to you, and you give them their food at the proper time. You open your hand and satisfy the desires of every living thing. The LORD is righteous in all his ways and loving toward all he has made. The LORD is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth. He fulfills the desires of those who fear him; he hears their cry and saves them. The LORD watches over all who love him, but all the wicked he will destroy. My mouth will speak in praise of the LORD. Let every creature praise his holy name for ever and ever. (NIV) C. It would appear that the last five psalms were meant to summarize the composite elements of Israel's praises, and, as such, they serve as a beautiful conclusion to a wonderful collection of songs. III. Psalm 146 outline. A. Psalm 146 begins with a firm resolve to praise God continually (Psalm 146:1-2) and closes with an affirmation of God's eternal reign (Psalm 146:10). 1. Psalm 146:1, 2, Praise the LORD. Praise the LORD, O my soul. I will praise the LORD all my life; I will sing praise to my God as long as I live. (NIV) 2. Psalm 146:10, The LORD reigns forever, your God, O Zion, for all generations. Praise the LORD. (NIV)

11 11 B. The insufficiency of man's help (Psalm 146:3-4) is contrasted with the sufficient (Psalm 146:5-7b) and kind (Psalm 146:7c-9) help of the Lord. Commentary: 1. Psalm 146:3, 4, Do not put your trust in princes, in mortal men, who cannot save. When their spirit departs, they return to the ground; on that very day their plans come to nothing. (NIV) 2. Psalm 146:5-7, Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the LORD his God, the Maker of heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them the LORD, who remains faithful forever. He upholds the cause of the oppressed and gives food to the hungry. The LORD sets prisoners free, (NIV) 3. Psalm 146:7-9, He upholds the cause of the oppressed and gives food to the hungry. The LORD sets prisoners free, the LORD gives sight to the blind, the LORD lifts up those who are bowed down, the LORD loves the righteous. The LORD watches over the alien and sustains the fatherless and the widow, but he frustrates the ways of the wicked. (NIV) A Resolve to Praise Psalm 146:1, 2, Praise the LORD. Praise the LORD, O my soul. I will praise the LORD all my life; I will sing praise to my God as long as I live. (NIV) I. The progression of thought in these two verses is emphasized by the structure of the psalm.

12 12 Psalm 146:1, Praise the LORD. Praise the LORD, O my soul. Praise the LORD. Praise the LORD, O my soul. (NIV) I. The first statement, Praise the Lord! (Psalm 146:1a), a plural imperative in Hebrew, is addressed to the community of worshipers. II. The second statement, Praise the Lord! (Psalm 146:1a), a singular imperative, is the psalmist s exhortation to himself (cf. Psalm 103:1; 104:1). A. Psalm 103:1, Praise the LORD, O my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name. (NIV) B. Psalm 104:1, Praise the LORD, O my soul. O LORD my God, you are very great; you are clothed with splendor and majesty. (NIV) Psalm 146:2, I will praise the LORD all my life; I will sing praise to my God as long as I live. (NIV) I. In his resolve, he changes to an imperfect (future) singular, I will praise (Psalm 146:2a). A. All these expressions involve the same Hebrew word for praise. B. He reaches a grand climax with the phrase I will sing praise (Psalm 146:2b), emphasizing the method of praising God by employing a different word. II. For the thought of Psalm 146:2, see 63:4 and 104:33. A. Psalm 63:4, I will praise you as long as I live, and in your name I will lift up my hands. (NIV)

13 13 B. Psalm 104:33, I will sing to the LORD all my life; I will sing praise to my God as long as I live. (NIV) Man's Insufficient Help I. This paragraph, by contrast, enhances the next by setting forth the subject of trust from a negative standpoint, whereas the following paragraph sets forth hope in God from a positive standpoint. Psalm 146:3, Do not put your trust in princes, in mortal men, who cannot save. (NIV) I. Princes is from a word that means conspicuous, or influential ones, and may refer to leaders or rulers in various functions. A. The word does not necessarily refer to royalty. II. Psalm 82 refers to the case of wicked princes who were failing to provide justice (cf. Psalm 146:7ab). A. Psalm 146:7, He upholds the cause of the oppressed and gives food to the hungry. The LORD sets prisoners free, (NIV) III. Here the psalmist seems to be reflecting upon human limitations rather than the wickedness of men. A. Who cannot help means no sufficient or perfect help is forthcoming. B. The comparative parallelism of Psalm 118:8-9 shows that limited help might be received from man or from princes, but that it is better to put one's trust in God who is unlimited in power and goodness.

14 14 1. Psalm 118:8, 9, It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in man. It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in princes. (NIV) C. Mortal men, a paraphrase of a son of man (not the son of man, KJV) indicates man in his weakness or earthiness. Psalm 146:4, When their spirit departs, they return to the ground; on that very day their plans come to nothing. (NIV) I. The ground is literally his earth. A. The earth is man s because he was taken from it and returns to it. B. His plans perish or come to an end at his death; therefore, man's help at best is temporal. God's All-sufficient Help Psalm 146:5-7, Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the LORD his God, the Maker of heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them the LORD, who remains faithful forever. He upholds the cause of the oppressed and gives food to the hungry. The LORD sets prisoners free, (NIV) Psalm 146:5, Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the LORD his God, (NIV) I. This is the last of the twenty-six beatitudes in the Psalter, rendered blessed is. A. In the Psalter, blessings are pronounced upon the righteous (Psalm 1:1; 89:15; 106:3; 119:1,2), the forgiven (Psalm 32:1, 2), whose God is the Lord (Psalm 33:12; 144:15b; 146:5).

15 15 1. Psalm 1:1, Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers. (NIV) 2. Psalm 89:15, Blessed are those who have learned to acclaim you, who walk in the light of your presence, O LORD. (NIV) 3. Psalm 106:3, Blessed are they who maintain justice, who constantly do what is right. Blessed are they who maintain justice, who constantly do what is right. (NIV) 4. Psalm 119:1, 2, Blessed are they whose ways are blameless, who walk according to the law of the LORD. Blessed are they who keep his statutes and seek him with all their heart. (NIV) 5. Psalm 32:1, 2, Blessed is he whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man whose sin the LORD does not count against him and in whose spirit is no deceit. (NIV) 6. Psalm 33:12, 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. (NIV) 7. Psalm 144:15, Blessed are the people of whom this is true; blessed are the people whose God is the LORD. (NIV) 8. Psalm 146:5, Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the LORD his God, (NIV)

16 16 B. The blessing is on those who take refuge in the Lord (2:12; 34:8) and trust him (Psalm 40:4; 84:12), on those who recognize that their strength is in the Lord (Psalm 84:5), who, therefore, accept God's chastening and instruction (Psalm 94:12), who fear the Lord (Psalm 112:1; 128:1,2), and who consider the needs of the poor (Psalm 41:1). 1. Psalm 2:12, 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. (NIV) 2. Psalm 34:8, Taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in him. (NIV) 3. Psalm 40:4, Taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in him. (NIV) 4. Psalm 84:12, O LORD Almighty, blessed is the man who trusts in you. (NIV) 5. Psalm 84:5, Blessed are those whose strength is in you, who have set their hearts on pilgrimage. (NIV) 6. Psalm 94:12, Blessed is the man you discipline, O LORD, the man you teach from your law; (NIV) 7. Psalm 112:1, Praise the LORD. Blessed is the man who fears the LORD, who finds great delight in his commands. (NIV) 8. Psalm 128:1, 2, Blessed are all who fear the LORD, who walk in his ways. You will eat the fruit of your labor; blessings and prosperity will be yours. (NIV)

17 17 9. Psalm 41:1, Blessed is he who has regard for the weak; the LORD delivers him in times of trouble. (NIV) C. In a special way, those are blessed who have been chosen to minister at the temple (Psalm 65:4; 84:4), and those who have large families (Psalm 127:5). 1. Psalm 65:4, Blessed are those you choose and bring near to live in your courts! We are filled with the good things of your house, of your holy temple. (NIV) 2. Psalm 84:4, Blessed are those who dwell in your house; they are ever praising you. Selah. (NIV) 3. Psalm 127:5, Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them. They will not be put to shame when they contend with their enemies in the gate. (NIV) D. God often blesses man with prosperity (Psalm 144:15a). 1. Psalm 144:15, Blessed are the people of whom this is true; blessed are the people whose God is the LORD. (NIV) E. In an imprecation, a blessing is pronounced upon the devastator of Babylon (Psalm 137:8,9). 1. Psalm 137:8, 9, O Daughter of Babylon, doomed to destruction, happy is he who repays you for what you have done to us- he who seizes your infants and dashes them against the rocks. (NIV)

18 18 2. Hope (Psalm 146:5b) and trust (Psalm 146:3a) are synonymous in this context (cf. Heb. 11:1). a. Psalm 146:5, Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the LORD his God, (NIV) b. Psalm 146:3, Do not put your trust in princes, in mortal men, who cannot save. (NIV) c. Hebrews 11:1, Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. (NIV) Psalm 146:6,7, the Maker of heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them the LORD, who remains faithful forever. He upholds the cause of the oppressed and gives food to the hungry. The LORD sets prisoners free, (NIV) I. The Hebrew participles (relative clauses in English) employed here are in the emphatic position, placing stress on the divine action and its continuance. A. The Maker of heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them can surely bless His creatures (cf. Psalm 115:15; Matt. 6:25-34). 1. Psalm 115:15, May you be blessed by the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth. (NIV) 2. Matthew 6:25-34, "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not

19 19 sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? "And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. (NIV) B. The active statement, who remains faithful forever is better than the abstract statement, who keeps faith forever (KJV). Psalm 146:8, the LORD gives sight to the blind, the LORD lifts up those who are bowed down, the LORD loves the righteous. (NIV) I. Gives sight to the blind could be taken either literally (cf. John 9:1-7) or figuratively (cf. John 9:39-41). A. John 9:1-7, As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked him, "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?" "Neither this man nor his parents sinned," said Jesus, "but this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life. As

20 20 long as it is day, we must do the work of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work. While I am in the world, I am the light of the world." Having said this, he spit on the ground, made some mud with the saliva, and put it on the man's eyes. "Go," he told him, "wash in the Pool of Siloam" (this word means Sent). So the man went and washed, and came home seeing. (NIV) B. John 9:39-41, Jesus said, "For judgment I have come into this world, so that the blind will see and those who see will become blind." Some Pharisees who were with him heard him say this and asked, "What? Are we blind too?" Jesus said, "If you were blind, you would not be guilty of sin; but now that you claim you can see, your guilt remains. (NIV) C. However, since no miracle of healing the physically blind is recorded in the Old Testament, it is likely that the psalmist is thinking in metaphorical terms (cf. Isa. 6:10-12; 32:1-3; 35:5-7; 42:16,18-25). 1. Isaiah 6:10-12, Make the heart of this people calloused; make their ears dull and close their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts, and turn and be healed." Then I said, "For how long, O Lord?" And he answered: "Until the cities lie ruined and without inhabitant, until the houses are left deserted and the fields ruined and ravaged, until the LORD has sent everyone far away and the land is utterly forsaken. (NIV) 2. Isaiah 32:1-3, See, a king will reign in righteousness and rulers will rule with justice. Each man will be like a shelter from the wind and a refuge from the

21 21 storm, like streams of water in the desert and the shadow of a great rock in a thirsty land. Then the eyes of those who see will no longer be closed, and the ears of those who hear will listen. (NIV) 3. Isaiah 35:5-7, Then will the eyes of the blind be opened and the ears of the deaf unstopped. Then will the lame leap like a deer, and the mute tongue shout for joy. Water will gush forth in the wilderness and streams in the desert. The burning sand will become a pool, the thirsty ground bubbling springs. In the haunts where jackals once lay, grass and reeds and papyrus will grow. (NIV) 4. Isaiah 42:16, 18-25, I will lead the blind by ways they have not known, along unfamiliar paths I will guide them; I will turn the darkness into light before them and make the rough places smooth. These are the things I will do; I will not forsake them. "Hear, you deaf; look, you blind, and see! Who is blind but my servant, and deaf like the messenger I send? Who is blind like the one committed to me, blind like the servant of the LORD? You have seen many things, but have paid no attention; your ears are open, but you hear nothing." It pleased the LORD for the sake of his righteousness to make his law great and glorious. But this is a people plundered and looted, all of them trapped in pits or hidden away in prisons. They have become plunder, with no one to rescue them; they have been made loot, with no one to say, "Send them back." Which of you will listen to this or pay close attention in time to come? Who handed Jacob over to become loot, and Israel to the plunderers? Was it not the LORD, against whom we have sinned? For they would not follow his ways; they did not obey

22 22 his law. So he poured out on them his burning anger, the violence of war. It enveloped them in flames, yet they did not understand; it consumed them, but they did not take it to heart. (NIV) II. For the clause, the LORD lifts up those who are bowed down, see Psalm 145:14. A. Psalm 145:14, The LORD upholds all those who fall and lifts up all who are bowed down. (NIV) B. The LORD loves the righteous reveals the fact that if the afflicted would be blessed of God, they must be willing to humble themselves in obedience (cf. Isa. 9:17). 1. Isaiah 9:17, Therefore the Lord will take no pleasure in the young men, nor will he pity the fatherless and widows, for everyone is ungodly and wicked, every mouth speaks vileness. Yet for all this, his anger is not turned away, his hand is still upraised. (NIV) Psalm 146:9, The LORD watches over the alien and sustains the fatherless and the widow, but he frustrates the ways of the wicked. (NIV) I. Aliens, the fatherless and the widow are often grouped together in Deuteronomy as objects of God's special care, and Israel is enjoined to be generous toward them, remembering the deliverance which God had granted the nation in her helpless state in Egypt (cf. Deut. 10:18-19; 14:28-29; 16:9-12,13-15; 24:17-18,19-22; 26:12-13; 27:19). A. Deuteronomy 10:18,19, He defends the cause of the fatherless and the widow, and loves the alien, giving him food

23 23 and clothing. And you are to love those who are aliens, for you yourselves were aliens in Egypt. (NIV) B. Deuteronomy 14:28, 29, At the end of every three years, bring all the tithes of that year's produce and store it in your towns, so that the Levites (who have no allotment or inheritance of their own) and the aliens, the fatherless and the widows who live in your towns may come and eat and be satisfied, and so that the LORD your God may bless you in all the work of your hands. (NIV) C. Deuteronomy 16:9-12,13-15, off seven weeks from the time you begin to put the sickle to the standing grain. 1 hen celebrate the Feast of Weeks to the LORD your God by giving a freewill offering in proportion to the blessings the LORD your God has given you. And rejoice before the LORD your God at the place he will choose as a dwelling for his Name you, your sons and daughters, your menservants and maidservants, the Levites in your towns, and the aliens, the fatherless and the widows living among you. Remember that you were slaves in Egypt, and follow carefully these decrees. Celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles for seven days after you have gathered the produce of your threshing floor and your winepress. Be joyful at your Feast you, your sons and daughters, your menservants and maidservants, and the Levites, the aliens, the fatherless and the widows who live in your towns. For seven days celebrate the Feast to the LORD your God at the place the LORD will choose. For the LORD your God will bless you in all your harvest and in all the work of your hands, and your joy will be complete. (NIV) D. Deuteronomy 24:17,18,19-22, Do not deprive the alien or the fatherless of justice, or take the cloak of the widow as a pledge. Remember that you were slaves in Egypt and the

24 24 LORD your God redeemed you from there. That is why I command you to do this. When you are harvesting in your field and you overlook a sheaf, do not go back to get it. Leave it for the alien, the fatherless and the widow, so that the LORD your God may bless you in all the work of your hands. When you beat the olives from your trees, do not go over the branches a second time. Leave what remains for the alien, the fatherless and the widow. When you harvest the grapes in your vineyard, do not go over the vines again. Leave what remains for the alien, the fatherless and the widow. Remember that you were slaves in Egypt. That is why I command you to do this. (NIV) E. Deuteronomy 26:12,13, When you have finished setting aside a tenth of all your produce in the third year, the year of the tithe, you shall give it to the Levite, the alien, the fatherless and the widow, so that they may eat in your towns and be satisfied. Then say to the LORD your God: "I have removed from my house the sacred portion and have given it to the Levite, the alien, the fatherless and the widow, according to all you commanded. I have not turned aside from your commands nor have I forgotten any of them. (NIV) F. Deuteronomy 27:19, "Cursed is the man who withholds justice from the alien, the fatherless or the widow." Then all the people shall say, "Amen!" (NIV) Psalm 146:9, The LORD watches over the alien and sustains the fatherless and the widow, but he frustrates the ways of the wicked. (NIV) I. See the notes on Psalm 145:20b and compare Psalm 147:6.

25 25 A. Psalm 145:20, The LORD watches over all who love him, but all the wicked he will destroy. The LORD sustains the humble but casts the wicked to the ground. (NIV) B. Psalm 147:6, The LORD sustains the humble but casts the wicked to the ground. (NIV) God's Eternal Reign Psalm 146:10, The LORD reigns forever, your God, O Zion, for all generations. Praise the LORD. (NIV) I. Since the Lord reigns forever (Psalm 146:10a), men should praise him always (Psalm 146:2). A. Psalm 146:2, I will praise the LORD all my life; I will sing praise to my God as long as I live. (NIV) B. The concept of the eternal reign of God was first enunciated in the Bible by Miriam as she led the women of Israel in a triumphant victory song (Ex. 15:18). 1. Exodus 15:18, The LORD will reign for ever and ever." (NIV) 2. The idea is repeated frequently (cf. Pss. 10:16; 29:10; 45:6; 66:7; 145:13; Isa. 9:6-7; Dan. 2:44; 4:34 (31 in Aramaic); Dan. 7:13-14; Mic. 4:7; Luke 1:33; 2 Pet. 1:11; Rev. 11:15; 22:5). a. Psalm 10:16, The LORD is King for ever and ever; the nations will perish from his land. (NIV)

26 26 b. Psalm 29:10, The LORD sits enthroned over the flood; the LORD is enthroned as King forever. (NIV) c. Psalm 46:5, God is within her, she will not fall; God will help her at break of day. (NIV) d. Psalm 66:7, He rules forever by his power, his eyes watch the nations let not the rebellious rise up against him. Selah. (NIV) e. Psalm 145:13, Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and your dominion endures through all generations. The LORD is faithful to all his promises and loving toward all he has made. (NIV) f. Isaiah 9:6,7, For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David's throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the LORD Almighty will accomplish this. (NIV) g. Daniel 2:44, "In the time of those kings, the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed, nor will it be left to another people. It will crush all those kingdoms and bring them to an end, but it will itself endure forever. (NIV)

27 27 h. Daniel 4:34, At the end of that time, I, Nebuchadnezzar, raised my eyes toward heaven, and my sanity was restored. Then I praised the Most High; I honored and glorified him who lives forever. His dominion is an eternal dominion; his kingdom endures from generation to generation. (NIV) i. Daniel 7:13, 14, "In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence. He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all peoples, nations and men of every language worshiped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed. (NIV) j. Micah 4:7, I will make the lame a remnant, those driven away a strong nation. The LORD will rule over them in Mount Zion from that day and forever. (NIV) k. Luke 1:33, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end." (NIV) l. 2 Peter 1:11, and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. (NIV) m. Revelation 11:15, The seventh angel sounded his trumpet, and there were loud voices in

28 28 heaven, which said: The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he will reign for ever and ever." (NIV) n. Revelation 22:5, There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light. And they will reign for ever and ever. (NIV) II. Zion, here, by metonymy, stands for the nation, Israel. III. The psalm ends, as it began, with the Hallelujah! Application: I. Man in all his pomp and glory sinks into relative insignificance when compared to the glory of God. A. When the chips are down, God is the only sufficient help. B. Ultimate trust must be placed in Him who is able to sustain and strengthen us. C. Man s help is partial and temporal at best, and it cannot save us. D. Only the eternal God is our sufficient Savior.

29 29 Questions Psalm 146:1-10 (Questions based on (NIV) text.) 1. The first and last sentences of Psalm 146 are the same; viz.,. 2. the, O my. I will the ; I will to my. 3. Do not put your in, in, who. When their, they to the ; on that their to. 4. is he whose is the of, whose is in the his, the of and, the, who. He the of the and to the. The, the to the, the up those who are, the the. The watches over the and the and the, but he the of the.

30 30 5. According to verses 7-9, whom does God help? 6. The, your, O, for. 7. Each of the in the and with the the,,. 8. Which psalms are known as the Egyptian Hallel and The Great Hallel respectively? Why are these designations appropriately? 9. It would appear that the were meant to the of s, and, as such, they serve as a to a of. 10. Psalm 146 begins with a to and closes with an of s.

31 In verse 1 the plural imperative, Praise the Lord!, is addressed to the of while the singular imperative is the s to. 12. Who are the princes of verse 3? What are said to be their responsibilities, failures and limitations? 13. In what ways can it be said the earth is man s? 14. List the 26 beatitudes recorded in the Psalter. 15. In the Psalter, blessings are pronounced upon the

32 The blessing is on those who 17. In a special way, those are blessed who have been to at the and those who have. 18. God often blesses man with. Give biblical examples of this fact. 19. Who is the devastator of Babylon? Why would God bless him? 20. The of and, the, and in them can surely bless His.

33 Who are the blind mentioned in verse 8, the physically and/or spiritually blind? 22. The Lord those who are. Who are these people? 23. The the reveals the fact that if the would be of, they must be willing to in. 24. What does Deuteronomy say about the aliens, the fatherless and the widow? How are these figuratively associated with the history of Israel? 25. What does the Bible say about the eternal reign of God? Describe this reign.

34 34 in all his and into when to the of!