Sunday, January 1, 2017

Sunday, January 1, 2017 Lesson: Psalms 33:1-9; Time of Action: Unknown; Place of Action: Palestine Golden Text: By the word of the Lord were the heavens made; and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth (Psalms 33:6). I. INTRODUCTION. We all have probably read a psalm quickly, glanced over it, and decided that it was not really relevant to us simply because it was all about praising God. Of course, this isn t something we may want to admit, but we have all done it. Sometimes in life we are looking for a word of comfort, and the last thing we want to be told to do is to praise God. However, when the Psalms say Praise the Lord, it s not a suggestion, it s a command. No matter what our circumstances, trials, or tribulations may speak to our hearts, God is worthy of all our praise. As Christians, we are blessed to have an awesome God whose acts of kindness, mercy, and love are too numerous to name. It s impossible to fully thank God for all of His wonderful acts. However, we still should cheerfully and regularly offer praise and worship to Him. This week s lesson points to reasons why we should

praise the Lord. This lesson will help us develop a deeper appreciation for Him. II. LESSON BACKGROUND. The time that Psalms 33 was written and the author of it are both unknown. However, though we can t be positive about the author, many believe that it was David since he was an accomplished harpist (see I Samuel 16:15-23), and Psalms 32 and 34 are both ascribed to him. Throughout his psalms David frequently spoke about musical instruments. Most likely, David probably composed music for many of the psalms, and he also commissioned music for temple worship (see I Chronicles chapter 25). The theme of the psalm presented in our lesson is that God is Creator, Lord, Saviour and Deliverer, and therefore He s worthy of our trust and praise. Because He is faithful and His word is dependable, we can rejoice and sing, giving Him thanks and praise. III. AN INVITATION TO PRAISE (Psalms 33:1-3) A. An exhortation to rejoice in the Lord (Psalms 33:1). In our first verse the psalmist exhorts God s people to

Rejoice in the Lord, O ye righteous: for praise is comely for the upright. The psalmist called on the righteous to rejoice in the Lord. A righteous person is someone who conforms to God s holy standards. For sure, only God is perfectly righteous, but those who trust Him are counted as righteous before Him (see Genesis 15:6). You and I may not think that we are righteous, but remember that we were made righteous when we believed in the Lord Jesus Christ (see Romans 4:3, 6; II Corinthians 5:21; Galatians 3:6). We don t need to wait until God takes us to heaven to be called righteous. Therefore, a righteous person is one who is saved, or a believer in God through Jesus Christ. Only a believer can truly worship God. To rejoice in the Lord means to sing aloud for joy in God s honor. This is a form of praise for the psalmist referring back to rejoicing, declared that praise is comely for the upright. The Hebrew word for praise here is tehillah which means song of praise. This is also the title of the book of Psalms in the Hebrew Bible. The righteous or upright person will praise God continually (see Psalms 71:6, 14). The term praise simply means to express honor and glory (see Psalms 145:5). We are to praise God for who He is and for what He does (see Psalms 150:2). The word comely can mean beautiful and also fitting or appropriate. The term upright is a synonym or another word for the righteous. Thus the psalmist was saying that to rejoice in the Lord is the beautiful and appropriate or fitting thing for believers to do. Note: Scripture repeatedly calls the righteous or upright person to rejoice in the Lord (see Philippians 4:4) suggesting that sometimes we may tend to

overlook our duty to praise the Lord. When we face hardships, it may be hard to praise God, but failure to do so will rob God of what He deserves, and it also robs us of the joy that rejoicing brings. A praising soul is a healthy soul. Our spirits need to praise God in order to be healthy just as our bodies need nutrition to be healthy. B. An exhortation to praise the Lord (Psalms 33:2). This verse goes on to say Praise the Lord with harp: sing unto him with the psaltery and an instrument of ten strings. We are urged to praise the Lord in song and to use musical instruments in praise. The harp refers to a lyre which is an ancient stringed instrument having from four to ten strings and a sounding box. It is usually held upright on one s lap. The psaltery is an ancient stringed instrument that was more like our harp. The instrument of ten strings may refer to another stringed instrument, but is probably a further description of both the harp and psaltery. These instruments were commonly used in Israel s worship. However, the psalmist was not saying that praise should be limited to the use of these instruments. He was emphasizing the fact that God should be worshiped musically, no matter what instrument is used. The believer is called to sing unto him (God) using whatever instruments one was proficient in or gifted to play (see I Chronicles 25:7). Note: Truthfully speaking, music is not worship. Worship is an inner attitude, but it is to be expressed

outwardly and publicly. Music is an important Godgiven way of showing our praise and thanksgiving to God (see I Chronicles 25:3). Music is a powerful force. This is why the psalmist commanded believers to praise the Lord with instruments. Music can capture a mood in a way that makes words unnecessary. Personally, I love lyrics more than I do music that have no words. But what do we do when there are no words? We should make up our own words and our own tune if necessary. Sometimes we just need to express to our Creator how we are feeling in a song. It might not be a song that we want anyone else to hear. The point is, the song is for the Lord! So we should sing it with all the exuberance we can muster. God will be delighted with that kind of offering. C. An exhortation to sing to the Lord (Psalms 33:3). The psalmist goes on to say in this verse Sing unto him a new song; play skilfully with a loud noise. The new song may refer to new lyrics and/or a new melody since newly written songs are certainly fitting for the Lord. But since the most beloved songs that we are most familiar with should never be forgotten when praising the Lord, the words new song most likely refer to songs that are new in time or new in expression. In other words, any old song or hymn can become new and fresh when it is sung with true devotion. We are also exhorted to play skilfully with a loud noise. This means that the instruments should be played with skill and the players should give their very best

to the Lord. The words loud noise seems to mean that we should sing our songs with shouts of joy. However, the emphasis here is on the jubilant character of our praise rather than on the loudness. Note: The term new song is used nine times in Scripture (see Psalms 33:3; 40:3; 96:1; 98:1;144:9;149:1; Isaiah 42:10; Revelation 5:9;14:3). The Spirit of God can make an old song new to us as we grow in our knowledge of God and His Word, or as we have new experiences. God can also open our hearts to a song completely new to us. Our growth in our appreciation of psalms and hymns and spiritual songs (see Ephesians 5:19) is one indication of our development in the Christian life. What is of greatest importance is that the worship must be scriptural (see Colossians 3:16-17). A choir has no more right to sing a lie than a preacher has to preach a lie, and not all religious songs are doctrinally correct. When God works, He obeys His own Word; so any worship that is contrary to God s Word will not please Him. IV. REASONS FOR PRAISE (Psalms 33:4-9). After calling for God s people to praise Him, in the remaining verses the psalmist gives some reasons why we should praise God which includes who He is and what He has done. A. Praise God for His attributes (Psalms 33:4-5).

1. (vs. 4). In this verse, the psalmist continued to say For the word of the Lord is right; and all his works are done in truth. The first reason the psalmist gave for praising God is For the word of the Lord is right. The phrase the word of the Lord refers to everything God has declared in the Scriptures. And whatever God says is right, which means straight or correct. We can always count on God s words and never have to worry that He may not keep His promises. The Lord is completely faithful! The psalmist then declared that God is to be praised for what He s done by saying and all his works are done in truth. The term truth can also mean faithfulness. God s faithfulness can be seen in both His words and His works. Faithfulness is a part of God s very nature and therefore His faithfulness calls for our praise. Note: The mention of God s Word in this verse reminds us that by knowing the Word of God we get better acquainted with the God of the Word. Creation reveals His existence, power, wisdom, and majesty; but the revelation in Scripture tells us about His mercy and grace and His wonderful plan of salvation. He is a faithful God, a God of truth. 2. (vs. 5). This verse goes on to say He loveth righteousness and judgment: the earth is full of the goodness of the Lord. Not only does God loveth righteousness and judgment, these are also attributes of His character. God loves these qualities of righteousness and judgment because they reflect and describe His own glorious character. The word righteousness describes God s perfect and holy nature. Judgment is better

understood as justice and it means that God gives every man what is due him. He rewards righteousness and He punishes sin. The psalmist also declared that the earth is full of the goodness of the Lord. The word goodness is often translated as loving-kindness stressing the idea of love and faithfulness. God s goodness or loving-kindness is found throughout the world in His dealings with mankind and in the works of His people. Note: God is a faithful God, a God of truth, righteousness, justice, and goodness. His throne is built on righteousness and justice (see Psalms 89:14; 97:2; Isaiah 9:7). To those of us who look through the eyes of faith, the earth is full of God s goodness, His glory (see Isaiah 6:3; Numbers 14:21-22), and His praise (see Habakkuk 3:3) and one day will be filled with the knowledge of the Lord (see Habakkuk 2:14). The beauty of God s character should bring forth from His people songs of praise and thanksgiving. Unless our worship focuses on the character of God, we have ignored the Person who ought to be the center of true worship. B. Praise God for His work of creation (Psalms 33:6-9). 1. (vs. 6). This verse says By the word of the Lord were the heavens made; and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth. The psalmist here is telling us that we should praise God for His mighty works by referring first to God s creation. We are told that By the

word of the Lord were the heavens made. This statement tells us exactly how God created. He did it by the word of the Lord. In other words, God simply spoke and the heavens appeared. Out of nothing, God created everything by the power of His Word (see Psalms 33:9;119:89-91;148:5;Genesis1:1-2:1;Hebrews11:3). The Word that created the universe is also holding it together (see Hebrews 1:3; II Peter 3:5-7). In addition to speaking the heavens into existence, the psalmist said and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth. The word host refers to all the heavenly bodies, including stars and planets that are in the entire universe and beyond. The phrase by the breath of his mouth is simply another way of saying by the word of the Lord. This is a Hebrew parallelism, which means that the writer used one or more statements to say the same thing. The breath of his mouth may also refer to the Holy Spirit of God (see Genesis 1:1-2) since breath and spirit are the same word in Hebrew. The point again is that God created everything and therefore should be eternally praised for His mighty works (see Revelation 4:11). Note: When we see the heavens above and the earth and seas below, we must marvel at the handiwork of God and stand in awe at the power of His Word. As we worship the Lord, we must praise the Creator and the provisions He has made for us to live on this planet. We must also resolve to be good stewards and not abuse and waste His wonderful gifts. 2. (vs. 7). Still speaking of the mighty works of God that call for our praise, the psalmist said in this verse He gathereth the waters of the sea together as an

heap: he layeth up the depth in storehouses. This verse may remind us of Genesis 1:9-10: And God said, Let the waters under the heaven be gathered together unto one place, and let the dry land appear: and it was so. And God called the dry land Earth; and the gathering together of the waters called he Seas: and God saw that it was good. This poetic description that God layeth up the depth in storehouses is a picture of God containing the seas. He established boundaries for the oceans that He has created. The term depth refers to the seas and oceans, and the word storehouses is used to describe how God has contained them in their places. A clearer translation of this verse could be He gathered together the water of the sea. He put the ocean in its place. 3. (vs. 8). In this verse the psalmist says Let all the earth fear the Lord: let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him. The two statements Let all the earth fear the Lord and let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him are a Hebrew parallelism meaning both statements are used to declare the same idea that everyone throughout the world ought to be amazed at God s works of creation. As a result of God s massive creation, the psalmist called on all mankind to fear the Lord and stand in awe of him. The word fear means reverence. Of course we know that unbelievers don t accept the revelation of God either in His creation or His Word. However, the revelation of God in creation and in His Word is enough to reveal that there is a God who created everything. Therefore, those who reject this idea have no excuse (see Romans 1:18-21).

4. (vs. 9). In our final verse the psalmist declared For he spake, and it was done; he commanded, and it stood fast. This simply means that God gave the command to creation to come into existence and it was done. After God commanded creation into existence, it stood fast. In other words, when God commanded creation into existence, there it stood and it still stands today as He created it. Who would be foolish enough not to fear and stand in awe of such a God! V. Conclusion. God is not affected by our praise. He won t be strengthened by our praise or weakened if we don t praise Him. Praise won t buy favor from Him. He will continue to be God even if no one believes or trusts in Him. We must understand that God doesn t want us to praise Him because He has some selfish need for our praise to boost His ego. God has no needs. We are the ones with needs. Humans need praise sometimes just to feel good about themselves, but God doesn t. Praising God as our Creator is essential for our spiritual health just as nutrition is essential for our physical health. We were made that way. If we honor God as our Creator, He may honor us with a gift of creativity, and we can praise Him in exercising that same creativity.

***The Bible Expositor and Illuminator, Union Gospel Press***