March 31
Reading: Psalm 147
1 Praise the LORD!
For it is good to sing praises to our God;
for it is pleasant, and a song of praise is fitting.
2 The LORD builds up Jerusalem;
he gathers the outcasts of Israel.
3 He heals the brokenhearted
and binds up their wounds.
4 He determines the number of the stars;
he gives to all of them their names.
5 Great is our Lord, and abundant in power;
his understanding is beyond measure.
6 The LORD lifts up the humble;
he casts the wicked to the ground.
7 Sing to the LORD with thanksgiving;
make melody to our God on the lyre!
8 He covers the heavens with clouds;
he prepares rain for the earth;
he makes grass grow on the hills.
9 He gives to the beasts their food,
and to the young ravens that cry.
10 His delight is not in the strength of the horse,
nor his pleasure in the legs of a man,
11 but the LORD takes pleasure in those who fear him,
in those who hope in his steadfast love.
12 Praise the LORD, O Jerusalem!
Praise your God, O Zion!
13 For he strengthens the bars of your gates;
he blesses your children within you.
14 He makes peace in your borders;
he fills you with the finest of the wheat.
15 He sends out his command to the earth;
his word runs swiftly.
16 He gives snow like wool;
he scatters frost like ashes.
17 He hurls down his crystals of ice like crumbs;
who can stand before his cold?
18 He sends out his word, and melts them;
he makes his wind blow and the waters flow.
19 He declares his word to Jacob,
his statutes and rules to Israel.
20 He has not dealt thus with any other nation;
they do not know his rules.
Praise the LORD!
Psalm 147 is the second psalm in the Great Praise, and as such it begins and ends with Halleluia, Praise the Lord. This psalm mostly invites us to praise the Lord by giving us reasons to praise Him. These reasons follow three commands that form the structure of the psalm.
vs. 1 Praise the Lord. This is pleasant and fitting.
vs. 7 Sing to the Lord, and make melody with the lyre, with thanksgiving.
vs. 12 Praise the Lord, O Jerusalem. God’s people are commanded to praise Him.
After each of these commands to praise Him, we are given abundant reasons that all describe some aspect of what God does. There is no one like Him. There is no one who can do what God does.
It is worth noting a few of the moments in Psalm 147. Verses 2-3 are certainly an appreciation of the amazing miracle that God worked in restoring Jerusalem and bringing His people back home after the exile in Babylon.
Verse 4 is astounding. Human beings are still trying to measure the universe. We find new stars and even galaxies every year. But God has them all counted. “He calls them all by their names.” The personal care that the Lord has for His created universe boggles the mind. “His understanding is beyond measure.” (vs. 5)
And yet, the God who holds the universe in His hands cares for the humble and casts down the wicked. (vs. 6) Why does He even care? But He does. Why is this His concern? But it is.
Then we sing to Him with thanksgiving. Why? Because He sends the rain, makes things grow, and feeds the animals. (vss. 8-9) More than that, what really pleases Him is the person who fears Him and hopes in His love. (vss. 10-11) It is a little picture of God’s justice that the thing that pleases Him the most is something that anyone can do. One does not need great recourses, talent, or strength.
Finally, we worship God because of all His wonderful provision and protection for His people. (vss. 13-20) He gives us His words and rules to live by. His people ought to praise Him because He treats them as His own dear children.
Praise the Lord!