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Praise God for Who He is, Not Just For What He Has Done

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1 Praise the LORD!
Praise God in his sanctuary;
    praise him in his mighty heavens!
2 Praise him for his mighty deeds;
    praise him according to his excellent greatness!

3 Praise him with trumpet sound;
    praise him with lute and harp!
4 Praise him with tambourine and dance;
    praise him with strings and pipe!
5 Praise him with sounding cymbals;
    praise him with loud clashing cymbals!
6 Let everything that has breath praise the LORD!
Praise the LORD! – Psalm 150:1-6 ESV

After 150 entries, the psalter comes to a close and a crescendo with this relatively short but emphatic psalm that contains 13 calls to praise Yahweh for His transcendence, mighty deeds, and excellent greatness. This psalm contains a simple message delivered in a rapid-fire form that leaves no question as to the author’s feelings about his God.

He views Yahweh through awe-inspired eyes and doesn’t even bother to provide specific reasons for his relentless calls for unbridled praise. For him, Yahweh’s praiseworthiness required no explanation or basis of proof. He felt no compulsion to defend Yahweh’s honor or elaborate on His praiseworthy attributes or actions. What other being occupied the holy sanctuary located in the heavenly realm? While the psalmist had never seen Yahweh’s throneroom, he had read descriptions of its glory and majestic splendor from the pages of Scripture.

It was in the year King Uzziah died that I saw the LORD. He was sitting on a lofty throne, and the train of his robe filled the Temple. Attending him were mighty seraphim, each having six wings. With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they flew. They were calling out to each other,

“Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of Heaven’s Armies!
    The whole earth is filled with his glory!”

Their voices shook the Temple to its foundations, and the entire building was filled with smoke. – Isaiah 6:1-4 NLT

The prophet Isaiah was so shaken by this vision of Yahweh in His heavenly throneroom that he responded, “It’s all over! I am doomed, for I am a sinful man. I have filthy lips, and I live among a people with filthy lips. Yet I have seen the King, the LORD of Heaven’s Armies” (Isaiah 6:5 NLT). 

The prophet Ezekiel was also given a similar, virtually indescribable glimpse of Yahweh in all His glory.

On July 31 of my thirtieth year, while I was with the Judean exiles beside the Kebar River in Babylon, the heavens were opened and I saw visions of God.… – Ezekiel 1:1 NLT

He saw a great storm that glowed with fire and emanated flashes of lightning. This spectacular display of divine power was accompanied by the appearance of “four living beings that looked human, except that each had four faces and four wings” (Ezekiel 1:5-6 NLT). These strange-looking creatures “looked like bright coals of fire or brilliant torches, and lightning seemed to flash back and forth among them. And the living beings darted to and fro like flashes of lightning” (Ezekiel 1:13-14 NLT). 

As they flew, their wings sounded to me like waves crashing against the shore or like the voice of the Almighty or like the shouting of a mighty army. When they stopped, they let down their wings.  As they stood with wings lowered, a voice spoke from beyond the crystal surface above them. – Ezekiel 1:24-25 NLT

This incredible scene must have left Ezekiel in a state of awestruck wonder. He had difficulty putting into words what he saw, and his description takes on a surreal and distinctively ethereal tone. It seems far-fetched and out of this world. But Ezekiel wasn’t fabricating this scene; it was a divinely inspired vision of Yahweh in His heavenly sanctuary. In his limited human vocabulary, Ezekiel described seeing a surface that glittered like crystal.

Above this surface was something that looked like a throne made of blue lapis lazuli. And on this throne high above was a figure whose appearance resembled a man. From what appeared to be his waist up, he looked like gleaming amber, flickering like a fire. And from his waist down, he looked like a burning flame, shining with splendor. All around him was a glowing halo, like a rainbow shining in the clouds on a rainy day. This is what the glory of the Lord looked like to me. When I saw it, I fell face down on the ground, and I heard someone’s voice speaking to me. – Ezekiel 1:26-28 NLT

Daniel also provided his own first-person description of Yahweh in all His heavenly glory.

I watched as thrones were put in place
    and the Ancient One sat down to judge.
His clothing was as white as snow,
    his hair like purest wool.
He sat on a fiery throne
    with wheels of blazing fire,
and a river of fire was pouring out,
    flowing from his presence.
Millions of angels ministered to him;
    many millions stood to attend him.
Then the court began its session,
    and the books were opened. – Daniel 7:9-10 NLT

These incredible depictions of Yahweh are the desperate attempts of mortal men trying to use human language to describe the inconceivable and inexpressible. The apostle John had a similar experience when he was given his own vision into the heavenly realm. In his case, he was privileged to see his resurrected Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

When I turned to see who was speaking to me, I saw seven gold lampstands. And standing in the middle of the lampstands was someone like the Son of Man. He was wearing a long robe with a gold sash across his chest. His head and his hair were white like wool, as white as snow. And his eyes were like flames of fire. His feet were like polished bronze refined in a furnace, and his voice thundered like mighty ocean waves. He held seven stars in his right hand, and a sharp two-edged sword came from his mouth. And his face was like the sun in all its brilliance.

When I saw him, I fell at his feet as if I were dead. – Revelation 1:12-17 NLT

John had no difficulty recognizing his former Rabbi, teacher, and friend, but he saw him in a whole new light and from a dramatically different perspective. His vision of Jesus left him awestruck and speechless.

In chapter four of the Book of Revelation, John records another vision he received, this one of the throneroom of God.

I saw a throne in heaven and someone sitting on it. The one sitting on the throne was as brilliant as gemstones—like jasper and carnelian. And the glow of an emerald circled his throne like a rainbow.…From the throne came flashes of lightning and the rumble of thunder. – Revelation 4:2-3, 5 NLT

In front of the throne, John saw the same “living creatures” that Ezekiel described. But John adds an important detail.

Day after day and night after night they keep on saying,

“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God, the Almighty—
    the one who always was, who is, and who is still to come.” – Revelation 4:8 NLT

Accompanying these praise-singing creatures were 24 elders who fell down before the throne and worshiped, saying, “You are worthy, O Lord our God, to receive glory and honor and power. For you created all things, and they exist because you created what you pleased” (Revelation 4:11 NLT).

The psalmist begins his song by properly locating Yahweh in His heavenly realm. Yahweh is “in his sanctuary…in his mighty heavens” (Psalm 150:1 ESV). The psalmist’s depiction was not meant to make Yahweh unapproachable or distant, but to remind his audience of Yahweh’s transcendence, holiness, and distinctiveness. The “otherness” of God should never be taken lightly.  He is worthy to receive glory, honor, and power. That is why the 24 elders took off their crowns and laid them before the throne of God. That is why the four living creatures declare God’s glory “day after day and night after night” (Revelation 4:8 NLT). 

They say familiarity breeds contempt. But over-familiarity with God can produce a far worse outcome. In humanity’s desperate attempt to make God approachable and knowable, He becomes less God than a slightly improved version of man. We tend to reduce the Almighty’s glory so we can feel more comfortable in His presence. But John fell at Christ’s feet as if dead. When Ezekiel saw the glory of God, he fell to his face in fear. Isaiah put words to his encounter with the Almighty.

“It’s all over! I am doomed, for I am a sinful man. I have filthy lips, and I live among a people with filthy lips. Yet I have seen the King, the LORD of Heaven’s Armies.” – Isaiah 6:5 NLT

The psalmist’s call for praise was predicated on an awareness of Yahweh’s splendor, majesty, glory, transcendence, and holiness. Proper praise begins with a proper perspective. That is what the psalmist meant when he wrote, “praise his unequaled greatness” (Psalm 150:2 NLT). When the psalmist speaks of Yahweh’s mighty deeds, he provides no specifics. He doesn’t bother to give examples because all that Yahweh does is mighty and beyond compare. 

What the psalmist calls for is unapologetic, full-throated, heartfelt, and boisterous praise that knows no bounds because Yahweh has no equal and deserves the praises of His people. It was David who said of Yahweh, “You are holy, enthroned on the praises of Israel” (Psalm 21:3 NLT). The Hebrew word translated as “enthroned” is yāšaḇ, which means “to dwell, inhabit, sit or abide.” In a sense, God inhabits the praises of His people. In other words, when people offer sincere and heartfelt praise to God, He manifests His presence among them. The transcendent God becomes immanent. He draws near. 

That is the message of this psalm. The unidentified author calls his audience to sing Yahweh’s praises so that they might better experience His abiding presence. They were to use every means at their disposal to enhance their praise, including lyres, harps, tambourines, strings, flutes, cymbals, and even dancing. They were to hold nothing back in their impassioned praise of Yahweh’s glory and greatness. This psalm portrays equal measures of intentionality and intensity. Thirteen times, the psalmist calls for praise, but he goes out of his way to ensure that the praise comes from the heart and is based on an awareness of God’s unquestionable worthiness.

Let everything that breathes sing praises to the LORD! Praise the LORD! – Psalm 150:6 NLT

Father, what better way to end the psalter than with a call to praise You. Too often, I reserve my praise of You for those times when I think You have done something praiseworthy. In other words, I wait until I have something to praise You for. But You are praiseworthy all the time because of who You are, not just for what You do. The psalmist provides no examples of praiseworthy acts on Your part. He doesn’t mention Your creation of the heavens and earth. He doesn’t point out Your past acts of deliverance. He simply states, “Praise the LORD!” That is how I want to live my life. I desire to praise You, not for what You’ve done but for who You are. When I praise You for Your character, I am focusing on what really matters. When I praise You for the good things You have done for me, I tend to focus on the gift rather than the Giver. Show me how to praise You properly and, like the four living creatures, regularly. Because You are worthy. Amen

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

A Song of Victory

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1 Praise the LORD!
Sing to the LORD a new song,
    his praise in the assembly of the godly!
2 Let Israel be glad in his Maker;
    let the children of Zion rejoice in their King!
3 Let them praise his name with dancing,
    making melody to him with tambourine and lyre!
4 For the LORD takes pleasure in his people;
    he adorns the humble with salvation.
5 Let the godly exult in glory;
    let them sing for joy on their beds.
6 Let the high praises of God be in their throats
    and two-edged swords in their hands,
7 to execute vengeance on the nations
    and punishments on the peoples,
8 to bind their kings with chains
    and their nobles with fetters of iron,
9 to execute on them the judgment written!
    This is honor for all his godly ones.
Praise the LORD! – Psalm 149:1-9 ESV

The unidentified author of this psalm begins with the same opening phrase found in the three previous psalms: “Praise the LORD!” This fourth in a series of five Hallel (praise) psalms continues the theme of well-deserved adoration for Yahweh. Written for a Hebrew audience that should understand the glory and greatness of Yahweh, this psalm accentuates their unique status as His covenant people. They are “the assembly of the godly” (Psalm 149:1 ESV), not because they perform godly acts but because Yahweh has set them apart as His own. The Hebrew word the psalmist used is ḥāsîḏ, which is derived from ḥāsaḏ, a word that describes Yahweh’s loving kindness for His chosen people. They had done nothing to earn His love and affection. He had not chosen them because they were greater in number or more righteous in their actions. Moses made this fact painfully clear to the Israelites not long after their miraculous deliverance from slavery in Egypt by the gracious hand of Yahweh.

“The LORD did not set his heart on you and choose you because you were more numerous than other nations, for you were the smallest of all nations! Rather, it was simply that the LORD loves you, and he was keeping the oath he had sworn to your ancestors. That is why the LORD rescued you with such a strong hand from your slavery and from the oppressive hand of Pharaoh, king of Egypt. Understand, therefore, that the LORD your God is indeed God. He is the faithful God who keeps his covenant for a thousand generations and lavishes his unfailing love on those who love him and obey his commands. But he does not hesitate to punish and destroy those who reject him. Therefore, you must obey all these commands, decrees, and regulations I am giving you today.” – Deuteronomy 7:7-11 NLT

Yahweh “lavishes his unfailing love [ḥeseḏ] on those who love him and obey his commands.” That word ḥeseḏ is the root word from which the term “godly ones” is derived. It is Yahweh’s unfailing love that sets His people apart. They were godly because they belonged to Him; He willingly set them apart as His own possession and showered them with His unmerited favor and love.

That is why the psalmist charges his audience to respond to Yahweh with grateful praise.

O Israel, rejoice in your Maker.
    O people of Jerusalem, exult in your King. – Psalm 149:2 NLT

The Israelite’s existence as a nation was the work of their Maker and King. Like the entire universe, which Yahweh fashioned out of nothing, the Israelites were the byproduct of His creative powers. He began the process with one man and his barren wife. He chose an obscure and undeserving individual named Abram, who was a Chaldean living in the land of Ur in Mesopotamia.

The LORD had said to Abram, “Leave your native country, your relatives, and your father’s family, and go to the land that I will show you. I will make you into a great nation. I will bless you and make you famous, and you will be a blessing to others. I will bless those who bless you and curse those who treat you with contempt. All the families on earth will be blessed through you.” – Genesis 12:1-3 NLT

Yahweh led Abram and his wife, Sarah, to the land of Canaan, where they waited 65 years before Sarah was able to bear a son. But from that long-awaited son, Yahweh raised up another son named Jacob, whom He would later rename Israel. It would be from Israel’s small family of 70 individuals that Yahweh would produce a “great nation” that numbered in the millions. That transformation would take place during the 400 years they lived in the land of Egypt as slaves. This was all in keeping with the promise that Yahweh had made to Abram.

Then the Lord said to Abram, “You can be sure that your descendants will be strangers in a foreign land, where they will be oppressed as slaves for 400 years. But I will punish the nation that enslaves them, and in the end they will come away with great wealth. (As for you, you will die in peace and be buried at a ripe old age.) After four generations your descendants will return here to this land…” – Genesis 15:13-16 NLT

Yahweh kept that promise and delivered His chosen people from their captivity and returned them to the land of Canaan. Now, centuries later, the psalmist calls on those very same people to express their gratitude to Yahweh for His unfailing love, mercy, and grace.

Praise his name with dancing,
    accompanied by tambourine and harp.
For the LORD delights in his people;
    he crowns the humble with victory.
Let the faithful rejoice that he honors them.
    Let them sing for joy as they lie on their beds. – Psalm 149:3-5 NLT

But then the psalm takes a decidedly different turn. The second half of this Hallel (praise) song suddenly becomes dark and warlike in its tone.

Let the praises of God be in their mouths,
    and a sharp sword in their hands—
to execute vengeance on the nations
    and punishment on the peoples,
to bind their kings with shackles
    and their leaders with iron chains,
to execute the judgment written against them.
    This is the glorious privilege of his faithful ones. – Psalm 149:6-9 NLT

These last five psalms of the psalter are hymns of praise to God, encouraging His people to praise Him for His power, provision, mercy and grace. But right in the middle of Psalm 149, the psalmist mixes in a bit of weaponry and war-like language with his call to worship. He tells the people of God to praise Him with their lips, but to have a sword ready in their hands at the same time.

I think we sometimes forget that our God has called us to be a part of His glorious army. We are at war and engaged in an epic battle between the dark forces of this world that have aligned themselves against the rule and reign of God Almighty. Jesus told us that the enemy (Satan) seeks to steal, kill, and destroy (John 10:10). Paul reminds us that we have weapons we are to use in this battle – the weapons of our warfare.

We use God’s mighty weapons, not mere worldly weapons, to knock down the Devil’s strongholds. – 2 Corinthians 7:4 NLT

Paul also tells us to equip ourselves with the armor of God.

Use every piece of God’s armor to resist the enemy in the time of evil, so that after the battle you will still be standing firm. – Ephesians 6:13 NLT

We don’t live in Disneyland. This is a battlefield, and there are casualties of war all around us. Every day, we see marriages destroyed, relationships blown apart, children rebel, individuals succumb to addictions of all kinds, and fellow believers fall prey to the attacks of the enemy because they were ill-prepared for battle.

This psalm is a vivid reminder that we have been called to praise God, but to also be ready to serve as faithful soldiers in His army. As Paul reminds us, our enemies are spiritual, not physical. Our weapons are not made of steel and chrome; instead, they are the Word of God and the power derived from our faith in God. Paul tells us, “Be strong with the Lord’s mighty power. Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies and tricks of the Devil. For we are not fighting against people made of flesh and blood, but against the evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against those mighty powers of darkness who rule this world, and against wicked spirits in the heavenly realms (Ephesians 6:10-12 NLT).

We have the promises of God’s Word, the power of believing prayer, the presence of the Holy Spirit, the protection of our faith in God’s love for us, and the peace-providing reality of our ultimate salvation and victory over the enemy. So praise God and be ready to defend the cause of God.

One day, His Son will return. He will not come as an innocent, helpless baby in a manger, but as the King of kings and Lord of lords. He will come in might and power, bringing the army of heaven with Him. At His second coming, He will put an end to the war between the forces of darkness and light. He will destroy the kingdom of Satan and restore the earth to its former glory. We fight for the side that will come out victorious in the end! And that’s something worth shouting about.

The apostle John was given a glimpse of this incredible scene, which he recorded in the Book of Revelation.

Then I saw heaven opened, and a white horse was standing there. And the one sitting on the horse was named Faithful and True. For he judges fairly and then goes to war. His eyes were bright like flames of fire, and on his head were many crowns. A name was written on him, and only he knew what it meant. He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and his title was the Word of God. The armies of heaven, dressed in pure white linen, followed him on white horses. From his mouth came a sharp sword, and with it he struck down the nations. He ruled them with an iron rod, and he trod the winepress of the fierce wrath of almighty God. On his robe and thigh was written this title: King of kings and Lord of lords. – Revelation 19:11-16 NLT

As we wait for this future fulfillment of Yahweh’s promise, we are to praise Him with our voices and stand ready to fight the fight of faith with the weapons He has provided. The apostle Paul gave a charge to his young protegé Timothy, reminding him of his duty as a soldier in the army of God. He wanted Timothy to know that he was no longer a civilian, free to do as he pleased.

Endure suffering along with me, as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. Soldiers don’t get tied up in the affairs of civilian life, for then they cannot please the officer who enlisted them. And athletes cannot win the prize unless they follow the rules. – 2 Timothy 2:3-5 NLT

Like Timothy, we have been conscripted into service by Yahweh Sabaoth, the LORD of Heaven’s Armies. He has chosen us to fight in His battle “against the evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against those mighty powers of darkness who rule this world, and against wicked spirits in the heavenly realms” (Ephesians 6:12 NLT). But He has not left us unprepared, out-gunned, or ill-trained.

Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm. Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness. For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared. In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil. Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. – Ephesians 6:13-17 NLT

And as we fight, we are to praise the LORD because the battle is His and the victory is assured.

Father, we praise You, but we also want to be ready to fight alongside You in this earthly struggle between the kingdom of righteousness and the kingdom of wickedness. Never let us forget that we are at war. While we sing songs and worship You on Sunday, there are countless people dying at the hands of the enemy all around us. As we read our Bibles and study Your truths, there are people who are being destroyed by the enemy as they listen to his lies. We have the means to rescue them. Show us how to be warriors, not just worshipers. Amen

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.