Psalm 145

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 commends your works to another;
    they tell of your mighty acts.
They speak of the glorious splendor of your majesty—
    and I will meditate on your wonderful works.
They tell of the power of your awesome works—
    and I will proclaim your great deeds.
They 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 your works praise you, Lord;
    your faithful people extol you.
They tell of the glory of your kingdom
    and speak of your might,
so that all people may know of your mighty acts
    and the glorious splendor of your kingdom.
Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,
    and your dominion endures through all generations.
The Lord is trustworthy in all he promises
    and faithful in all he does.
The Lord upholds all 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 faithful in all he does.
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.

• Psalm 145:1-21

Type of Psalm

Psalms of thanksgiving for God’s goodness to good people:  Giving God thanks as noted.

Matthew Henry’s Summary

“The five foregoing psalms were all of a piece, all full of prayers; this, and the five that follow it to the end of the book, are all of a piece too, all full of praises; and though only this is entitled David’s psalm yet we have no reason to think but that they were all his as well as all the foregoing prayers. And it is observable, 1. That after five psalms of prayer follow six psalms of praise; for those that are much in prayer shall not want matter for praise, and those that have sped in prayer must abound in praise. Our thanksgivings for mercy, when we have received it, should even exceed our supplications for it when we were in pursuit of it. David, in the last of his begging psalms, had promised to praise God (ver. 9), and here he performs his promise. 2. That the book of Psalms concludes with psalms of praise, all praise, for praise, is the conclusion of the whole matter; it is that in which all the psalms centre. And it intimates that God’s people, towards the end of their life, should abound much in praise, and the rather because, at the end of their life, they hope to remove to the world of everlasting praise, and the nearer they come to heaven the more they should accustom themselves to the work of heaven. This is one of those psalms which are composed alphabetically (as Ps. 25 and 34, etc.), that it might be the more easily committed to memory, and kept in mind. The Jewish writers justly extol this psalm as a star of the first magnitude in this bright constellation; and some of them have an extravagant saying concerning it, not much unlike some of the popish superstitions, That whosoever will sing this psalm constantly three times a day shall certainly be happy in the world to come. In this psalm, I. David engages himself and others to praise God, ver. 1, 2, 4-7, 10-12. II. He fastens upon those things that are proper matter for praise, God’s greatness (ver. 3), his goodness (ver. 8, 9), the proofs of both in the administration of his kingdom (ver. 13), the kingdom of providence (ver. 14-16), the kingdom of grace (ver. 17-20), and then he concludes with a resolution to continue praising God (ver. 21) with which resolution our hearts must be filled, and in which they must be fixed, in singing this psalm.”

• Matthew Henry, Matthew Henry’s Commentary

Noted Biblical Scholars, Teachers, and Preachers Comments

Psalm 145:5 “’I will meditate on the glorious splendor of Your majesty.’ There is nothing about the infinite Lord that is unworthy of His royalty. On the other hand, nothing is wanting to the splendor of His reign. His majesty is honorable, and His honor is glorious: He is altogether wonderful. ‘And on Your wondrous works.’ All the works of God among men are Godlike, but certain of them are especially calculated to create surprise. Many works of power, of justice, of wisdom are wonderful, and His work of grace is wondrous above all. This especially, and all the rest proportionately, should be spoken of by holy people, by experienced people, and by people who have the ability to speak with power. These things must not be permitted to pass away in silence; if others do not remember them, representative folk like David must make a point of conversing upon them in private and speaking of them in public. Let it be the delight of each one of us according to our position to speak lovingly of our Lord.”

• Charles H. Spurgeon, Spurgeon and the Psalms

My Thoughts

This psalm is attributed to David.

David starts with praise.

Then, he talks about how one generation speaks of God’s wonderous acts, teaching the next generation.

If this was done more and more effectively, the people of all Israel might not have strayed so much.  And we would have much fewer problems today.

God is gracious and compassionate.  He does good for all.  All God’s works bring more praise to Him.

He reigns with sovereignty and He is trustworthy and righteous.

This psalm is a very good outline for a book on God’s attributes.

But the key is for us to praise God and enjoy Him forever.

Psalm 146

Praise the Lord.
Praise the Lord, my soul.
I will praise the Lord all my life;
    I will sing praise to my God as long as I live.
Do not put your trust in princes,
    in human beings, who cannot save.
When their spirit departs, they return to the ground;
    on that very day their plans come to nothing.
Blessed are those whose help is the God of Jacob,
    whose hope is in the Lord their God.
He is the Maker of heaven and earth,
    the sea, and everything in them—
    he remains faithful forever.
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 foreigner
    and sustains the fatherless and the widow,
    but he frustrates the ways of the wicked.
The Lord reigns forever,
    your God, O Zion, for all generations.
Praise the Lord.

• Psalm 146:1-10

Type of Psalm

Psalms of thanksgiving for God’s goodness to good people:  Giving God thanks as noted.

Matthew Henry’s Summary

“This and all the rest of the psalms that follow begin and end with Hallelujah, a word which puts much of God’s praise into a little compass; for in it we praise him by his name Jah, the contraction of Jehovah. In this excellent psalm of praise, I. The psalmist engages himself to praise God, ver. 1, 2. II. He engages others to trust in him, which is one necessary and acceptable way of praising him. 1. He shows why we should not trust in men, ver. 3, 4. 2. Why we should trust in God (ver. 5), because of his power in the kingdom of nature (ver. 6), his dominion in the kingdom of providence (ver. 7), and his grace in the kingdom of the Messiah (ver. 8, 9), that everlasting kingdom (ver. 10), to which many of the Jewish writers refer this psalm, and to which therefore we should have an eye, in the singing of it.”

• Matthew Henry, Matthew Henry’s Commentary

Noted Biblical Scholars, Teachers, and Preachers Comments

Psalm 146:1 “’Praise the LORD!’ With holy awe let us pronounce the word Hallelujah and by it summon ourselves and all others to adore the God of the whole earth. People need to be called to praise. It is important that they should praise, and there are many reasons why they should do it at once. Let all who hear the word Hallelujah unite immediately in holy praise. ‘Praise the LORD, 0 my soul!’ The psalmist would practice what he had preached. He would be the leader of the choir he had summoned. It is a poor business if we solely exhort others and do not stir up our own soul. It is an evil thing to say, ‘Praise You’ and never to add ‘Praise, O my soul.’ When we praise God let us arouse our innermost self, our central life. We have but one soul, and if it is saved from eternal wrath, it is bound to praise its Savior. Come, heart, mind, thought! Come, my whole being, my soul, my all. Be all aflame with joyful adoration! Up, my brethren! Lift up the song! ‘Praise the LORD!’”

• Charles H. Spurgeon, Spurgeon and the Psalms

My Thoughts

This psalm is not attributed to any author.

Let us praise God.

Let us trust God and not earthly leaders who cannot save us.

Each election, we need to vote for godly people, but we cannot trust our government to save us.  God does that.  And God is sovereign.  And God is the Creator of everything.

But then, the rest of the psalm speaks of how God looks out for those less fortunate.  Those that are mentioned are the oppressed, the blind, those bowed low, and the foreigner.

The Lord reigns forever.

Psalm 147

Praise the Lord.
How good it is to sing praises to our God,
    how pleasant and fitting to praise him!
The Lord builds up Jerusalem;
    he gathers the exiles of Israel.
He heals the brokenhearted
    and binds up their wounds.
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.
The Lord sustains the humble
    but casts the wicked to the ground.
Sing to the Lord with grateful praise;
    make music to our God on the harp.
He covers the sky with clouds;
    he supplies the earth with rain
    and makes grass grow on the hills.
He provides food for the cattle
    and for the young ravens when they call.
His pleasure is not in the strength of the horse,
    nor his delight in the legs of the warrior;
the Lord delights in those who fear him,
    who put their hope in his unfailing love.
Extol the Lord, Jerusalem;
    praise your God, Zion.
He strengthens the bars of your gates
    and blesses your people within you.
He grants peace to your borders
    and satisfies you with the finest of wheat.
He sends his command to the earth;
    his word runs swiftly.
He spreads the snow like wool
    and scatters the frost like ashes.
He hurls down his hail like pebbles.
    Who can withstand his icy blast?
He sends his word and melts them;
    he stirs up his breezes, and the waters flow.
He has revealed his word to Jacob,
    his laws and decrees to Israel.
He has done this for no other nation;
    they do not know his laws.
Praise the Lord.

• Psalm 147:1-20

Type of Psalm

Psalms of praise: Exactly as stated.  God is being praised.

Matthew Henry’s Summary

“This is another psalm of praise. Some think it was penned after the return of the Jews from their captivity; but it is so much of a piece with Ps. 145:1-21 that I rather think it was penned by David, and what is said (ver. 2, 13) may well enough be applied to the first building and fortifying of Jerusalem in his time, and the gathering in of those that had been out-casts in Saul’s time. The Septuagint divides it into two; and we may divide it into the first and second part, but both of the same import. I. We are called upon to praise God, ver. 1, 7, 12. II. We are furnished with matter for praise, for God is to be glorified, 1. As the God of nature, and so he is very great, ver. 4, 5, 8, 9, 15-18. 2. As the God of grace, comforting his people, ver. 3, 6, 10, 11. 3. As the God of Israel, Jerusalem, and Zion, settling their civil state (ver. 2, 13, 14), and especially settling religion among them, ver. 10, 20. It is easy, in singing this psalm, to apply it to ourselves, both as to personal and national mercies, were it but as easy to do so with suitable affections.”

• Matthew Henry, Matthew Henry’s Commentary

Noted Biblical Scholars, Teachers, and Preachers Comments

Psalm 147:2 “’He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.’ The kings of the earth think to be great through their loftiness, but Jehovah becomes really so by His condescension. Behold, the Most High has to do with the sick and the sorry, with the wretched and the wounded! He walks the hospitals as the good Physician! His deep sympathy with mourners is a special mark of His goodness. Few will associate with the despondent, but Jehovah chooses their company and abides with them till He has healed them with His comforts. He deigns to handle and heal broken hearts: He Himself lays on the ointment of grace and the soft bandages of love and thus binds up the bleeding wounds of those convinced of sin. Well may those praise Him to whom He has acted so gracious a part. The Lord is always healing and binding. This is no new work to Him. He has done it of old, and it is not a thing of the past of which He is now weary, for He is still healing and still binding, as the original has it. Come, broken hearts, come to the Physician who never fails to heal. Uncover your wounds to Him who so tenderly binds them up!”

• Charles H. Spurgeon, Spurgeon and the Psalms

My Thoughts

This psalm is not attributed to any author.

This psalm speaks not only of praising God, but how pleasant it is to praise God.

In mentioning how God looks out of the brokenhearted and how He binds up wounds, it seems that it starts with a continuation of the previous psalm, but then it goes back to God being the Creator, also mentioned in the last psalm.

Psalm 146 talks of the heavens and earth and everything in them, even the seas. This psalm goes to the universe, talking of the stars.

The humble are lifted while the wicked are cast down.

Then the psalm praises God for bringing weather.  God takes care of the livestock, specifically cattle and horses.

This psalm ends with God giving only Israel God’s laws and the other nations not knowing those laws.  But each nation today that knows God’s law should stand by those laws and be a light that shines for the rest of the world to see.

Some Serendipitous Reflections

Psalm 145

“1. What kind of ruler is God to you: (a) Benevolent king? (b) Harsh dictator? (c) Ceremonial monarch? (d) Democratic leader? (e) Prime minister? What has influenced your picture of God? Does it need adjusting?
“2. Picture yourself as one of the divine king’s subjects. What’s good about living in this kingdom? Why would spending time with the king one-on-one within the palace walls be the greatest reward for a citizen?
“3. What does God want to give you? How do your eyes look to God the king? What promise is contained in the phrase ‘at the proper time’?
“4. Has God fulfilled your desires? Which ones? If you are unfulfilled in some way, does this indicate you are not right with God? What does it mean to call on God ‘in truth’?”

• Lyman Coleman, et al, The NIV Serendipity Bible for Study Groups

Psalm 146

“1. Ask the members of your group to comment on what they think makes you tick. What two or three goals are evident from how you spend your time and talents? What do they see in your life that glorifies God?
“2. Does God step in where human help stops? Or is God’s will performed strictly through human action? Who should the oppressed trust: Princes? Divine intervention? Human intervention inspired by God? Their own actions?”

• Lyman Coleman, et al, The NIV Serendipity Bible for Study Groups

Psalm 147

“1. What comes to mind when you think power: (a) Physical strength? (b) Beauty? (c) Ability to influence events? (d) Moral truth? (e) Compassion? (f) Other? Do you feel powerful in any way?
“2. Has God ever surprised you with a creative alternative to an ‘impossible’ situation? Is a new creation waiting to be born in your life now? Or are you empty, infertile, running up against the limits of your understanding? How can God’s might and understanding penetrate these barriers?
“3. Do you sometimes delight in the strength of the horse? The legs of a man? The legs of a woman? Why is fearing God the better choice?”

• Lyman Coleman, et al, The NIV Serendipity Bible for Study Groups

There is one set of questions for each of these psalms.

Substitute whatever group for any reference to a small group or ask who could come to your aid.

Soli Deo Gloria.  Only to God be the Glory.