Psalm 33: only to praise the LORD!

Read Psalm 33

No author is ascribed to this psalm, and some translations do not even title it.

But check out how smoothly the end of Psalm 32 flows into the beginning of Psalm 33:

Rejoice in the LORD and be glad, you righteous; sing, all you who are upright in heart!
Psalm 32:11

Sing joyfully to the LORD, you righteous; it is fitting for the upright to praise him.
Psalm 33:1

Do you think the two go together? Some people do! Psalm 32 is ascribed to David, so this one is thought to be as well. And maybe they were once one longer poem. However, God wanted them separated and this one unsigned. So, we will leave it at that.

This is a psalm of praise; it is probably that David was the penman of it, but we are not told so, because God would have us look above the penman of sacred writ, to that blessed Spirit that moved and guided them.

Matthew Henry, English minister, 1662-1714

So, let’s take a look at this lovely little praise psalm,

Sing joyfully to the Lord, you righteous (NIV)
Rejoice in the Lord, O ye righteous (KJV)
Shout for joy in the Lord, O you righteous (ESV)
Let the godly sing for joy to the Lord (NLT)
Psalm 33:1a

If you had any doubts about what God expects His children to do, read those translations of verse 1 again.

Sing, rejoice, and shout!

Calling upon the saints to be cheerful; and indeed there is hardly any duty more pressed in the Old and New Testament, or less practiced.

John Trapp, English Bible commentator, 1601-1669

When we are healthy and feeling joyful, God calls us to sing and rejoice. When we are sick and sad, He clearly calls us to rejoice still. When our world struggles under a pandemic and economic strain, God calls us to rejoice. When we worry for the state of our government, He calls us to rejoice.

Could it be any clearer?

God is teaching us to rejoice- not in our circumstances- but in Him. This psalm is the epitome of what God expects from His children: to rejoice in Him, for Him, and because of Him.

My friends, hear the joy in this song. Not because all is well for David and his people, but because God is good and faithful.

For the word of the Lord is right; and all his works are done in truth. He loveth righteousness and judgment: the earth is full of the goodness of the Lord.
Psalm 33:4-5 KJV

Do you believe this? Or do you find yourself lost and hopeless at the evil in the world and how much of God’s creation and His children are lost and broken? But this little gem of a psalm reminds us that.

. . . the earth is full of the goodness of the Lord. (NKJV)
. . . the earth is full of the steadfast love of the Lord. (ESV)
. . . the unfailing love of the Lord fills the earth. (NLT)
. . . the earth is full of his unfailing love. (NIV)

Wow, if we needed a reminder that God is in control and He has created beauty that expresses His love all around us, we need it right now in the midst of a pandemic and unrest in our world. May these words be a blessing to you from your heavenly Father.

This word used to describe God’s love is the Hebrew word hesed.

But I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation.
Psalm 13:6
But I have trusted in thy mercy; my heart shall rejoice in thy salvation. KJV
But I have trusted in thy lovingkindness; my heart shall rejoice in thy salvation. ASV
But I have trusted in your steadfast love; my heart shall rejoice in your salvation. ESV

The Hebrew word hesed is translated as- unfailing love, mercy, lovingkindness, steadfast love, etc. Some say that this word is the key to understanding the heart of God, yet we have a heck of a time trying to translate it. There is no one English word that directly translates. The word is only in the Old Testament but is mentioned some 250 times.

Hesed or the lovingkindness of God is what makes Him different than all other gods in history. And Jesus was the human form of that love.

Lamentations 3:21-24. I like the ESV translation here

With God’s hesed (steadfast love) on the one hand, and on the other: comes a God who created the heavens by the breath of His mouth. He said it, and it was so. And it was good.

Read Psalm 33:6-9 again in the NLT!

My friends, He “locked the oceans in vast reservoirs.” He breathed a word and stars were born.

And yet, He loves His children with such tenderness that we can’t even put it into a word; we cannot even describe it. Hesed. God’s covenant of love throughout time.

He is the all-powerful Creator, the loving Father, and the plans of His heart stand forever to all generations. Do you need to hear that right now?

 Read Psalm 33:10-11 in the ESV again

Our God is in control.

Isaiah 35:4

Did you need this encouragement today?

Read Psalm 33:13-15 again

He sees us. Always. From His throne He sees all. And He doesn’t just see us, He “observes” us. He watches us. Your loving heavenly Father watches over you.

And He knows what we do and why we do it. How? Because He created our hearts.

God doesn’t just watch over us; He knows our hearts. Because He created them.

Jeremiah 31:3 NLT
1 John 3:1 KJV

The psalmist goes on to say,

Psalm 33:16-17

Let’s not forget that David KNEW about great armies and strong warriors. He could have put his trust in those things, but he knew the fealty of trusting in anything but the Lord.

Psalm 33:18-19 NLT

The people of Israel remembered times when the Lord rescued them from death and famine. When armies failed, strong men became weak, and war horses gave false hope, those were the times when the Lord carried them through.

They who fear God need not fear anything else; let them fix their eye of faith on him, and his eye of love will always rest upon them.

Charles Spurgeon, English preacher, 1834-1892

So, today, let’s put our trust in the Lord once again.

Psalm 33:20-22 So amazing!
Psalm 20:7 Who will you trust in?

God does not fail. He will come through. He is faithful.

What an absolutely beautiful little song of praise. In worry or fear, praise the Lord for He is good.

In good times, sing of His everlasting love. In times of hopelessness, sing of His faithfulness.

In times of confession, worship Him for His mercy.

Rejoice and wait for the Lord.

Isaiah 40:31 ESV

Father in heaven, may we praise you today no matter the circumstances. We wait in expectation for you. Thank you for this unsigned and unnamed psalm. Thank you for the beauty of its words. May we be able to praise you like this song. May we lift our voices and our hearts to you in thanks and love for your faithfulness and forgiveness. Give us strength during these difficult days. In your will, heal our land, protect our loved ones, and strengthen your church. Amen.

Heidi xoxo