Read Psalm 148

It is a song of nature and of grace. As a flash of lightning flames through space and enwraps both heaven and earth in one vestment of glory, so doth the adoration of the Lord in this psalm light up all the universe and cause it to glow with a radiance of praise.

Charles Spurgeon, English preacher, 1834-1892

To Praise: to adore, to revere, to honor and admire profoundly and respectfully (Mirriam-Webster Dictionary)

Bible commentators point out- there is no reference to sin or evil in this psalm, there is only a call to praise by all of creation. And it begins in the heavens- praise the Lord. Sweeps down throughout creation- a call to Hallelu Yah. And envelops all people, throughout time, great and small.

All that the Lord has created will praise Him.

Then I looked, and I heard the voices of thousands and millions of angels around the throne and of the living beings and the elders. And they sang in a mighty chorus:
"Worthy is the Lamb who was slaughtered- to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and blessing."

And then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea. They sang:
"Blessing and honor and glory and power belong to the one sitting on the throne and to the Lamb forever and ever."
Revelation 5:11-13 NLT

Psalm 148 is titled, Praise to the LORD from Creation (NKJV); Praise the Name of the LORD (ESV); The Whole Creation Invoked to Praise the LORD (NASB); and simply, The World Should Praise the Lord (ICB).

Psalm 148 is the third of five psalms commonly referred to as the “Hallelujah Psalms.” Hallelu (“Praise” in Hebrew) and Yah (a shortened version of YHWH- Yahweh or Jehovah). YHWH (called the tetragrammaton) noted in all caps as “LORD” in the Old Testament is the most sacred name of God. The Jewish people refused to say this name and wouldn’t even write it. The Complete Jewish Bible (below) replaced Yahweh with Adonai (“My Lord” in English) in verse one.

Praise the LORD! Praise the LORD from the heavens! Praise him from the skies!
Psalm 148:1 NLT

Halleluyah! Praise Adonai from the heavens! Praise him in the heights!
Tehillim (Psalm) 148:1 Complete Jewish Bible (CJB)

Here the psalmist begins his great song of praise . . . in the heavens.

The author declares that all praise the Lord. Why? Solely because He created them.

Why should we praise the Lord? Because we had a Creator. And not just someone who zapped us all into existence. God, the Creator, took His time making you uniquely you. You are like no one else ever created. He made you special. He chose you and He made you the way He wanted to make you. You are His child, and He loves you.

If you ever wonder at your worth, remember that God created you exactly as He would have you. God said these words to the prophet Jeremiah, and He would say them to you,

Before I made you in your mother's womb, I chose you. Before you were born, I set you apart for a special work.
Jeremiah 1:5 ICB

Because of this great, mighty, and loving act, Hallelu Yah. Praise the LORD.

Praise him, all his angels! Praise him, all the armies of heaven! Praise him, sun and moon! Praise him, all you twinkling stars! Praise him, skies above! Praise him vapors high above the clouds! Let every created thing give praise to the LORD, for he issued his command, and they came into being. He set them in place forever and ever. His decree will never be revoked.
Psalm 148:2-6 NLT

The prophet Isaiah probably lived during the 8th century BC in the kingdom of Judah, during the time when the Israelite people were split into the northern kingdom of Israel and the southern kingdom of Judah. Isaiah prophesied about the birth and life of Jesus, but God also gave him a glimpse of what it is like and will be like in the next life to witness the angels praising the Lord,

In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord, high and exalted, seated on a throne; and the train of his robe filled the temple. Above him were seraphim, each with six wings: with two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying. And they were calling to one another:

"Holy, holy, holy is the LORD Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory."

At the sound of their voices the doorposts and thresholds shook, and the temple was filled with smoke.
Isaiah 6:1-4

The disciple, John, had a similar vision recorded in his book, Revelation, at the end of the Bible,

Then I looked and heard the voice of many angels, numbering thousands upon thousands, and ten thousand times ten thousand. They encircled the throne and the living creatures and the elders. In a loud voice they were saying:

"Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise!"
Revelation 5:11-12

The angels and the heavenly beings, whatever they are or look like, they are out there and praising the Lord. Some day we, too, will witness this. We will join our voices in praise with all of God’s heavenly beings.

As the sun rises and sets, as the earth spins on its axis and gives us the seasons, and if you’re lucky enough to see the beauty of the night sky where you live, know that all of this is praising the Lord. As the sun rises for a new day- it praises the Lord. The night sky with its vastness and incomprehensible beauty- praises the Lord. His beings of great strength and power that we cannot see but that swiftly protect or destroy by the word of His mouth- praise Him.

Why?

Because He is the Creator. He is the One who made it all, and all of it He controls in the palm of His hand. Awesome . . . and terrifying, right?

During ancient times, and even still today, people look to the stars to find meaning. There is beauty in the heavens, there is order, and there is meaning. Not because of the stars themselves, but because of Who made them. They all point to the divine Creator.

Have books or Hollywood or other forms of man’s extensive imagination ever caused you to worry about the end of days? Will the sky really fall? Take heart with verse 6,

by his command they were fixed in their places forever, and they cannot disobey (GNSDC).

The psalmist then calls all of creation on earth to praise the Lord,

Praise the LORD from the earth, you creatures of the ocean depths, fire and hail, snow and clouds, wind and weather that obey him, mountains and all hills, fruit trees and all cedars, wild animals and all livestock, small scurrying animals and birds, kings of the earth and all people, rulers and all judges of the earth, young men and young women, old men and children.
Psalm 148:7-12 NLT

That is ONE sentence!

One sentence calling all on earth, all of creation, to praise the Lord. From the bottom of the ocean to the sky and the weather. From the highest mountains to the trees that bear fruit. All animals, wild or domesticated, rodents to the birds of the sky. Kings and regular people. Young and old. Men, women, and children. Hallelu Yah. Praise the LORD. Praise Yahweh.

Throughout time people have instead worshipped parts of creation. Whether the stars or the sun and moon, the sea or storms or animals, or even other people, this is a mistake. Why worship something that was created and not the One who created it?

Here, the author of this psalm reminds all that these things that man has worshipped today and throughout time as worthy itself worships its Creator. Man may worship the stars, but the stars themselves twinkle for the Lord, their Creator. Just beautiful.

Let them all praise the name of the LORD. For his name is very great, his glory towers over the earth and heaven! He has made his people strong, honoring his faithful ones- the people of Israel who are close to him.

Praise the LORD!
Psalm 148:13-14 NLT

Let them praise the name of the LORD. All that is contained in the name or character of Jehovah is worthy of praise, and all the objects of his creating care will be too few to set it forth in its completeness. For his name alone is excellent.

Charles Spurgeon, English preacher, 1834-1892

From the beginning, the people of Israel were chosen by God as His people.

What other nation is so great as to have their gods near them the way the LORD our God is near us whenever we pray to him?
Deuteronomy 4:7

In Paul’s book to the church in Rome, he discusses the Gentile and Jew. Both are blessed by God, but His Word and His promises began with Israel,

What if he did this to make the riches of his glory known to the objects of his mercy, whom he prepared in advance for glory- even us, whom he also called, not only from the Jews but also from the Gentiles? As he says in Hosea: "I will call them 'my people' who are not my people; and I will call her 'my loved one' who is not my loved one," and "In the very place where it was said to them, 'You are not my people,' there they will be called 'children of the living God.'"
Romans 9:23-26

For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile.
Romans 1:16

God called Israel to Himself long ago, and make no mistake, there is a special place in His heart for the Jewish people. But this is God we’re talking about, and there is a special place in His heart for you and for me. Believe that my friend.

And praise the LORD for it. Hallelu Yah.

Father in heaven, thank you for the beauty all around us. Everything around us, all of creation sings its praise to you. All that you created is beautiful and good, including your children. Help us to see ourselves as worthy in your eyes as your children, and help us to see all people the same, the way you see them. Show us how to love the lost and reach the lost for you. Thank you for your faithfulness throughout time and even today. We love you. Amen.

Heidi xoxo