#900 Spirit and Truth

Praise the Lord!

Praise the Lord from the heavens;

praise him in the heights!

2 Praise him, all his angels;

praise him, all his hosts!

3 Praise him, sun and moon,

praise him, all you shining stars!

4 Praise him, you highest heavens,

and you waters above the heavens!

5 Let them praise the name of the Lord!

For he commanded and they were created.

6 And he established them forever and ever;

he gave a decree, and it shall not pass away.

7 Praise the Lord from the earth,

you great sea creatures and all deeps,

8 fire and hail, snow and mist,

stormy wind fulfilling his word!

9 Mountains and all hills,

fruit trees and all cedars!

10 Beasts and all livestock,

creeping things and flying birds!

11 Kings of the earth and all peoples,

princes and all rulers of the earth!

12 Young men and maidens together,

old men and children!

13 Let them praise the name of the Lord,

for his name alone is exalted;

his majesty is above earth and heaven.

14 He has raised up a horn for his people,

praise for all his saints,

for the people of Israel who are near to him.

Praise the Lord! Psalm 148 ESV

A Psalm calling for praise.

Praise the Lord - The general call to all, everything created by the eternal God. The painting glorifies the artist, speaking to his or her talent, but his gift leads the humble artist to praise the gift Giver. 

Praise the Lord from the heavens - The Bible speaks of the heavens (sky, atmosphere), the heavens (space), and the heaven above the heavens. 

…2 I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven. Whether it was in the body or out of it I do not know, but God knows. 3 And I know that this man— whether in the body or out of it I do not know, but God knows— 4 was caught up to Paradise. The things he heard were too sacred for words, things that man is not permitted to tell.… 2 Corinthians 12: 2-4

…42 Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when You come into Your kingdom!” 43 And Jesus said to him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.” 44 It was now about the sixth hour, and darkness came over all the land until the ninth hour.… Luke 23: 42-44

Praise Him all His angels - People today are obsessed with aliens, trying to find evidence for such, and there are even cults dedicated to aliens. The Bible teaches of beings, also created by God, called angels. The Psalmist does not see them above the logical expression of design, being made by God, they should also reflect His glory. There is an interesting possessive pronoun, His, before angels and hosts. 

…12 And this will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” 13 And suddenly there appeared with the angel a great multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying: 14“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom His favor rests!”… Luke 2: 12-14

20 But those who persist in sin should be rebuked in front of everyone, so that the others will stand in fear of sin. 21 I solemnly charge you before God and Christ Jesus and the elect angels to maintain these principles without bias, and to do nothing out of partiality. 22 Do not be too quick in the laying on of hands and thereby share in the sins of others. Keep yourself pure.… 1 Timothy 5: 20-22

Praise Him sun and moon - These have also become objects of false worship to men, but the poet presses the point of praise above them. 

…15 And let them serve as lights in the expanse of the sky to shine upon the earth.” And it was so. 16 God made two great lights: the greater light to rule the day and the lesser light to rule the night. And He made the stars as well. 17 God set these lights in the expanse of the sky to shine upon the earth,… Genesis 1: 15-17

For He commanded and they were created - Beyond human comprehension, God spoke things that did not exist into being. Even when I detested the Bible, it was notable that the ancients somehow stumbled upon such a rendering of creation, for everything bears the earmarks of language. DNA is information, the genome and all else we observe in science, speaks more loudly the deeper we go. 

1 Now faith is the assurance of what we hope for and the certainty of what we do not see. 2 This is why the ancients were commended. 3 By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible.… Hebrews 11: 1-3

He gave a decree and it shall not pass away - What God says happens. His word is not passive.

…2 Then the LORD answered me: “Write down this vision and clearly inscribe it on tablets, so that a herald may run with it. 3 For the vision awaits an appointed time; it testifies of the end, and will not lie. Though it lingers, wait for it, since it will surely come and not delay. 4 Look at the proud one; his soul is not upright—but the righteous will live by faith—… Habakkuk 2: 2-4

…24 For there will be no more false visions or flattering divinations within the house of Israel, 25 because I, the LORD, will speak whatever word I speak, and it will be fulfilled without delay. For in your days, O rebellious house, I will speak a message and bring it to pass, declares the Lord GOD.’” Ezekiel 12: 24-25

…9 Remember what happened long ago, for I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like Me. 10 I distinguish the end from the beginning, and ancient times from what is still to come, saying: ‘My purpose will be established, and I will accomplish all My good pleasure.’ 11 I summon a bird of prey from the east, a man for My purpose from a far-off land. Truly I have spoken, truly I will bring it to pass. I have planned it, I will surely do it.… Isaiah 46: 9-11

Praise the Lord from the earth - Everything that lives and breaths does so by the Word of God.

…2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 Through Him all things were made, and without Him nothing was made that has been made. 4 In Him was life, and that life was the light of men.… John 1: 2-4

You great sea creatures and all deeps - The sea was filled with discovery and mystery to the ancient world. There was in many ancient cultures a reverence for the oceans based upon superstition and fear, but also from practical experience with storms, waves and floods. In modern times, science and technology have revealed more about the depths, increasing our understanding but also magnifying our awe and respect. Rightly placed, the praise belongs to God. 

…28“Lord, if it is You,” Peter replied, “command me to come to You on the water.” 29“Come,” said Jesus. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water, and came toward Jesus. 30 But when he saw the strength of the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!”… Matthew 14: 28-30

…38 But Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on the cushion. So they woke Him and said, “Teacher, don’t You care that we are perishing?” 39 Then Jesus got up and rebuked the wind and the sea. “Silence!” He commanded. “Be still!” And the wind died down, and it was perfectly calm. 40“Why are you so afraid?” He asked. “Do you still have no faith?”… Mark 4: 38-40

Mountains and all hills - These things declare majesty, yet bow to their maker.

…39 But some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Him, “Teacher, rebuke Your disciples!” 40“I tell you,” He answered, “if they remain silent, the very stones will cry out.” 41 As Jesus approached Jerusalem and saw the city, He wept over it… Luke 19: 39-41

Kings of the earth and all peoples - All those made in the image of God.

…10 So Pilate said to Him, “Do You refuse to speak to me? Do You not know that I have authority to release You and authority to crucify You?” 11 Jesus answered, “You would have no authority over Me if it were not given to you from above. Therefore the one who handed Me over to you is guilty of greater sin.” 12 From then on, Pilate tried to release Him, but the Jews kept shouting, “If you release this man, you are no friend of Caesar. Anyone who declares himself a king is defying Caesar.”… John 19: 10-12

He has raised up a horn for His people - 

- He hath made them strong, famous, and victorious. His goodness to all his creatures does not prevent his having a special favour to his chosen nation: he is good to all, but he is God to his people. He lifts up the down trodden, but he in a peculiar manner lifts up his people. When they are brought low he raises up a horn for them by sending them a deliverer; when they are in conflict he gives them courage and strength, so that they lift up their horn amid the fray; and when all is peaceful around them, he fills their horn with plenty, and they lift it up with delight. The praise of all his saints. He is their glory: to him they render praise; and he by his mercy to them evermore gives them further reasons for praise, and higher motives for adoration. He lifts up their horn, and they lift up his praise. He exalts them, and they exalt him. The Holy One is praised by holy ones. He is their God, and they are his saints; he makes them blessed, and they bless him in return. C. H. Spurgeon