Unit: Psalms (Part 2)
Theme: Godly Heart
Lesson Text: Psalm 100; Psalm 150
Supplemental Text: Psalm 136; Ephesians 5:19-20
Aim: Give thanks and praise the Lord, for he is worthy.
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Download a PDF of this week’s lesson material (the Study by Mark Scott, Application by David Faust, and Discovery Questions by Michael C. Mack): LOOKOUT_November27_2022.
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By Mark Scott
Don’t put the pumpkins and pilgrims away just yet. Thanksgiving should linger into Advent. The giving of thanks and praising God should not just be seasonal. The two psalms in today’s lesson will spotlight hearts full of thankful praise. The first is among several psalms dealing with singing praises to God. The second concludes book five of the Psalms and the entire Psalter in a crescendo of praise to God. The psalmists responsible for these two psalms had no problem with laryngitis. The decibel level of these psalms is off the charts. Why did the psalmists give thankful praise to God?
Because God Is God and Because God Is Good
Psalm 100
This psalm inspired “The Old Hundredth Psalm Tune.” Search for that title via the internet; you will recognize the melody. As noted previously, parallelism is a key component of Hebrew poetry. It is very evident in this psalm; verses 1 and 2 are parallel with verse 4, and verse 3 is parallel with verse 5.
This psalm went way beyond Israel. The psalmist called for all the earth to shout for joy to the Lord. The word shout was a military term calling soldiers to battle. This was followed by the verb worship, which could be translated “serve” . . . similar to the idea behind the English word liturgy. People shouted and worshiped as they made their way to the temple. So, the psalmist told his people to enter God’s gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise (a form of the word hallel). At first pass, this phrase might seem to restrict this shouting and worship to Israelites, since they obviously would be the ones entering the temple. But God cast his net broadly. He desired the temple would be a place of prayer “for the nations” (Mark 11:17).
The reason for this exuberant praise was twofold. The first reason is because God is God. There is no other (1 Corinthians 8:6). He is God because he is our maker. Therefore, he has first dibs on us; we are his. We are his people, the sheep of his pasture. The second reason for this praise is that God is good. We learn this from our earliest days. (“God is great; God is good; let us thank him for this food.”) This goodness expressed itself for us in his love (chesed—loving-kindness, loyal love) and in his faithfulness (stability, firmness, fidelity). Our thankful praise for God is not without cause. There are legitimate reasons for giving him praise. He is who he is, and he is good.
Because God Is Holy and Because God Is Powerful
Psalm 150
This famous final psalm bursts forth in thankful praise. The lead line (v. 1) is the same as the tag line (v. 6): “Praise the Lord.” The word praise is a form of the word hallelujah. The psalmist spoke about this call to praise the Lord in prepositional terms.
First, God is to be praised “in.” He is to be praised in his sanctuary. This is probably a reference to the temple although the word sanctuary simply means “holy place.” Also, God is to be praised in his mighty heavens. This is not the typical word for heavens. It refers to the physical expanse of the universe in the firmament.
Second, God is to be praised “for.” He is to be praised for his acts of power. This is probably a reference to his acts in history, such as the exodus. Also, he is to be praised for his surpassing greatness (stoutness or magnificence)—a clear reference to his character.
Third, God is to be praised “with.” This section of the psalm concerns musical instruments. Trumpets are ram’s horns. Harps and lyres are stringed instruments. Timbrels are basically tambourines. Strings and pipes could refer to a number of different instruments. Cymbals, then and now, had to do with percussion-type instruments.
Having exhausted his prepositions, the psalmist, who had a song in his heart and a message in his hand, sat down to write out what he thought of God. His final call was all-inclusive: “Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.” This call to give thanks goes beyond Israel. It is for every living thing. In the best world. the only natural response to God is thankful praise. God’s goodness, holiness, and power are more than enough reasons to burst forth in thankful praise.
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