Psalms 135
FBMeyerPsalms 135:1-12
God’ s Wonderful Power Psalms 135:1-12 This psalm begins and ends with Hallelujah. It contains choice extracts from various psalms, which have been culled as the flowers of a garden are gathered for one bouquet. The arguments for praise are threefold: God’ s glory in nature, Psalms 135:5-7; His dealings with Israel, Psalms 135:8-14; the contrast of His glorious nature with idols, Psalms 135:15-21. Notice the arguments adduced to stimulate our praise: that God is good; that praise-giving is pleasant; that He has chosen His people to be His peculiar treasure; that He is as great as He is good; that He will take our part against our foes, etc. The moral of it all is that if we would praise God aright and with zest, we must carefully gather our materials and meditate on all His dealings with us. These are fuel for the flame. But how many more reasons than the psalmist had are there for us to praise Him, who have been adopted into His family and made joint-heirs with Christ!
Praise ye the Lord! This is a call for praise, beginning with the priests, who stand in the Lord’s house (Psalms 135:1-4). God’s glory in nature (Psalms 135:5-7); in his dealings with Israel (Psalms 135:8-14); and in contrast with idols (Psalms 135:15-21)–is adduced as a theme for praise. It seems rather like a mosaic, as the description of the singers invoked is taken from the previous Psalm; the account of the exodus from the next Psalm; and the description of idols from Psalms 115:1-18.
Psalms 135:1. Praise ye the Lord! The first word announces the object of the Psalm–PRAISE.
Psalms 135:3. Sing praises, for it is pleasant One rendering of the words, “it is pleasant,” is “He is lovely.” When the heart is full of the love of Jesus, it seems as if the universe were too small to be an orchestra for his praise.
Psalms 135:4. The Lord hath chosen Jacob God’s eternal choice is, indeed, a fit theme for praise! We who have been thus called into the inner circle, that we might bring others there, may well join in the doxology of the Apostle Paul (Ephesians 1:3-6).
Psalms 135:5. I know that the Lord is great The soul has convincing proofs of God’s glory, which it treasures.
Psalms 135:6. Whatsoever the Lord pleased To its farthest limits, the whole earth is under his mighty working. He draws the veils of vapor over the hills and shadows over life.
Psalms 135:10-13. Who smote great nations God’s deliverance of his people from their foes–and his gifts–are as much subjects for our praise as for Israel’s. We have all had our Sihon or Og, barring our pathway to blessedness–some unwelcome intruder on our peace.
Psalms 135:14. The Lord will judge … He will repent A literal quotation of Deu 32:36. God is said to “repent,” when his people turn to Him. The wind may be blowing strongly in one direction across a plain, but it seems to change, when we, who had been walking against it, turn and go with it.
Psalms 135:19-20. Bless the Lord! In Psalms 115:1-18 the word was TRUST; here it is BLESS. But this is the regular graduation of the Christian life. Trusting ever leads to blessing.
Psalms 135:21. Out of Zion Zion is the place where the believer dwells with God, and may represent the whole Church, or any place, however simple, where two or three meet in his name.
Psalms 135:13-21
Men become like the Gods They Serve Psalms 135:13-21 What a contrast between our God and idols! His mouth speaks words of grace; His eyes follow our every movement and watch our sleep; His ears are open to the faintest call. Let us who love and adore Him resemble Him, as the idolater resembles his stony idol. The fourfold division of the chosen race deserves our thought, Psalms 135:19-21. Some belonged to the great commonwealth of Israel, some to the priestly family of Aaron, some to the meaner and humbler ranks of Levi, and some were proselytes who just feared the Lord; but none could be excused from the offering of praise. Whoever and whatever we may be, let us never fail to add our quota of adoration to that song which John tells us he heard arising from all in heaven, and on earth, and under the earth, and on the sea, Revelation 5:13.
Praise ye the Lord! This is a call for praise, beginning with the priests, who stand in the Lord’s house (Psalms 135:1-4). God’s glory in nature (Psalms 135:5-7); in his dealings with Israel (Psalms 135:8-14); and in contrast with idols (Psalms 135:15-21)–is adduced as a theme for praise. It seems rather like a mosaic, as the description of the singers invoked is taken from the previous Psalm; the account of the exodus from the next Psalm; and the description of idols from Psalms 115:1-18.
Psalms 135:1. Praise ye the Lord! The first word announces the object of the Psalm–PRAISE.
Psalms 135:3. Sing praises, for it is pleasant One rendering of the words, “it is pleasant,” is “He is lovely.” When the heart is full of the love of Jesus, it seems as if the universe were too small to be an orchestra for his praise.
Psalms 135:4. The Lord hath chosen Jacob God’s eternal choice is, indeed, a fit theme for praise! We who have been thus called into the inner circle, that we might bring others there, may well join in the doxology of the Apostle Paul (Ephesians 1:3-6).
Psalms 135:5. I know that the Lord is great The soul has convincing proofs of God’s glory, which it treasures.
Psalms 135:6. Whatsoever the Lord pleased To its farthest limits, the whole earth is under his mighty working. He draws the veils of vapor over the hills and shadows over life.
Psalms 135:10-13. Who smote great nations God’s deliverance of his people from their foes–and his gifts–are as much subjects for our praise as for Israel’s. We have all had our Sihon or Og, barring our pathway to blessedness–some unwelcome intruder on our peace.
Psalms 135:14. The Lord will judge … He will repent A literal quotation of Deu 32:36. God is said to “repent,” when his people turn to Him. The wind may be blowing strongly in one direction across a plain, but it seems to change, when we, who had been walking against it, turn and go with it.
Psalms 135:19-20. Bless the Lord! In Psalms 115:1-18 the word was TRUST; here it is BLESS. But this is the regular graduation of the Christian life. Trusting ever leads to blessing.
Psalms 135:21. Out of Zion Zion is the place where the believer dwells with God, and may represent the whole Church, or any place, however simple, where two or three meet in his name.