July 15
Psalms 136, 146-150
As we come to the conclusion of the book of Psalms, it might help to understand what a psalm actually is. The word psalm comes from the Greek word psallein, which means "to pluck", which gives rise to the word, "psalmos", which refers to a song sung to a harp. In English, the word psalm means a "song" but specifically refers to a sacred song. As such the book of Psalms is often seen as Israel's Hymnbook. But not to be missed, in Hebrew the title of this book is "Tehillim", which means "Praises". The Hebrew words for praise are: "yadah", "zamar", and "halal" (the root word in hallelujah". All three terms render the concept of giving thanks and honor to one who is worthy of praise. Why is this so important? Because the psalms are often read quietly and independently by many of us. They are used as a time of quiet contemplation and reflection. But we should never miss that their importance is less on focusing on ourselves, but focusing on Him. The more we learn to get our eyes off of ourselves and onto Him, the better our perspective will be. We are not strong enough, intelligent enough, wise enough to make it through this world, but He is. It is only when we see ourselves rightly in our relationship with Him that we can experience the freedom that a life submitted to God allows. Praise God! I say it again, Praise God!
We see two recurrent phrases in Psalm 136, "Give thanks to the Lord", and His faithful love endures forever", or as it says in the NKJV, "His mercy endures forever". We should thank Him at the beginning, throughout, and at the end of each day. When we consider just how often we sin or mess up, and if we realize that we do this before our God who sees everything, how can we not sing His praises when we consider just how merciful that He is, that He continually pours our His mercy, that He does not render judgment as our sins deserve. In our daily struggles, we must decide where it is that we place our hope and confidence, as we read in Psalm 146:3-5, "Don’t put your confidence in powerful people; there is no help for you there. When they breathe their last, they return to the earth, and all their plans die with them. But joyful are those who have the God of Israel as their helper, whose hope is in the Lord their God." So many are distraught because who they wanted to lead our nation is not there, or so many evil people seem to have gained a foothold. We forget that God has not relinquished control. His story is playing out exactly as He has it planned. We may not understand everything, but we don't have to, we simply need to trust and place our faith in Him, because He does indeed understand everything. We read in 147:5, "How great is our Lord! His power is absolute! His understanding is beyond comprehension!"
The apostle Paul, who was one of the boldest preachers of the gospel, did not rely on his strength, but we read in 2 Corinthians 12:9-10, "Each time he said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me. That’s why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong." That is the strength of the Psalms. The last three psalms all begin with "Praise the Lord!" Many believe these psalms were written after the Babylonian exile, when the Jewish people returned to rebuild the walls under the leadership of Nehemiah. Though the nation and the people had been through much and continued to go through much, it was God who had enabled them to persevere. So, don't miss the last verse, written in Psalm 150:6, "Let everything that breathes sing praises to the Lord! Praise the Lord!" As long as we have breath in our lungs, this is what we should be doing.
Messages from Pastor Lloyd Pulley: