 Praise the Lord!
Praise the name of the Lord, give praise, O servants of the Lord, 2 who stand in the house of the Lord, in the courts of the house of our God! 3 Praise the Lord, for the Lord is good; sing to his name, for it is pleasant! 4 For the Lord has chosen Jacob for himself, Israel as his own possession. 5 For I know that the Lord is great, and that our Lord is above all gods. 6 Whatever the Lord pleases, he does, in heaven and on earth, in the seas and all deeps. 7 He it is who makes the clouds rise at the end of the earth, who makes lightnings for the rain and brings forth the wind from his storehouses. 8 He it was who struck down the firstborn of Egypt, both of man and of beast; 9 who in your midst, O Egypt, sent signs and wonders against Pharaoh and all his servants; 10 who struck down many nations and killed mighty kings, 11 Sihon, king of the Amorites, and Og, king of Bashan, and all the kingdoms of Canaan, 12 and gave their land as a heritage, a heritage to his people Israel. 13 Your name, O Lord, endures forever, your renown, O Lord, throughout all ages. 14 For the Lord will vindicate his people and have compassion on his servants. 15 The idols of the nations are silver and gold, the work of human hands. 16 They have mouths, but do not speak; they have eyes, but do not see; 17 they have ears, but do not hear, nor is there any breath in their mouths. 18 Those who make them become like them, so do all who trust in them. 19 O house of Israel, bless the Lord! O house of Aaron, bless the Lord! 20 O house of Levi, bless the Lord! You who fear the Lord, bless the Lord! 21 Blessed be the Lord from Zion, he who dwells in Jerusalem! Praise the Lord! Meditation Greg Beal’s classic book We become what we Worship powerfully and simply unpacks a key Biblical theme: “We resemble what we revere either for our ruin or restoration.” The Israelites prove this reality as they worshipped a golden calf and likewise became “stiff-necked” (Exodus 32:9), worshipped man-made idols to become “deaf and blind” (Isaiah 6:10), and worshipped false gods and “became false” (2 Kings 17:15). We become like what our hearts celebrate. Every verse of today’s psalm is elsewhere quoted in scripture or echoes/ quotes other portions of Scripture. Within this Psalm of praise is a hymn worshipping the Lord for choosing His people (1-4), His sovereign rule over all of life (5-7), and the salvation and redemption God mercifully gives (8-14). It is an indictment against ridiculousness of idol worship (15-18). Idols are made by hands from stuff God has made. They have eyes but do not see, ears but do not hear, and mouths but do not speak. Those who trust in idols become like them. God created us in His image and likeness (Genesis 1:27) and He redeems us to worship Him so that we can return and be recreated by His grace to be restored more into His image (Colossians 3:10). Worshipping idols of this world makes us blind, deaf, feeling less, and purposeless. God’s grace invites us to return to revere Him with all our heart, mind, and soul. We will be transformed “from glory to glory” (2 Corinthians 3:17-18) more into the image of the One who created and redeemed those who trust in Him. Richly Dwelling -What stands out to you about the inclusion of verses 15-18? Why does the psalmist contrast our creator and redeemer with created idols that lead worshippers to ruin? -Where do you see ruin in the world from worshipping created things? In your life? Where do you long for restoration in the world and in your life? -Jesus was ruined for our restoration. How does His work empower you to return to Him and revere Him with all your heart? Where (specifically) do you need to do this? Key Verse 18 Those who make them become like them, so do all who trust in them. Comments are closed.
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