Psalm 33: Sing of His Steadfast Love

​Shout for joy in the Lord, O you righteous! 
Praise befits the upright. 
2    Give thanks to the Lord with the lyre; 
make melody to him with the harp of ten strings! 
3    Sing to him a new song; 
play skillfully on the strings, with loud shouts. 
4    For the word of the Lord is upright, 
and all his work is done in faithfulness. 
5    He loves righteousness and justice; 
the earth is full of the steadfast love of the Lord. 
6    By the word of the Lord the heavens were made, 
and by the breath of his mouth all their host. 
7    He gathers the waters of the sea as a heap; 
he puts the deeps in storehouses. 
8    Let all the earth fear the Lord; 
let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him! 
9    For he spoke, and it came to be; 
he commanded, and it stood firm. 
10    The Lord brings the counsel of the nations to nothing; 
he frustrates the plans of the peoples. 
11    The counsel of the Lord stands forever, 
the plans of his heart to all generations. 
12    Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, 
the people whom he has chosen as his heritage! 
13    The Lord looks down from heaven; 
he sees all the children of man; 
14    from where he sits enthroned he looks out 
on all the inhabitants of the earth, 
15    he who fashions the hearts of them all 
and observes all their deeds. 
16    The king is not saved by his great army; 
a warrior is not delivered by his great strength. 
17    The war horse is a false hope for salvation, 
and by its great might it cannot rescue. 
18    Behold, the eye of the Lord is on those who fear him, 
on those who hope in his steadfast love, 
19    that he may deliver their soul from death 
and keep them alive in famine. 
20    Our soul waits for the Lord; 
he is our help and our shield. 
21    For our heart is glad in him, 
because we trust in his holy name. 
22    Let your steadfast love, O Lord, be upon us, 
even as we hope in you. 
 
Meditation
The steadfast love of the Lord fuels hope and forms praise. God’s covenant faithfulness is demonstrated by the reliability of His word, the goodness of His rule, and His sovereignty over everything. The infinite rule of God reveals His intimate love for His creatures.

This Psalm of praise calls God’s people to joyful worship through celebration of God’s steadfast love (5, 18, 22). God’s sovereignty over everything is woven through these glad lyrics (note “all” in 6, 8, 13, 14, 15), guaranteed by the reliability of God’s word and God’s government. “The word of the Lord is upright… He loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of the steadfast love of the Lord.” The power of God’s word, the unchanging nature of God’s character, and the sovereign rule of God as King over all the earth excavates praise from our hearts.
 
This chorus of celebration re-orients the hope from “false hopes” (17) of our world. The true hope for humanity is the steadfast love of our covenant keeping God. We ultimately know God’s covenant faithfulness through the person and work of Jesus Christ, and we praise Jesus as our Creator and King who rules by His Word. God’s love holds His people, providing hope in hard times. God sits on the throne of Heaven yet He sees all the children of humanity, especially “those who hope in His steadfast love” (18).
 
When our hearts hope in the steadfast love of the Lord, we trust Him with all our heart and find gladness indiscriminate of our circumstances.
 
Richly Dwelling
-What part of this psalm of praise grabs you the most, especially seeing the steadfast love and sovereignty of the Lord?
 
-Where do you struggle to hope in God’s steadfast love? What specific places do you place your hope outside His covenant care?
 
-How does the faithfulness of God through the work of Jesus compel you to hope in Him? What does this look like for you to trust more fully in the persona nd work of Jesus, hoping in His word and beneficial rule?
 
Key Verse
5    He loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of the steadfast love of the Lord.