Rejoice in the Lord, O ye righteous: for praise is comely for the upright. Praise the Lord with harp: sing unto him with the psaltery and an instrument of ten strings. Sing unto him a new song; play skillfully with a loud noise (Psalm 22:1–3).
There are 150 Psalms in our Bible, and they can be divided into several categories. For example, there are Psalms of repentance where the author is seeking God’s forgiveness for past wrongs. An example of this would be the fifty-first Psalm in which King David is seeking pardon for his adulterous affair with Bathsheba. There are also Psalms of petition in which Jehovah God is asked for certain requests to be granted, and beyond this there are Psalms of thanksgiving in which the Almighty is acknowledged for the blessings He has bestowed. Lastly, there are Psalms of adoration and praise that both magnify and deify the greatness of God, and the Psalm we are examining today falls into this category. There are many reasons for which the Lord God Almighty is to be praised, and here the author of this Psalm rejoices in God’s Word, works, wisdom, and watch-care.
First of all, as far as God’s Word is concerned, the Psalmist declares the word of the Lord is right…By the word of the Lord were the heavens made…he speaks, and it was done; he commanded, and it stood fast (Psalm 33:4, 6, 9). Everything that exists has its beginning in God’s spoken Word in that He spoke, and planets appeared, stars inundated the sky, fish inhabited the seas, creeping things appeared on the Earth, and birds filled the air. Even so, beyond His spoken Word God has given us His written Word which we know as the Holy Bible. This is truly one of His greatest gifts to humanity in that throughout its pages we discover the heart and mind of God as well as His will for our lives.
God’s Word is unique in its authorship in that it is inspired and is thereby His divine revelation to the world. The apostle Peter declares no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost (2 Peter 1:20–21). The word moved literally means to be borne or carried and presents the idea of a sailboat being driven by the wind or a kite soaring skyward because of a strong breeze. Even though the Bible was written by various individuals over thousands of years, its Author is the Holy Ghost who literally breathed God’s revealed Word into their souls and enabled them to produce His infallible, inerrant Word.
God’s Word is likewise unique in its authority in that it holds sway over the lives of those who submit to its teachings. Through the prophet Jeremiah the Almighty declares is not my word like a fire? saith the Lord; and like a hammer that breaketh the rock in pieces (Jeremiah 23:29), and through the apostle Paul He proclaims the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart (Hebrews 4:12). Just as a mirror exposes how we appear on the outside, the Bible is a mirror of the soul that reveals what we look like on the inside. God uses Holy Scripture to bring us into conformity to His divine will as it convicts us of our shortcomings, condemns us for our willful rebellion, convinces us that His way is always best, and conforms us to the very image of Christ.
Not only is God’s Word unique in its authorship and authority, but it is also unique in its attributes. The one-hundred-and-nineteenth Psalm is not only the longest chapter in the entire Bible, but it is dedicated to proclaiming the majesty and wonder of God’s Word. In verse 105 of this Psalm we read Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path, and in verse 160 we find the words Thy word is true from the beginning: and every one of thy righteous judgments endureth forever. Those who read, study and apply the Word of God to their lives find their pathway clearer, their outlook brighter, their soul happier and their future secure.
Beyond praising God for His Word, the Psalmist likewise praises Him for His works in that he proclaims all his works are done in truth…He gathereth waters of the sea together as an heap: he layeth up the depth in storehouses. Let all the earth fear the Lord: let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him (Psalm 33:4, 7–8). The hymn-writer William Cowper penned the words “God moves in a mysterious way, His wonders to perform,” and the truth of this statement is proven time and time again throughout both Holy Scripture and daily life. We serve an awesome, eternal God who is infinite in power, which means He has neither equal nor rival. He is strong enough to part the Red Sea, bring down the walls of Jericho and shut the mouths of hungry lions, wise enough to put in place the perfect plan of redemption and compassionate enough to send rain on the just and on the unjust (Matthew 5:45).
One of the main truths we need to understand concerning God’s works is that they are done in such a way as to bring honor and glory unto Himself. Over and over again in Scripture the Almighty uses the phrase for my name’s sake, and in doing so He is saying that which He does is for His own majesty and splendor. Those who attempt to claim the works of God as their own are severely punished in that Nebuchadnezzar is driven from men, becomes as the beasts of the field and forced to eat grass as an oxen (see Daniel 4:32), King Uzziah is smitten with leprosy (see 2 Chronicles 26:16-21), and King Herod is slain and is eaten of worms (Acts 12:23). Jehovah is a jealous God who refuses to share His glory with any other entity (see Exodus 20:5, 34:14).
As well as praising God for His Word and His works, in this Psalm the author is also praising Him for His wisdom in that he exclaims the Lord bringeth the counsel of the heathen to nought:he maketh the devices of the people to none effect. The counsel of the Lord standeth for ever, the thoughts of his heart to all generations (Psalm 33:10–11). The theological term for God’s infinite wisdom is omniscience, and this word simply means “all-knowing.” There is nothing beyond the scope and comprehension of God in that He sees everything, has perfect understanding of all things and is even aware of the thoughts people possess as well as the intentions that motivate their actions. When Christ Jesus is on the face of this Earth there are several occasions in which individuals either whisper their ideas in secret or merely think them in their mind, and in each occasion the Lord is fully aware of that which they are thinking (see Matthew 16:8; Mark 2:8). Nothing escapes the all-seeing, all-knowing eye of God.
One of the wonderful truths of God’s Word is the fact that the Lord God Almighty imparts His wisdom unto us. The apostle James tells us there is earthly wisdom which is both sensual [and] devilish (James 3:15), but there is likewise the wisdom of God which is from above [and] is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy (James 3:17). God wants His children to not only have a full understanding of who He is, but to also possess insight into that which He is in His heart. It is for this reason that His Word declares the Lord giveth wisdom: out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding: He layeth up sound wisdom for the righteous: he is a buckler to them that walk uprightly (Proverbs 2:6–7). Those who seek wisdom from God will surely find it, and those who apply that wisdom unto their lives will discover its true value in that how much better is it to get wisdom than gold! and to get understanding rather…than silver (Proverb 16:16)!
Lastly, in this Psalm the author is praising God for his watch-care as He declares blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord; and the people whom he hath chosen for his own inheritance. The Lord looketh from heaven; he beholdeth all the sons of men. From the place of his habitation he looketh upon all the inhabitants of the earth (Proverb 33:12–14). The truth being proclaimed here is the fact that God sits on high and looks down low, which means the eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous, and his ears are open unto their cry (Psalm 34:15). In another Psalm we are told concerning the Almighty He will not suffer thy foot to be moved: he that keepeth thee will not slumber. Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep (Psalm 121:3–4), which means our Heavenly Father is always awake and is thereby ever on the job to keep, preserve, sustain and protect His own.
When the Children of Israel come out of Egypt and enter the wilderness on their forty-year journey to the Promised Land, we are told God gives them water from a rock to drink and a daily supply of manna to eat. Beyond this, the entire time they are traveling through the wilderness neither their clothes nor their shoes wax old (see Deuteronomy 29:5). In another incident, during a time of famine the prophet Elijah abides by a brook, and on God’s command the ravens brought him bread and flesh in the morning, and bread and flesh in the evening (1 Kings 17:6). As a child of God there is never a time in which we are alone, which means there is never a time in which we are outside of God’s watchful care over our lives.
In His great Sermon on the Mount Christ instructs us to fret not over that which we are to eat, drink or wear, for the Almighty not only provides for the fowls of the air [which neither] reap, nor gather into barns (Matthew 6:26), but He likewise clothes the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven (Matthew 6:30). In another context the Master proclaims are not two sparrows sold for a fathering? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father…ye are of more value than many sparrows (Matthew 10:29, 31). It is comforting to know we are continually under that watchful eye of our Heavenly Father who forsaketh not his saints (Psalm 37:28).
In conclusion, we serve a great and mighty God who is worthy of our highest praise (see Psalm 48; 1), and in the Psalm we are examining today we find four reasons to magnify the name of the Lord. God’s Word is always true and faithful, for He cannot lie; His works are both for our good and His glory (see Romans 8:28); His wisdom is from everlasting to everlasting and His watch-care over our lives demonstrates just how precious we are in His sight. It is impossible to give God too much praise; therefore, let us continually both magnify and exalt the name of the Lord, for He is truly worthy.
—Rev. Mike Scott
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