Psalm 113 begins with a thrice repeated exhortation to praise the Lord! This repetition implies that praising God is important. Praise pleases God. Praising Him should be a part of our daily lives, not reserved for special occasions only. Our hearts naturally drift toward worry or self-interest, so Scripture repeatedly calls us back to praising God. [1]
Psalm 113 first calls on “servants of the Lord” to praise Him. We, His servants, have reason to praise Him. [2] God revealed Himself to us. He forgave our sins. He gave us His Spirit’s presence to dwell in us and to empower us to live for His glory.
While Psalm 113 may have originally referred to the Levites, all believers today are called to proclaim God’s praises. In 1 Peter 2:9, it is written, “You are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.” [3]
The angels are God’s servants and they praise Him. [4] In Revelation 5:11-12, we read, “Then I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne, the living creatures, and the elders, and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands, saying with a loud voice: ‘Worthy is the Lamb who was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom, and strength and honor and glory and blessing!’”
“Blessed be the Name of the Lord from this time forth and forevermore!” Psalm 113:2
God’s Name should be blessed continuously. Praise for God should not be allowed to end with our generation. [5] We should desire that our children and future generations will continue to fear, love and trust God above all things.
“From the rising of the sun to its going down the Lord’s Name is to be praised.” Psalm 113:3
Let us pray for and work toward the day when people of every nation, language and tribe will praise the Name of the Lord. [6] People around the world enjoy the blessing of God’s sun rising and setting each day. Why would anyone think it strange to praise God for these blessings?
Psalm 113:3 anticipates the Gospel age. Under the New Covenant, all people everywhere can be members of God’s family. [7]
“The Lord is high above all nations. His glory above the heavens.” Psalm 113:4
God is above every nation. His glory outshines the glory of the nations. In Isaiah 40:15, 17, it is written, “Behold, the nations are as a drop in a bucket, and are counted as the small dust on the scales. Look, He lifts up the isles as a very little thing.” “All nations before Him are as nothing, and they are counted by Him less than nothing and worthless.” [8]
“Who is like the Lord our God, who dwells on high, who humbles Himself to behold the things that are in the heavens and in the earth?” Psalm 113:5-6
“Who is like the Lord our God?” No one is perfectly like God as Christ was when He walked on earth, but by His Spirit, we do reflect His glory. In any case, praise Him, because His greatness does not make Him distant from us. He displays His greatness by showing us compassion. [9]
God teaches us to listen, care for and help those who depend on us rather than looking pass them. Jesus, the Son of God humbled Himself by leaving heaven, taking on human nature, and coming to save those who were lost. [10] He often stopped on His journeys to help people along the wayside whom others ignored.
“He raises the poor out of the dust, and lifts the needy out of the ash heap, that He may seat him with princes—with the princes of His people.” Psalm 113:7-8
God often raises those whom the world ignores. He called Gideon while he was threshing grain by himself. He called Saul while he was searching for his father’s donkeys. He called David while he was tending his father’s sheep. He called some of the disciples while they were working for their families. [11] God lifted Old Testament Joseph from a prison to a palace.
In 1 Corinthians 1:27–28, it is written, “God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are.”
Jesus Christ resurrects the dead from the dust to live among His heavenly people. [12]
“He grants the barren woman a home, like a joyful mother of children. Praise the Lord!” Psalm 113:9
God blessed barren Sarah, Rebekah, Rachel, Hannah, Samson’s mother and New Testament Elizabeth with sons after they tried many times to become pregnant and failed. In each case, God removed their shame and filled them with joy. [13]
Psalm 113:9 points to the Church. The once-barren Gentile world has become spiritually fruitful through Christ. The Lord prophesied in Isaiah 54:1, “Sing, O barren, you who have not borne! Break forth into singing, and cry aloud, you who have not labored with child! For more are the children of the desolate than the children of the married woman, says the Lord.” In Galatians 4:27, Paul quoted Isaiah 54:1 as being fulfilled in Christ. [14]
“Praise You Lord for all Your mighty deeds and loving kindnesses toward me and many!”
[1-14] Material developed, added to and edited from Matthew Henry’s Commentary
“Who is like the Lord our God, who dwells on high, who humbles Himself to behold the things that are in the heavens and in the earth?” Psalm 113:5-6
“Who is like the Lord our God?” No one is perfectly like God as Christ was when He walked on earth, but by His Spirit, we do reflect His glory. In any case, praise Him, because His greatness does not make Him distant from us. He displays His greatness by showing us compassion. [9]
God teaches us to listen, care for and help those who depend on us rather than looking pass them. Jesus, the Son of God humbled Himself by leaving heaven, taking on human nature, and coming to save those who were lost. [10] He often stopped on His journeys to help people along the wayside whom others ignored.
“He raises the poor out of the dust, and lifts the needy out of the ash heap, that He may seat him with princes—with the princes of His people.” Psalm 113:7-8
God often raises those whom the world ignores. He called Gideon while he was threshing grain by himself. He called Saul while he was searching for his father’s donkeys. He called David while he was tending his father’s sheep. He called some of the disciples while they were working for their families. [11] God lifted Old Testament Joseph from a prison to a palace.
In 1 Corinthians 1:27–28, it is written, “God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are.”
Jesus Christ resurrects the dead from the dust to live among His heavenly people. [12]
“He grants the barren woman a home, like a joyful mother of children. Praise the Lord!” Psalm 113:9
God blessed barren Sarah, Rebekah, Rachel, Hannah, Samson’s mother and New Testament Elizabeth with sons after they tried many times to become pregnant and failed. In each case, God removed their shame and filled them with joy. [13]
Psalm 113:9 points to the Church. The once-barren Gentile world has become spiritually fruitful through Christ. The Lord prophesied in Isaiah 54:1, “Sing, O barren, you who have not borne! Break forth into singing, and cry aloud, you who have not labored with child! For more are the children of the desolate than the children of the married woman, says the Lord.” In Galatians 4:27, Paul quoted Isaiah 54:1 as being fulfilled in Christ. [14]
“Praise You Lord for all Your mighty deeds and loving kindnesses toward me and many!”
[1-14] Material developed, added to and edited from Matthew Henry’s Commentary
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