“Praise the Lord! Praise God in His sanctuary! Praise Him in His mighty firmament!” Psalm 150:1
Do we go somewhere special to sing God’s praise? Psalm 150 says to “Praise Him in His sanctuary.” This speaks of putting feet to our confession that God is worthy of our praise. Some people spend a great deal of money on tickets to go to sporting events and concerts. The Lord is worthy of the greatest following. No one’s mighty acts can compare with His.
Where better can God be praised than where He especially reveals His glory and gives His grace? [1] Praise the Lord for houses of worship where people make His praise glorious!
Psalm 150 says to praise God “in His mighty firmament.” The heavens display God’s glory through their vastness, brightness, and beauty. The heavens impact the earth. The angels who dwell in heaven can be thought of as leading us in this great work of praise. [2]
“Praise Him for His mighty acts! Praise Him according to His excellent greatness!” Psalm 150:2
We should praise God Almighty. We see His power in creation, in His care and control of the world, and in the salvation He provides. Let us praise Him for using His might to fight for us. [3]
When we praise people, we often exaggerate their goodness, but it is impossible to exaggerate God’s goodness? He deserves our highest praise. [4]
“Praise Him with the sound of the trumpet! Praise Him with the lute and harp! Praise Him with the timbrel and dance! Praise Him with stringed instruments and flutes! Praise Him with loud cymbals! Praise Him with clashing cymbals! Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord!” Psalm 150:3-6
What tools do we use to praise God? Do we have tools to do other tasks that are of interest to us? What about tools or instruments to praise the Lord?
How should we praise God? Psalm 150:3-6 speaks of the instruments that Biblical worshippers used to praise the Lord. They used stringed and percussion instruments as well as their bodies in dance and their voices with singing to praise the Lord.
Our praise should be united and harmonious. Musical instruments sound their best when they play together in harmony rather than compete to be the center of attention. Romans 15:6 speaks of glorifying God “with one mind and one mouth.”
Let us, like musical instruments, offer to God harmony! Our worship should not be careless or halfhearted. The music God values most is praise from a heart that loves Him.
Who should praise God? Everyone who has breath should praise the Lord. In Revelation 5:13, John saw a vision in which “every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth” gave praise to God. However, in Genesis 2:7, God gave to people life in a special way when He “breathed into Adam’s nostrils the breath of life,” and he became a “living soul.” As long as we have breath, let us praise the Lord. Let our praise of Him be as natural as breathing. Every breath brings us closer to our final breath here on earth. Let us prepare to meet Him! [5]
The first sections of Psalms, according to the Hebrew division, end with “Amen and Amen.” The fourth ends with “Amen, Hallelujah.” The fifth and final section ends simply with “Hallelujah.” This is fitting because the last six psalms are completely devoted to praising God. There is no complaint or request in them—only praise. [6]
The Book of Psalms, more than any other book in the Bible, urges us to praise the Lord. Psalm 150 is a glimpse of heaven. In heaven, we will totally enjoy loving and praising the Lord. [7]
Our English word, “Hallelujah” is based on the Hebrew words for “praise the Lord!” “Hallelujah” is the refrain from heaven in Revelation 19:1 after the evil Babylonian empire is destroyed. [8]
Babylon is a code word for a kingdom whose worship directed toward self rather than to God. This is the nature of all who are under the influence of Satan. Satan wants the worship that belongs to God directed toward him. It will be a glorious day when the devil is cast into the Lake that burns with fire and brimstone. After that day, he will never interfere or interrupt the praise of God’s people again. Hallelujah!
[1-8] Material developed and edited from Matthew Henry’s Commentary
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