Psalm 148-150

Bob Marley’s last words were “money can’t buy life”

Karl Marx last words were “Last words are for fools who haven’t said enough”

Groucho Marx last words were “This is no way to live!”

Humphrey Bogart’s were “I should never have switched from scotch to martinis”

Raphael, painter from the Italian Renaissance: last words were "Happy —" Apparently he didn’t get to finish his sentence

Leonard Nemoy  tweeted near the moment of his death “"A life is like a garden. Perfect moments can be had, but not preserved, except in memory. LLAP."  (LLAP was Nemoy’s short hand for Live long and prosper.[1])

All these examples are just like we see in the Bible with how a book finishes.  This shows us to keep thinking about it; just like today where we find ourselves in the Psalms.  The Psalms are a song book reaching into the depths of our emotions that bring us again and again to the right centre for life in giving God the glory, give God the best we have in praise.  The last word from the Psalms are “Praise the Lord”.  If you look back that last line starts back in Psalm 146.  Psalms 146-150 are all expressions on the same thing “Praise the Lord”.  Notice with me how each of them starts with Praise the Lord and then ends the same way “Praise the Lord”.  Like Psalm 1 started with Blessed is the man, the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked and it presented the choice of which path we will tread.  The question is what will we let capture our souls?  Will it either the path where the wicked, sinners and mockers of God find their rest? Or will we choose the path of life where the Lord watches over the way of the righteous?

Psalm 150 ends with Praise the Lord.  So let’s dive in as Psalm 146 is the first of 5 Psalms  that all begin with the same 3 words.  “Praise the Lord” or in the Hebrew it is just one word – “Hallelujah”.  This is a call to praise look at Psalm 146:1-2 ¹ Praise the Lord.  (Hallelujah) Praise the Lord, my soul.  –(Hallelujah, my soul)² I will praise the Lord all my life; I will sing praise to my God as long as I live. And concludes in verse 10 The Lord reigns forever, your God, O Zion, for all generations. Praise the Lord.  (that word again Hallelujah).  Psalm 147:1 Praise the Lord. How good it is to sing praises to our God, how pleasant and fitting to praise him! These verses remind us how we can express our praise. Psalm 148:1 Praise the Lord. Praise the Lord from the heavens; praise him in the heights above. Verse 7 Praise the Lord from the earth, you great sea creatures and all ocean depths.

So we find ourselves seeing the who & where this praise is given.  Psalm 149:1

¹ Praise the Lord. Sing to the Lord a new song, his praise in the assembly of his faithful people. ² Let Israel rejoice

Each one of these Psalms that start with Hallelujah – Praise the Lord.  Each one of these Psalms ask us where does my soul reach out in praise? Is it to God or someone or something else? This praise is complete in it’s picture from God’s people gathering to wordship; to the things that are pleasant and fitting for our souls.  Praise is in the heavens above, even from the earth below even to the ocean depths.  Each one of these Psalms brings us closer and closer to the end of the Psalms.  So it is fitting they all end with Psalm 150.  Lets now take a closer look at it.  What shines out from this passage for you? What gets your attention ? Again the first word is “PRAISE” – “Praise the Lord” – “Hallelujah”

Look at the way it’s structured.  We get asked WHERE, WHY, HOW & WHO.  The 4 basic questions you ask to understand anything.  Psalm 150 tells us:

the WHERE of praise vs 1

                        the WHY of praise vs 2

                        the HOW of praise vs3-5

                        the WHO of Praise vs 6     

So let’s do that together, lets answer those 4 questions:

WHERE do we praise God vs 1... In his Sanctuary

• Where is this Sanctuary is that a real location?
• the tabernacle or temple was where God’s people in the Old testament gathered for worship
• The early church met in the same temple in Jerusalem initially, in upper rooms, in private homes, at the height of some persecutions they even met in the caves of underground burial chambers
• this Psalm goes further here the entire cosmos is called on to Praise the LORD

WHY do we praise God vs 2... his power and greatness

• the motivation for praise draws us to God
• in reading the Psalms we’re met with sorrow and joy, tears and trials, pains and pleasure
• here our Psalmist takes us to recall – remember how God has acted
  • remember what God has done
  • don’t lose sight of all that God has promised for you and is doing in you, or most importantly WHO he is!

HOW do we praise God vs3-5... music, song, dance

• we express it out loud – not just keep it locked up in our heads
• Musical instruments and the human voice
• Praise is joyous celebration
• We praise with everything available and music engages every part of our senses, our mind our heart, our emotion

WHO does the praising of God  vs 6...everything that has breath

• It’s like we’re brought back in time to creation itself
• God breathed life into us for the purpose that we would praise him
  • Everything alive is in mind here

Psalm 150 brings us the close to this song book.  It ends with the note of praise.  So how do we apply these Psalms to our lives today? What is it we hear God saying I am to do from this passage?  We see that 12 times in Psalm 150 we are told to Praise him,  Praise God, Praise the Lord.  So what is it we notice captures our praise? What do we find praiseworthy? Think about this past week and what has been at the centre of what you have given your praise to.  In Acts 17:24-28 Paul was in Athens at the centre of the Greek culture.  When asked what he speaks about his response is in what captures your heart that you praise:

²⁴ “The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by human hands. ²⁵ And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything. Rather, he himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else. ²⁶ From one man he made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands. ²⁷ God did this so that they would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from any one of us. ²⁸ ‘For in him we live and move and have our being.’ As some of your own poets have said, ‘We are his offspring.’

Is there a hymn or a song we sing at church you have found your mind and heart singing during this past week? Is there a verse you have floating around in your head as you’ve been in the car?  Have you spoken a word to encourage someone else to be praising God?   As Revelation 5:11-13 tells us:

 ¹¹ Then I looked and heard the voice of many angels, numbering thousands upon thousands, and ten thousand times ten thousand. They encircled the throne and the living creatures and the elders. ¹² In a loud voice they were saying: “Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honour and glory and praise!” ¹³ Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them, saying: “To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honour and glory and power, for ever and ever!” AMEN

Our praise is to Jesus and it is what God is fitting us for in eternity.  So to close what is it you will commit to give your praise to this week? For what will we say Hallelujah – Praise the Lord for?  Will it be that God and Who he is - is enough

Let’s pray…

David Hassan @ Tamworth Community Presbyterian Church 8/10/17

[1] http://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/famous-last-words-19-famous-people-a7584121.html