Psalm 113:1-9
PRAISE YE THE LORD, AND HERE'S WHY
Intro: Psalms 113-118 comprise the first of what are known as
the "Hallel Psalms". The word "Hallel" simply means "To
Praise." This group of Psalms were sung throughout the year
as part of the Jewish worship ritual. However, they took on
special significance at Passover, since they reflected back to
the Lord's deliverance of the children of Israel from bandage in
Egypt. I think we can correctly assume that Jesus and His
disciples sang these Psalms when they celebrated Passover
just before Jesus went to the cross.
The first three verses of this Psalm stand as a call and a
challenge for the people of the Lord to be involved in His praise.
1. V. 1 The Plea to Praise God - We are called upon to lift
our hearts and our voices in praise because of Who He
is. By the way, this is not the only place in the Bible
where we are commended to be a praising people, Heb. 13:15; Psa. 47:1; Psa. 135:1-3; Psalms 146-150.
2. V. 2a The Process Of Praise To God - The Psalmist
gives us an example of praise offered to the Lord.
3. V. 2b-3 The Practice Of Praise To The Lord - The
Psalmist tells us that God is to be praised "from this
time forth and for evermore." This is a hint of what
we will be doing in Heaven, Rev. 4-5; 7. That refers to
the duration of praise. It is to be eternally unceasing.
Then, verse 3 tells us that every waking moment is to
be spent in the praise of the Lord. In other words,
praise is not supposed to be something we do when
"the Spirit hits us." Praise is supposed to be
something that we are engaged in at all times. (Note:
God's praise is constant as the sun arcs its way across
the heavens. As its course brings light to the world,
praise is to be heaped on the Lord! Before we ever
awoke this morning, God was being exalted in Europe
and Africa. After we retire tonight, the sun will still find
people lifting the praises of God in Asia.)
In the remaining verses of this Psalm, we are given some
reasons why we are to be involved in this matter of praise. It is
those reasons that I want to focus in on this evening as I preach
on the subject Praise Ye The Lord, And Here's Why.
Before I get into these verses, just let me encourage you a
little in this matter of praising the Lord. Don't let anyone tell you
that you have to "do it" like anyone else "does it". Certainly,
praise is a matter of personality, and whether it involves
shouting, crying, laughing, hand raising, etc. It is pleasing to
the Lord! Now, notice the reasons why we are to praise the
Lord.
I. V. 4-6 BECAUSE OF HIS GLORY
A. V. 4 He Is Exalted - God is greater than all the glory of
the nations. He is greater than all the glories of
Heaven. When the nations are gone and the saints fill
Heaven, that lofty place will ring with His praises, Rev.
4.
B. V. 5 He Is Exceptional - There is none like Him! Where
is Ball this evening? Where are the dead and forgotten
gods of Egypt, Greece and Rome? Where are the
deities of ancient Europe, that our ancestors bowed
before? They are all gone away to ash heap of
forgetfulness. One day it will be asked, where is
Buddha? Where is Krishna? Where is Mohammed?
They too, along with all other false deities and exalted
persons will fade from memory. If all the greats of
humanity were paraded across the stage of time, none
of them could hold a candle to our great God. (Note: It
was said of Desiderius Erasmus, who gave us the
Greek text from which we get our English Bible, that he
was the "last man who knew everything." Yet,
Erasmus knew nothing of open heart surgery, of
electricity, of computers, of ten thousands of things that
we know well and even take for granted.) No, there is
none like the Lord! He is beyond our comprehension!
C. V. 6 He Is Extraordinary - It is amazing that a God like
ours would even condescend to look into the things that
take place upon the earth. Yet, His eye is on the
sparrow and the very hairs of your heads are
numbered! Surely, His glory is a constant theme for
praise!
II. V. 7 BECAUSE OF HIS GRACE
A. The Grace Of His Reaching Down - It is unspoken but
implied in this verse that God reaches down to us. If it
is amazing that He should "look" upon the earth, how
much more amazing that He would reach into the mess
of this world to lift us out! But, even more amazing is the
fact that He would move into this world to rescue us
from our sins. Yet, this is just what He did, Phil. 2:5-8.
Why? There was just one reason, Luke 19:10; Mark
10:45.
B. The Grace Of His Raising Up - The reference here is
to those people who are forced to grovel in the dust of
the earth to try and scratch a bare living. This reference
to the "dust" is a biblical metaphor for poverty. Truly,
the inhabitants of the earth are poor and needy. They
cannot lift themselves out of their natural condition.
That is why He came and died! He paid our price and
will lift all who will believe in Him out of the dust of the
earth and will set them in high places, 1 Pet. 1:18-19;
Eph.. 2:6.
C. The Grace Of His Removing Out - The reference to
the "dunghill" brings to mind the great trash dumps that
burned continually outside cities in biblical times. These
were places where trash was burned, along with the
bodies of criminals. Packs of wild dogs roamed these
places looking for food. A trip to the "dunghill" would
bring you into contact with all the social outcasts of the
day. The lepers, the diseased, and the beggars would
congregate there trying to stay warm in the fires that
burned, hoping to find a morsel of food to prolong their
wretched lives another day. (Note: it is fitting that when
our Lord spoke of Hell in the New Testament, that He
often called it "gehenna", Matt 5:29-30; 10:28.
Gehenna was a reference to the "Valley of Hinnom"
just outside that walls of Jerusalem. There, in ancient
years, it had been a site where the Canaanite god
"Chemosh" had been worshiped. His worship involved
the sacrifice of children. The Israelites had destroyed
the idols and desecrated the valley by turning it into a
garbage dump, where fires burned continually and the
most wretched of humans lived. It was a fitting picture
of Hell.) Just as He removes the "needy from the
dunghill", so He removes the saint of God from the
scrapheap of life and from the future torment of Hell.
(Ill. Many of us were found in "the junkyard of
humanity", but we have been salvaged by a gracious
God!) (Note: He changed our Description - Eph. 2:1-10; and He changed our Destiny - Heaven and not
Hell!) (His Glory and His Grace make His worthy of
praise!)
III. V. 8-9 BECAUSE OF HIS GREATNESS
A. V. 8 He Cancels Our Pasts - He takes the worst of
humanity and uses them greatly. He took Gideon from
the threshing floor; Saul from following the donkeys;
David from leading he sheep; the Apostles from the fish;
us from our deadness in sin. He takes us like He finds
us and then He transforms us into a trophy of His grace, Eph. 2:10. (Note: He doesn't lift us out half way and
then leave us to finish the job. He changes us all the
way, 2 Cor 5:17.)
B. V. 9 He Conquers Our Problems - Here, the image of
a childless woman is used to illustrate despair and
distress. Certainly, the Bible is filled with this image.
But, we are also shown in the Word of God how the
Lord took some ladies who were barren, opened their
wombs and blessed them with children, Sarah, Rachel,
Hannah, etc. (Note: He can take the barrenness of our
lives, that has been caused by sin and He can cause us
to bring forth fruit for His glory. John 15:5. A wicked life
is barren, but a life touched by the Lord is fruitful and
glorious!) (Note: The fact that He would lift us up out of
our wretched condition and then use us for His glory is
a wonderful thing!) (His Glory, His Grace and His
Goodness make Him worthy of our praise!)
Conc: Would you agree with the Psalmist that the Lord is
worthy of our praise? I think we all would. Now, is He getting
the praise He deserves from your life? May we all determine in
our hearts that we will praise Him with our lips, our lives and
with the labor of our hands. He is worthy and He deserves all
the praise we can give Him! Let's get busy and praise His
name!
