Video Transcript: Praise Psalms

We continue our look at the psalms of the Old Testament, the collection  that 150 Psalms, we've taken a look at the overview of the structure of the  book as a whole, the five books that are there and the variety of different  kinds of psalms that are present. In my own reading of the Psalms, I've  suggested that there are at least eight different types of Psalms among  those individual laments and communal laments, both of which we've taken  a look at in past sessions. Today, we're going to focus on those psalms, or  those hymns of praise, which are celebrations of God's goodness and  character. These are the ones that help us understand how to speak praise  to God. And in fact, it's the single largest collection to be found throughout  the entire Book of Psalms, there are other kinds that will take a look in  successive studies. But for now, it's the individual laments and the  communal laments that we've looked at, and we're going to take a look at  the hymns of praise that appear next. These are celebrations of God's  goodness, and character. These speak of the delights of life that express  the best of what the creator intended for us. They're often a look at the  glories of the world around us songs about creation, the power of storms,  the vastness of the universe, there often calls for others to join in the  celebration of praise, including the birds and animals that surround us in  creation. And these become a great symphony of celebration to God. One  of the powerful ones near the beginning of Psalm of David is Psalm eight.  Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name and all the earth. You have set  your glory in the heavens through the praise of children and infants, you  have established a stronghold against your enemies to silence the foe in  the adventure. When I consider that Your heavens, the work of Your  fingers, the moon and the stars which you have set in place, what is  mankind that You are mindful of them, human beings that you care for  them, you have made them a little lower than the angels and crowned them  with glory and honor you made them rulers over the works of your hands,  you put everything under their feet, all flocks and herds, all the animals of  the wild, the birds in the sky, and the fish in the sea, and all that swarm  swim in the paths of the sea, Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name  and all the earth. Notice the beginning and ending of those, the Psalm, both  of those really say the same thing. It's that enveloping that I mentioned in  one time, oh Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all of the earth.  So that we have this message from the Psalm, the glory of God throughout  creation and our own place in society sort of tucked into the envelope or 

the bookends of praise to God. The psalm actually has two major parts in  its middle section. After the initial note of praise and before the final note of  praise two parts. In the first half of that middle section, creation is praised  with awe for its vastness and humankind is represented a small, there's the  vastness of the heavens, and I'm insignificant, but in the second half that's  just turned on its head, humanity, we are something significant to God,  given glory and honor over all things. All things are made subservient to us  and we call out praise from them. So this combined sense of being small  and large, at the same time, resonates with the unique role that humankind  has, in the story of the Bible, that we are limited by our creatureliness, and  yet we are in a special relationship with God, which transcends even that  which the plants and animals can't fully understand or participate in.  There's also a combined sense of attitude, in the wonder and pride of it all  that's caught up into the larger theme that God is the Creator overall, and  acknowledges us as friends and partners in it all. But the major theme  beginning and end is the transcendence of God. God is our Lord. That  means that we are subservient to God, and our Lord is the one who  receives praise from us. Well, that's expressed also in another powerful  Psalm. of praise hymn of praise Psalm 19. here it's another Psalm of David  this one dedicated to the Director of Music. David sings the heavens  declare the glory of God the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after  day they pour forth speech. Night after night. They reveal knowledge they  have no speech they use no words, no sound is heard in them. Yet their  voice goes out into all the earth their words to the ends of the world to in  the heavens, God has pitched a tent for the sun. It is like a bridegroom  coming out of his chamber like a champion rejoicing to run his course it  rises at the one end of the heavens, and makes it circuit to the other there  is nothing deprived of its warmth. Now notice that we've gone through half  the Psalm, and the expressions of praise, focus on elements of creation, in  which the glory of God is revealed. Suddenly, the theme shifts right in the  midpoint. Now the focus is on scripture on the revealed expression of  God's glory, through the words that become the heartbeat of our faith life.  The law of the Lord is perfect, refreshing the soul. The statutes of the Lord  are trustworthy, making wise the simple. The precepts of the Lord are right  giving joy to the heart, the commands of the Lord are radiant, giving light to  the eyes, the fear of the Lord is pure, enduring forever the decrees of the  Lord are firm and all of them righteousness righteous. Now notice the 

succession of synonymous parallelism heaped up all focused on the  scriptures. All of these words are not different dimensions of the Word of  God as if we can separate the one from the other. But they are different  descriptors of the same things, precepts, commands, laws, expressions,  decrees, all part of the same thing. They are more precious than gold and  much pure gold, they are sweeter than honey and honey from the  honeycomb. By them, your servant is warranted and keeping them there is  great reward. So two major parts. Now we come to the conclusion, which  draws together both of those things, but who can discern their own errors?  Forgive me, my hidden thoughts. Keep your servant also from willful sins,  may they not rule over me, then I will be blameless, innocent of great  transgression. May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart  be pleasing in your sight, Lord, my rock, and my Redeemer, getting back to  the initial expressions of praise. The Psalm has two parts in a prayer Part  One logs the glory of God in creation. And part two celebrates the glory of  God in Revelation creation, Revelation two ways that we know God,  creation, God is displayed perfectly, but our understandings are less than  perfect. And therefore we need revelation in order to see more clearly the  way that God is presented and expressed through His creation. John  Calvin said, that the spectacles of Scripture that Scripture is the spectacles,  we need to see a right the spectacle of creation around us we need the  focus of scripture in order to more clearly tell us the reality of God's glory  and creation. And then the prayer at the end seeks divine assistance in  right living in creation, through the guidance of revelation so the two are  brought together. Praise involves knowing our place before God, we  understand both that we are insignificant and small because our Creator is  so much larger than ourselves and more magnificent, and at the same  time, the desire of the Creator to make us in God's image, and to endow us  with unique capabilities and capacities that give us a special place. Among  the many other elements of creation. Sin and sinfulness are assumed as  innate in the human condition. We don't know these things without God  nurturing them and encouraging them in us, but right living results in  knowing God in His glory, and the righteousness of God's character as it's  revealed around us. And that is what the praise is all about. Another  example of this kind of hymn of praise is a very beautiful, rather short  statement often used in celebrations of worship. Psalm 100. Notice the title  for giving grateful praise. And indeed the song does exactly that. Shout for 

joy to the Lord all the earth. Worship the Lord with gladness come before  him with joyful songs. Know that the Lord is God. It is He who made us and  we are his we are His people, the sheep of His pasture, Enter his gates  with thanksgiving and his courts with praise give thanks to Him and praise  his name for the Lord is good, and his love endures forever His faithfulness  continues through all generations. Notice that the first idea expressed in  verses one and two, actually comes in three lines of synonymous  parallelism. The second idea in verse three comes in three lines of  synonymous parallelism. The third idea expressed in three lines in verse  four comes in three lines of synonymous parallelism. And then we have the  couplet two lines of synonymous parallelism, as the culmination in verse  five is titled all always evokes praise. And there are a variety of different  metaphors used to describe God's relationship with God's people, the  people relationship back to God. It's very much a moving song. It's one of  the assembly moving into a place of worship, like the temple. It's  particularly intended as a song that begins worship or a song as the  worshipers gather. You can almost see those who come together in the  temple. It's a very beautiful expression of these things. One more short  psalm of praise or hymn of praise. The last of the songs of ascent are the  pilgrims, Psalm, Psalm 134. The Pilgrims psalms are songs of ascent, or  120, through 130. For a very short Psalm, praise the Lord, all you servants  of the Lord who ministered by night in the house of the Lord, lift up your  hands in the sanctuary and praise the Lord. May the Lord bless you FROM  ZION, HE WHO IS Maker of heaven, and earth. This is one of the 15 songs  of ascent, it's the final one. It's the one that after the travels, the Israelites  stand in Jerusalem and have made their way into the temple. During those  three great festivals each year, the psalm pictures the travelers finally  arriving in Jerusalem late in the day, but the first thing they do as they enter  Jerusalem is go directly to the temple, and begin to worship. And the  posture of prayer expressed here is that of standing with upraised arms, it  simply means that there is no specific or prescribed way of praying. Often  we bow our heads and close our eyes and fold our hands. But that's only  one possible way of praising or praying and here there's another form of  expression where one looks up to the heavens raises one's hands, and  gives praise to God. And it's a culminating blessing on all that God  appreciate from our giving of praise to Him. It's a very beautiful expression  of praise. The vast majority of the psalms are, in fact, this variety of hymns 

of praise. Praise is always couched in specific terms, trying to say again,  what it is that God has done, or what God is all about, or who God is in very  specific ways. Praise is never this kind of nebulous thing. Well, you know,  it's kind of nice, but it's for this and that and who you are in this particular  manner. Praise is always communal. It's something we need to share.  Even when I have a particular appreciation about God because of things  God has done to me. I need to go to others and share these things with  others so that they too can participate in my praise. God's identity is always  linked with God's people and God's mission. And praise is essentially the  language of love. We know when we fall in love with praise. And when we  fall in love with God, we praise the language of praise in the Psalms