Psalms Reading – 5.18.2022
Psalm 148
1 Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord from the heavens!
Praise him from the skies!
2 Praise him, all his angels!
Praise him, all the armies of heaven!
3 Praise him, sun and moon!
Praise him, all you twinkling stars!
4 Praise him, skies above!
Praise him, vapors high above the clouds!
5 Let every created thing give praise to the Lord,
for he issued his command, and they came into being.
6 He set them in place forever and ever.
His decree will never be revoked.
7 Praise the Lord from the earth,
you creatures of the ocean depths,
8 fire and hail, snow and clouds,
wind and weather that obey him,
9 mountains and all hills,
fruit trees and all cedars,
10 wild animals and all livestock,
small scurrying animals and birds,
11 kings of the earth and all people,
rulers and judges of the earth,
12 young men and young women,
old men and children.
13 Let them all praise the name of the Lord.
For his name is very great;
his glory towers over the earth and heaven!
14 He has made his people strong,
honoring his faithful ones—
the people of Israel who are close to him. Praise the Lord!
This psalm has two sections. Verses 1-6 call on heaven and verses 7-14 call on earth to offer their praise to the Lord. It pictures creation as a two-part choir, with praise beginning in the heavens and then the response comes from all that is on the earth.
The psalmist lists in detail the many aspects of the heavens, including the stars and moon, the angels, and the armies of heaven. In verses 5-6, he tells them they should give praise because at God’s command they came into being, and He has put them into their place for all of time.
In the same way, he goes into detail to catalog the many created aspects of earth, including the weather, trees, animals, birds, kings, and people of all ages and stature. They are to give praise because the name of God is great and His glory towers over all creation. Because of the Lord’s presence He makes His people strong, even bringing honor to those who are faithful to Him.
May we join with all of heaven and all of earth in lifting up our praise to the Lord today!
Memory Verse: Psalm 147:3, He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.
Question(s) to Consider: Will you join all creation in celebrating God’s greatness and glory through your words and through your lifestyle?