Psalms 135:1-21
1 Praise the LORD!
Praise the name of the LORD;
Praise Him, O you servants of the LORD!
2 You who stand in the house of the LORD,
In the courts of the house of our God,
3 Praise the LORD, for the LORD is good;
Sing praises to His name, for it is pleasant.
4 For the LORD has chosen Jacob for Himself,
Israel for His special treasure.
5 For I know that the LORD is great,
And our Lord is above all gods.
6 Whatever the LORD pleases He does,
In heaven and in earth,
In the seas and in all deep places.
7 He causes the vapors to ascend from the ends of the earth;
He makes lightning for the rain;
He brings the wind out of His treasuries.
8 He destroyed the firstborn of Egypt,
Both of man and beast.
9 He sent signs and wonders into the midst of you, O Egypt,
Upon Pharaoh and all his servants.
10 He defeated many nations
And slew mighty kings—
11 Sihon king of the Amorites,
Og king of Bashan,
And all the kingdoms of Canaan—
12 And gave their land as a heritage,
A heritage to Israel His people.
13 Your name, O LORD, endures forever,
Your fame, O LORD, throughout all generations.
14 For the LORD will judge His people,
And He will have compassion on His servants.
15 The idols of the nations are silver and gold,
The work of men's hands.
16 They have mouths, but they do not speak;
Eyes they have, but they do not see;
17 They have ears, but they do not hear;
Nor is there any breath in their mouths.
18 Those who make them are like them;
So is everyone who trusts in them.
19 Bless the LORD, O house of Israel!
Bless the LORD, O house of Aaron!
20 Bless the LORD, O house of Levi!
You who fear the LORD, bless the LORD!
21 Blessed be the LORD out of Zion,
Who dwells in Jerusalem!
Praise the LORD!
Those who fear the LORD, sing praise to His name, for the ascent to the place of worship, which the previous psalms were sung along the upward journey, has led to this moment of praise and adoration! That may have been what God’s people were thinking as they sang this psalm, and why it was place in the book just here. We who are His servants do willingly and joyfully praise our God in constant worship from our redeemed souls, standing in the court of the nations and in the house of God itself. His name is so very pleasing to our ears! Because He has chosen us as a special and valued treasure to Himself (1 Peter 2:4-5, 9), we grasp the mere edges (Job 26:14) of His greatness and sovereignty. We acknowledge that He has the right and might to do whatever He wills, whatever pleases Him, and it is good and right even if sometimes hidden from our sight. We trust Him to deliver us, just as He did for Israel out of Egypt so long ago, and just as He delivered the people from the inhabitants of the land promised through Abraham to them, fighting the wars through them to bring victory and a place to live free from bondage. His work was also to prepare a people to praise and glorify the only God, for all the nations driven out had worshiped lifeless so-called gods made by their own hands, not submitting to the Almighty’s hand who fashioned them as He did us all. So how could they or we then worship or serve anyone or anything else? Surely, this is vanity, a race to catch the wind as it blows swiftly away from us. God’s name is eternal and His fame outlasts and outshines every other! His judgment on the unjust and those not under the atoning blood of Christ’s sacrifice is certain as well. He rightly judges, yet also shows compassion in grace and mercy on His chosen ones. Yes, all who refuse to worship and submit by repentance and faith, who trust in anything else as a lifeless and useless idol will face Him on that terrible Day without hope in Christ. But we who fear and have trusted Him through His word do continually bless His holy name and praise the worthy one (Romans 1:23, 1 Timothy 1:17, Jude 1:25) because we know Him for who He has revealed Himself to be. How we sing praise to God for His redemption!
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