1 Praise the Lord.*
Praise the Lord, you his servants;
praise the name of the Lord.
Take some time, right now, in whatever way you choose, to praise God:
2 Let the name of the Lord be praised,
both now and forevermore.
3 From the rising of the sun to the place where it sets,
the name of the Lord is to be praised.
Some simple questions:
When should the name of the Lord be praised?
Where should the name of the Lord be praised?
What is the name of the Lord and why is it praiseworthy?
4 The Lord is exalted over all the nations,
his glory above the heavens.
5 Who is like the Lord our God,
the One who sits enthroned on high,
6 who stoops down to look
on the heavens and the earth?
Verses 4-6 represent one multi-leveled rhetorical thought. Take a moment to connect each phrase with verses 2-3.
7 He raises the poor from the dust
and lifts the needy from the ash heap;
8 he seats them with princes,
with the princes of his people.
9 He settles the childless woman in her home
as a happy mother of children.
Praise the Lord.* NIV
What do you learn about God's heart in verses 7-9?
Considering each line in these verses, can you remember some examples from Scripture that prove these to be true?
This may sound like an silly question at first, but dig deep here… What do you learn about God's personality in these verses?
Notice that this psalm ends exactly as it begins. What does that tell you about the point of this psalm? 🙂
:::: Final Exercise :::::
Read this psalm backwards line by line to gain a fresh perspective on praising the Lord.
* "Praise the Lord" = Hebrew Hallelu Yah
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