PSALM 150 - THE FINAL PSALM FOR PRAISES AND HALELUJAHS.

INTRODUCTION -  Read Psalm 150 

Psalm 150 is the final book of PRAISES AND HALLELUJAHS! It is a "beautiful" worship song, showing the "breath and depth of human emotions". It is full of JOYFUL PRAISES, and it is where our journey continues. We are all following God's creation, raising our voices and always singing our PRAISES AND HALLELUJAHS, with "everything that has breath."

CHORUS:

Praise the Lord, Praise the Lord.                                                                                                          Sing His greatness, all Creation,                                                                                                        PRAISE THE LORD!

Raise your voices, Your heights and all your depths.                                                                         From the East and West, Let everything that has breath,                                                                    PRAISE THE LORD!              (Matt Boswell & Matt Papa)

This last part of Psalm 150, is like a DOXOLOGY, with only six verses. There is no argument or negative words, but is us a statement of  PRAISE AND HALLELUJAHS. Eloquent to God, and His Son Jesus, as their CREATOR and KING OF KINGS. We are all called to worship, and it "surpasses" God's GREATNESS AND POWER. He is our OMNIPOTENT FATHER.  All these WORSHIPS,  PRAISES and HALLELUJAHS are at the beginning and end. 

"There are six times in this passage that we are told to PRAISE THE LORD. We can do it in different ways, using many instruments - songs and music. It is a good end to the year, PRAISING GOD for all He has done for us." Pippa Gumbel

PRAISE GOD FOR WHO HE IS AND WHAT HE DOES -       Read Psalm 150:1&2; Ephesians 1

"PRAISE THE LORD! Praise God in HIS SANCTUARY; Praise Him in HIS MIGHTY HEAVENS. Praise Him for HIS ACTS OF POWER; praise Him for HIS SURPASSING GREATNESS."                                                                                                        Psalm 150:1&2 (NIV)

In this Psalm, we first read about GOD'S SANCTUARY and HIS HEAVENS. We read about the wide expanse of HIS CREATION. We read of the "reasons" why He does such MIGHTY ACTS and GREAT THINGS. We are reminded that HE IS OUR OMNIPOTENT FATHER. 

In Ephesians 1, we are also reminded of the Resurrection of Christ, and "how we love to PRAISE HIM", because of HIS LOVE and HIS BLESSINGS. Jesus, like His Father God, serves His people in His sanctuary in the Heavens. We love Him, as His people and individual believers, because of His "surpassing greatness and power".

"ALL PRAISES TO GOD, THE FATHER OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST, who has blessed us with a spiritual blessing in the Heavenly Realms, because we are UNITED WITH CHRIST."                                                                                                                Ephesians 1:3 (NIV)

HOW CAN WE EXPRESS OUR PRAISES - Psalm 150:3-5 

"Praise Him with the BLAST OF A RAMS HORN; Praise Him with a LYRE AND HARP. Praise Him with TAMBOURINES AND DANCING. Praise Him with STRING INSTRUMENTS AND FLUTES! Praise Him with a CLASH OF CYMBALS; Praise Him with LOUD CLANGING CYMBAL".  Psalm 150:3-5  (NLT)

The Psalmist is like a "conductor of an orchestra", with EXPRESSIONS OF PRAISE. Like the Priests, Levites and women in dancing, we all use these to SING OUR PRAISES. We may not be like a CHIOR or MUSIC LEADERS, but we all can WORSHIP THE LORD with our voices. With our CELEBRATIONS, we need to be LOUD AND ENERGETIC with our PRAISES, FILLED WITH LIFE.

We may all have instruments:

1. TRUMPETS - like the coming of the Lord in His Resurrection.

2. A LUTE AND A HARP - cheering with majestic string instruments, like a guitar, picking with our                                                   hands and fingers.

3. TIMBRES AND LOUD CYMBALS - a drum, like a skin stretched over a hoop like a Tambourine.                                                                       They are loud like clashing sounds.

4. PIPES AND FLUTES - used like many others, with music and dance. Like a hollow pipe, like                                                      modern mouth organs. 

"This list of instruments is not meant to be comprehensive, though it may be. We do not know what instruments the ancient Jews actually used. The point is, that everything you have can be used to WORSHIP and PRAISE GOD." David Guzik - re. James M. Boice. 

CONCLUSION - PRAISE AND HALLELUJAHS -                     Psalm 150:6; Revelation 5

"Let every LIVING and BREATHING creature PRAISE GOD! HALLELUJAH! "                                                                                                                        Psalm 150:6 (MSG)

This is a remarkable ending to the Book of Psalms and our "breath" continues when we join our Father and His Son in Heaven. Our Saviour is so very worthy of HIS GREATNESS AND HIS GLORY. Every creature that breaths sings PRAISE THE LORD.

"Blessing and honour, glory and power be in Him who sits on the throne. And the Lamb forever and ever." Revelation 5:13b (NKJV)

The last line of this Psalm could also end with HALLELUJAH. "Yahweh" and His Son were both praised honoured by all their PEOPLE and there CREATION. In light of the NEW COVENANT, everyone was either PRAISING THE LORD in their Churches, or in Heaven (eternally).This passage begins and ends with PRAISES AND HALLELUJAHS.

"There is so much to look forward to, with the NEW HEAVEN and the NEW EARTH. The Holy Spirit is a gift for us, when Jesus returns and we can WORSHIP IN HIS HOLY CITY."                                                                                           Nicky Gumbel

"Praise the Lord" (2002) Matt Boswell & Matt Papa (Composers/Performers), www.gettymusic.com/Sing Worship Conference.

"All Creatures of our God and King." (19th Century/2013) St Francis Assissi (Computer); Jonothan & Ryan Baird (Songwriters), Prayers of the Saints (Performers), Integrity/        Sovereign Grace Music

"The Holy Bible - New King James Version", 1982, Thomas Nelson

"The Holy Bible - New International Version", 2011, Biblica

"The Holy Bible - New Living Translation", 2015, Tyndale Publishers

"The Message - The Bible: Contemporary Language" 2018, Eugene H Peterson, NavPress

Alexander, Pat & David - "The Lion Handbook to to the Bible - Fourth Edition", 2009, Lion Hudson Publications

Guzik, David, "Let All Things Praise the Lord - Enduring Word Commentary", 2020, www.enduringword.com

Gumbel, Pippa & Nicky, "The Bible - Classic Version", 2004, Alpha/You Version

PSALM 149 - MEANING OF PRAISES AND HALLELUJAHS

 INTRODUCTION - Read Psalm 149

This is a PUBLIC PSALM written for GOD'S PEOPLE. They rejoice with all TRIUMPH and VICTORY. They okay with MUSIC, with their HARPS and CYMBALS, and lots of DANCING. Their enemies are "vanquished" and punished. There is "self justification, vengeance and oppression" , and their "double edged sword" is a metaphor for GOD'S WORD.

" For the Word of God is alive, sharper than any double-edged sword. It penetrates to the dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and the attitudes of the heart."                                                                                                                       Psalm 4:12 (NIV)

Sometimes the hardest words and prayers are PSALMS AND HALLELUJAHS. Our journey often includes times of "sadness, gloom, loneliness and depression". HALLELUJAH is two Hebrew words: "HALA" and "YAH". We glorify and magnify our Father God with PRAISES AND HALLELUJAHS. 

In GOD'S PRAISES we are often thinking about GOD'S PEOPLE, and their "relationship with Him".  He refers to those in "Zion". Psalm 149 is believed to be written by Jewish Psalters , in the time of Nehemiah. when their Jewish Walls and Temple were being rebuilt. Each part of this PSALM was a time of SUFFERING AND WARFARE, yet they were singing PRAISES AND HALLELUJAHS.

"HALLELUJAH! PRAISE THE LORD! Sing to the Lord a brand new song, HIS PRAISE in the assembly of His FAITHFUL PEOPLE (the company of those who love Him).......Let them PRAISE HIS NAME with DANCING and MAKING MUSIC to Him with timbrels and harps (strike up the band and make great music!)........This is the GLORY of HIS FAITHFUL PEOPLE (all who love God in the seat of honour). PRAISE THE LORD! HALLELUJAH! "                                                                                                           Psalm 149:1, 3 & 9 (MSG/NASB)

THE PEOPLE OF GOD CELEBRATE THEIR FATHER -      Psalm 149:1-5; 2 Samuel 6:12-23

"O Israel, REJOICE IN YOUR MAKER. People of Jerusalem, EXULT IN YOUR KING......For the Lord delights (takes pleasure) in His people; He crowns the humble with VICTORY (He will beautify the afflicted one with SALVATION), Let the FAITHFUL (GODLY ONES) REJOICE that He honours them. Let them SING FOR JOY as they lie in their beds." Psalm 149:2, 3&5 (NLT/NASB)

The people are celebrating their CREATOR and KING. They PRAISE HIM with DANCE AND MUSIC. With the blessing of GOD'S PEOPLE, the Psalmist prompts their PRAISE. The Psalmist speaks mainly  of two things in these Verses:

* We are to sing to the Lord with PRAISES AND HALLELUJAHS.

* We need to be joyful and glad, with MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.

We are reminded that David often uses his harps and tambourines, with his music and dancing. One of these specific times was when he brought back the ARK OF GOD  back into his city in Jerusalem. 

"David danced before the Lord with his might, wearing a priestly garment. So David and all the people of Israel brought up the Ark of the Lord with shouts of joy and blowing of rams horns."                                                                                                                   2 Samuel 6:14&15 (NLT)

Like David, I used to love to SING and WORSHIP the Lord, SINGING PRAISES on my morning exercises and walks. These were usually David's Psalms.  One of my favourite being:

"This is the day that the Lord has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it." Psalm 118:24 (NKJV)

The whole point of Psalm 149:1-5 was to pour out God's "abundance" to share this with others.  

Recently Mark and I have been blessed with NEW JOBS, and the HEALING OF MY STROKE. Yet, we still suffer, at the end of each day with tiredness and grumpiness. One week ago we came home from work and our truck had blown up. This has brought Mark many days of stress. We haven't had as much time as we like to watch our Church Online and times of prayer. But it is great to know that, as Children of God, we have not been "rejected" by our Father and His Son Jesus. We are encouraged to know that they are still "lifting us up", making us "beautiful" and receiving "deliverance" from our afflictions. 

"The Lord will always beautify and glorify his SUFFERING SAINTS. We have ultimate DELIVERANCE and SALVATION, and we can share ETERNITY with Him; in a place in Heaven, where there is no SUFFERING, GRIEF, PAIN, ILLNESS, DEATH OR TEARS."                                                                                                                         Charles Swindoll.

LIFTING OUR PRAISES IN TROUBLE AND WARFARE - Psalm 14:6-9; Nehemiah 9:38-11:1-21

"Let the PRAISES OF GOD be in your mouth of the TWO-EDGED SWORD in their hands."                                                                                                                          Psalm 146:6 (NASB)

"The two weapons are not LITERAL SWORDS. As the DOUBLE-EDGED SWORD we have the WORD OF GOD." Nicky Gumbel'

"Stay faithful in the Word of God - the Sword of the Spirit" Ephesians 6:17 (MSG)

We have a gift of salvation, but like our "TWO EDGED SWORD" we don't have to earn it. As the WORD OF GOD, like the people in Nehemiah's day, we can be encouraged with all OUR CHALLENGES. We too have "ENEMIES" and we can maintain our "BATTLE READINESS." VICTORY is inevitable if we TRUST IN THE LORD. We don't need to have negative thoughts, but we may have trials in our WARFARE (temptations) against the DEVIL'S TRIALS. 

"Execute the vengeance of the nations and punishment on people. To bind the kings in chains and their nobles with fetters, to execute them with the judgements written. This is the HONOUR for the GODLY ONES. PRAISE THE LORD!" Psalm 149:7-9 (NASB)

Remember, we are always at "WAR" and it may strike us at any time. We need to continue to PRAY and PRAISE, as we STUDY GOD'S WORD. There is a hint in this passage that Jesus will be "crowned". We can delight in His blessings, as we too are "crowned with His salvation", and we can be honoured with His relationship.

'PRAISE equips us for BATTLE, empowering us in the FIGHT, and encourages us for the PROMISED VICTORY. Don't drop your defenses, don't become disheartened and DON'T GIVE UP."    Charles Swindoll

"Lord, thank you that we are raised up with Christ in the Heavenly realms. Help us to make the most of every opportunity to bring Good News to others." Nicky Gumbel

CONCLUSION- LOTS OF PRAISES AND HALLELUJAHS - Psalm 149:1-9

We are encourages to SING OUR PRAISES and HALLELUJAHS to the Lord, regardless of CIRCUMSTANCES or SUFFERING. As long as we can express HONESTY, we will express our CHRISTIAN PRAISES in every way.

Charles Wesley was not only GREAT HYMN WRITER, but a GREAT MAN OF PRAISE.  His favourite hymn for many people was: "O For a Thousand Tongues to Sing." Not only did he remind us of PRAISE and HALLELUJAHS, but they always led to TRIUMPH and VICTORY.

"This is the Day that the Lord Has Made", Les Garrett (Composer), 1967, Integrity Music/Scripture in Song.

"O For a Thousand Tongues to Sing",  Charles Wesley (Composer), 1739, Karl Glazer (Performer and Arranger), 1828, You Tube

"Holy Bible - New American Standard Bible." (2000) The Lockman Foundation

"Holy Bible - New International Version" (2011) Biblica. 

"The Message - the Bible in Commentary English" (2018) Eugene H Peterson, Tyndale Publishers

"Holy Bible - New Living Translation" (2015) Tyndale Publishers

Pat and David Alexander, "The Handbook to the Bible - Fourth Edition", 2009, Lion Hudson.

Nicky Gumbel,  "The Bible - Classic Version", 2024, Alpha/You Version

Charles, Swindoll, "Living in Psalms - Enduring the Daily Grind", 2012, Worthy Publishing