Articles
“Hallelujah! Amen!”
1 Praise the LORD!
Praise God in his sanctuary;
praise him in his mighty heavens!
2 Praise him for his mighty deeds;
praise him according to his excellent greatness!
3 Praise him with trumpet sound;
praise him with lute and harp!
4 Praise him with tambourine and dance;
praise him with strings and pipe!
5 Praise him with sounding cymbals;
praise him with loud clashing cymbals!
6 Let everything that has breath praise the LORD!
Praise the LORD!
Psalm 150
The psalter includes five books, each one ending in a doxology (Book 1: Psalms 1-41; Book 2: Psalms 42-72; Book 3: Psalms 73-89; Book 4: Psalms 90-106; Book 5: Psalms 107-150). Psalm 150 concludes the whole book in a brief, loud, exciting doxology of praise. In it, “everything that has breath” is summoned to “praise the LORD” and we are taught the where, why, how, and who of praise.
The where of praise (1) — First there is a call to praise God “in his sanctuary” on earth where Israel gathered for worship. But the invitation extends to “his mighty heavens” where all celestial beings and bodies dwell (Psa. 148:1-4). Thus all creation in heaven and on earth is summoned to join their voices in praise for the LORD. “God’s glory fills the universe; his praise must do no less.” (Kidner, Psalms). From where should God be praised? From everywhere!
The why of praise (2) — Praise and worship are only logical (Rom. 12:1). God is to be praised both for what he has done (“for his mighty deeds”) and for who he is (“according to his excellent greatness”). These are the loci of all our hallelujahs; praise that is not motivated by God’s deeds, such as his saving acts toward us (Psa. 145:4, 10-13), and God’s character, such as his faithfulness and mercy (Psa. 117), cannot rightly be called praise. Why is the LORD to be praised? Because of who he is and what he has done!
The how of praise (3-5) — The method of praise is found in verses 3-5; praise him with, essentially, ‘everything you have!’ What stands out here is the sheer variety of expression. The “trumpet” was blown to mark the start of festivals such as Jubilee (Lev. 25:9), to summon troops or announce victory in battle; “tambourine and dance” for celebration (Psa. 149:3; Ex. 15:20; 1 Sam. 18:6); the “lute and harp” for everyday music making (Gen. 4:21; Job 21:12; 30:31). The point is that every kind of instrument and music, solemn or jubilant, percussive or melodic, gentle or raucous, is mobilized in worship. While under the New Covenant we are called to sing without instrumental accompaniment (Col. 3:16), we are to do so with our whole spirit, mind, and heart (1 Cor. 14:15; Eph. 5:19). The completeness and diversity of our worship today is expressed in the unity of the multi-ethnic church, where every nation, tribe, people, and language join their hallelujahs together with one voice in Christ.
The who of praise (6) — The psalm (and the entire psalter) crescendoes with the glorious variety of God’s creatures “in heaven and on earth and under the earth” (Rev. 5:13), from spiritual beings, celestial bodies, all nature and the animal kingdom, to all people, great and small (see Psalms 8 and 148) offering their praise: “everything that has breath praise the LORD!” “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing!” (Rev. 5:13) Let God be praised in all creation, by all people, in all things. Hallelujah! Amen!
