Psalm 150: Where, Why, and How to Praise God

The following message was delivered at OHIO VALLEY BAPTIST CHURCH on July 28, 2013:

PSALM 150: WHERE, WHY, AND HOW TO PRAISE GOD

Introduction
There is nothing boring about worship. There is nothing boring about God, the object of our worship. And we have a collection of prayers, poems, and hymns that focus on worship. This collection is the Book of Psalms. One of my reformer heroes, Charles Spurgeon, called the Psalms “the treasury of David” and similarly John Calvin said that the Psalms are a “treasure for the use of all the people of God.” The Book of Psalms served as a hymnbook for the early church and for centuries, the Book of Psalms has played a leading role in shaping the spiritual life of the church.


The Text (ESV)

150 Praise the Lord!
Praise God in his sanctuary;
    praise him in his mighty heavens![a]
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!

Where to Praise God (v. 1a)

The very first phrase “Praise the LORD” here in this passage, would serve as appropriate motto for the entire book of Psalms. Whether David is crying for mercy (Ps. 51), lamenting over his many enemies (Ps. 3), giving thanks (Ps. 92), or expressing the depths of the knowledge of God (Ps. 139), there is always some element of praise in every psalm. Though each psalm is an individual poem with its own theme, there is no psalm that does not contain an element of praise. Though the Psalms are broken into 5 Books, we have now reached a small section towards the end where each psalm begins and ends with the phrase “Praise the LORD.” This new sub-section starts at Psalm 146. Psalm 150 can be broken into three sections:

1. Where to Praise God (150:1)
2. Why to Praise God (150:2)
3. How to Praise God (150:3-6)

How do we know this? Within the context you can easily identify a change of grammar. Look at your Bibles and notice the change from “Praise God in. . .” (v. 1) to “Praise Him for. . .” (v. 2) and to “Praise Him with. . .” (vv. 3-5).

According to this psalmist, God should be praised in his sanctuary (literally “holy place”), a reference to the earthly temple in Jerusalem. The list of musical instruments (vv. 3—5) argues for this earthly designation of the sanctuary. God’s house is to be filled with praise and worship. The Jews went up to Jerusalem to worship the Lord down through the generations as long as the temple stood. Matthew Henry writes in his commentary, “Let his priests, let his people, that attend there, attend him with their praises. Where should he be praised, but there where he does, in a special manner, both manifest his glory and communicate his grace?”

Praise God in His Sanctuary, But Don’t Build Walls Around the Church
This verse doesn’t imply that the only place we are to worship God is in the church ‘sanctuary,’ because at it has been well said before, never build walls around the church. When we praise God, we are to praise Him before our feet hit the floor in the morning, we are to praise Him in the home, we are to praise Him when driving to work, we are to praise Him in the workplace, we are to praise Him indoors and outdoors, and we are to praise Him everywhere! I know this psalmist would agree that we are not to ‘build walls around the church.’ Our giving isn’t limited to church walls, our studying of Scripture isn’t limited to church walls, our prayers aren’t limited to church walls, and our witnessing/evangelism isn’t limited to the church walls. Because if our giving, praying, witnessing, and especially our worship is limited to these walls, then no wonder we may be lukewarm and half-hearted in our worship! If you eat up to three meals daily, but then come to God’s sanctuary for one dose of the Word, the fellowship, and worship, you are setting yourself up to be spiritually malnourished! If you wonder why you are not becoming like Christ, then maybe you’re not getting enough of the Word of God in your life. Jesus said “Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth” (John 17:17), and to be in this process of sanctification means being in the process of becoming more and more like Jesus through the power of the Holy Spirit. Who inspired the Bible and uses it not only for our information but for our transformation? You guessed it. The Holy Spirit.

The implication of this verse is not that we need to limit our worship to the sanctuary, but rather when God’s people assemble together, this is what we are to do. When we “meet together” (Heb. 10:25), and when we devote our selves “to. . . teaching and the fellowship” (Acts 2:42), we are to lift God’s name on high! Because if we don’t proclaim that we are redeemed, worship as a result of our changed life and faith, and shout that we are “a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession” (1 Peter 2:9) and if we don’t worship, worship, worship, then what makes us different from any other gathering of people? That is the reality. If we do not praise God in His sanctuary, then we are no different from any other gathering of people.

Where to Praise God (v. 1b)
The psalmist also says that God is to be praised “in his mighty heavens.” This is a reference to His heavenly sanctuary in glory. Redeemed saints and elect everywhere, whether on earth below or heaven above. There is an ongoing, eternal worship that surrounds the throne of God. Isaiah describes this beautifully (Isaiah 6:1-5). Also, the cosmos are included so that the heavens and earth are to join together and become one in praising Him (see Ps. 148 “praise him sun and moon,” etc.). There is no place where praise is out of place.

Why to Praise God (v. 2a)
Having called for praise in every place, reason is now given for this worship. God is to be praised “for his mighty deeds” and “according to his excellent greatness.” The Israelites knew well of God’s “mighty deeds.” Take a look through Israel’s history. They knew of how God lead them by the “pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night” as Pharaoh let them go (Ex. 13:17-22). They could recall the parting of the Red Sea (Ex. 14), the manna from heaven (Ex. 16), the water from the rock (Ex. 17:1-7), and the freedom from slavery and oppression in Egypt (Ex. 12:33—15:27). They knew of when “Mount Sinai was wrapped in smoke because the LORD had descended on it in fire. . .[and] the whole mountain trembled greatly” (Ex. 19:18). They could recall to memory the countless victories they had been granted (see Joshua & Judges). Recall when David had slain Goliath “with a sling and with a stone” (1 Sam. 17:50)? The Israelites knew God was faithful.

Praise Him for His Mighty Deeds
We know of God’s acts of power through creation, providence, salvation, and judgment. Just as Israel experienced manna (the bread from heaven) so we too have experienced and tasted for ourselves the Bread of Life, the Lord Jesus (John 6:35) who alone satisfies us. As they experienced freedom from slavery in Egypt, so we too have experienced freedom from slavery to sin (John 6:63; Rom. 6:17-18)! God provides for us day by day. He enters our lives through His Spirit. He answers our prayers. He delivers us from our enemies. He heals our diseases. He unites us to each other in love. He matures us in His Word, and He remains faithful toward us. Indeed, we are to “Praise him for his mighty deeds”! Matthew Henry writes concerning this verse, “Praise him. . . for all the instances of his might, the power of his providence, the power of his grace, what he has done in the creation, government, and redemption. . .”

Why to Praise God (v. 2b)
In addition, praise is to be rendered to God “according to his excellent greatness.” The Israelites weren't blind to this either. They knew God was holy, sovereign and righteous. The psalmist here says that everything about God is to be praised, both for His acts and His attributes.

Twofold Praise: What He Has Done and Who He Is 
God is infinite yet intimate. He exists outside our realm thus, we cannot categorize Him. We are to praise God for who He is, not only for what He has done. He is the mighty King. He is the eternal God. He is filed with holiness, justice, trustworthiness, and covenant-love. He is the Alpha and the Omega. He is the beginning and the end. Worship this great God! John Calvin writes concerning this part of the verse, “If we would have our minds kindled . . . let us meditate on his power and greatness, which will speedily dispel all such insensibility. Though our minds can never take in this immensity, the mere taste of it will deeply affect us. And God will not reject such praises we offer according to our capacity.” You see, our motives for praise are twofold: we are to praise God for what He has done and we are to praise Him for who He is!

How to Praise God (vv. 3-6)
Having said where God is to be praised and why He is to be praised, the psalmist now tells how He is to be praised. The author of this psalm gives instruction regarding the manner in which God is to be praised. Both musical instruments (vv. 3-5) and human voices (v. 6) are to be employed. The trumpet, a shofar, or ram’s horn is to be sounded. The lute and harp, were also to be used. Both wind and string instruments are listed here in praising God. Also, God is to be praised with tambourine and dance. These two often went together, the former used by women when they danced after God-given victories (Ex. 15:20). Moreover, God is to be worshiped with strings, a general term for all kinds of stringed instruments. Finally in v. 5, God is to be praised with sounding cymbals, instruments usually made of either brass or silver. These were the smaller and higher pitched kind. Loud clashing cymbals were also to be used in God’s sanctuary and they were larger and louder, making a more crashing sound.

Those who should praise the Lord encompasses “everything that has breath.” This includes all the redeemed who gather at God’s house. Everyone in God’s house is to sing praise to God, supported by the playing of instruments by the priests and people, men and women. Finally, this psalm concludes with the dramatic declaration Praise the LORD.

God Is to be Praised by a Symphony of Sound
Today we could legitimately add our own musical instruments to the list. Everything that evokes praise or expresses praise is a legitimate instrument of praise and therefore relevant for the culture and the people using it. The issue is not what instruments we use; the issue is why we use them and how we use them. Millions have been told of the “excellent greatness” of God through K-LOVE Radio just as they have been through the Gaither Vocal Band. God will continue to be praised through Bluegrass Gospel as He will through Lecrae (Christian Rap/Hip Hop).

Will You Answer the Psalmist’s Call to Worship?
Will you bring your wholehearted praise to God? This requires the total response of your entire life. Worship is a lifestyle, not an isolated act, never to be segmented from the whole of your life. Worship must be a passionate life pursuit of rendering praise to God, a deepening reality that should permeate your entire existence. If God is real in your life, then you should be praising Him with all of your being. This, of course, includes times involving the corporate gathering of God’s people when they come together to sing His praises. May you give to God the praise He so rightfully deserves in the midst of the great congregation.

Romans: Not Ashamed of the Gospel

"ROMANS: NOT ASHAMED OF THE GOSPEL" (1:16, 17)

Introduction
What are some things someone might be ashamed of? Maybe one might be ashamed of their past. Pondering on certain mistakes and failures of our past are sure to bring disgust that would leave us ashamed of what we have done. One also might be ashamed of their past because of a shameful act inflicted upon them by someone else. A person experiencing shame could be due also to a cantankerous family member who disgraces themselves in public. In addition to being ashamed, we can all relate to finding ourselves overwhelmed with guilt when we know we have been caught doing or saying something wrong. Various things may cause us to experience shame (being ashamed), but the gospel is not one of them. In the text we will look at, we are not drawing from it a solution to the tearing pain of shame, but a declaration to not be ashamed of the gospel.

The Text
"16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. 17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, "The righteous shall live by faith"" (Romans 1:16, 17 ESV).

Introduction to Romans
We are beginning a study that will take us through key concepts taught in the letter of Paul to the Romans. Romans is the longest and most systematically reasoned of Paul's letters. Paul was writing to the Christians in Rome and Paul wrote Romans as an organized and carefully presented statement of his faith--it does not have the form of a typical letter. He does, however, spend considerable time greeting people in Rome at the end of the letter. He authored this letter about A.D. 57, from Corinth, as he was preparing for his visit to Jerusalem.

Not Ashamed of the Gospel
Crack open a history book, or just look at modern-day pictures of Rome and you will find that innumerable pagan gods received worship in Rome. Especially impressive temples were dedicated to such ancient gods/goddesses as Mars, Saturn, Castor and Pollux, Vesta, Venus and Roma, Apollo, and Jupiter. Indeed, devotion to all the great Roman gods was offered in the monumental domed Pantheon, which stands in Rome to this day. For the Romans, it was common to worship many gods. When you know that, the way you interpret this passage totally changes. We have to first discover what Paul meant to the Roman Christians before we can see what it means for us today.

But why would the Christians at Rome be "ashamed of the gospel?" Well on the surface, the gospel seems like a very strange message. It is about a Jewish carpenter and teacher who was put to death on a cross by Pontius Pilate, Roman governor of Judea. The message says that this man Jesus was raised from the dead and is now Lord. To the Romans, this would be offensive. You could say that Jesus was "god" for there were many gods in New Testament Rome. But to say that Jesus is Lord would imply declaring allegiance to Him. There was only one "lord" in Rome and that was Caesar. In addition to the gospel message being strange, Paul himself wrote that this message seemed foolish to Gentiles (1 Corinthians 1:23) and was a stumbling block to Jews. A crucified Messiah seemed to be a contradiction in terms to the Jews. A crucified Jew seemed like foolishness to the Romans, who despised Jews in general. Anyone who was crucified was considered among the lowest members of society; in fact, they were criminals!

In addition, because of their lack of size, fame, or honor in the Roman corridors of power and influence, the Christians might have been tempted to be ashamed of the gospel message. But Paul says it is nothing to be ashamed of, for it is in fact a message coming with the power of God that brings people to salvation. The Apostle experienced this truth first-hand. In fact, Romans 1:16 would serve as a great motto for Paul. He wasn't ashamed of the gospel. He had experienced Jesus and soon after that, he was preaching everywhere. Just read Acts. Luke ends the book of Acts this way: "He [Paul] lived there [Rome] two whole years at his own expense, and welcomed all who came to him, proclaiming the kingdom of God and teaching about the Lord Jesus Christ with all boldness and without hindrance" (Acts 28:30, 31 ESV). What an honorable way to be remembered.

You may have heard that Paul persecuted and killed Christians and that is true. The book of Acts attests to that. One instance I remember is in Acts 8; "And Saul [Paul] approved of his execution. . ." (v. 1). This is referring to the execution of Stephen. Stephen was a bold and outspoken follower of Jesus who was "full of grace and power" (Acts 6:8). He is mainly remembered for his bold address before the Sanhedrin in Acts 7 and his vision of Jesus "standing at the right hand of God" (7:56). How did the Sanhedrin respond to Stephen's defense and proclamation of the gospel? ". . .they were enraged, and they ground their teeth at him. . .they cried out with a loud voice and stopped their ears and rushed together at him. Then they cast him out of the city and stoned him" (v. 54, 57, 58). And the Bible goes on to say that Stephen died praying for them. Paul saw the whole thing and "approved of his execution" (8:1). In Acts 9 you find a beautiful story of a persecuting Pharisee who turns to Jesus; and that is Paul. He experienced the gospel's power first-hand and it is no wonder he declared "I am not ashamed of the gospel."

The Righteous Shall Live by Faith
This next verse likely means primarily "righteousness from God," so that it denotes right standing before God (a legal reality) that is given to people by God. A similar expression in Greek clearly has this meaning in Phil. 3:9. However, it is important to note that this expression in Greek likely also carries an additional, fuller meaning, which refers directly to God's right moral character, particularly manifested in His holiness and justice, and in the way that His method of saving sinners through Christ's death meets the just demand of His holy nature. Although today's world often regards using words that carry a double sense as confusing and ambiguous, in NT times such wording was commonly used to add weight and enrichment (See John 12:32 where "lifted up" refers to Christ being "exalted" by being crucified).

"From faith for faith" probably means  that right standing with God (justification) is by faith from start to finish. In the latter part of this verse Paul is quoting Habakkuk 2:4. The life of faith is all-encompassing: it is by faith that one initially receives the gift of salvation (eternal life), but it is also by faith that one lives each day (Galatians 3:11; Hebrews 10:38).

Are You Ashamed?
Christians today aren't the most honored people or famous just as the Christians at Rome were not. Being a believer brings persecution (John 15:20; 2 Timothy 3:12), in addition, the world thinks we're foolish (1 Cor. 1:18). You might be shamed for your faith, but do not be ashamed of the gospel! "You will be shamed, but you need not be ashamed. Because the message of God's saving work in Christ is the only final triumphant message in the world. Short-term pain. Long-term gain" (John Piper). When you are tempted to be ashamed, remember what the Good News is all about. If you focus on God and on what God is doing rather than your own inadequacy, you won't be ashamed or embarrassed. Be a bold witness both with your life and sharing the gospel. "You may be the only Bible people are reading" (Billy Graham).