Did you notice that the last five psalms all begin with the words “Praise ye the LORD”?

Psalm 146

• Praise the LORD as long as you live (v 2)
• Don’t rely on politicians or any other men for help; they, too, need the LORD (v 3-4)
• Be happy that the Creator and Sustainer of life is your help (v 5-9)
• God never stops (v 10)

Psalm 147

Praising the LORD is the right thing to do (v 1)

God as Creator and Sovereign of the Universe

• keeps a record of all the stars (v 4)
• His power is great; his understanding is infinite (v 5)
• He controls the weather and vegetation (v 6, 16-18)
• He feeds the animals (v 7)

God as Redeemer and Savior

• He gathers outcasts (v 2)
• He mends broken spirits (v 3)
• He lifts up the downtrodden (v 6)
• He enjoys His people (v 11)
• He reveals His mind to His people (v 19)
• He doesn’t do this for everyone (v 20)

Psalm 148

All of creation should praise the Lord

• angels (v 2)
• sun, moon and stars (v 3)
• skies and seas (v 4)
• dragons (dinosaurs?) and deeps (v 7)
• mountains and trees (v 9)
• animals, bugs and birds (v 10)
• kings and kingdoms (v 11)
• young and old, men and women (v 12)

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You will quickly note that full half of Psalm 136 teaches about God that “his mercy endures forever.”

As the psalm begins with an injunction to give thanks to the Lord (verses 1-3), so it ends (verse 26).

• And what reasons does the psalmist offer?
• Out of His mercy, God has . . .
• done great things (v 4)
• created the heavens and the earth (v 5-9)
• delivered Israel from Egyptian bondage (v 10-22)
• remembered and redeemed a sinful people (v 23-24)
• provided food for all mankind (v 25)

Have you given God thanks today, for his mercy which endures forever?

Though short in words, Psalm 138 does present the Bible student with a big question: How could David speak about the temple which was not built until his son Solomon’s time?

• David would praise God with his whole heart. Will you thus praise the Lord?
• God elevated His word above His name (v 2). Does this say anything about those who set aside the words of God?
• David understood that God must open our spiritual ears and speak to us before we can praise him in song (v 4).
• God humbles Himself and associates with us (v 6-7).
• And He will complete the good work which he started in me (v 8).

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Today’s Psalm begins (verses 1-3) and ends (verses 19-21) by encouraging the religious leaders to praise the Lord. Yes, even religious leaders need to be encouraged to praise the Lord.

• To praise the Lord is both good and pleasant (verse 3). Do you enjoy worship?
• One reason to praise the Lord is because He has chosen some men, sinful men, to be His special treasure (verse 4). Has God chosen you?
• Can you say with the psalmist, “I know that the LORD is great”? (verse5)
• God does what pleases Him (verse 6). Do you please Him?
• Creation (verse 7), the Exodus events (verse 8), and settling Abraham’s descendants in the land of Canaan (verses 11-12) are all good reasons to praise the Lord.
• Idols are deaf and dumb and blind and lifeless (verses 16-17); so also are their makers and their admirers (verse 18).

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More details on moving the ark

• Looking back at the first and failed attempt to relocate the ark of the covenant to Jerusalem, David doesn’t want the same mistakes to be made again; and he strictly orders that God’s word be followed in all points (1 Chronicles 15:2, 13-15). And what exactly did that entail?
• The ark was to be moved by Levites only.
  • The Levites were to be sanctified and cleansed before engaging in the work.
  • The Levites were to carry the ark themselves, and not enlist the aid of animals or wagons.
• To this end, the Levites were variously assigned jobs as porters, instrumentalists and vocalists (1 Chronicles 15:18-24).
• David delivered a psalm of thanksgiving (1 Chronicles 16:7).
  • Such joy should spread across the globe, among all nations (8, 24, 31)
  • God is ever to be remembered and sought (11, 12)
  • God’s covenant with our fathers in the faith should encourage us to trust Him, too (16-22)
  • God is above all the gods that men imagine, and He is worthy to be praised (25-30)

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