Psalm 148

1 Praise the LORD! Praise the LORD from the heavens; praise him in the heights!

2 Praise him, all his angels; praise him, all his hosts!

In this psalm all of creation is summoned to praise YHWH, from the top to the bottom of the created order. The phrase “Praise YHWH/Him” (halulu) begins every line of the first four verses, lending a rhythm to the exuberant summons. The first verse is about locations and the second about the inhabitants of those locations. The heavens and the heights are parallel to one another, so “heights” probably refers to more than mountains. Although it is sometimes translated as “mountains”, in his context it likely refers to the exalted places within the heavens, in other words, the very throne room of YHWH, the holiest of places where angels worship him day and night (revealed to us in Isaiah 6:1-8 and Revelation 4). In that high and holy place the angels around the throne and the host of angels who do God’s bidding are also called to praise YHWH. Angels are the highest of created beings, so glorious and fearsome that in every encounter with humans, we find ourselves trembling in fear. Their image has been softened by artists who paint them with wings and kindly faces, but it seems more accurate to understand them as holy warriors. In the Old Testament the Angel of the LORD singlehandedly slew tens of thousands of soldiers for example. Isaiah describes them as frightful flaming six-winged beings whose booming voices shook the foundations of the temple. The psalmist here is not presuming to tell them what to do, but acknowledging what they are already doing -- continually praising YHWH in the highest places of the universe. If these glorious beings with all of their power find it necessary to cover their eyes in God’s holy presence and to shout forth continual praise, maybe we should have greater respect and adoration for Him as well. Too often our popular culture sees God as a kindly old man who has kindly angels who do his bidding while he dozes on the throne. Not so in the least. He dwells in the highest places and receives the highest praise from the highest created beings. He reigns above it all, and we would do well to acknowledge this in the way that we worship and pray to him.

3 Praise him, sun and moon, praise him, all you shining stars!

4 Praise him, you highest heavens, and you waters above the heavens!

The psalmist calls upon the inhabitants of the heavens to praise YHWH along with the angels. The sun, moon, and all the shining stars are invited to join the chorus. Of course they have no literal voice to speak words as the angels do, but their very existence is evidence of the splendor and greatness of God. The James Webb telescope and its predecessor, the Hubble, seem to reveal every day new beauties and wonders of the universe. Their images show that God is both artist and cosmic engineer of galaxies, nebulae, and supernovae. These incomprehensibly large objects are spinning, exploding, and birthing new stars constantly. We are now over 2 trillion galaxies and counting, with the number of stars and planets exponentially growing along with that number. All of these are declaring the glory of God and proclaiming his handiwork (Psalm 19:1). The “highest heavens” in verse 3 are literally, “the heavens of the heavens” in Hebrew, an idiomatic expression of the superlative. Looking to the sky, the psalmist calls upon the waters above the heavens to join the song on the next verse. This refers to clouds, storage containers for vast amounts of freshwater, having been purified through the power of the sun and the process of evaporation from even larger amounts of water in the vast ocean basins. Clouds are not only beautiful when they are fluffy and wispy, but also powerful and ominous, unleashing wind, hail, and lightning. In every form, they speak to the creativity, beauty, and power of their creator. Like the celestial objects in verse three, these phenomena closer to earth point us to One far greater than themselves. The ancients worshiped these celestial objects and the gods that were animating them, but the Hebrews understood that YHWH was greater than all of these. The pantheon of gods cherished by the ancients, were not gods at all. Rather, they all did the bidding of the one true and ultimate God. Don’t worship the angels, celestial objects or the storm. Worship the Creator of all things. 

5 Let them praise the name of the LORD! For he commanded and they were created.

6 And he established them forever and ever; he gave a decree, and it shall not pass away. [Or it shall not be transgressed]

The psalmist sums up the first half of the psalm by repeating his summons, “let them (all of the above) praise the name of the LORD.” God spoke and they were created (Hebrew bara, the same verb in Genesis 1:1). He established them to endure forever. His word does not change. Not only did God create the visible universe (sun, moon, stars, clouds and sky), but other spatial dimensions navigated by angels. Angels are “messengers” (that’s the root idea in Hebrew and Greek), servants of God who also serve humanity (Hebrews 1:14). God made the visible and the invisible through the power of his spoken word. The idea of an infinite universe has largely been put to rest by the Big Bang theory which suggests a singular moment in time when all things began, very similar to what is described in the Bible generally and in these verses in particular. God created all things and established them to last forever. Does this contradict the teaching of the New Testament that there will be a new heaven and a new earth? “Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,” for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea (Revelation 21:1). Perhaps it will not literally be a new universe, but a new way of experiencing that universe, access to multiple dimensions, the elimination of death, greater knowledge. It’s all speculative, but we can be sure that it is in our future because God has said it, and when he gives a decree, it’s not changing. He makes things to last, and so He is utterly dependable and worthy of our ultimate worship.

7 Praise the LORD from the earth, you great sea creatures and all deeps,

8 fire and hail, snow and mist, stormy wind fulfilling his word!

Turning his attention from the heavens to the earth, the psalmist calls upon each realm of creation to join together with the host of angels and the entirety of the universe beyond the earth in praising God. There is a slight change in the verb and pronoun in verse 7 -- “Praise you” in verse 7 and “let them praise” in verse 5. Perhaps as we are getting closer to the realm of humanity, the pronoun shift to the second person suggests greater intimacy. Verses 7 and 8 are all about water -- the waters of the depths of the oceans and the giant sea creatures that inhabit them, and the waters of the sky that come down to the earth in the form of hail, snow and heavy rain (“thick clouds” is a better translation than “mist”). The Hebrew word translated here as “great sea creatures” often suggests a serpent or sea monster elsewhere in the Psalms (44:19; 74:13; 91:13), but in Genesis 1:21 it is also just “great sea creatures.” The Hebrew word tannin is pluralized as tanninim, and it is a plural of majesty, similar to the way El (God) is pluralized to become Elohim (the greatest of the gods). My theory is that sailors had stories of giant sea creatures (most likely whales) and these were coupled with finds of fossils of massive dragon-like creatures (dinosaurs). Since the latter were only bones, it was assumed that these monsters were subdued at creation, ending the chaos they caused. The psalmist uses this imagery to suggest that the most powerful forces in the oceans are ultimately under God’s dominion, and like the celestial objects, the very existence of such enormous and powerful creatures is evidence of God’s design and power. The oceans cover three-fourths of the earth, and are by far the least explored. The environment is utterly inhospitable to human life and the distances involved are so vast. They are teeming with life that will never be seen by human eyes, and yet these invisible (to us) creatures are by their very existence glorifying God. Looking then to the waters above the earth, the psalmist describes the most powerful aspects of the sky -- lighting, hail, snow, thunderstorms, and stormy winds. These all act in fulfilling God’s word. This always raises that fundamental question of causation. When a weather-related natural disaster strikes (hurricane, flood, tornado, lightning strike causing fire, hail destroying crops) is God to blame? Are these phenomena merely fulfilling his word? In a general sense, yes, because He created the world and set it up so that these events were possible. We are also responsible to build houses and cities in such a way to withstand the effects of the environment, using our God-given wisdom to mitigate them. As to the cause and direction of specific storms, we must leave that to the wisdom and will of God. That is not the point the psalmist is making. He is simply giving praise to God for his obvious greatness as seen in these natural, powerful events that he has set in motion for the ultimate good of the earth. Storms that damage and destroy are one of the ways that life is recycled on the earth, mountains are worn down (and built up by volcanic and seismic activity), plants die and decay to become part of the soil, nurturing future life. These are all a part of the circle of life.  

9 Mountains and all hills, fruit trees and all cedars!

10 Beasts and all livestock, creeping things and flying birds!

The psalmist now turns his attention to the earth itself, the land, its features and inhabitants. From the highest mountains and hills covered in evergreen trees to the valleys where fruit trees and livestock flourish, sourced by snow-melted water from the mountains and hills, YHWH is to be praised for his genius and beauty. These environments provide habitat for a variety of animals, and the psalmist covers every major group: wild animals (beasts), domesticated animals (livestock), creeping things (insects) and flying birds. All of these inhabit the varied environments of the earth, and they are each worthy of study and admiration as they are perfectly designed for life. Some would argue that this is because of millions of years of evolution shaping them for survival, while others suggest that God simply made them this way. However, at this point we are arguing about the process and not the fact of their existence. Whether God took 3.7 billion years or 3.7 seconds to create life on earth, it’s still a miracle of epic proportions. One process demonstrates his patience, the other his unmatched power. This is not the point the psalmist is making. He is simply observing that these wonderful features and creatures of our planet were created by God and He is glorified when they do what they were created to do. The same is true of you and I. We were each designed especially for a purpose and we are fully alive when we are living according to that purpose, acknowledging the presence and power of God in our lives and living according to the nature he has given us and allowing our impulses and drives to be shaped by his will. All of these aspects of creation are doing what God made them to do, and this is glorifying Him. May we do the same. 

11 Kings of the earth and all peoples, princes and all rulers of the earth!

12 Young men and maidens together, old men and children!

The final group of those called upon to worship are the only ones on earth who can refuse to do so. Everything that God creates inherently praises him by simply existing, so our very lives are evidence of the reality, goodness, wisdom, and power of God. The eight groups of people here are representative of all of humanity in various stations and classes. From kings, princes, and judges to people of all ages, men and women, boys and girls. Each has the opportunity to acknowledge God and praise him verbally and vocationally. Of course, some will not. Perhaps many will not. Unlike the beasts and the birds, humans are endowed with free will which allows them to spit in the face of God, to mock him verbally and to live in opposition to him. They can redefine words and reality while reasoning God out of existence and out of their minds. But none of that will actually change reality. It is spitting into the wind. It is cursing the darkness while refusing to light the candle in your hand. It’s best to acknowledge the creator in the days of your youth (Ecclesiastes 12:1) and worship him all the days of your life. As a child, as a young adult, and as an old person -- your circumstances will change, but ultimate reality will not. God is with you through every season and He is worthy of your worship. Take note of the way that the different generations worship God and encourage this, value it, and support it. 

13 Let them praise the name of the LORD, for his name alone is exalted; his majesty is above earth and heaven.

14 He has raised up a horn for his people, praise for all his saints, for the people of Israel who are near to him. Praise the LORD!

Having summoned all of creation to praise YHWH, the psalmist underlines his appeal by stating three reasons why He is worthy of ultimate honor. First, “his name alone is exalted.” YHWH is unique. There is no other god to which He can be compared without the rival appearing weak and hollow. The gods of this world are empty and impotent next to the One True God. He is worthy of the highest praise and the greatest priority in our lives. Second, “his majesty is above earth and heaven.” The heavens and the earth are certainly majestic. Most everyone can agree that this world is full of wonders and beauty. Every night the universe puts on a show for us and every day cameras in space are taking pictures of distant galaxies, revealing the vastness of the cosmos. Yet God’s majesty is beyond and above all of this. Whatever we may understand about the earth and the universe, know that God is above and beyond it. There is more to this universe than meets the eye, and this is the majesty of God, his utter transcendence. Third, “he has raised up a horn for his people.” Usually the word horn is a metaphor for “the king”, or more generally, “strength.” We can’t be sure if the psalmist is referring to a specific king or the line of judaic kings in general, restored after the return from exile. What we can be sure of from the New Testament perspective is that Jesus is the ultimate promised king, and every great king of the Old Testament ultimately points to him. He is the object of the “praise of all the saints”. The people of Israel didn’t praise the king, but rather, they praised the One who gave them the king and who promised to be near to them through the king. This is the final word of the psalm, speaking of “the saints” as literally, “of the sons of Israel, of the people near to him.” The word “saint” can have “holier-than-thou” connotations, and it is often mocked in popular culture in reference to someone who is arrogant and self-righteous. But a saint, literally, “devoted one” is simply one who chooses to embrace the nearness of God, rather than run from it.