I will exalt You, my God and King; I will bless Your name forever and ever. Sermons
I. THE VARIOUS ELEMENTS WHICH ENTER INTO THE HIGH PRAISE OF GOD which this psalm sets forth. Note: 1. Its different forms. (1) "I will extol thee;" that is, lift up. He meant that he would do this by his song, by his words continually; he had found God to be his God, his Savior, his ever-bounteous Benefactor and Helper, and he meant that he would proclaim all this, that all men might hear and know. How good it is for a man to act thus! (2) "I will praise thy Name." The Name of God continually stands for all that God is, and by which he is known to his people. We extol God, or should do so, for what he is to us, as the psalmist does; but praise of his Name means praise for all that he is. This is a more difficult work than the former, for in that we had God's gracious aspect turned towards us; in this, other aspects of his character are included - the mysterious and the stern. It is, indeed, the grace of God when the soul can praise God for all that he is. (3) "I will bless thy Name." This is something yet higher, and of it we may say, that whilst to extol God is good, and to praise his Name yet better, that which is best of all is to bless his Name. For blessing as distinguished from praise involves the grateful, loving, and heart-adoring clement. There are those whom we praise, but do not bless; we may praise men for genius, skill, integrity, righteousness, but we do not bless them unless, not only is their character admirable, but also we have been brought into contact with them, and have had personal knowledge and realization of their goodness; then we bless as well as praise. Lower down in this psalm it is said, "All thy works praise thee, but thy saints shall bless thee." May this be our portion! 2. The object of all this high praise. (1) It is none other than God. Not to man, nor to angels, nor to any being less and other than God is rendered this devout and adoring homage of the heart. We are very apt to be so taken up with the achievements of the agents and instruments God uses that we are in danger of forgetting him, or of putting him in a too subordinate place. For it is he, and none other, who is the real Author and Accomplisher of all. But the writer of this psalm falls into no such error, but lifts up his praise solely to God. (2) And to God whom he has by faith personally appropriated: "my God." God was to him no distant, abstract, or mere ideal Deity, but One whom he had so found to be his perpetual Benefactor and Helper, that his heart clung to him, and he called him "my God." It is such personal appropriation of God that gives vigor and intensity to our praise; without it our praise is poor work. (3) And confessed as King: "my God, O King." His faith had grasped the blessed truth that God ruled over all; none could withstand his power. "The Lord reigneth, be the nations never so unquiet." Oh, the joy and peace that come from this faith! It was delight to the psalmist's heart to be assured, as he was, that the Divine King, whom he gladly obeyed, was King over all. 3. Fixed resolve. Four times in these two opening verses we have the words, "I will;" and so again (vers. 5, 6). Praise, like faith, is very much a matter of the will. We are prone to make it dependent upon the emotions. If we feel happy, then we sing praise easily; but if we do not thus feel, then praise falters and dies. But let us remember that the dominant faculty in our nature is not feeling, but will. When God says, "My son, give me thine heart," he means not the feelings, but the will, and if that be ever on God's side, everything else will soon fall into its proper position. Let the will be right, the feelings will soon give way. 4. Its continuousness and permanence. "Every day will I," etc. Not only the bright days, but the dark ones. Praise, like prayer, must be a habit, a constant practice, or we shall fall out of both its use and blessing altogether. And this habit must be permanently maintained. "Forever and ever" (vers. 1, 2). Here is the real test and trial of the religious life. Many are induced to begin, but, alas, how many show that they have no staying power! They get cold and indifferent, and after a while break away altogether. But the earnest, impassioned soul of the psalmist resolved that his praise of God should be every day, and forever and ever. II. THE GROUNDS ON WHICH THIS PRAISE IS BASED. There are three divisions in this psalm, and each one tells of one special reason for this fervent praise of God. 1. In the first seven verses it is the greatness of the Lord. (Ver. 3.) And when one thinks of the seemingly irresistible might of the manifold forces of evil, our hearts are apt to die down; but how greatly are they cheered and strengthened when we call to mind and do firmly believe in that greatness of God against which all these forces hurl themselves in vain! 2. Then next (in vers. 7-16), the tender mercies of the Lord are celebrated. When the soul thinks of them, what can it do but perpetually praise and bless the Lord? 3. And last of all (from ver. 17), the righteousness of the Lord is the theme of thanksgiving. Without this even his tender mercies would be shorn of well-nigh all their preciousness, it is because we have a righteous salvation that our heart is glad. III. ITS EXCEEDING BLESSEDNESS. 1. Many forget this. They pray to God, but too often fail to praise him. We say our prayers more often than we sing our praises. But this is wrong. 2. God deserves and delights in our praise. Love ever loves the response of love; and in regard to God, such response takes the form of praise. 3. And it is powerful in its influence with others. If they see that our God is one who fills our heart with joy, will not they be led to desire and to seek him? 4. And for ourselves its effect is as blessed as it is powerful. It gives us confidence before God, joy in the heart, drives away fear, prepares us for heaven, cheers us in all the work of life and amid its darkest trials. - S.C.
Touch the mountains, and they shall smoke. : — It must be striking indeed to any one living in the neighbourhood of a chain of volcanoes to see those mountains which have long lain dormant suddenly tremble and throw up smoke. It must seem to them as though God laid His finger on the mountain peak, and called its hidden forces into activity, as the touch of a musician on the key of an instrument awakes a musical note. Some such scenes, transacted in the moral world, are quite as striking as those which occur in the material world. There are human natures which are cold and impassive, which become full of emotion and glow with heat at the touch of God. It was so at Pentecost. Before that day how faint-hearted, narrow-minded, short-visioned were the apostles. But how changed were they after the cloven tongues had rested on their heads. Fear was banished, their caution had disappeared, trampled down by their zeal, their understandings were illumined, their hearts burned with the fire of love, it was woe to them if they preached not the Gospel. "If He do but touch the mountains, they shall smoke." And now, what are we to learn from this? That there are times when God touches the heart, and the emotions are stirred. Perhaps the conscience is agitated by remorse for sin, perhaps with a sudden pang of sorrow for wasted opportunities, perhaps it quakes with fear of the judgments of God, perhaps there comes the flame of Divine love touching the heart, as a taper touches the wick of a candle, bidding it flame. And what then? If the feeling be allowed to be transient, if it be not followed up by an act of will, accepting the call, responding to grace, if it be followed by no resolutions, no struggle for amendment, — then it is the old story of Felix, and Agrippa, and Simon the Sorcerer over again. But, oh! if the touch of the finger of God calls up the long dormant will, if resolutions of amendment are formed, and a struggle be entered on which is to continue through life, then it is the old and beautiful story over again of Magdalen penitent and loving much, of Peter weeping and rising courageous to die for his Lord, of Saul the persecutor becoming Paul the preacher of righteousness, of John Boanerges transformed into the apostle of love. If ever your heart is stirred, at once turn the emotion to account, transform the feeling into practice. Then the feeling does not pass away for ever, it has left its trace, it has stirred your whole being, and has begun to transform your life. The whole mount of your heart will quake with the consciousness of sin, and your affections will smoke altogether as an offering of a sweet savour to God.(S. Baring Gould, M. A.) People David, PsalmistPlaces JerusalemTopics Acrostic, Age, Alphabet, Bless, Blessing, Consecutive, David, David's, Exalt, Extol, Forever, Glory, Gt, Half, Hebrew, Including, Letter, Lt, O, Praise, Psalm, Song, Starting, VerseOutline 1. David praises God for his fame8. For his goodness 11. For his kingdom 14. For his providence 17. For his justice, holiness, and savings mercy Dictionary of Bible Themes Psalm 145:1 5369 kingship, divine Library June 17 EveningAll thy works shall praise thee, O Lord; and thy saints shall bless thee.--PSA. 145:10. Bless the Lord, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits.--I will bless the Lord at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth.--Every day will I bless thee; and I will praise thy name for ever and ever. Because thy lovingkindness is better than life, my lips shall praise thee. Thus will I bless thee while I live: I will lift … Anonymous—Daily Light on the Daily Path The Satisfier of all Desires Christian Conversation How I Know God Answers Prayer Exhortations to those who are Called God, My King, Thy Might Confessing Free Grace Prayer Out of the Deep. The Life, as Amplified by Mediaeval Biographers. I Will Pray with the Spirit and with the Understanding Also- Second Great Group of Parables. The Knowledge of God Conspicuous in the Creation, and Continual Government of the World. The Holiness of God Covenant Duties. The Mercy of God The Intercession of Christ Psalms Links Psalm 145:1 NIVPsalm 145:1 NLT Psalm 145:1 ESV Psalm 145:1 NASB Psalm 145:1 KJV Psalm 145:1 Bible Apps Psalm 145:1 Parallel Psalm 145:1 Biblia Paralela Psalm 145:1 Chinese Bible Psalm 145:1 French Bible Psalm 145:1 German Bible Psalm 145:1 Commentaries Bible Hub |
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