1Praise the Lord! I will praise the Lord with my whole heart,
In the assembly of the upright
and in the congregation.
2The works of the Lord are
great,
Studied by all who have
pleasure in them.
3His work is honorable and glorious,
And His righteousness endures
forever.
4He has made His wonderful works to be remembered;
The Lord is gracious and full of compassion.
5He has given food to those who fear Him;
He will ever be mindful of His
covenant.
6He has declared to His people the power of His works,
In giving them the heritage of
the nations.
7The works of His hands are verity and justice;
All His precepts are sure.
8They stand fast forever and ever,
And are done in truth and
uprightness.
9He has sent redemption to His people;
He has commanded His covenant
forever:
Holy and awesome is His name.
10The fear of the Lord is the
beginning of wisdom;
A good understanding have all
those who do His commandments.
His praise endures forever.
Commentary
Vs.
1
“Praise the Lord! I will praise the Lord
with my whole heart,
In the assembly of the upright
and in the congregation.”
This Psalm opens with an exhortation too, “Praise the Lord!” Literally, hallelujah! To the Lord our God! It then moves to a personal declaration of our praising the Lord with our whole heart, thus completely and freely, which is to be done in assembly of the upright. Thus, not amongst dogs and swine who will only mock, laugh at, or trample the Word of God under their defiled unbelieving feet (Matt. 7:6); but in the assembly of the upright, of everyone who sets, (and wants to set), their heart and life right for our God. Praising the Lord then in our homes singing worship songs, or in a Bible study where God’s praise and knowledge is welcomed and sought. And of course, in the congregation where the local church or assembly of believers gather is where our heartfelt Praise to the Lord is always to be heard.
Vs. 2 “The works of the Lord are great,
Studied by all who have
pleasure in them.”
Now our praise is born out of our study of the Lord, of seeing and understanding the great works of the Lord in redemption and salvation of all of His people. In fact, studying the Word of God is what causes praise to well up inside of us. I don’t know how many times I’ve been studying the Word of God when a great truth is given me by God’s Spirit through His Word by which I must immediately rejoice! For the Lord’s Works alone are great and everlasting and seeing them in His Word and in our lives is bliss!
Vs. 3 “His work is honorable and glorious,
And His righteousness endures
forever.”
The Lord's Work is always honorable and glorious. His Work alone is without any fault or any prejudice, without any moral or spiritual error or defilement. His Righteousness alone then endures forever! A Righteousness which is freely bestowed upon everyone who repents and believes in the Lord Jesus Christ. The Perfection of all honor and all glory then is seen in His Works alone. And on His Day the knowledge of the glory of the Lord shall fill the earth, forever!
Vs. 4 “He has made His wonderful works to be remembered;
The Lord is gracious and full of compassion.”
Through His Word (and His people) the Lord has made His wonderful Works to be remembered. Though His Work does not end there, for it is seen everywhere by all who open their eyes to observe it, in the heavens and on earth, both mankind and angel's observe His wonderful works. Works that are born out of His graciousness and His immense compassion. For the Lord is gracious and full of compassion, and that is how you will know our God’s Works and Righteousness, for in doing justly towards all, He never forsakes or forgets grace and compassion. The Crucifixion of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, His willingly doing this for us all, is evidential proof of this to one and to all. For just as Jesus Christ Rose from the dead to everlasting life, so shall all who believe in Him. God’s mercies then are for everyone and anyone who will receive Him through His Son Jesus Christ (John 1:12).
Vs. 5 “He has given food to those who fear Him;
He will ever be mindful of His
covenant.”
The Lords covenant people have always known the Lord’s provisions for them. From Abraham onward. But here this Psalm also focuses on all who fear Him, who keep His Word, who believe in His Son Jesus Christ will never hunger and we will never thirst, that is we will always be satisfied by Him. For He is ever mindful of His covenant; whether this is the Old Covenant He made with Israel, or His New Covenant for all of the redeemed in Christ, the Lord God is ever mindful of His Covenant. He will never break it (Lev. 26:45; Jeremiah 31:33-34; Ezekiel 37:26; Hosea 2:18-20).
Vs. 6 “He has declared to His people the power of His works,
In giving them the heritage of
the nations.”
The Lord’s powerful works have been revealed to His people in many ways, but none more so than His giving them the heritage of the nations, all their land and labors, God’s people were given when He brought them into the land of Canaan, and they will be given when Christ Reigns (Isaiah 60:1-18, vs. 5, 11; Zechariah 14:14 etc.).
Vs. 7-8 7The works of His hands are verity and justice;
All His precepts are sure.
8They stand fast forever and ever,
And are done in truth and
uprightness.
The Works of God’s hands are truth (i.e., verity) and justice. This again is how you will know the Lord’s Works, in this world, and in your life, and the lives of others. As for His precepts they are sure, they are absolutely the right way and only way to go. For they alone stand fast forever and ever, unchanged and unalterable, from times past to all eternity. For they are all done in truth and uprightness. You can trust them!
Vs. 9 He has sent redemption to His people;
He has commanded His covenant
forever:
Holy and awesome is His name.
Seeing both their immediate need and foreseeing the future, the Word of God now declares how the Lord has sent redemption to His people. How He has commanded His covenant forever by which He will preserve us. Therefore, we will never stop being His people, by faith in His Son’s Person and Name. Holy and Awesome is His name!
Vs. 10 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom;
A good understanding have all those who do His commandments.
His praise endures forever.
Over and over again in the Holy Scripture we are told that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom (Job 28:27-28; Prov. 1:20-33; 9:10; 10:27; 14:26-27; 15:33; 16:6; 19:23; 22:4; 23:17; Isaiah 11:2-4; 33:6; Acts 9:31 etc.). There is then no wisdom apart from reverence for God's Person and Name. For a good understanding comes from keeping His commandments (Prov. 1:7-8), for it is the Lord's praise alone that endures forever, mans not so much, therefore seek and obey the Lord!
Scripture Quotations
New King James (1982): Thomas Nelson.
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