It is indeed good to sing praises to our God (Psalm 147:1), and Psalm 146 already reminded us that our trustworthy God merits every song we could sing. As the Psalms’ concluding call to worship continues in Psalm 147, we’re reminded of another reason to praise God: He has been kind to us in countless ways—rescuing us, feeding us, protecting us, and directing our steps. Let’s listen and remember:
The LORD rescues (v. 1-6). He gathers His people, building up Jerusalem by collecting the broken and the outcast—messed-up people like us—and healing and fixing them (v. 2-3). In His infinite knowledge, power, and wisdom, the LORD not only counts the stars, but calls them by name (v. 4-5)—and if He knows the stars by name, how much more can we be sure that He knows us and is able to rescue us! He lifts up the humble and weak, but crushes the wicked who insist on standing against Him (v. 6). Will we fight Him, trying to rescue ourselves, or will we humble ourselves under His unfailing care?
The LORD protects (v. 7-11). Not only is it beautiful to praise the LORD who rescues, but it is fitting to sing in thankfulness to the LORD who prepares rain and makes grass grow. He provides for plants and animals (v. 8-9); will He not meet all of our needs, too (see Job 38:39-41, Luke 12:22-28)? And because He is powerful enough to care for us, He is not impressed with the strength or beauty of His creatures; God isn’t in awe of fast horses or strong men (v. 10). Instead, God is delighted when His creatures see Him for who He is and respond by obeying and counting on Him (v. 11). And again we hear the question—will we foolishly try to be strong enough to protect ourselves, or will we humbly rely on His mercy?
The LORD directs (v. 12-20). And all of God’s people can join in the song, because we have a shared experience of God’s providential care, as He has given us safety, families, peace, and food (v. 13-14).[1] In light of the rest of the passage’s focus on God’s creating and commanding words, we see here how God’s perfect authority is on display even when He uses the activities of people (building walls, bearing children, pursuing peace with neighbors, planting and harvesting) to accomplish His kind purposes. In any endeavor, the results of our faithful efforts depend on the LORD (Ps. 127:1-3; Mark 4:26-29; 1 Cor. 3:5-9; James 4:15, 5:7), and any success we enjoy is an occasion to give thanks.
In the meantime, God rules over His creation. Snow and frost, hail and wind come at His bidding (v. 15-18). As in the preceding verses, He works through physical means that we may observe and study, but it is the LORD who ordains those means. As Kidner notes, “The cold is his cold, [and] the wind which thaws it is also his;”[2] they come and go at His word (v. 18). No natural phenomenon is beyond His wise and kind kingship.[3]
And in a shocking turn, God has spoken in another way. Where His word before has simply acted—“Let there be light,” and there was light, snow and hail appearing on command—God has declared His word to Israel, setting them apart from all other nations by telling them how to live in order to please Him (v. 19-20). Rather than simply commanding and us acting as automatons, He has granted us the privilege of actively obeying—or disobeying. And though all people everywhere have a deep-down, carefully suppressed knowledge that there is a God to whom they owe allegiance (Rom. 1:18ff.), no other group of people had been entrusted with God’s saving word, the Scriptures through which those who believe are made wise unto salvation (2 Tim. 3:15). People sometimes think of God’s Law in the Old Covenant as hard or oppressive, but this is God’s gracious gift, showing His people His character and His ways so that they are moved to imitate Him, and this gift was given only to one nation at this point (see also Deut. 4:7-8, 33-36). And again the question rings out: the hailstones obey His every word; will we be as wise as a humble lump of ice?
And we have been given a still greater gift: a final Word from God, God Himself entering time and space in flesh to perfectly and fully reveal Himself to us (John 1:14-18, Heb. 1:1-4). If the psalmist stood (rightly) in awe of the Maker and King of the universe making Himself known, how much more reason we have to praise the God who by the blood of His own Son has rescued us, has withheld no good thing from us for the sake of His Son, and has shown us how to live by the example and the commands of His Son! Today, let’s praise the LORD for His great, His infinite kindness.
Grace and peace, Mike Yates
For further thought and discussion: Where have you seen God’s kindness in your life lately? Take some time today to reflect on the ways He has rescued you, provided for you, and directed you (and especially by His Word).
[1] All of these continue the theme of v. 7-11, and so v. 12-14 could be seen as part of that stanza. However, the psalm seems to introduce each stanza with a renewed call to praise, as we find in v. 12.
[2] Derek Kidner, Psalms 73-150 (Downers Grove: InterVarsity, 1973), 486.
[3] This doesn’t mean that natural disasters are somehow good things; we are in a broken, sin-twisted, post-Fall world (see Rom. 8:19-24). It does mean that no disaster strikes apart from God’s knowledge and permission. We do not know enough to say why any given event happens. Scripture gives examples of disasters coming as judgments for specific sins, but we are not wise or powerful enough to read God’s mind when He has not spoken. Any would-be divine press agent who publicly announces that a hurricane, blizzard, or plane crash came because of such-and-such sin ought forever to be ignored as a false prophet, speaking when God has not.
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