Psalm 138 Commentary
One man once commented that humans are praise machines by design. If we don’t praise others, we praise ourselves. We praise things, skills, inventions, ideas, or events, past or present.
Even when we buy cars or cell phones, the overriding factor is praise, for ourselves or others.
What will people think of me in this attire? We are simply playing around with the word praise.
The tallest buildings are constructed for praise. Career development is driven by praise. Shame is simply negative praise.
Can we be surprised that the Bible talks about praise so much? Some believers feel the sole purpose of man’s existence is praise. Praising God, to be specific. They are not fools.
David praises the LORD with all his heart. No lip service for social media, only serious business.
David lives in a world of countless gods. They are responsible for all sorts of things, such as weather, fertility, and good fortune. In fact, just about any natural element has its own god. David elevates the LORD God above all these gods.
Money is still an important god among many others. The stomach is another, representing all sorts of appetites. They can easily take the place of God in the saint’s life. Praising God from the heart is to truly appreciate God’s throne above all other pretenders.
David bows down in worship towards God’s physical symbol – the temple. He then utters his praise, both musical and non-musical declarations. He has his own reasons. The LORD God is faithful and loving.
There is more. From the top, the LORD stoops down and reaches out to the lowly. He is there with them.
David’s last words in this psalm are yet another praise phrase. It is an acknowledgment of the LORD God as the creator of humanity. Let not God abandon His creation.
David is God’s creation. It is a simple statement, but it is flowing from a deep understanding that David is not the product of some god called ‘Big Bang’ or Evolution, or indeed any other.
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