Psalm 145

Psa 145:1

SUPERSCRIPTION: "A PSALM OF PRAISE. OF DAVID".

See Lesson, Acrostics.

SETTING: 2Sa 6-8.

I WILL PRAISE YOUR NAME FOR EVER AND EVER: "The throne and thy kingdom shall be established for ever before thee [ie, in your presence]" (2Sa 7:16). Thus David was assured of an eternal life in which to praise his God.

Psa 145:2

EVERY DAY: Meaning, 'the bad days as well as the good days!'

Psa 145:3

HIS GREATNESS NO ONE CAN FATHOM: Eph 3:8; Psa 139:1,23; Rom 11:32,33: "How unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out." Isa 40:28: "There is no searching of his understanding."

Psa 145:4

ONE GENERATION... TO ANOTHER: The continuity of David's dynasty, right up to Jesus! Of great importance to Hezekiah also.

Psa 145:6

YOUR AWESOME WORKS: David's defeat of the kingdoms in 2Sa 8; Psa 2; 60.

Psa 145:7

CELEBRATE: "Utter" (AV). Heb "naba" = to bubble forth: sw Psa 19:2; 78:2; 119:171; Pro 15:2; 18:4.

"Abundant"! Weak praise is no praise at all! Is Yahweh to be "damned with faint praise"?

Psa 145:10

ALL YOU HAVE MADE: Either those now dedicated to the service of the sanctuary, or David's holy nation thronging in enthusiasm to the Tabernacle newly set up in Zion (2Sa 6:1).

(NT) That is, the "saints", the "New Creation". These works of God are His redeemed, as the parallel with "saints" makes plain (so also in v 17; cp Psa 77:11-20; 102:18; 104:31; 111:2-9; John 9:3; 2Co 5:14-19; Gal 6:15; Eph 2:1-10; 4:22-24; Col 1:15-18; 3:9,10; Jam 1:18; Rev 3:14; 15:3,4). Isaiah often uses "the work of God's hands" to describe men and women in process of redemption (Isa 19:25; 29:23; 45:11; 60:21; 64:8).

Psa 145:13

EVERLASTING: "For ever" in 2Sa 7:13,16.

YOUR KINGDOM IS AN EVERLASTING KINGDOM: So said Nebuchadnezzar in Dan 4:3,34.

THE LORD IS FAITHFUL TO ALL HIS PROMISES AND LOVING TOWARD ALL HE HAS MADE: Psa 145 is also an acrostic psalm (see Lesson, Acrostics), but in the KJV the letter Nun is missing. Ancient versions and a Qumran text (1,000 years older than the KJV "Received Text") supply the missing verse -- these lines. The RSV and NEB -- along with the NIV -- include this in the text itself.

Psa 145:14

ALL THOSE WHO FALL: David's sickness and recovery (Psa 30).

ALL WHO ARE BOWED DOWN: Sw Luk 13:11: the woman bowed down with infirmity.

Psa 145:15

THE EYES OF ALL LOOK TO YOU: Day of Atonement language: worshipers assembled in the court, waiting for the blessing from the High Priest.

(NT) "And the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened on him" (Luke 4:20).

THEIR FOOD AT THE PROPER TIME: The great feast provided by David when the Ark was established in Zion (2Sa 6:19). Or the extraordinary fruitfulness of the Year of Jubilee (Lev 25:9), which began on the Day of Atonement.

(HEZEKIAH) Hezekiah's ravaged kingdom and plundered people waiting for the blessing of Jubilee.

(NT) "And Jesus took the loaves; and when he had given thanks, he distributed to the disciples, and the disciples to them that were set down; and likewise of the fishes as much as they would" (John 6:11). And these are the merest tokens of the greater blessings yet to come. This phrase is quoted in Luke 12:42: "Who then is that faithful and wise steward, whom his lord shall make ruler over his household, to give them their portion of meat in due season?" The faithful and wise servant, who has been appointed ruler over the household of his Lord, is doing the work of God when he provides for the (New) Creation their food (both physical and spiritual?) day by day. (Provision of physical food is seen in Acts 6:2-6; and of spiritual "food", throughout the NT!)

Psa 145:18

"No man will reach the kingdom without prayer, and prayer to be effectual must proceed from lips which are sincere and upright. God will not hear those who keep not His commandments (Pro 15:29; Psa 66:18). The prayers of the disobedient are worse than useless, they are an abomination in God's ears (Pro 28:9). Let us then examine ourselves, and pray simply, fervently, unceasingly. Let us pay no heed to the objections of men who tell us that prayer is beneath the notice of a Great Creator, that it is superfluous, and, if answered, would mean a violation of Nature's laws. Till the Bible is demolished we can afford to leave such objections severely alone. The Bible is full of encouragement in the matter of prayer. Hannah prayed for a child, and got one (1Sa 1:11,20); Abraham's servant prayed for a good wife for Isaac, and met with a favourable response (Gen 24). Much that is beyond the power of finite man to see and grasp has to be taken into account before his prayer can be answered. We sometimes forget this when things do not go just as we would wish. Let us remember, too, that this is a day for walking by faith, and that all prayer is answered in harmony with this divine arrangement" (ATJ).

Psa 145:20

THE LORD WATCHES OVER ALL WHO LOVE HIM: For example, David, who was himself struck down by a grievous illness (see on Psa 30) because of his own personal responsibility for the way in which the ceremony of the Ark miscarried (1Ch 15:2,13).

ALL THE WICKED HE WILL DESTROY: The punishment of the wicked is eternal death, not endless torture: Psa 37:20; 92:7; 104:35; Pro 10:30; 11:31; Job 20:7,8; 21:30; Eze 18:4; Mat 21:41; Luk 19:27; Rom 1:32; 6:23; 2Th 1:9; 2Pe 2:2; Heb 6:8.

Psa 145:21

LET EVERY CREATURE PRAISE HIS HOLY NAME FOR EVER AND EVER: This demands reference to the future kingdom: "And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever" (Rev 5:13).