ChristadelphianBooksOnline
George Booker
Psalms Studies - Book 5

Psalm 146

1. Structure

1
Hallelujah
2-4.
Human frailty
5-9.
The greatness and kindness of God
10a.
His eternal kingdom
10b.
 Hallelujah

This is the first of five Hallelujah psalms which close the Psalter, and correspond to the five divisions of the whole Book (Psalms Studies, Intro., Part 2).

2. Authorship

Three considerations suggest Isaiah:

a.
The close similarities with Isaiah 42:

Psalm 146
Isaiah 42
4.
His breath goeth forth
5.
He giveth breath unto the people
5.
The God of Jacob for his help
6.
I the Lord... will keep thee (i.e., Jacob: v. 1, LXX)
6.
Made heaven, earth, and sea
5.
Created the heavens... spread forth the earth
6.
Keepeth truth for ever
3.
Judgment unto truth
7.
Executeth judgment for the oppressed
3.
Bring forth judgment
7.
Looseth the prisoners
7.
Bringeth out the prisoners from the prison
8.
Openeth the eyes of the blind
7.
To open the blind eyes

b.
The close similarities between this psalm and 147, which is much more evidently by Isaiah (see notes there).


c.
The marked appropriateness of phrase after phrase to the times of Hezekiah (see the next paragraph).

3. Historical setting

2.
While I live will I praise the Lord. This expression and v. 4 make nonsense of any kind of belief in the immortality of the soul. Also, how very appropriate this is to Hezekiah, who knew that he had fifteen years more of life granted to him (Isa. 38:5).
4.
There might also be special relevance here to Shebna, whose pomp and circumstance was exposed not only here (v. 3) but also in Isa. 22:15-19.
5.
Happy is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help, whose hope is in the Lord his God (Psa. 144:15). An allusion to Gen. 28:13-15. The key word here — “hope” — alludes to the hope of a multitudinous seed (cp. Psa. 16:9; Ruth 1:12,13; Rom. 4:18; 1 Pet. 1:3). In spite of massive devastation of the Land by the Assyrians, in spite of the loss of a multitude of captives and the flight of numerous refugees, the happy outcome is:

(a) triumph over the enemy,

(b) the return of those who were lost,

(c) the unifying of the tribes, and

(d) an era of tremendous prosperity.

In the circumstances, the word “happy” is an understatement. The nation and its king had every reason to be delirious with surprise and joy.
6.
Which made heaven, and earth, the sea, and all that therein is. These words are fitting in this context to the titanic destruction of the Assyrian army by divine operation of the elements (e.g., Isa. 30:30-33). Or, there may be symbolic reference to Israel as God’s special people (Jer. 31:35-37; Isa. 1:2; Gen. 37:9,10).

Which keepeth truth for ever. “Truth” very often refers to the Promises of God; in this instance, the great Promise made to David (2 Samuel 7), with its repeated “for ever”. This Promise was the backbone of Hezekiah’s faith. Hence the repeated references to “the God of David thy father”.
7.
Which executeth judgment for the oppressed; which giveth food to the hungry. The Lord looseth the prisoners. The deliverance of the multitude of captives taken away by Sennacherib (cp. Isa. 49:8-26). It was immediately after this time that God opened the windows of heaven to pour forth a blessing of fruitfulness and prosperity in the Year of Jubilee (Isa. 37:30,31).
8.
The Lord raiseth them that are bowed down, i.e., the prisoners in Assyria/Babylon, laboring under excruciating burdens.

The Lord loveth the righteous. This sentiment is not as banal or obvious as it might seem at first: there is particular reference to those who responded to Hezekiah’s appeal in the time of his reformation and in succeeding Passovers.
9.
The Lord preserveth the strangers. The foreigner dwelling among God’s people was to be cared for along with the fatherless and the widow (Exod. 22:21; 23:9: Lev. 19:33; 25:35; Deut. 10:18,19; Jer. 7:6). At such a time as this, such strangers would especially be those who desired to cleave to the God of Israel. They too came under the protecting shadow of God’s care (Isa. 56:3,6).

But the way of the wicked he turneth upside down. These words would be almost literally true in the violent devastation and destruction of the Assyrian camp outside Jerusalem.
10.
Thy God, O Zion. If the foregoing verses are read in a general way, this mention of Zion (i.e., the Temple area) seems almost out of place; but when associated with the great deliverance, the emphasis upon mount Zion in this and many other psalms (and frequently in Isaiah) is wonderfully apt.

4. Messianic fulfillment

In his ministry, Jesus time and again showed by his remarkable acts that he was the Messiah. What he showed to disciples and populace were only tokens of the yet greater power which he will exercise on earth in the day of his kingdom.

2.
While I live will I praise the Lord. These are the words of a Jesus who knew that his days were numbered; hence the repeated warnings to the disciples of suffering and crucifixion at Jerusalem (Mark 8:31; 9:31; 10:33,34; 12:7,8). All these days, even with a horrible death hanging over his head, were days of praise!

I will sing praise unto my God while I have any being. Yet the only instance of music in the life of Jesus was Matt. 26:30/Mark 14:26. Then should we not suppose that he frequently joined with the apostles in the singing of “psalms and hymns and spiritual songs” as they moved about from one place to another?
3.
Put not your trust in princes. The attitude of Jesus to Herod and Pilate illustrates this (Luke 13:32; 23:9; John 19:9-11; cp. also, generally, John 2:23-25).

In whom there is no help. Literally, “no salvation” from any ordinary “son of man”, but only through the “Son of Man”! The Hebrew suggests “no Jesus”.
4.
His breath goeth forth, he returneth to his earth; in that very day his thoughts perish (Gen. 2:7; 3:19; Psa. 104:29; Eccl. 12:7). Note the connection between “man” of v. 3 (adam) and “earth” of v. 4 (adamah). What is true of every man was true also of Jesus; here is a further witness concerning the true human nature of Christ. Could divine nature experience the complete unconsciousness of the grave? (For death as an unconscious state, see also Psa. 6:5; 88:10-12; 89:48; 104:33; 115:17; Isa. 38:18; Eccl. 9:5,6,10.)
6.
The Almighty Creator made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that therein is, but authority in all these spheres came to be shared by His Son (Phil. 2:9-11): heaven and earth (Acts 1:9; Matt. 28:18); the sea (Matt. 8:26/Mark 4:39/Luke 8:24; Matt. 14:25,32/Mark 6:48,51/John 6:19); and all that therein is (Luke 5:4-6; John 21:6).

Which keepeth truth for ever. The ultimate fulfillment of the great Promise to David — the Truth — will be when the Father gives the throne in Jerusalem to His Son (2 Sam. 7:12-16)!
7.
Which executeth judgment for the oppressed. Rather significantly there is no instance of Jesus taking sides against political oppression; but many a time he intervened on behalf of those oppressed by disease and ill-understood suffering.

Which giveth food to the hungry. Jesus used his miraculous power to feed multitudes (Matt. 14:13-21/Mark 6:32-44/Luke 9:10-17/John 6:1-13; Matt. 15:32-38/Mark 8:1-9); but he would not use that same power to produce for himself even one morsel of bread when he was hungry (Matt. 4:3,4/Luke 4:2-4).

The Lord looseth the prisoners.

"And ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan hath bound, lo, these eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the sabbath day?” (Luke 13:16).

Jesus even “loosed” Barabbas, but the blessing was wasted on such a scoundrel! He “released” John the Baptist from his doubts (Matt. 11:4-6), but loosed him from his dungeon only by beheading. Remarkable!
8.
The Lord openeth the eyes of the blind (Isa. 35:5). Literally — how many examples in the gospels? Spiritually — what a paradox the Pharisees presented (John 9:40,41)! And there was also a spiritual blindness in the twelve that was not to be cured, except by the resurrection, and even then there were problems: “Thomas, reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands” (John 20:27). It is only a blind man who sees with his fingers!

The Lord raiseth them that are bowed down. Again, the bent woman (Luke 13:8; Psa. 145:14). But perhaps “raiseth” implies resurrection; it is so used, many times.

The Lord loveth the righteous. But there are no righteous, except those who are justified by faith in the blood of Christ. And these he especially loves when they take wine in memory of his death.
9.
The Lord preserveth the strangers. On three occasions Jesus healed a Gentile, and each time without his personal presence (Matt. 8:13; 15:28; Luke 17:12,14,16). And so it is to this day!

He relieveth the fatherless and the widow. The former by adopting them into his heavenly family; the latter by himself becoming the heavenly Bridegroom.

The way of the wicked he turneth upside down. In token of this wonderful victory to come, Jesus overturned the tables of the money-changers, twice (John 2:15; Matt. 21:12,13/Mark 11:15-17/Luke 19:45,46)! Then in A.D. 70 came the real thing. And yet again, in our day, for another time (Ezek. 21:27), Israel will be called upon by its King to answer for its spiritual perversity!
10.
The Lord shall reign for ever. This, without doubt, is the Messianic kingdom which, unto all generations, will be centered in a Zion filled with Hallelujahs.
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