Day 31 (Pss 148-150) Hallelujah! The doxology continues in this final lection from the Psalms. As pointed out yesterday Pss 145-150 form and extended closing doxology to the Psalter. Give everything you have - AND MORE - to the praise of the Yahweh. Psalm 148 ushers us into not just a worship assembly "on earth" but it is COSMIC. It takes eyes to see "where we are" and ears to hear what is truly going on in our worship assemblies. Psalm 148 brings us into the throne room of God like Hebrews 12 does and Revelation does throughout. Here all creation is continuously praising the Creator God as King. The sun, the moon, fire, snow, mountains and even "creeping things" (148.10). In this Psalm it is humans joining the rest of creation in praise. This is why trumpets, lyres and even dancing is given to God in worship because everything belongs to him already!! We join "them" in worship that never ceases. We are taken into the throne room by the Spirit of God to join the chorus singing to the audience of One. All people, all faux kings, youn men, maidens band together to glorify the King. Psalm 149 extends that wholesome creation theology. Praise is given to the "Maker" (v.2). Praise is "in their throats" (v. 6). Worship is relational. God does "take pleasure in his people" (v.4). People today could learn a lesson or two from Israel about what it means to worship God in body, soul and spirit. Since Israel is commanded to love God with body, soul, spirit, and strength their worship parallels that (that is what v.3 is about). Some today love God only with their propositions and their worship reflects the lack of joy and energy this Psalm is demanding of the People. Psalm 150 moves beyond both 148 and 149. Those give us "reasons" to praise. And we have millions of them to bow before the Lord our Maker. But Ps 150 gives no reason. Supreme worship does not flow from any of the benefits we receive from God. Supreme worship flows to God simply because he is God! This pure worship in Ps 150 makes some modern disciples "uncomfortable" to say the least. Undignified. Outrageous. Over the top. No holds barred. But two things must be remembered always. First, Jesus sang this song. Jesus prayed this prayer. Jesus joined the festive throng in shouting to God the Father with lutes, harps, clapping and even dance! (v.4). The only way to say he did not is to deny he IS a Jew!! Second, If we believe that the Holy Spirit is ultimately responsible for Scripture then this psalm, like ALL of them, is here because he wants it there. Humans always think they are holier and more Spiritual than God so they embrace some neo-Platonic spirituality or neo-gnostic contemplation. But God loves EMBODIED and FULL BODIED material - the stuff of Creation - worship. Thus Psalm 150 caps off the entire book of Praise. In our journey we have gone through mountains, valleys, sheol, darkness, enemies of God, pain, suffering ... and ultimately the joy of being the People blessed to be in his glorious Presence in sweet communion. My prayer meditation for the rest of the day is this, "Lord God of Israel purify my heart so I desire to worship you in communion with your family, through Jesus our Liturgist, simply because you are the Glorious King. Amen.
Posted on: Tue, 30 Jul 2013 17:30:23 +0000
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