Old Llantrisant Hill
Introduction
- Explosions of praise
- Ps 148 - 12 times - "praise the Lord" or calls on man/creation to praise God
- Ps 150 - 13 summons to praise God
- 25 times - there is a call to praise the Lord
- Reaching a high point in the book of Psalms
- An expression of joy, awe and wonder
- Do we always feel like praising God? - examples
- Not always
- Is our one desire to always give God the glory
- Overview:
- Praise from the heaven (Ps 148:1-6)
- Praise from the earth (Ps 148:7-13)
- Praise from the redeemed (Ps 148:14 & Ps 150)
Praise from the heaven (Ps 148:1-6)
- v1 - It is amazing that sinful man can call the angels to praise God
- Praise the Lord
- Hallel - boast in the Lord
- v2 - Angels boast not in themselves but in the Lord
- Many examples from Scripture
- v3 - Calling on creation to praise God
- Something of the lustre praises God
- Speaks of the majesty and perfection of God
- God is speaking through the elements
- v4 - All transcendent
- v5 - All of creation is to declare His name
- v6 - Established forever
- God will renew creation
- The Psalmist thinking of the new heaven and earth
- God has made such a complex creation
- Evolution and the great intracy by chance is foolish
- Ps 33:6, Heb 11:3
Praise from the earth (Ps 148:7-13)
- v7 - The creatures
- Ps 89:5, Ps 95:5
- Ps 104:26, Col 1:16
- v8 - The elements
- It all speaks of the mighty power of God
- God is sovereign over all His creation
- v9 - The wonder of a rugged terrain
- We see the hand of our Maker
- The vegetation
- v10 - Wild and domesticated animals
- The wild and the things we can tame
- v11-12 – Man
- All of mankind
- The call from v7 is to "praise the Lord"
- This is his one desire
Praise from the redeemed (Ps 148:14 & Ps 150)
- Ps 148:14 - Out of all the people on the earth - there is one set of people that are close to Him
- The world is cut off in our trespasses and sins
- We have been brought near and forgiven
- We have been reconciled
- The 'True Israel'
- Ps 150:1 - Come into the sanctuary through the blood of Jesus Christ
- Ps 150:2 - We praise God for His mighty acts
- Examples - creation, redemption, might acts
- We have much more reason to praise God - for the Lord Jesus Christ
- Ps 150:3-5 – Taken up with the praise of God
- All the instruments - a huge orchestra
- Dance was a national event - especially in the context of victories and times of celebration
- Not a model for New Testament worship
- Principles - God should have the best
- Worship should be from the heart
- 1 Chronicles 13:8
- Nothing half hearted
- Ps 150:6
- Not to be worked up but to worship in spirit and truth
- Lift up holy hands and worship with a pure heart
Closing Remarks