Psalm 145

Sunday Morning Bible Study

May 30, 2004

Introduction

Memorial Day Illustration

One Sunday morning, the pastor noticed little Alex was staring up at the large plaque that hung in the foyer of the church. It was covered with names, and small American flags were mounted on either side of it. The seven year old had been staring at the plaque for some time, so the pastor walked up, stood beside the little boy, and said quietly, “Good morning, Alex.” “Good morning, Pastor,” replied the young man, still focused on the plaque. “Pastor, what is this?” “Well, son, it’s a memorial to all the young men and women who died in the service.” Soberly, they stood together, staring at the large plaque. Little Alex’s voice was barely audible, trembling with fear, when he asked, “Which service, the 9:00 or the 11:00?”

Psalm 145

David’s Psalm of praise.

This is another alphabetical psalm. In the Hebrew, the first verse begins with the first letter of the Hebrew alphabet, and each succeeding verse begins with the next letter of the alphabet. One letter is missing, the letter “nun” between verses 13 & 14.

This is the only psalm with a title like this. When a song is called the “Psalm of praise” of the sweet psalmist of Israel, I think it’s something we ought to pay attention to.

This is the last Psalm that has David’s name attached to it.

Pastor Chuck says that when he feels like he can’t find the words to express his thanks to the Lord for something, this is one of the places he turns and meditates on.

:1-7 God’s Greatness

:3 his greatness is unsearchable.

(Ps 145:3 The Message) God is magnificent; he can never be praised enough. There are no boundaries to his greatness.

:5 I will speak of the glorious honour of thy majesty, and of thy wondrous works.

David uses quite a list of words to describe God.

glorious – kabowd – glory, honour, glorious, abundance

honour – hadar – ornament, splendour, honour

majesty – howd – splendour, majesty, vigour

wondrous – pala’ – to be marvellous, be wonderful, be surpassing, be extraordinary, separate by distinguishing action

In other words, David thinks God is pretty awesome and wonderful.

:6 And men shall speak of the might of thy terrible acts

might – ‘ezuwz – strength, fierceness, might

terrible – yare’ – (Niphal) to be fearful, be dreadful, be feared; to cause astonishment and awe, be held in awe; to inspire reverence or godly fear or awe

The way God delivered Israel out of Egypt was “terrible” or “awesome”. The plagues of frogs, the hail and fire from the sky, the firstborn sons being slain.

When Israel began to conquer the Promised Land – the walls of Jericho fell down – quite “terrible”! When Israel fought the Canaanites at Gibeon, God had the sun stand still for twenty-four hours, and there was great hailstones that killed more than the Israelites killed (Josh. 10).

:8-10 God’s Attributes

:8 The LORD is gracious, and full of compassion; slow to anger, and of great mercy.

gracious – channuwn – gracious

compassion – rachuwm – compassionate

slow – ‘arek – long (pinions); patient, slow to anger

anger – ‘aph – nostril, nose, face; anger

mercy – checed – goodness, kindness, faithfulness

These same four qualities are a part of what God showed to Moses. Moses had asked to see God’s glory, and this is what happened:

(Exo 34:5-8 KJV) And the LORD descended in the cloud, and stood with him there, and proclaimed the name of the LORD. {6} And the LORD passed by before him, and proclaimed, The LORD, The LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, {7} Keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty; visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the children's children, unto the third and to the fourth generation. {8} And Moses made haste, and bowed his head toward the earth, and worshipped.

Yes, God is “terrible”, “awesome”, and He will punish sinners. But the chief attributes of God are His grace, compassion, patience, and mercy.

:9 The LORD is good to all: and his tender mercies are over all his works.

tender mercies – racham – womb; compassion

(Ps 145:9 The Message) …everything he does is suffused with grace.

Lesson

Meditate on His majesty

The size of your anxiety is not based upon the size of your problem. It’s based on the size of your God.

Your problems may indeed be much bigger than you, but if you would take time to think about how much bigger God is than your problems, perhaps you wouldn’t worry as much.

Illustration

Discouraged? Take this good counsel from Charles Spurgeon: “Plunge yourself in the Godhead’s deepest sea; be lost in His immensity; and you shall come forth as from a couch of rest, refreshed and invigorated. I know nothing which can so comfort the soul; so calm the swelling billows of sorrow and grief; so speak peace to the winds of trial, as a devout musing upon the subject of the Godhead.”

That might not sound so simple to you. Perhaps you are having a struggle with the reality of just how big and powerful God is. How can you “muse” on God’s majesty when it doesn’t seem so amazing to you?

You need to spend time in God’s Word. Read the true accounts of how God has worked on behalf of His people. Faith comes from spending time in God’s Word (Rom. 10:17).

:11-13 God’s Kingdom

:11 They shall speak of the glory of thy kingdom, and talk of thy power;

David himself was a king, but he’s not talking about David’s kingdom, he’s talking about God’s kingdom.

God’s Kingdom

This concept of God’s kingdom is a major theme of the Bible. In the New Testament alone, the word is found 158 times.

The kingdom of God is where God rules and reigns. If God rules in your heart, then the kingdom of God is in you.

The kingdom of God includes heaven, where God’s throne is, and where we will spend eternity.

When Jesus returns, He will set up God’s kingdom on earth.

:13 Thy kingdom is an everlasting kingdom

The NIV has picked up an extra verse here, adding the missing letter “nun” in the alphabet psalm. The missing verse is found in the Septuagint as well as a scroll in the Qumran texts.

(Psa 145:13 NIV) Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and your dominion endures through all generations. The LORD is faithful to all his promises and loving toward all he has made.

Lesson

Whose kingdom?

I find it fascinating that David is focused on one kingdom, God’s kingdom.

We all have a kingdom in a sense. Each of our lives is a kingdom. The things we surround ourselves with is our kingdom.

Nebuchadnezzar was the king of the world. If anyone had a right to be proud of his accomplishments, it was him. And he was proud. God warned Nebuchadnezzar about his pride in a dream, but old Neb didn’t pay any attention.

(Dan 4:29-32 KJV) At the end of twelve months he walked in the palace of the kingdom of Babylon. {30} The king spake, and said, Is not this great Babylon, that I have built for the house of the kingdom by the might of my power, and for the honour of my majesty? {31} While the word was in the king's mouth, there fell a voice from heaven, saying, O king Nebuchadnezzar, to thee it is spoken; The kingdom is departed from thee. {32} And they shall drive thee from men, and thy dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field: they shall make thee to eat grass as oxen, and seven times shall pass over thee, until thou know that the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will.

God humbled Nebuchadnezzar by making him act like a cow for a period of time, until he came to realize that there was a God in heaven who ruled over the affairs of man.

How do you view your life? Is it your little “kingdom” that you have made?

My wife likes to tease me about a computer game I play where you rule over a nation and the people you rule over respond by saying things like, “Yes m’lord” and “Whatever you wish”. It gives you a sense of POWER and CONTROL. Sometimes I can go through life expecting that everyone is supposed to say “Yes, m’lord” and “Whatever you wish”. It’s not going to happen. It shouldn’t happen.

Jesus taught us to pray, “Thy kingdom come, thy will be done”. But when we pray, do we really mean, “My kingdom come, my will be done”?

Is the focus of your life the building of “your kingdom” or “God’s kingdom”?

Jesus said,

(Mat 6:31-33 KJV) Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? {32} (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. {33} But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

Put God first. Be a part of His kingdom. Let Him rule your kingdom.

:14-16 God’s Works

:14 The LORD upholdeth all that fall

Lesson

God’s restoration

He will let you fall. But He will also help you back up.

The Pharisees had a hard time understanding this aspect of God’s heart.

(Luke 15:1-10 KJV) Then drew near unto him all the publicans and sinners for to hear him. {2} And the Pharisees and scribes murmured, saying, This man receiveth sinners, and eateth with them. {3} And he spake this parable unto them, saying, {4} What man of you, having an hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost, until he find it? {5} And when he hath found it, he layeth it on his shoulders, rejoicing. {6} And when he cometh home, he calleth together his friends and neighbours, saying unto them, Rejoice with me; for I have found my sheep which was lost. {7} I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance. {8} Either what woman having ten pieces of silver, if she lose one piece, doth not light a candle, and sweep the house, and seek diligently till she find it? {9} And when she hath found it, she calleth her friends and her neighbours together, saying, Rejoice with me; for I have found the piece which I had lost. {10} Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth.

God is very concerned that fallen people have a chance to get up.

(Luke 15:11-24 KJV) And he said, A certain man had two sons: {12} And the younger of them said to his father, Father, give me the portion of goods that falleth to me. And he divided unto them his living. {13} And not many days after the younger son gathered all together, and took his journey into a far country, and there wasted his substance with riotous living. {14} And when he had spent all, there arose a mighty famine in that land; and he began to be in want. {15} And he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country; and he sent him into his fields to feed swine. {16} And he would fain have filled his belly with the husks that the swine did eat: and no man gave unto him. {17} And when he came to himself, he said, How many hired servants of my father's have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger! {18} I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee, {19} And am no more worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants. {20} And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him.

If you are a person who has fallen, there’s a sense as if God were standing on tiptoes just waiting for you to turn around.

{21} And the son said unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy son. {22} But the father said to his servants, Bring forth the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet: {23} And bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it; and let us eat, and be merry: {24} For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. And they began to be merry.

When you come home, God’s heart is not to make you feel miserable for coming home. God’s heart it to welcome you.

:17-21 God’s Salvation

:17 The LORD is righteous in all his ways, and holy in all his works.

What about the person who has never heard about Jesus Christ?

We may not know for sure exactly what is going to happen to every person who has not heard of Jesus Christ, but this we do know:

God is righteous. He does what is right.

Abraham declared:

(Gen 18: 25b KJV) …Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?

The angels who are a part of God’s judgment will declare:

(Rev 15:3 NASB) …"Great and marvelous are Thy works, O Lord God, the Almighty; Righteous and true are Thy ways, Thou King of the nations.

:18 The LORD is nigh unto all them that call upon him

“You need not cry very loud; He is nearer to us than we think.” (Brother Lawrence)

:19 He will fulfil the desire of them that fear him:

Lesson

Fearing God

I think one aspect of fearing God involves knowing what God can do to you.

When a craftsman is at work, if he’s not careful he can cut a finger off with his saw. I’ve known many craftsmen who are missing a finger. But they learn to “fear” the saw. They don’t stop working with the saw, they just gain a new respect for the saw.

Illustration

There are two men working together at the sawmill when one of them accidentally saws his arm off. Quickly thinking his friend takes the arm, puts it in a plastic bag and rushes them to hospital. The following day he visits the hospital to find his friend playing tennis. “Wow the wonders of modern science”. So anyway they get back to work and are chatting away when a lapse in concentration results in the same careless guy sawing his leg off. Knowing the drill his friend takes the leg, puts it in a plastic bag and off they all go to hospital. The next visiting time he finds his friend playing football. “Wow the wonders of modern science”. A week later, back at work when the guy leans forward just a little too far and saws his head off. Straight away his friend takes the head, puts it in a plastic bag and rushes them all off to hospital. The next day the friend visits to find no sign of his chum. “Where’s my friend” asks the guy of the orderly. “Well”, said the orderly, “we could have saved him but some idiot put his head in a plastic bag and he suffocated.”

The real problem wasn’t plastic bags, it was a lack of “fear” of the saw.

This isn’t a “fear” that keeps you away from God. It’s a “fear” that teaches you to respect who God is.

God promises to answer the prayers of those who fear Him.

When I hear people talk about demanding things from God in prayer, I shiver. I think, “This is not someone who has learned to fear God.

Yet when you “fear” God, you will learn to ask for the right things.

:20 The LORD preserveth all them that love him: but all the wicked will he destroy.

Is it possible to “fear” God and “love” Him at the same time? Absolutely.

We can fear Him for what He could do to us. We love Him for what He has done for us.