NOTES for Psa 148
1 Praise ye the LORD. Praise ye the LORD from the heavens: praise him in the heights. |
2 Praise ye him, all his angels: praise ye him, all his hosts. |
3 Praise ye him, sun and moon: praise him, all ye stars of light. |
4 Praise him, ye heavens of heavens, and ye waters that be above the heavens. |
5 Let them praise the name of the LORD: for he commanded, and they were created. |
6 He hath also stablished them for ever and ever: he hath made a decree which shall not pass. |
7 Praise the LORD from the earth, ye dragons, and all deeps: |
8 Fire, and hail; snow, and vapour; stormy wind fulfilling his word: |
9 Mountains, and all hills; fruitful trees, and all cedars: |
10 Beasts, and all cattle; creeping things, and flying fowl: |
11 Kings of the earth, and all people; princes, and all judges of the earth: |
12 Both young men, and maidens; old men, and children: |
13 Let them praise the name of the LORD: for his name alone is excellent; his glory is above the earth and heaven. |
14 He also exalteth the horn of his people, the praise of all his saints; even of the children of Israel, a people near unto him. Praise ye the LORD. |
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The call to praise the Lord is addressed to all creation, and we see that this psalm of invitation resembles a descent down the staircase of the universe. At its summit is the mention of the Creator Himself, followed by an appeal to the spiritual beings He created, the angels. Then the psalmist addresses the material world: the heavenly bodies, living creatures, and natural elements. Finally, recalling the order in which the world was created, the singer addresses people, as though tracing a hierarchical staircase from higher to lower, from kings to youths.
But then, at the end of the discourse, we see how highly people have been raised in the person of the nation chosen by the Lord. Thus, being mentioned last does not mean being assigned the lowest place.
What seems insignificant may prove to be most important. And what seems like a descent may prove to be the run-up for an ascent and a rising.
Other notes
For Psa 148
1 Praise ye the LORD. Praise ye the LORD from the heavens: praise him in the heights. |
2 Praise ye him, all his angels: praise ye him, all his hosts. |
3 Praise ye him, sun and moon: praise him, all ye stars of light. |
4 Praise him, ye heavens of heavens, and ye waters that be above the heavens. |
5 Let them praise the name of the LORD: for he commanded, and they were created. |
6 He hath also stablished them for ever and ever: he hath made a decree which shall not pass. |
7 Praise the LORD from the earth, ye dragons, and all deeps: |
8 Fire, and hail; snow, and vapour; stormy wind fulfilling his word: |
9 Mountains, and all hills; fruitful trees, and all cedars: |
10 Beasts, and all cattle; creeping things, and flying fowl: |
11 Kings of the earth, and all people; princes, and all judges of the earth: |
12 Both young men, and maidens; old men, and children: |
13 Let them praise the name of the LORD: for his name alone is excellent; his glory is above the earth and heaven. |
14 He also exalteth the horn of his people, the praise of all his saints; even of the children of Israel, a people near unto him. Praise ye the LORD. |
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Readings for 26 April 2019
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