The Chorus of All Creation: Learning to Pray Psalm 148

The medieval monk St. Francis of Assisi (early 13th century) penned a hymn beginning with these words “All creatures of our God and King, Lift up your voice and with us sing.” Assisi was drawing on Ps 148 for inspiration; his opening lines capture aptly the theme of the psalm.

Ps 148 envisions a vast choir that includes singers from all parts of creation joining in the worship of the LORD. The exhortation “Praise the LORD” again brackets the psalm and serves to link Ps 148 with the other praise hymns of 146–150.

Ps 148 breaks neatly into two parts: vv. 1-6 and 7–14. In verses 1–6, the psalmist exhorts the heavens to praise the LORD; in verses 7-14, the psalmist speaks to the inhabitants of the earth. The assumption here is that the LORD stands outside each of these realms. As Creator, the LORD sits enthroned above the highest heavens and can look down upon all of his creation (113:4). Ps 148 imagines the heaven and earth praising the LORD.

Verse 1b offers a general exhortation to praise the LORD from the heavens. Verses 2–6 presents the specific of those invited. The psalmist calls out first to the angels and the inhabitants of heaven. They are to lift their voices to the king. Verses 3–4 then turn to the heavenly objects. Ps 148 calls out to the sun, moon, stars, and rest of the universe to join in praise. This is a reminder that, no matter how vast and spectacular our universe is, it is part of God’s creation and owes its existence and praise to God alone. Moreover, this is an implicit warning not to worship the creation no matter how beautiful and awe-inspiring it may be. Verses 5–6 emphasize God’s power and sovereignty over all creation.

Verse 7 shifts the perspective by calling on the earth and seas to praise the LORD. Verses 7–13 exhort all of the various inhabitants of the sea and earth to worship God. This section invites us to imagine all of God’s creatures to join the chorus of the heavens. This includes the sounds of wild animals, the singing of birds, and even the music of fish of the sea. Most of us have experienced the beautiful sights and sounds of the natural world. God’s declared his creation to be “very good” (Gen 1:31). This psalm describes an all creational celebration of the LORD.

Verses 11–12 focus on a call for humans to join in the heavenly and creational praise of the LORD. It is fitting that this psalm calls the kings and rulers of the earth to worship. This returns us to the theme of God’s reign introduced first in Psalm 2 and echoed in Ps 146. Verse 12 then includes all women and men of all ages. This psalm reminds us of Paul’s words in Philippians 2:10-11 “…every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is LORD,…’

Our psalm ends with a reminder in verse 14 of the special relationship that the LORD enjoys with God’s people. God’s people must worship too, but they worship in the understanding of their role and place within God’s mission. This role will be explored in detail in Ps 149.

How does this psalm imagine worship?

What is the significance of the psalmist inviting all creation to praise the LORD?

Praising the LORD for His Power to Restore and Secure the Future: Learning to Pray Psalm 147

Psalm 147
1 Praise the Lord.[a]
How good it is to sing praises to our God,
    how pleasant and fitting to praise him!
2 The Lord builds up Jerusalem;
    he gathers the exiles of Israel.
3 He heals the brokenhearted
    and binds up their wounds.
4 He determines the number of the stars
    and calls them each by name.
5 Great is our Lord and mighty in power;
    his understanding has no limit.
6 The Lord sustains the humble
    but casts the wicked to the ground.
7 Sing to the Lord with grateful praise;
    make music to our God on the harp.
8 He covers the sky with clouds;
    he supplies the earth with rain
    and makes grass grow on the hills.
9 He provides food for the cattle
    and for the young ravens when they call.
10 His pleasure is not in the strength of the horse,
    nor his delight in the legs of the warrior;
11 the Lord delights in those who fear him,
    who put their hope in his unfailing love.
12 Extol the Lord, Jerusalem;
    praise your God, Zion.
13 He strengthens the bars of your gates
    and blesses your people within you.
14 He grants peace to your borders
    and satisfies you with the finest of wheat.
15 He sends his command to the earth;
    his word runs swiftly.
16 He spreads the snow like wool
    and scatters the frost like ashes.
17 He hurls down his hail like pebbles.
    Who can withstand his icy blast?
18 He sends his word and melts them;
    he stirs up his breezes, and the waters flow.
19 He has revealed his word to Jacob,
    his laws and decrees to Israel.
20 He has done this for no other nation;
    they do not know his laws.[b]
Praise the Lord.

Like Ps 146, Psalms 147 is a hymn of praise to God. It begins and ends with the exhortation, “Praise the LORD.” Psalm 146 focused on God as king and his faithfulness in sustaining the righteous.

Psalm 147 continues this vein and provides additional rationale for praising the LORD. Both Ps 146 and Ps 147 draw from the long history of God’s people. Ps 146 emphasized the need to trust in God rather than in human rulers. Israel’s kings and leaders failed in their leadership. The sins of God’s people led to exile, the ruin of Jerusalem, and the destruction of God’s temple.  The psalmist writes from the perspective of deep loss and a longing for a new future.

At first glance, Ps 147 seems to jump from topic to topic. The psalmist praises God for rebuilding Jerusalem/restoring God’s people (vv. 2–3, 5–7, and 12–14 ), for his power over and in creation (vv. 4, 8–11, 15–18), and for revealing his word and laws to God’s people (vv. 19–20). Yet when we ponder this prayer more deeply, there is a crucial message. Ps 147 envisions the renewal of God’s people. Yes, the past recorded loss and suffering, but there is a wonderful future in God.

The good news of this new future is it all depends on the LORD. Israel’s past is now past. It’s future is open because God is willing, ready, and able to restore and renew the fortunes of God’s people. This is how the verses about God’s powerful ability to create fit into the psalm. God’s people can be fully confident in their future because the God, who creates, who numbers the stars, whose power is vast and unlimited, who brings rain to the land, who raises up grass and vegetation, who cares for the animals and who controls the weather simply with a word, is ready, willing, and able to act decisively to renew God’s people.

How do God’s people respond to this abundant future? With gratitude and praise. Ps 147 offers a way through the chaos of the world. The way forward is praise to the God who guarantees our future. This is a crucial word especially when we are in times of want and lack in the present. The answer is a deep trust not in our own abilities or in any human leader or institution but in God.

Ps 147 ends with a reminder of the key resource first mentioned in Ps 1. Unlike all of the nations, God’s people have access to the Word of God. It is our guide as we seek to live faithfully for God’s mission.

How does Psalm 147 teach us to pray?

What are the reasons that Psalm 147 calls us to praise the LORD?

How do the references to God as creator serve to shape our praise?