Commentary - Psalm 135:5-7

Bird's-eye view

This central section of Psalm 135 provides the theological bedrock for the call to praise that frames the entire psalm. Having summoned the servants of the Lord to praise Him, the psalmist now gives the unassailable reason: Yahweh is not just great, He is absolutely sovereign. This is not a philosophical abstraction. The psalmist grounds this sovereignty in two key areas. First, God's greatness is defined in contrast to the so-called "gods" of the nations, which are nothing. Second, His sovereignty is demonstrated by His absolute and meticulous authority over the entire created order, from the highest heavens to the deepest seas. He does whatever He pleases, and the weather itself is His servant. This passage is a potent declaration against all forms of idolatry, deism, and paganism, asserting that the God of Israel is the one and only Lord of all.

The argument moves from a personal confession ("For I know") to a universal declaration of God's unlimited power. Verse 6 is one of the clearest statements of divine sovereignty in all of Scripture. God's will is the ultimate causal force in the universe. Verse 7 then provides tangible, everyday proof of this sovereignty. The phenomena that pagan cultures attributed to capricious deities, the clouds, the rain, the lightning, the wind, are all shown to be under the direct and purposeful command of Yahweh, who brings them forth from His "storehouses" like a king dispensing treasures. This is the God who is worthy of praise.

Outline

Context In Psalm 135

Psalm 135 is a mosaic of praise, borrowing phrases and themes from other parts of Scripture to create a powerful hymn. It begins with a call to worship directed at the priests and Levites who serve in the temple (vv. 1-4). The section we are considering, verses 5-7, provides the central theological thesis for this praise. It answers the question, "Why should we praise Yahweh?" The answer is because of who He is (absolutely sovereign) and what He does (creates, controls, and redeems). This section is followed by a recounting of God's mighty acts in the Exodus (vv. 8-12) and a declaration of His eternal name (vv. 13-14). The psalm then pivots to a scathing polemic against the dead, useless idols of the nations (vv. 15-18), before concluding with a final, resounding call for all Israel to bless the Lord (vv. 19-21). Our passage, therefore, is the hinge upon which the whole psalm turns. It establishes God's absolute power over creation, which is the necessary predicate for His power in redemption and the ultimate foil to the impotence of idols.

Key Issues

The God Who Does As He Pleases

In our democratic and egalitarian age, the central assertion of this passage is perhaps the most offensive doctrine of all. We are taught to believe that our will is supreme, that our choices are ultimate, and that freedom means being the captain of your own soul. But Scripture crashes into this little fantasy with the force of a hurricane. Psalm 135:6 declares that there is only one truly free being in the universe, and that is God Himself. "Whatever Yahweh pleases, He does."

This is not the description of a constitutional monarch who must consult his parliament. This is not a CEO who has to answer to a board of directors. This is the King of Heaven and Earth, the Creator of all things, whose will is the final, ultimate, and decisive cause behind everything that comes to pass. This is the doctrine of divine sovereignty, and it is the bedrock of all true Christian piety. Without it, prayer is a waste of time, praise is empty flattery, and faith is just wishful thinking. But with it, we can face any circumstance, knowing that an infinitely wise and good God is working all things according to the counsel of His own will. The psalmist does not present this as a problem to be solved, but as a truth to be celebrated. This is the foundation of our worship.

Verse by Verse Commentary

5 For I know that Yahweh is great And that our Lord is greater than all gods.

The psalmist begins with a personal testimony: "For I know." This is not abstract speculation; it is settled conviction born from revelation and experience. Theology must be personal. And what is it that he knows? First, that Yahweh is great. This is not greatness in a generic sense, but greatness that is absolute. But to make the point sharp, he immediately puts it in comparative terms. Our Lord is "greater than all gods." In the ancient world, this was a direct challenge to every other religious system. Every nation had its pantheon of deities, its Baals and Ashtoreths. The psalmist sweeps them all aside. They are not peers of Yahweh; they are not even in the same category. He is Lord, Adonai, the sovereign master. They are nothing. In our day, the "gods" are different, they are ideologies like materialism, secularism, or the god of self. The confession remains the same. Our God is greater than all of them.

6 Whatever Yahweh pleases, He does, In heaven and on earth, in the seas and in all deeps.

This is one of the most foundational statements in the Bible. It defines the nature of God's power and will. Let's break it down. "Whatever Yahweh pleases" refers to His sovereign desire, His good pleasure. It is not arbitrary or capricious, because it flows from His perfect and holy character. But it is entirely self-determined. God is not constrained by anything outside of Himself. "He does" indicates that His will is efficacious. What God pleases to do, He actually accomplishes. There is no gap between His decree and its fulfillment. The rest of the verse defines the absolute scope of this sovereignty. "In heaven and on earth, in the seas and in all deeps." This is poetic language for "everywhere." There is not one square inch of the cosmos, from the angelic realms to the bottom of the Mariana Trench, that is outside the scope of His active, reigning will. There are no maverick molecules. This verse is the death knell for deism, which posits a God who creates and then retreats, and for any theology that tries to carve out a little space for human autonomy where God is not sovereign.

7 The One who causes the clouds to ascend from the end of the earth; Who makes lightnings for the rain, Who brings forth the wind from His storehouses.

After the grand theological declaration of verse 6, the psalmist provides concrete, observable evidence. How do we know God does whatever He pleases? Just look at the weather. He is the one who "causes the clouds to ascend." He is the one who "makes lightnings for the rain." He is the one who "brings forth the wind from His storehouses." In a world steeped in paganism, this was a radical claim. The pagans believed in storm gods and rain gods, fickle deities who had to be appeased. The psalmist says, no, all of it, every bit of it, is the work of Yahweh. He is not the god of the storm; He is the God over the storm. The picture of God having "storehouses" for the wind is magnificent. It portrays Him as the great king who possesses all resources and deploys them according to His perfect plan. This is not primitive science; it is profound theology. It teaches us that what we call "natural processes" are nothing less than the moment-by-moment execution of God's sovereign will.

Application

The truth of God's absolute sovereignty is not meant to be a doctrine we merely file away. It is meant to radically reshape how we live, think, and feel. First, it is the only true basis for worship. We praise God not because He is a slightly more powerful version of us, but because He is utterly transcendent, doing whatever He pleases, and what He pleases is always good. This should fill us with awe and reverence.

Second, this doctrine is the only real antidote to anxiety. If our circumstances are governed by chance, or by the malice of wicked men, or by impersonal natural forces, then we have every reason to be terrified. But if the God who loves us in Christ is governing every cloud, every lightning strike, and every political upheaval from His storehouses, then we have no reason to fear. Our lives are not a series of random events; they are a story being written by a sovereign author. He who did not spare His own Son, but gave Him up for us all, how will He not also with Him graciously give us all things?

Finally, this truth should demolish our pride and our idolatry. The reason we get anxious is that we want to be in control, and we know we are not. The reason we worship idols, whether they are made of wood or are concepts like security and comfort, is that we are looking for a god we can manage. This passage calls us to repent of our lust for control and to bow before the one true God who does as He pleases. To find our security not in our own plans, but in His. To find our joy not in getting our way, but in celebrating His. This is the path of true freedom and lasting peace.