Bird's-eye view
We now come to the final five psalms, the grand Hallelujah chorus at the end of the psalter. Each of these last psalms begins and ends with "Praise Yah," or Hallelujah. This is the great crescendo. After all the laments, the imprecations, the cries for deliverance, and the confessions of sin, the only fitting conclusion is an explosion of pure praise. Psalm 146 sets the theme for this final movement by establishing the fundamental antithesis of all of life: either you praise Yahweh, the Maker of heaven and earth, or you foolishly put your trust in princes, who are nothing more than sons of Adam, with breath in their lungs that will one day fail. This psalm is a clarion call to get your loyalties straight. It begins with a command, moves to a personal resolution, and then provides the bedrock reason for that resolution: God is the Creator and covenant keeper, while men are dust.
Outline
- 1. The Universal Command to Praise (v. 1a)
- 2. The Personal Exhortation to Praise (v. 1b)
- 3. The Lifelong Vow to Praise (v. 2)
Context In Psalms
Psalm 146 is the first of the final "Hallel" psalms (146-150). This section serves as the doxological capstone for the entire book of Psalms. Having traversed the full range of human experience before the face of God, from the depths of despair to the heights of deliverance, the psalter concludes that the only rational, sane, and joyful response to the character and work of God is unending praise. This psalm, likely a post-exilic composition, redirects the hopes of the returned exiles away from any reliance on earthly rulers (like Cyrus) and squarely back onto Yahweh, their covenant God, who alone is sovereign and faithful.
Key Issues
- The Meaning of Hallelujah
- The Necessity of Self-Exhortation
- Praise as the Chief End of Man
Praise Yah!
Psalm 146:1
Praise Yah! Praise Yahweh, O my soul!
The psalm opens with a gunshot. Hallelujah! This is not a gentle suggestion. It is a corporate command, a summons to worship. "Praise Yah" is a call for the whole assembly to lift their voices and adore the covenant God of Israel. "Yah" is the shortened form of Yahweh, the personal name God revealed to His people. This is not praise directed at some generic, distant deity. It is praise to our God, the one who makes and keeps promises. This is the fundamental duty of every creature, and so the psalter begins its final movement by calling the whole cosmos to order. The first thing that must be said is Hallelujah.
But praise is not just a corporate activity. The psalmist immediately turns the command inward: "Praise Yahweh, O my soul!" This is a man preaching to himself, and it is a necessary discipline for every believer. Our souls are flighty things. They are prone to wander. They are tempted to praise wealth, or power, or beauty, or self. The psalmist knows this, so he takes his own soul by the lapels and commands it to do the one thing it was made to do. He directs its attention and affection to the only one worthy of praise. This is not an expression of a spontaneous feeling; it is an act of determined will that gives birth to the proper feelings. We do not wait until we "feel like" praising. We command our souls to praise, and in the act of obedience, the feelings follow.
While I Have My Being
Psalm 146:2
I will praise Yahweh throughout my life; I will sing praises to my God while I have my being.
From the command and the self-exhortation, the psalmist moves to a personal vow, a settled resolution. This is what his life will be about. "I will praise Yahweh throughout my life." Praise is not a compartment of his life, reserved for an hour on Sunday. It is the theme, the central project, the very atmosphere of his entire existence. In good times and in bad, in youth and in old age, in plenty and in want, the baseline activity is praise. This is what it means to live coram Deo, before the face of God.
The second clause intensifies the first. "I will sing praises to my God while I have my being." This connects praise not just to the duration of his life, but to the very fact of his existence. Why do you exist? What is the reason for your being? The answer is right here: to sing praises to God. If you have being, your purpose is to praise. To exist and not praise God is to be a walking contradiction, a tool being used for a purpose directly contrary to its design. Notice also that this praise is audible and joyful. He will sing. This is not a silent, internal, merely intellectual affair. It is embodied praise. And it is deeply personal: "my God." This is the language of covenant relationship. He is not just the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the abstract. He is my God, and I am His, and therefore my very being is consecrated to singing His praises.
Application
The application is straightforward and total. First, you must recognize that praise is a command, not an option. It is the tribute that all of creation owes to the Creator. Second, you must learn to preach to your own soul. Do not be mastered by your moods or feelings. Your feelings are terrible masters. Command your soul to do its duty, which is to praise God. Third, you must resolve to make praise the defining characteristic of your entire life. Your existence has a purpose, and that purpose is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever. This psalm tells you how to begin: by singing praises to your God for as long as you have being. This is the only sane response to the reality of who God is, and it is the only foundation for a life of true and lasting joy.