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PSALM 150 COMMENTARY
Written and edited by Glenn Pease
PREFACE
As in all my commentaries I quote many old and contemporary authors. Some that Ithink are the best I quote often and sometimes at length. This is a good hint to lookthem up, for they may have other studies that are equally valuable. Sometimes I donot have the name of the author, and if anyone knows the author and lets me know Iwill give credit where it is due. If anyone does not want their words quoted in thiscommentary they can let me know, and I will delete it. My e-mail isglenn_p86@yahoo.com
INTRODUCTION
1. Dr. Paul Choo, “The Book of Psalms was the hymnal of the Jews. The first andlast psalms are both short 6-verse psalms. The first teaches us of our duties to studyHis Word and the last teaches us to praise Him - thus implying that as we get toknow Him through His Word, we will end up praising Him. This progression fromduty to praise also reflects a Christian's life-journey - from one that is primarily of duty (on earth) to one of praise (in heaven). Psalm 150 is the "grand finale" of thefive "Hallelujah Psalms" (Psalms 146-150) and contains 13 hallelujahs! Though nonew truth is taught in each subsequent verse, it is the grandest and most intense of all the psalms.”2. The Psalms as a whole, and this one in particular make the following outlineperpetually relevant.WE ARE CREATED TO PRAISEWE ARE COMMANDED TO PRAISEWE ARE COMPELLED TO PRAISEWE ARE COMPLETED BY PRAISE2B. This outline fits the present Psalm perfectly:The Sphere of Praise-terrestrial and celestralThe Subjects of Praise-God’s acts and attributesThe Symphony of Praise-eight instruments and danceThe Singers of Praise-universal2C. Another unknown author gives us this breakdown which answers all the basicquestions: “An analysis of the Psalm reveals that the Psalmist tells who is to be
 
praised: “Praise the LORD” (v. 1); next, the Psalmist reveals why He is to bepraised: “Praise him for his acts of power; praise him for his surpassing greatness”(v. 2); then, who is to praise Him: “Let everything that has breath praise theLORD” (v. 6). And, finally, How should God be praised? The Psalmist does notleave this to the imagination. He tells how he is to be praised—the LORD is to bepraised with music (vv. 3-5).3. Spurgeon, “ We have now reached the last summit of the mountain chain of Psalms. It rises high into the clear azure, and its brow is bathed in the sunlight of the eternal world of worship, it is a rapture. The poet prophet is full of inspirationand enthusiasm. He stays not to argue, to teach, to explain; but cries with burningwords, "Praise him, Praise him, Praise ye the LORD."4. “Each of the last five Psalms begins and ends with Hallelujah! Praise ye the Lord.And each Psalm increases in praise, love, and joy, unto the last, which is praisecelebrating its ecstasy. The elect soul, the heir of God, becomes "eaten up" with thelove of God. He begins every sentence with Hallelujah; and his sentences are veryshort, for he is in haste to utter his next Hallelujah, and his next, and his next. He isas one out of breath with enthusiasm, or as one on tiptoe, in the act of rising fromearth to heaven. The greatest number of words between any two Hallelujahs is four,and that only once: in every other instance, between one Hallelujah and anotherthere are but two words. It is as though the soul gave utterance to its whole life andfeeling in the one word, Hallelujah! The words, "Praise ye the Lord!" or "Praisehim!" "Praise him!" "Praise him!" are reiterated no fewer than twelve times in ashort Psalm of six short verses. --John Pulsford, in "Quiet Hours", 1857.5. Steven Cole, “The theme of praise has dominated all the psalms, but as the endapproaches, the “conductor” brings in each section of the orchestra in one grandfinale of praise. Psalm 150 is the climax of the climax, where we are exhorted 13times in six short verses to praise the Lord. It is telling us that ...God’s people shouldbe caught up with praising Him.”
1. Praise the LORD. Praise God in his sanctuary;praise him in his mighty heavens.
1. This is clearly a praise Psalm, for every verse in it has the word praise. In thisverse we see it three times. The focus is upward to God's sanctuary in the mightyheavens. It is a looking up song, and you can imagine a congregation gazing up inwonder at the awesomeness of God's throne that sit far above the highest heavens.God has his sanctuary up there where all the angelic host sing his praises day andnight. He is worshiped in a sanctuary larger than all earthly sanctuaries puttogether, and with an angelic choir larger than all the singers who have ever sang in
 
a choir on earth.1B. Some see the sanctuary as the earthly temple. “In verse 1, we are told to praiseGod in His sanctuary and in the sky, His stronghold. Other versions use His holyplace and the expanse of His might; his temple and heaven, his mighty fortress; hisTemple and his mighty heaven. There are numerous variations of these terms. Oneversion defines temple as a building where people worship. It further states thatGod told the Jewish people to worship him at the Temple in Jerusalem. We are toldto worship God in His earthly dwelling and in His heavenly dwelling. Since wecannot praise Him in heaven during our lifetime, we can praise Him throughout Hiscreation. After we are resurrected, we can praise Him in heaven. Here is a hint of eschatology. Our praise is not limited to our presence in a synagogue or a churchwhen the saints meet. If we are in a place where we feel that we cannot worshipGod, we probably should not be there. The question "Where?" is answered in thisverse.” author unknown1C. Brian Bill, “Verse 1 begins with a bang: “Praise the Lord. Praise God in Hissanctuary; praise Him in His mighty heavens.” The word used here for “Lord” is“Jehovah,” which means, “the self-existent and eternal one.” The psalmist thanshifts his focus to another name and calls him, “God” or “El” in Hebrew, whichmeans, “Strong and mighty.”1D. Warren Wiersbe, “Who is it that we praise? "Praise the Lord" (v. 1)--not thechurch, not the preacher, but the Lord. Our problem is that we often don't see theLord. We look at gifts or lack of gifts from God. We say, "Why didn't the Lord dothis, or why wasn't it done differently?" We don't really see Him. Let's get beyondthe gift to the Giver. Let's get beyond the blessing to the Blesser. Let's praise theLord. "Rejoice in the Lord," Paul said. "Again I will say, rejoice!” Phil. 4:42. Pope John Paul II gave an address on this Psalm, and he said, “The first placewhere the musical and prayerful theme unfolds is the "sanctuary" (see verse 1). TheHebrew original speaks of the "sacred" area, pure and transcendent, in which Goddwells. It is, therefore, a reference to the celestial and paradisaical horizon where, asthe Book of Revelation will specify, the eternal and perfect liturgy of the Lamb iscelebrated (see, for example, Revelation 5:6-14). The mystery of God, in which thesaints are gathered for a full communion, is an ambit of light and joy, of revelationand love. Not accidentally, although with a certain liberty, the old Greek translationof the Septuagint and the same Latin translation of the Vulgate proposed the word"saints" instead of "sanctuary": "Praise the Lord in his saints."2B. Victor Shepherd, “When we praise God we open our hearts to God. In thatmoment we are joined with the hosts of heaven. Now stick with me I am going to geta little theological here. John said he saw the elders in heaven praising God andeach had a harp and a bowl of incense that is the prayers of the saints. In otherwords when we praise God here on hearth the "sound" of that goes to heaven and joins with the praise of the angels and the saints in heaven, just as the smoke from
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