Psalm 113 Today I have the privilege of preaching a one-off sermon on Psalm 113, to kick off 2015. Psalm 113 is part of a set of Psalms called the “Hallel”, Psalm 113-118. These six Psalms are called the Hallel, based on the prefix of the word Hallelujah which appears regularly in this set. These six Psalms are songs/poems of thanksgiving that function as songs of remembrance concerning Israel’s deliverance from the Egypt to the Promised Land. Typically, Psalm 113-118 is recited at Passover, Pentecost and Feast of Tabernacles.
Reading Psalm 113 reads: 1 Praise the LORD. Praise, O servants of the LORD, praise the name of the LORD. 2 Let the name of the LORD be praised, both now and forevermore. 3 From the rising of the sun to the place where it sets, the name of the LORD is to be praised. 4 The LORD is exalted over all the nations, his glory above the heavens. 5 Who is like the LORD our God, the One who sits enthroned on high, 6 who stoops down to look on the heavens and the earth? 7 He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap; 8 he seats them with princes, with the princes of their people. 9 He settles the barren woman in her home as a happy mother of children. Praise the LORD.
Psalm 113 was written to sound and look beautiful. This is quintessential Hebrew poetry. This poem/ song opens and closes with the word “Hallelujah”, making it a closed unit of thought communicating themes in a structurally balanced way. Not only does the poem open and end with the word “Hallelujah”, each line of the Psalm follows the sequence of the Hebrew alphabet, rendering Psalm113 an acrostic.
Now in ancient times brevity was not the way of communicating something of importance. Poetry and songs were used to do so. This meant choosing one’s words carefully and bringing them together in a way that had lasting effect. We in modern times can relate to this. We know that words sung or recited in a song or poem linger, and have more impact on a person or society, than direct speech often has. Songs help us remember, celebrate, mourn, and dream. In reading Psalm 113, we are greeted with something similar. Here, we together with Israel, are remembering the name of the Lord, the exalted God, and the exalting God. Today’s sermon will follow the headings below:
A call to praise
The exalted God
The exalting God
1. A call to Praise
1 Praise the LORD. Praise, O servants of the LORD, praise the name of the LORD. 2 Let the name of the LORD be praised, both now and forevermore. 3 From the rising of the sun to the place where it sets, the name of the LORD is to be praised. Praise the LORD! Psalm 113:1-3
At the beginning of the year it is common to envisage “breakthrough”, “goals”, “renewal” and “vision”. While these themes are not bad in and of themselves, I felt led to focus more on God in this our first sermon of 2015. Admittedly, this approach is influenced by the Westminster Shorter Catechism of 1646 and 1647, whose opening statement is as follows: Question: What is the chief end of man? Answer: Man’s chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy him forever. Psalm 113:1-3 focuses the reader/ listener on God. It tells us that praise is due to Yahweh. These three verses are well structured with a triadic repetition of the phrase, “the name of the Lord”.
First, servants of the Lord are called to praise the name of the Lord. But who are the servants of the Lord? One may ask. 1 Samuel 3 gives us a clue to who these servants are. In this passage, the young boy Samuel is called by God during the night. Samuel thinks it is Eli calling him, only to discover through Eli that God was calling him. Samuel then responds with the words: And the LORD came and stood, calling as at other times, “Samuel! Samuel!” And Samuel said, “Speak, for your servant hears.” 11 Then the LORD said to Samuel, “Behold, I am about to do a thing in Israel at which the two ears of everyone who hears it will tingle. 1 Samuel 3:10-11 The use of the word “servant” in Samuel’s calling is the same as that used by the Psalmist in 113. The theme being conveyed by the Psalmist is that the true servants of God are to praise God.
Friends at the beginning of the year it is easy to focus on the subjective and let that drive the focus of the year. In reading Psalm 113:1-3 we see a different approach, that is a balanced, healthy relationship with God begins with us acknowledging God and praising God, what the catechism has described as glorifying God. So if we are children of God, born of the Spirit of God, ransomed by the precious blood of Jesus, this Psalm is for us today. As true sons and daughters of God we are invited to praise God, Hallelujah!
Second, “the name of the Lord” is to be praised. Now, the name of the Lord is the name Yahweh, a very personal name that is not just a term of address but also a display of God’s character. As we know, the ancient Hebrews did not call Yahweh by this name for fear of blaspheming and breaking the first commandment. They, instead came up with alternatives, to help them refer to God. In our reading of the phrase, “the name of the Lord” we are however invited by the Psalmist to reflect on the character of God, since one’s name was closely tied to one’s character in Hebrew culture. Further, the Psalmist does not mention the name of the Lord once, but three times, and in doing so employs another triad to underscore that God’s name (inextricably linked to his character) is foundational to faith. This point can be seen in Exodus 3:13-15 which reads: Then Moses said to God, “If I come to the people of Israel and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ what shall I say to them?” 14 God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM.” And he said, “Say this to the people of Israel, ‘I AM has sent me to you.’ ” 15 God also said to Moses, “Say this to the people of Israel, ‘The LORD, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you.’ This is my name forever, and thus I am to be remembered throughout all generations.
Third, the call for the servant of God to praise the name of the Lord is not limited to circumstance or period. No. Rather, the true servants of the Lord are called to praise God in all seasons of life, not just when situations are circumstantially good, as we read in verse 3: 3 From the rising of the sun to its setting, the name of the LORD is to be praised! Maybe yours is a circumstantial approach to praise. If so, reflecting on the name of God and his deeds may help to make you one who worships God at all times and in all things. May the name of the Lord be the bedrock for your praise, shaping your worldview and participation in God’s great plan of redemption.
2. The Exalted God
4 The LORD is exalted over all the nations, his glory above the heavens. 5 Who is like the LORD our God, the One who sits enthroned on high, 6 who stoops down to look on the heavens and the earth? Psalm 113:4-6
Again, the Psalmist uses a triad to poetically communicate the point that God is transcendent. This triad is centred on the phrases, “above all”, “above the heavens”, “seated on high” and “stoops down.” In continuing with the aesthetically beautiful theme to the Psalm, we see the “otherness” of God being celebrated, even hitting a crescendo in the rhetorical question, “Who is like the Lord our God…” This God whose name and character are incomparable is the very same God who is also transcendent. From the Psalmist we can say, “God is worthy of praise, fact. God highly exalted, another fact.” And there is more… 6 who stoops down to look on the heavens and the earth?
God is transcendent, yes. But he is also immanent. He does not remain aloof but directs his purposes immanently. God stoops down to look upon his creation, even to care for it. The transcendence of God should be held in tension with his immanence, a fact the Psalmist presents to us so richly, and so poetically.
At one point in my life I owned an apple product, yes an iPod classic, remember those? Well one night I went to bed with my earphones on, only to wake up in the middle of the night to visit the bathroom, where something totally unplanned happened. My iPod landed in the loo. Now, there were two possible reactions to this scenario; retreat or rescue. Exalted as I was, and other worldly to this apple product, I stooped down to rescue the iPod from a “fatal” baptism. I did that for an iPod. God does that for us.
3. The Exalting God
7 He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap; 8 he seats them with princes, with the princes of their people. 9 He settles the barren woman in her home as a happy mother of children. Praise the LORD. Psalm 113:7-9 Continuing with the triadic approach, the Psalmist employs another set of three, this one hinging on need.
First, we hear of the poor. The poor are said to sit in dust, a clear allusion to Gen 3:14, where the serpent’s suffering through God’s judgment is pronounced. So sitting in dust is not a good a good thing. It is an unenviable station the poor find themselves in. Interestingly though, God does not leave the poor there, his inclination towards them is to re-station them by sitting them with princes. God is interested in the poor. God is interested also in those who have a poverty of the soul, brought about by sin and separation from him. To both groups God brings hope through the gospel, making the latter a new creation through the works of Christ’s atoning sacrifice. For the former, God used the church, an instrument that brings about social justice and transformation as informed and motivated by the gospel. God’s interest in the poor is not a fleeting one. In fact for any confessing believer to identify with God, they’ll need to identify with the poor.
Let me flip it this way…
How many poor people do you know by name? How many poor people are you helping to come out of poverty? How many poor people do you pray for regularly? How much do you give to the poor? (And I’m not talking about your regular giving to the church). Friends, God is concerned for the poor, and for us to identify with God, we somehow need to identify with the poor, and participate with the exalting God, in re-seating them with princes.
Second, the Psalmist speaks of the needy who sit in ash. Ash speaks of desperation. A similar picture can be seen in Jonah 3:6-10. God’s concern is not limited to the poor alone but to the needy. If our hearts are broken by the abrasiveness of life, God’s concern towards us is great. If we are in need of rescue God’s concern is demonstrated towards us through deliverance. If we are in need of salvation from our sins, God gives us his Son, the champion of salvation. Truly God is the exalting God.
Third, the poet tells us of the barren woman. Now, to be a barren woman in ancient Hebrew culture was to be regarded shameful. Where western communities are defined by guilt, ancient Near Eastern communities were defined by “honour and shame”. So a woman without child was regarded shameful and had a very low standing in the social strata. However, God transforms the barren woman’s status by giving her children, and that with it honour. God exalts the shamed.
Interestingly, the barren woman of Isaiah 54 is invited to sing, why? God transforms her from an outcast to an “in-cast”, by giving her children. Friends, if you have been shamed by peers or family for inadequacies beyond your control, may you be encouraged by these words. God gives “honour” to the shamed by repositioning them through Jesus. It is Christ who takes upon himself the sin and shame of all humanity making those who believe, new and honourable creations that need not carry the shame of sin. There is no condemnation to those in Christ (Rom 8:1). God is indeed the exalting God, therefore, Praise the Lord!