Psalm 148:2
Praise Him, all His angels; praise Him, all His heavenly hosts.
Sermons
Nature's Praise-VoicesR. Tuck Psalm 148:1-5
The Great, the Greater, and the GreatestDavid Thomas, D. D.Psalm 148:1-14














In this psalm, as in all the poetry of the Old Testament, there is nothing of the idea of something Divine in nature, or even of a Divine voice speaking through nature; all beings are simply creatures, knowing and praising him who made them. All nature has reason to praise the Creator who called it into being, and gave it its order so fair and so established, and poetically the universe may be imagined full of adoring creatures. With the psalmist's point of view that of Wordsworth should be carefully compared. To a Hebrew the conception of a spirit in nature would have been at least germinal idolatry. What we have to keep in view, in reading the nature-psalms, is that kind of impression which high and sublime things universally make on all simple souls - on ordinary men, not on the unusual poet. In these verses the nature-things that are above us are wholly in the psalmist's view. And the great things of the firmament - sun, moon, stars, clouds, lightnings, etc. - produce an impression on men everywhere which is unique. The same impression is never produced by anything on the earth; not even by awe-inspiring mountains, or wild wind-driven sons. There is a quietness of impression from nature's above things. The movements are so restfully sublime, so steadily continuous. Nothing ever disturbs them; sun and moon and stars go on their way, no matter what happens in the earth-spheres. In all ages, and still, the impression of nature's above things is the impression of God. The untutored savage feels it as truly as the devout Christian. That impression made man find in the sun the presentation of God to human apprehension. But it is to be specially noticed that the impression of God which nature's above things bring to us, excites us to praise him. The awe it brings draw us near to him; the revelation of him that it makes to us satisfies us in him, fills us with joy in him, so that we must praise. - R.T.

A people near unto Him.
: —

I. THE POSITION OF THE PEOPLE NEAR TO GOD, OR THE RELATIONSHIP INDICATED BY NEARNESS.

1. A legal nearness. "Made nigh by the blood of Christ."

2. A covenant relationship. A solemn mutual pledge, sealed at the Cross.

3. A filial relationship. Not more certainly will affection be felt in the heart of both parent and child among the families of men than in the "Abba Father" of the believing soul, and the tender pity of God's gracious bosom.

4. A mystical union between Christ and the soul. All His becomes yours, and yours becomes His.

5. Partakers of the Divine nature.

II. THE PRIVILEGES OF THE PEOPLE NEAR TO GOD. What shall we say to that protection which this nearness ensures to your soul, seeing that the place of your defence shall be the munitions of rocks, that your bread shall be given you, and your water shall be sure? Jehovah is like a wall of fire about His people. What shall we say of that provision made for you in this wilderness, where every possible want of the body and the soul meets its full and perpetual supply in the riches of Divine goodness, which are all pledged to you by the love and faithfulness of your covenant God? What shall we say of the promises "exceeding great and precious," made to all collectively, and to one by one personally. What shall we say of providences, all arranged by wisdom which never errs, and love which never fails, and controlled by power that is never weary, so as most effectually to promote the salvation of your souls?

III. THE TRANSFORMING EFFICACY OF THIS NEARNESS TO GOD. See how it will and must operate from principles necessarily at work.

1. There is the solemnity of your position. If God's nearness be fairly and fully recognized, if He be seen as He is, and you seen as you are, in the light of His purity, will you, can you, dare you be contented to remain in the corruption of nature?

2. There is admiration of God's character. Let His character be seen and felt as revealed in the way of pardoning sin by the Cross in infinite power and wisdom, holiness and truth, all displayed in sweet harmony and ineffable glory, while mercy casts her bright radiance over them all to assure the trembling sinner, and constrain him to draw nigh; then can you see all thee perfections engaged on the side of the sinner, engaged to sanctify and save his soul, and feel not a lofty admiration of the beauty of the Lord?

3. But admiration begets desire. If we feel admiration for any person, do we not wish to make him a friend? The moment that admiration of anything ceases, desire to have and enjoy it ceases too. But the beauty of the Lord is manifested to your faith just that you may feel the kindlings of desire to be His, and to be like Him in His loveliness.

4. But surely the soul that has such desires will frequently, solemnly, and closely commune with this infinitely lovely and blessed God. Such communion gives a consciousness of the reality of Divine things, and is fitted to stir you up and spur you on in the effort to become like your God. It thus necessarily leads to —

5. Imitation. This is the end of the process, imitation of "God manifest in the flesh." His Word will make you wise. His truth will render you truthful. His justice will move you to rectitude. His sovereignty will make and keep you lowly. His purity will lead you to holiness of heart. His mercy and pity will make you tender, and loving, and gentle.

(John Walker.)

: —

I. IN WHAT RESPECTS TRUE BELIEVERS ARE NEAR TO GOD.

1. The awful breach is healed, and they are reconciled. The separating wall of sin is broken down, and they have boldness and access with confidence to Him who would otherwise be a consuming fire.

2. The power of sin is subdued, and they are near as to union and likeness. Nearness, as to the former, is by the blood of Christ: the latter is by the influences of the Holy Spirit.

3. They are near as to communion and fellowship. Jacob had his Bethel, David his hill Mizar, and Paul, though sometimes pressed out of measure, had also his raptures in the third heavens (Isaiah 12:1).

4. They are near to Him in a way of endearment, being precious in His sight. They are near to His heart, and to His eye, and His ear is open to their complaints.

5. They are so near to Him that they will soon be with Him — at home, and at rest. Faith gives you an interest in the Divine favour, and death will bring you to the full enjoyment of it. Your warfare shall be accomplished, and the victory complete.

II. THE REASONS WHY THIS NEARNESS IS MATTER OF EXULTATION AND JOY.

1. This nearness is lasting: those who are thus brought near to God shall be for ever near.

2. Those who are near to God have God also near to them. He will guide, protect, and comfort His people amidst all their difficulties and dangers.

3. They have blessings and privileges which none else can enjoy. They may hear from Him, and He from them; may contemplate His glorious majesty, and commune with Him, as it were, face to face.

4. Being near to God, they are also near to heaven. Improvement —(1) How vain are all our hopes of happiness without God (Psalm 73:27).(2) Let us be reconciled to those providences which tend to bring us near. The severest trials are often among the means which God employs to bring us to Himself.(3) Let nearness to God be the object sought after in every holy duty, both public and private. We may as well be in Geshur as at Jerusalem, unless we see the King's face.(4) Not only let us desire to be brought near in a way of interest, but to keep near in a way of communion. This will soften afflictions, heighten our mercies, fortify us against the fear of death, and be our best preparative for heaven.(5) If the Lord's people be near and dear to Him, let them be so to us.

(B. Beddome, M. A.)

: — Communion with Christ is the happiest life. If you gained all the world, and did not lose your soul, but only lost the light of Christ's countenance for a few days, you would make a poor bargain. There is heaven in every glance of His eye. There is infinite joy in every word of His mouth when He speaks comfortably to His servants. Go not away from Him. Be like Milton's angel, who lived in the sun. Abide in Christ, and let His words abide in you. Closer, closer, closer, this is the way to spiritual wealth. To follow afar off, and live at a distance from Christ, even if it does not make your soul to perish, yet it will wither up your joys, and make you feel an unhappy man, an unhappy woman.

( C. H. Spurgeon.).

Sing unto the Lord a new song.
1. The elect, regenerate, or true believers have a song of their own for mercies proper to them, beside the praise which they have to give for the Lord's work round about them, and therefore they have a proper reason to praise God for their own particular.

2. The song of the redeemed elect and converted is a new song which shall never wax old, nor be cut off, an everlasting song.

3. It is God's ordinance that the worshippers of the Lord should have assemblies and meetings wherein publicly and jointly they may glorify the Lord in proclaiming cheerfully His praise.

(D. Dickson.)

Mr. Moody says: "There is much more said in the Bible about praise than about prayer. The Psalms are nothing but praise, and as David got nearer the end of the journey he seems to have thought of little else. So it is with Christians — the nearer they get to heaven, the more they praise God. Everything that God has created except the heart of man praises Him. I knew a man who always used to praise God under any circumstances. One day he came in with a severe cut on his finger, and said, 'Praise God, I didn't cut it off.' Let us also praise God that our misfortunes are no worse."

People
Psalmist
Places
Jerusalem
Topics
Angels, Armies, Army, Heavenly, Host, Hosts, Messengers, Praise
Outline
1. The psalmist exhorts the celestial
7. The terrestrial
11. And the rational creatures to praise God

Dictionary of Bible Themes
Psalm 148:2

     4170   host of heaven

Psalm 148:1-2

     8623   worship, of God

Psalm 148:1-5

     4026   world, God's creation

Psalm 148:2-5

     1325   God, the Creator

Library
That Worthy Name.
James ii:7. IN the second chapter of the Epistle of James the Holy Spirit speaks of our ever blessed Lord as "that worthy Name." Precious Word! precious to every heart that knows Him and delights to exalt His glorious and worthy Name. His Name is "far above every Name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come." (Ephes. i:21.) It is "as ointment poured forth" (Song of Sol. i:3); yea, His Name alone is excellent (Psalm cxlviii:13). But according to His worth that blessed
Arno Gaebelein—The Lord of Glory

Sexagesima Sunday Let them Praise the Name of the Lord for his Name Alone is Excellent; his Glory is Above the Earth and Heaven.
Let them praise the name of the Lord for His name alone is excellent; His glory is above the earth and heaven. Keine Schönheit hat die Welt [66]Angelus. 1657. trans. by Catherine Winkworth, 1855 Nothing fair on earth I see But I straightway think on Thee; Thou art fairest in mine eyes, Source in whom all beauty lies! When the golden sun forth goes, And the east before him glows, Quickly turns this heart of mine To Thy heavenly form divine. On Thy light I think at morn, With the earliest break
Catherine Winkworth—Lyra Germanica: The Christian Year

Universal Worship. --Ps. cxlviii.
Universal Worship.--Ps. cxlviii. Heralds of creation! cry,-- Praise the Lord, the Lord most high! Heaven and earth! obey the call, Praise the Lord, the Lord of all. For He spake, and forth from night Sprang the universe to light: He commanded,--Nature heard, And stood fast upon his word. Praise Him, all ye hosts above, Spirits perfected in love; Sun and Moon! your voices raise, Sing, ye stars! your Maker's praise. Earth! from all thy depths below, Ocean's hallelujahs flow, Lightning, Vapour,
James Montgomery—Sacred Poems and Hymns

Covenanting a Privilege of Believers.
Whatever attainment is made by any as distinguished from the wicked, or whatever gracious benefit is enjoyed, is a spiritual privilege. Adoption into the family of God is of this character. "He came unto his own, and his own received him not. But as many as received him, to them gave he power (margin, or, the right; or, privilege) to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name."[617] And every co-ordinate benefit is essentially so likewise. The evidence besides, that Covenanting
John Cunningham—The Ordinance of Covenanting

Purposes of God.
In discussing this subject I shall endeavor to show, I. What I understand by the purposes of God. Purposes, in this discussion, I shall use as synonymous with design, intention. The purposes of God must be ultimate and proximate. That is, God has and must have an ultimate end. He must purpose to accomplish something by his works and providence, which he regards as a good in itself, or as valuable to himself, and to being in general. This I call his ultimate end. That God has such an end or purpose,
Charles Grandison Finney—Systematic Theology

The Royal Marriage Feast.
PART I.--THE WEDDING GUESTS. "And Jesus answered, and spake unto them again by parables, and said, The kingdom of heaven is like unto a certain king, which made a marriage for his son, and sent forth his servants to call them that were bidden to the wedding: and they would not come. Again, he sent forth other servants, saying, Tell them which are bidden, Behold, I have prepared my dinner: my oxen and my fatlings are killed, and all things are ready: come unto the marriage. But they made light of
William Arnot—The Parables of Our Lord

The Fourth Commandment
Remember the Sabbath-day to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God; in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maid-servant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates. For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day; wherefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath-day and hallowed it. Exod 20: 8-11. This
Thomas Watson—The Ten Commandments

The Birth of Jesus Proclaimed by Angels to the Shepherds.
(Near Bethlehem, b.c. 5.) ^C Luke II. 8-20. ^c 8 And there were shepherds in the same country [they were in the same fields from which David had been called to tend God's Israel, or flock] abiding in the field, and keeping watch by night over their flock. [When the flock is too far from the village to lead it to the fold at night, these shepherds still so abide with it in the field, even in the dead of winter.] 9 And an angel of the Lord stood by them [He stood upon the earth at their side, and did
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel

Psalms
The piety of the Old Testament Church is reflected with more clearness and variety in the Psalter than in any other book of the Old Testament. It constitutes the response of the Church to the divine demands of prophecy, and, in a less degree, of law; or, rather, it expresses those emotions and aspirations of the universal heart which lie deeper than any formal demand. It is the speech of the soul face to face with God. Its words are as simple and unaffected as human words can be, for it is the genius
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament

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