This psalm begins and ends with "Hallelujah;" for,
as many others, it is designed to promote the great and good work
of praising God. I. We are here called upon and urged to praise
God,
1 Praise ye the Lord. Praise, O ye servants of the Lord, praise the name of the Lord. 2 Blessed be the name of the Lord from this time forth and for evermore. 3 From the rising of the sun unto the going down of the same the Lord's name is to be praised. 4 The Lord is high above all nations, and his glory above the heavens. 5 Who is like unto the Lord our God, who dwelleth on high, 6 Who humbleth himself to behold the things that are in heaven, and in the earth! 7 He raiseth up the poor out of the dust, and lifteth the needy out of the dunghill; 8 That he may set him with princes, even with the princes of his people. 9 He maketh the barren woman to keep house, and to be a joyful mother of children. Praise ye the Lord.
In this psalm,
I. We are extorted to give glory to God, to give him the glory due to his name.
1. The invitation is very pressing:
praise you the Lord, and again and again, Praise him,
praise him; blessed be his name, for it is to be praised,
2. The invitation is very extensive.
Observe, (1.) From whom God has praise—from his own people; they
are here called upon to praise God, as those that will answer the
call: Praise, O you servants of the Lord! They have most
reason to praise him; for those that attend him as his servants
know him best and receive most of his favours. And it is their
business to praise him; that is the work required of them as his
servants: it is easy pleasant work to speak well of their Master,
and do him what honour they can; if they do not, who should? Some
understand it of the Levites; but, if so, all Christians are a
royal priesthood, to show forth the praises of him that has
called them,
II. We are here directed what to give him the glory of.
1. Let us look up with an eye of faith, and
see how high his glory is in the upper world, and mention that to
his praise,
2. Let us look around with an eye of observation, and see how extensive his goodness is in the lower world, and mention that to his praise. He is a God who exalts himself to dwell, who humbles himself in heaven, and in earth. Some think there is a transposition, He exalts himself to dwell in heaven, he humbles himself to behold on earth; but the sense is plain enough as we take it, only observe, God is said to exalt himself and to humble himself, both are his own act and deed; as he is self-existent, so he is both the fountain of his own honour and the spring of his own grace; God's condescending goodness appears,
(1.) In the cognizance he takes of the
world below him. His glory is above the nations and above
the heavens, and yet neither is neglected by him. God is
great, yet he despises not any,
(2.) In the particular favour he sometimes
shows to the least and lowest of the inhabitants of this meaner
lower world. He not only beholds the great things in the earth, but
the meanest, and those things which great men commonly overlook.
Not does he merely behold them, but does wonders for them, and
things that are very surprising, out of the common road of
providence and chain of causes, which shows that the world is
governed, not by a course of nature, for that would always run in
the same channel, but by a God of nature, who delights in doing
things we looked not for. [1.] Those that have been long despicable
are sometimes, on a sudden, made honourable (