The Bible Commentaries and Others: Psalms 147

Psalm 147

147:1. Praise ye the LORD, or Hallelujah. The flow of the broad river of the Book of Psalms ends in a cataract of praise. Jehovah and happy praise should ever be associated in the mind of a believer.

Praise ye the LORD. Such an exhortation may fitly be addressed to all those who owe anything to the favor of God; and which of us does not?

For it is good to sing praises unto our God. It is good because it is right, acceptable with God, beneficial to ourselves, and stimulating to our fellows. Singing in the heart is good, but singing with heart and voice is better, for it allows others to join with us.

or it is pleasant; and praise is comely. It is refreshing to the truly refined mind, and it is agreeable to the eye of the pure in heart: it is delightful both to hear and to see a whole assembly praising the Lord. Let each reader feel that he and his family ought to constitute a choir for the daily praises of the Lord.

147:2. The LORD doth build up Jerusalem. His grace, wisdom, and power are all seen in the formation and establishment of the chosen seat of his worship; once a city with material walls, but now a church composed of spiritual stones.

He gathereth together the outcasts of Israel, and thus he repairs the waste places, and causes the former desolations to be inhabited. This may relate to Nehemiah, but there is not reason why it should not with equal fitness be referred to David, who was once an outcast but became the means of building up Jerusalem. Spiritually we see the hand of God in the edification of the church, and in the ingathering of sinners. What are people under conviction of sin but outcasts from God, from holiness, from heaven, and even from hope? Who could make citizens of them in Christ Jesus save the Lord our God? This deed of love he is constantly performing. Therefore let the song begin at Jerusalem our home, and let every living stone in the spiritual city echo the strain; for it is the Lord who has brought again his banished ones, and builded them together in Zion.

147:3. He healeth the broken in heart, and bindeth up their wounds. This the Holy Spirit mentions as a part of the glory of God, and a reason for our declaring his praise: the Lord is not only a Builder, but a Healer; he restores broken hearts as well as broken walls. Few will associate with the despondent, but Jehovah chooses their company, and abides with them till he has healed them by his comforts. The Lord is still healing and binding, as the original has it.

147:4. He telleth the number of the stars. None but he can count the mighty host, but as he made them and sustains them he can number them. To Jehovah stars are as mere coins which the merchant counts as he puts them in his bag.

He calleth them all by their names. He gives to each its appropriate title, because he knows its constitution and nature. They are perfectly obedient, as soldiers to a captain who calls their names, and allots them their stations. He who acts a surgeon’s part with wounded hearts marshals the heavenly host.

147:5. Great is our Lord. None can describe his majesty, or reckon up the number of his excellencies.

And of great power. Doing as he wills, and willing to do mighty deeds. His acts reveal something of his might, but the mass of his power is hidden, for all things are possible with God.

His understanding is infinite. He is infinite in existence, in power, and in knowledge, as these three phrases plainly teach us. This is he who so tenderly nurses sick souls, and waits to be gracious to sinful people. Let him be extolled because of each of his attributes.

147:6. He reverses the evil order of things. The Lord loves those who are reverent to himself, humble in their own eyes, and gentle to their fellows: these he lifts up to hope, to peace, to power, to eternal honor. Proud men are, in their own esteem, high enough already; only those who are low will care to be lifted up, and only such will Jehovah upraise. As for the wicked, they must come down from their seats of vain glory. God is accustomed to overthrow such.

147:7–11. In this paragraph the contrast announced in the former section is enlarged upon as it is seen in nature and in providence.

147:7. Sing unto the LORD with thanksgiving. Or rather, “respond to Jehovah.” He speaks to us in his works; let us answer him with our thanks. Jehovah is ever engaged in giving; let us respond with thanksgiving.

Sing praise upon the harp unto our God. Blend music with song. Under a dispensation of ritual the use of music was most commendable, and suitable for the great congregation. He is our God, and this fact is one choice joy of the song. We have chosen him because he has chosen us. He is our God in covenant relationship forever, and to him be praise in every possible form.

147:8. Who covereth the heaven with clouds. Clouds are not caused by accident; the great Artist’s hand thus covers the canvas of the heavens.

Who prepareth rain for the earth. The Lord prepares clouds with a view to rain, and rain with an eye to the fields below.

Who maketh grass to grow upon the mountains. By the shower he produces vegetation where the hand of man is all unknown.

147:9. He giveth to the beast his food. By causing the grass to grow on the hills the Lord feeds the cattle. Too often people treat their cattle with cruelty, but the Lord himself feeds them.

And to the young ravens which cry. These wild creatures, which seems to be of no use to man, are they therefore worthless? By no means; they fill their place in the economy of nature. He who feeds the sons of the raven will surely nourish the sons of God!

147:10. He delighteth not in the strength of the horse. He cares as much for helpless birds in the nest as for the war-horse in the pride of its power.

He taketh not pleasure in the legs of a man. These are the athlete’s glory, but God has no pleasure in them. Not the capacities of the creature, but rather its weakness and necessity win the regard of our God. Monarchs trust in their cavalry and infantry; but physical or material greatness and power are of no account with Jehovah; he has respect to other and more precious qualities. Men who boast in the valor of gigantic might will not find themselves the favorites of God, who is a spirit and delights most in spiritual things. The expression of the text may be viewed as including all creature power, even of a mental or moral kind. God does not take pleasure in us because of our attainments, or potentialities: he respects character rather than capacity.

147:11. The LORD taketh pleasure in them that fear him, in those that hope in his mercy. While the bodily powers give no content to God, spiritual qualities are his delight. It is a striking thought that God should not only be at peace with some kinds of people, but even find a solace and a joy in their company. Some of them are the least in his family, who have never risen beyond hoping and fearing. Others are more fully developed, but still they exhibit a blended character composed of fear and hope: they fear God with holy awe and filial reverence, and they also hope for forgiveness and blessedness because of the divine mercy. As a father takes pleasure in his own children, so does the Lord solace himself in his own beloved ones, whose marks of new birth are fear and hope. They fear, for they are sinners; they hope, for God is merciful. Is there not rich cause for praise in the special feature of the divine character?

147:12. The city of peace should be the city of praise. Note that we are to praise the Lord in our own houses in Jerusalem as well as in his own house in Zion.

147:13. For he hath strengthened the bars of thy gates. Her fortifications were finished, even to her bolts and bars. Oh that our churches were thus preserved from all false doctrine and unholy living! This must be the Lord’s doing, and where he has wrought it his name is greatly to be praised. Modern libertines would tear down all gates and abolish all bars; but so do not we, because of the fear of the Lord.

He hath blessed thy children within thee. Internal happiness is as truly the Lord’s gift as external security. It would little avail to fortify a wretched, starving city; but when the walls are strengthened, it is a still greater joy to see that the inhabitants are blessed with all good gifts. How much our churches need a present and abiding benediction.

147:14. He maketh peace in thy borders. Even to the boundaries quiet extends; no enemies are wrangling with the borderers. “When a man’s ways please the Lord he maketh even his enemies to be at peace with him.” Considering the different constitutions, conditions, tastes, and opinions of people, it is a work of God when in large churches unbroken peace is found year after year; and it is an equal wonder if worldlings, instead of persecuting the godly, treat them with marked respect.

And filleth thee with the finest of the wheat. It is a great reason for thanksgiving when people’s wants are so supplied that they are filled: it takes much to fill some people: perhaps none are ever filled but the inhabitants of Zion. Gospel truth is the finest of the wheat, and those are indeed blessed who are content to be filled therewith, and are not hungering after the husks of the world.

147:15. He sendeth forth his commandment upon earth. From his church his word goes forth.

His word runneth very swiftly. His purposes of love are speedily accomplished. The Lord can deliver his people right speedily, or send them supplies immediately from his courts above. God’s commands in nature and providence are fiats and all things rush to put them into effect. The expressions in the text are so distinctly in the present that they are meant to teach us the present mission and efficiency of the Word of the Lord, and thus to prompt us to present praise.

147:16. Here follow instances of the power of God upon the elements.

He giveth snow like wool. Snow falls softly, covers universally, and clothes warmly, like fleecy wool. The most evident resemblance lies in the fleecy whiteness, but many other likenesses are to be seen by the observant eye. It is wise to see God in winter and in distress as well as in summer and prosperity.

He scattereth the hoarfrost like ashes. Let us praise the Lord who condescends to wing each flake of snow and scatter each particle of rime. Ours is no absent or inactive deity: he works all things, and is everywhere at home.

147:17. He casteth forth his ice like morsels. Such are the crumbs of hail which he casts forth, or the crusts of ice which he creates upon the waters. The two expressions indicate a very real presence of God in the phenomena of nature.

Who can stand before his cold? None can resist the utmost rigors of cold any more than they can bear the vehemence of heat. God’s withdrawals of light are a darkness that may be felt, and his withdrawals of heat are a cold which is absolutely omnipotent. It is ours to submit to deprivations with patience, seeing the cold is his cold. That which God sends, whether it be heat or cold, no one can defy with impunity.

147:18. He sendeth out his word, and melteth them. When the frost is sharpest, and the ice is hardest, the Lord intervenes. The phenomena of winter are not so abundant in Palestine as with us, yet they are witnessed sufficiently to cause the devout to bless God for the return of spring. He causeth his wind to blow, and the waters flow. The Lord is the great first cause of everything; even the fickle, wandering winds are caused by him. Simple but effectual are the methods of Jehovah in the natural world; equally so are those which he employs in the spiritual kingdom; for the breath of his Holy Spirit breathes upon frozen hearts, and streams of penitence and love gush forth at once.

Observe how in these two sentences the word and the wind go together in nature. They attend each other in grace; the Gospel and the Holy Spirit cooperate in salvation. The truth which the Spirit breathes into prophets and apostles he breathes into dead souls, and they are quickened into spiritual life.

147:19. He who is the Creator is also the Revealer. We are to praise the Lord above all things for his manifesting himself to us as he does not unto the world. Whatever part of his mind he discloses to us, whether it be a word of instruction, a statute of direction, or a judgment of government, we are bound to bless the Lord for it. He who causes summer to come in the place of winter has also removed the coldness and death from our hearts by the power of his word, and this is abundant cause for singing unto his name. By knowledge of the Lord, Jacob is ennobled into Israel; let him who is made a prevailing prince in prayer be also a chief musician in praise. Why were the elect people so especially favored if they did not, above all others, tell forth the glory of their God?

147:20. He hath not dealt so with any nation. Israel had clear and exclusive knowledge of God, while others were left in ignorance. Election is the loudest call for grateful adoration.

And as for his judgments, they have not known them; or, “and judgments they had not known them,” as if not knowing the laws of God, they might be looked upon as having no laws at all worth mentioning. The nations were covered with darkness, and only Israel sat in the light. This was sovereign grace in its fullest noontide of power.

Praise ye the Lord. When we mentioned electing, distinguishing love, our praise can rise no higher, and therefore we close with one more hallelujah.

Excerpt from:

The Treasury of David by Charles Haddon Spurgeon (1834-1892)