This is the shortest psalm, but it packs a lot into its small space.
Where should the Lord be praise? The Lord is to be praised universally. This is expressed twice, using near synonyms.All nations are to praise him; all peoples are to praise him. We find this concept throughout the Bible.
Abram was called for the purpose of calling all nations into right relationship with God. “I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonours you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed” (Gen 12:3).
This purpose is also noted at the end of the Bible. “Then I saw another angel flying directly overhead, with an eternal gospel to proclaim to those who dwell on earth, to every nation and tribe and language and people” (Rev 14:6).
It might be good if we each asked ourselves, “Is there anything in the teaching, structure, or practises of our local congregation that seems to diminish this emphasis on all peoples praising God? Have we instead become too human focused? Are we asking what do people want, rather than how we ought to respond to God?
Why should we praise? The Lord is to be praised for his steadfast love. Various English words have been used to express the idea of hesed (mercy, love, grace, kindness, steadfast love). None is completely satisfactory.
There are inadequacies with all these terms. Love is too often associated with involuntary feelings. Mercy is more a result of hesed than hesed itself. Kindness is something that one might show to a stranger, but hesed is used almost exclusively of love in the context of a covenant relationship.1
The Lord is in covenant relationship with Israel, and, although Israel is not keeping the covenant, the Lord’s hesed leads him to continue blessing them. “…the etymological core of the word is ‘eagerness, keenness,’ and, whilst there is considerable development from this, the word never belies its origins” (Snaith). We should remember that the Lord is eager to bless. He is keen on loving his people. He does it despite their failings.
From a New Testament point of view, we ought to understand this even better. The Lord did not finally get fed up with Israel and exclude them from relationship with him. The New Covenant does not undo the promise to Abraham, it fulfils it (Gal 3:15-29). The institutions of the Mosaic covenant were done away, but this only changes the form in which the covenant with Abraham is being fulfilled, it does not represent a rejection of that covenant. It is not a failure of the Lord’s hesed.
God’s faithful love is seen in that while we were sinners Christ died for us (Rom 5:8), and in that while the Jews were the most active party in his crucifixion, the gospel was still offered to them first (Rom 1:16; 15:8-9,11).
Steadfast covenantal love is an emphasis in the Bible. Is it an emphasis in modern church teaching? If it is not being emphasised, what changes might put it back in its central position?
What other reasons are there for praising the Lord? The Lord is to be praised for his truth or faithfulness. Is there really a distinction between hesed (steadfast love) and ‘emet (faithfulness)? Likely there is much overlap of meaning intended here (as is common in Hebrew poetry). But to understand the difference, contrast the steadfast love of God with a human love that is blind to the faults in the beloved. God’s love is not blind. His steadfast love sees the truth and states the truth but continues to fulfil his promises and uphold his truth and justice.
He is merciful to us, but also faithful (1 John 1:9); he is just even while being the justifier (Rom 3:26). Some people, in their mercy, unfaithfully withhold the truth and become enablers of those who are destroying themselves with sin.
The Lord, although more loving, more merciful, more gracious than any of us, is also faithful to carry out the painful duties of the relationship. His earthly goal for us is not our happiness but our holiness — for apart from holiness there can be no lasting happiness.
The Lord is to be praised by all the earth. He is to be praised for his steadfast, unstoppable, persistent, truthful, relentless relationship with us. When I do woodworking, I sometimes give up on a project. I also must admit that I sometimes stop at ‘good enough’ instead of making the item as perfect as it can be. God is to be praised because he is not giving up on this project that he began with Abraham. It is still his purpose to bless all the earth through Abraham’s descendants.
God is not stopping at ‘good enough’ with any of Abraham’s descendants. He wants to make them as good as they can be. Sometimes we wish he would give up, but he will not. He wants us better. His steadfast love keeps him on task and his faithfulness refuses to stop at less than the best.
All the earth is to be called on to praise the Lord for this.
Let us close by asking, “Are we too quick to accept ‘good enough?’ Do we fail to bring our best to the Lord, do we fail to bring out the best in others because of a mistaken notion that love means that we should not demand much of others?”
1 The word is used only in cases where there is some recognized tie between the parties concerned. It is not used indiscriminately of kindness in general, haphazard, kindly deeds; this is why Coverdale was careful to avoid using the word ‘kindness’ in respect of God’s dealings with his people Israel. The theological importance of the word chesed is that it stands more than any other word for the attitude which both parties to a covenant ought to maintain toward each other. Sir George Adam Smith suggested the rendering ‘leal-love.’ The merit of this translation is that it combines the twin ideas of love and loyalty, both of which are essential. On the other hand, it does not sufficiently convey the idea of the steadfastness and persistence of God’s sure love for his covenant-people. ….. the etymological core of the word is ‘eagerness, keenness,’ and, whilst there is considerable development from this, the word never belies its origins.
N.H. Snaith, Distinctive Ideas of the Old Testament, London (1944).