Afterwords -- to speak of his glory
"All your works shall give thanks to you, O LORD, and all your saints shall bless you! They shall speak of the glory of your kingdom and tell of your power, to make known to the children of man your mighty deeds, and the glorious splendor of your kingdom." (Psalm 145:10-12)
“Any theology that does not lead to song is, at a fundamental level, a flawed theology.” (J. I. Packer)
February 11, 2023
Dear friends,
Psalm 145 is the last psalm in the book of Psalms attributed to King David and is denoted a "Song of Praise" in the superscription. The next five, closing the book of Psalms (146--150) are also songs (or hymns) of praise, each beginning with "Praise the Lord!" -- הללו יה or in English transcribed as, "Hallelujah", a verb calling us to give praise (from the verb hallal) unto God (Jah, from Yahweh). The book of Psalms opens with a call to live according to God's word (Torah, his instruction, Ps 1) and to submit to his Anointed One (Psalm 2). There are many kinds of psalms which fill the collection, and quite a few are poems of lament. But here at end there is a triumphant call for all creation to bless and praise God for who he is and what he has done.
Many of us tend to think of "worship" as being primarily about music and singing. It is that, but much more. Worship begins with the knowledge of God, with good theology about his nature and works. As we read these concluding psalms, we see the character and attributes of God being described and celebrated. He is exalted as Creator and Redeemer. There's much here in common with Revelation chapters 4 and 5. Worship begins with the knowledge of the true and living God. And this moves us to sing. Theologian J. I. Packer wrote, “Any theology that does not lead to song is, at a fundamental level, a flawed theology.” If we don't sing and give thanks to God with our lips, have we really connected with the truth of his glory?
Worship includes evangelism and discipleship, as well. "One generation shall commend your works to another, and shall declare your mighty acts... to make known to the children of man your mighty deeds, and the glorious splendor of your kingdom." (145:4, 12) And so, David concludes, "My mouth will speak the praise of the LORD, and let all flesh bless his holy name forever and ever. (v 21)
Further, worship involves the celebration (and by implication, proper application) of God's justice and compassion in all his dealings (Ps 146). Also, it is a recognition of his greatness and goodness, since the one who created and names the stars is the one who stoops to heal our broken hearts: "He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds. He determines the number of the stars; he gives to all of them their names. Great is our Lord, and abundant in power; his understanding is beyond measure." (Psalm 147:3-5) His summons to worship is proclaimed to all of creation (Ps 148) -- it's a cosmic activity -- and God is to be exalted because he will execute righteous judgment upon the wicked (Ps 149). Conclusion: if we have breath, we are to praise God (Ps 150).
The worship of God includes all of these things: knowledge, awe, celebration, singing, speaking, evangelism, discipleship, biblical justice, compassion, child-rearing, and righteousness in every area of life. All of these things are connected, and we cannot separate one activity from this list and be considered true worshipers of God. Worship is more than music, it is a whole-life response to the nature, character, and works of God.
RECENT ARTICLES
-- I quoted J. I. Packer above. In my opinion, his book, Knowing God, should be required reading for all Christians. Here's one person's remembrance of Packer, who passed away in 2020: "...such was my privilege. I met a man filled with the Holy Spirit. The Spirit shone through a quiet, humble, gracious, wise Englishman who delighted to serve the Lord and fellow human beings in the ordinary course of life as well as in the work of theology." (Vern Poythress, in "Reminiscences of J. I. Packer")
-- "If at the end of the day we want students to think like historians, at the beginning of the day they must know some history. While history may be more than names and dates, it is at least names and dates." Read "There Is No Thinking Without Memorization".
-- "We all, men and women, must embrace how God has made us." (Patrick Schreiner) Read "Kim Petras Will Not Be Saved Through Childbearing."
-- "Architecture is always a way of conveying our beliefs about the world, and our place in it, in physical form; and buildings have a profound effect on the people who use them." (Patrick Tomassi, in First Things) Read "The Gospel of Architecture".
-- Everything you wanted to know about asteroids. (Is that what Rev. 8:8-10 is about?) (Btw, don't read this article right before you go to bed).
FINAL QUOTE. "The Gospel does not command us to do anything in order to obtain life, but bids us live by that which another has done; and the knowledge of its life-giving truth is not labor but rest—rest of soul—rest which is the root of all true labor; for in receiving Christ we do not work in order to rest, but we rest in order to work." (Horatius Bonar, God's Way of Holiness)
That's it for this week!
Sandy
Image above is a photo I took of my daughter in 2008 at Oak Island, NC. Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are from The ESV Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version), copyright 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.