Happy is he who has the God of Jacob for his help, Whose hope is in the Lord his God, Psalm 146:5
Help Comes from God Not Men
The psalmist will praise God all his life, first because God is Creator and then because God is so gracious to the needy. God reigns.
Trust in princes? (146:3) This psalm was most meaningful to Martin Luther who was forced, because of an emperor’s ban, to rely on rulers of German principalities to stand for the Protestant faith. After much soul-searching, he realized that he need not rely on them, or worry, for his “help was the God of Jacob” (v. 5).
146:1, 2 My soul is another way of speaking of one’s inner being and is often used as a substitute for the pronouns “I” or “me.” While I live: The poet makes a strong vow to praise the Lord for the rest of his life.
1 Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord, O my soul! 2 While I live I will praise the Lord; I will sing praises to my God while I have my being.
146:3 in princes: The point is that even the best of people are not adequate help in times of terrible stress. Even princes are mortal, and are not able even to help themselves. In contrast is the individual who finds ultimate help in God who lives forever.
3 Do not put your trust in princes, Nor in a son of man, in whom there is no help. 4 His spirit departs, he returns to his earth; In that very day his plans perish.
146:5, 6 Happy indicates a deep and abiding pleasure, a manifest joy. This is the proper description of one whose help and hope is in God. Who made heaven and earth: Creation themes pervade the hymns of Israel (Ps. 104); here the point is that the Creator of the universe is the One who comes to the aid of the righteous.
5 Happy is he who has the God of Jacob for his help, Whose hope is in the Lord his God, 6 Who made heaven and earth, The sea, and all that is in them; Who keeps truth forever, 7 Who executes justice for the oppressed, Who gives food to the hungry. The Lord gives freedom to the prisoners.
146:8, 9 the eyes of the blind: In these two verses there is a special focus on the gracious actions of God on behalf of the impaired, the helpless, the lonely, and the needy. But the way of the wicked: The contrast in God’s treatment of the righteous and the wicked is as pronounced in this psalm as it is in other psalms.
8 The Lord opens the eyes of the blind; The Lord raises those who are bowed down; The Lord loves the righteous. 9 The Lord watches over the strangers; He relieves the fatherless and widow; But the way of the wicked He turns upside down.
146:10 The Lord shall reign forever: The Bible presents several dimensions of the rule of God: He is King as Creator (Ps. 93); He is King as Savior of His people (Ps. 99); and He is King as the coming One (Ps. 98). This verse speaks of God’s present and eternal reign rather than specifically of His coming rule at the end of time.
10 The Lord shall reign forever– Your God, O Zion, to all generations. Praise the Lord!
** Good News: God, who is righteous, is in charge now and forever. Not any of the human leaders with impressive titles. While the latter oppress and look down on us, God, who gave us life to begin with, is the one who tells us to live and be free.
146 1 Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord, O my soul! 2 While I live I will praise the Lord; I will sing praises to my God while I have my being. 3 Do not put your trust in princes, Nor in a son of man, in whom there is no help. 4 His spirit departs, he returns to his earth; In that very day his plans perish. 5 Happy is he who has the God of Jacob for his help, Whose hope is in the Lord his God, 6 Who made heaven and earth, The sea, and all that is in them; Who keeps truth forever, 7 Who executes justice for the oppressed, Who gives food to the hungry. The Lord gives freedom to the prisoners. 8 The Lord opens the eyes of the blind; The Lord raises those who are bowed down; The Lord loves the righteous. 9 The Lord watches over the strangers; He relieves the fatherless and widow; But the way of the wicked He turns upside down. 10 The Lord shall reign forever– Your God, O Zion, to all generations. Praise the Lord!
