Psalm 33: Praise to the Creator and Preserver

Behold, the eye of the Lord is on those who fear Him, On those who hope in His mercy, To deliver their soul from death, And to keep them alive in famine. Psalm33:18, 19

 

 

The psalmist calls for spontaneous praise to God, the dependable Creator and shaper of history. God has shown His loyalty to His people, and God’s people hope joyfully in Him.

33:1 Praise is fitting. Praise is appropriate because: *God’s Word is true (trustworthy) *He Himself is faithful in all He does *He loves justice *Earth is filled with expressions of His love *He created all things *He sustains all things *He shapes history to accomplish his purposes *He chose Israel as His inheritance *He watches (pays close attention to) all humanity *He guards those who fear Him *He delivers from death those who hope in Him. How could we not praise such a wonderful God!

Rejoice in the Lord, O you righteous! For praise from the upright is beautiful. Psalm 33:1

33:20, 22 Waiting in hope. In the OT “waiting” and “hope” are so intimately connected that one of the Heb. Words translated “hope” (yahal) is also rendered “wait” at times. This psalm is an important one for people who are waiting. We have not yet received what we yearn for. But because we know God is dependable, we remain optimistic and are filled with joy.

20  Our soul waits for the Lord; He is our help and our shield.  22  Let Your mercy, O Lord, be upon us, Just as we hope in You.

⇒  Make melody to Him with an instrument of ten strings.  Sing to Him a new song; Play skillfully with a shout of joy. 

I’m glad our story starts with sorrow and ends with joy.  It’s a story of Exodus.  A story of escape from slavery and the fate of death.  Since God created us and this world, He never diverted His attention from us. In this psalm, I’ve learned more specifically the reasons to praise Him.  Creation and Preservation through His Faithfulness.

 


33 1  Rejoice in the Lord, O you righteous! For praise from the upright is beautiful. 2  Praise the Lord with the harp; Make melody to Him with an instrument of ten strings. 3  Sing to Him a new song; Play skillfully with a shout of joy. 4  For the word of the Lord is right, And all His work is done in truth. 5  He loves righteousness and justice; The earth is full of the goodness of the Lord. 6  By the word of the Lord the heavens were made, And all the host of them by the breath of His mouth. 7  He gathers the waters of the sea together as a heap; He lays up the deep in storehouses. 8  Let all the earth fear the Lord; Let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him. 9  For He spoke, and it was done; He commanded, and it stood fast. 10  The Lord brings the counsel of the nations to nothing; He makes the plans of the peoples of no effect. 11  The counsel of the Lord stands forever, The plans of His heart to all generations.

12  Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, The people He has chosen as His own inheritance. 13  The Lord looks from heaven; He sees all the sons of men. 14  From the place of His dwelling He looks On all the inhabitants of the earth; 15  He fashions their hearts individually; He considers all their works. 16  No king is saved by the multitude of an army; A mighty man is not delivered by great strength. 17  A horse is a vain hope for safety; Neither shall it deliver any by its great strength. 18  Behold, the eye of the Lord is on those who fear Him, On those who hope in His mercy, 19  To deliver their soul from death, And to keep them alive in famine. 20  Our soul waits for the Lord; He is our help and our shield. 21  For our heart shall rejoice in Him, Because we have trusted in His holy name. 22  Let Your mercy, O Lord, be upon us, Just as we hope in You.