Many families like to pass down stories from previous generations, maybe of some famous ancestor, or of some special event or activity that one relative of the past had done. Whether they are good stories, or perhaps even not-so-good, families pass these tales on from the past to their next generation. We learn about our country’s history in school, and those important events are also passed down from generation to generation. This was very important to do, especially before printing books was invented. That is how important things were remembered, by passing the stories on from one generation to the next. If they failed to do so, then all the history, whether of country or family, was lost. Our psalm today tells of how important it is to tell the next generation about God. Let’s see what the Scriptures have to say.
Psalm 145 is the last psalm in the Book of Psalms to be attributed to King David. It is also one of several acrostic psalms, where each verse begins with a different letter of the Hebrew alphabet. It is a psalm that celebrates God’s majesty, His greatness, goodness, His mercy, mighty works, and His faithfulness. These were all important things about God that each generation was obligated to tell the next one about. Failure to do so then, and now, means that one’s children and grandchildren would not hear about the Lord Jesus, and ultimately not be saved, spending an eternity without God in the lake of fire.
Our psalm begins with King David exalting God as King over all creation (vs. 1-3). He emphasizes that God is eternally sovereign, and worthy of his praise every day. God’s greatness is unsearchable, it is beyond our human comprehension.
As David continues, he declares how important it is that each generation tells the next about God and His greatness (vs. 4-7). They need to pass on to their children and grandchildren the accounts of His mighty acts, recalling all the wonderful things that they and previous generations witnessed that the Lord did for them. It is so important that we tell our children and grandchildren about the Lord Jesus, passing on teachings of Biblical truths to future generations. And then not only to our own family, but spreading the message of Jesus to others, who in turn can then pass the Gospel on to their families and future generations.
As we read further, David highlights several of God’s special characteristics, that of His grace, compassion, slowness to anger, mercy, and goodness (vs 8-9). Mercy is God withholding from us the punishment that we deserve, and grace is giving us the blessings that we do not deserve. God is slow to show His anger over our sins. He is good, kind, and compassionate to all that He has made. Every day He showers His compassion on us. All of these characteristics are unchanging, and His offer of salvation is to all who repent.
David continues by repeating the admonition of the importance of speaking to others all about God’s glory and power, making known His mighty acts to all the world (vs. 10-13). Yahweh isn’t just some ineffectual deity, like the pagan gods of the nations of the world. He is the supreme God of the universe, and His Kingdom is eternal. It is everlasting, and His dominion endures forever. God’s rule is absolute and His promises are trustworthy.
Our psalm continues by reminding us that God cares for all of His children (vs. 14-20). He upholds all who fall, and He provides for all who call upon Him. This shows that He is not a detached and uninvolved God as some people believe, but instead is personally involved in the lives of believers. Because He is a just and righteous God, He is faithful to all of His promises. We can trust in Him.
As we close our psalm, King David renews his commitment to speak of the praise of the Lord to everyone (vs. 21). This is something that we should be encouraged to do, as well. We should live a life of worship, and acknowledge God’s greatness every day. We should make a point to tell future generations, not only in our own family, but to others as well, all about God’s greatness, His love, mercy, compassion, and grace.
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