Many of us have heard alphabet songs before. Some are instructional songs for little children to help in learning the alphabet. There are a few alphabet songs that list alphabetically the ways the singer loves his beloved. Today’s psalm is an alphabetical, also called an acrostic, psalm. Each line begins with a successive letter of the Hebrew alphabet. This was to help believers in praise of God for His works, His righteousness, faithfulness, and reliability. Also to instruct us in the fear of the Lord, obedience, and in worship.
Our psalm begins with a proclamation of public, open praise to God. The psalmist’s praise is both personal and wholehearted. He shares his praise when gathering with other believers. Praise and worship should be shared among the redeemed. Church services really should often have a brief time where the congregants can give public testimonies of praise for how the Lord is working in their lives, answers to prayers, and what He has done recently for them. As is indicated in our psalm, our worship should be sincere, undivided, and expressed among God’s people. Half-hearted worship is unworthy of our God, who has done such great works for us.
Our God is not some weak, meager, and insignificant deity. His works are great, and are meant to be studied, not just admired (vs. 2). We do that by getting into His Word, the Bible, and not just reading a few verses here and there, but actually studying the Scriptures. This is not optional for a genuine believer who loves Jesus. True believers will delight in studying God’s Word and works. Our worship will grow as our understanding grows.
As we study God’s works, both through His Word, and what we see around us, we see that they are honorable, majestic, and glorious (vs. 3). His works reveal His eternal righteousness. When our problems and worries start to mount up, and our faith starts to falter, we should look at God’s works - His creation, His protective care of us, and His redemption. All of these testify that God is righteous and trustworthy.
God wants His children to remember His works (vs. 4). We do that through Bible reading and meditation, along with certain sacraments, such as Holy Communion, “This do in remembrance of Me.” (Luke 22:14-20). Forgetfulness is a spiritual danger. God calls His people to rehearse His works continually. This is why testimonies, Scripture memorization, and group worship matter. One specific work of the Lord is that He provides food for His children (vs. 5), both physical and spiritual. God never forgets His promises. We can trust Him for our daily needs because He is faithful to eternal commitments. The psalmist reminds us that our inheritance in Jesus is secure (vs. 6). God’s power guarantees our future.
As we read on, we are reminded that God’s Word is both trustworthy and eternal (vs. 7-8). His works and His Word share the same qualities - that of truth, justice, faithfulness, and permanence. They are sure, reliable, and unchanging. In a world of shifting morality, which we see so much of today, God’s Word remains a Christian’s unshakable foundation.
The greatest work that God has done is that of redemption (vs. 9). That was accomplished when He sent His Son, Jesus Christ, into the world to die on the Cross for our sins. The New Covenant that God made with mankind through the Blood of Jesus is eternal. Those who have entered into that covenant by accepting Jesus as their Savior, are eternally secure. Our redemption is the ultimate reason for praise.
God’s Name is holy and should be feared (vs. 9-10), that is, it should not be taken lightly or in vain. Our life should reflect reverence for His Holy Name. The “fear of the Lord” is having a godly respect for God’s power and authority. True wisdom begins with a reverent submission to God. Wisdom is not intellectual brilliance, but is instead having humble obedience to our Lord and Savior. Obedience is what will naturally come from having a godly fear of the Lord. A proper and accurate view of God produces a good life.
As the psalm closes, the author went through the whole Hebrew alphabet, with each of their twenty-two letters successively beginning each line. Though that wouldn’t translate well, to be able to do that with any other language, it was a way to especially teach Old Testament Hebrew children the importance of praise to God, remembering His works, and having a godly fear and respect for His Holy Name. That is something that we can learn today, as well, with or without any alphabetical help.
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