Psalm 92 – Sing Praise
It is good to praise our God, even better to sing praises to God using our whole being, as we learn in Psalm 92 – sing praise.
Psalm 92
Entitled “A psalm. A song. For the Sabbath day” Psalm 92 begins by telling us to make music and proclaim God’s love and faithfulness. “This Song for the Sabbath is proof enough, if such were needed, that the Old Testament sabbath was a day not only for rest but for corporate worship (‘a holy convocation,’ Lev. 23:3), and intended to be a delight rather than a burden.” Enduring Word Bible Commentary Psalm 92
It is delightful to join with others in singing praise to God.
This song of praise is set to the lyre and harp.
“It is good to praise the Lord and make music to your name, O Most High,
proclaiming your love in the morning and your faithfulness at night,
to the music of the ten-stringed lyre and the melody of the harp.” (1-3)
All that our God has done gladdens the psalmist. How can he keep from singing for joy at the works of God’s hands?
“Hebrew poetry often uses parallelism, repeating an idea with similar words. This is an example of this, with the second phrase repeating the essential idea of the first. Therefore, for the psalmist, to sing praises to God’s name is very much like giving thanks to the LORD. Singing is a valid and wonderful expression of gratitude to God.” Enduring Word Bible Commentary Psalm 92
“For you make me glad by your deeds, Lord; I sing for joy at what your hands have done.” (4)
God’s Thoughts
The writer goes on to talk about God’s thoughts.
“How great are your works, Lord, how profound your thoughts!
Senseless people do not know, fools do not understand,
that though the wicked spring up like grass and all evildoers flourish, they will be destroyed forever.” (5-7)
The righteous are contrasted with the wicked. The wicked are like the grass. While they grow up quickly and flourish in this life, they are short-lived, lasting but a day in the wider scheme of time. Whereas the righteous are like great trees that last forever in the courts of God.
“The righteous will flourish like a palm tree, they will grow like a cedar of Lebanon;
planted in the house of the Lord, they will flourish in the courts of our God.
They will still bear fruit in old age, they will stay fresh and green,
proclaiming, “The Lord is upright; he is my Rock, and there is no wickedness in him.” (12-15)
The psalm ends proclaiming God as the rock, steadfast and mighty, with no wickedness.
Psalms of Praise
How many psalms of praise are there? Some say there are thirty. Others say that because each psalm praises God in some way, there are 150 of them. (What are the Psalms of Praise? – Christian Faith Guide) Either way, there are a lot. This points to the importance of praise.
And when we sing that praise, God is glorified thrice over! It isn’t enough to praise God. When we sing we engage our body and spirit beyond our thinking brains. Our hearts beat as one with the vibrations of the universe; our cells reverberate in constant motion. To sing praise is to praise God with our whole being: mind, body, and spirit. It is a way to pray constantly, singing in our hearts about the wonders of God.
Psalm 92 – Sing Praise
There are as many reasons to sing praise to our God as there as stars in the sky, grains of sand on a beach. There are as many reasons as there are people. Psalm 92 – sing praise, praises God because of his great wisdom and great works.
What about you? Why do you sing praise to God?
(For another take on this psalm, see Psalm 92 – Bearing Fruit in Old Age – Patricia M Robertson and Psalm 92: Just Rewards – Patricia M Robertson)
This post is part of a series of blog posts on the Psalms. Sign up to follow this blog and receive a free copy of Still Dancing, the second book in my Dancing through Life Series. click here to sign up
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