Wendy Kaminer (1949-), an American lawyer, writer, and agnostic, contends that the mandate of worship in religion compels us to “imagine God [to be] a king… a flawed human being who needs worshipped.” She’s not even half right. God is no mere man and we haven’t invented Him in our likeness. He has revealed Himself and what He has shown us is significant enough to compel all to fall before Him because there is simply no-one higher, greater, or more worthy of our adoration.
This is the subject of Psalm 33, why we unashamedly bow before God. The rallying cry to worship in verses 1-3; the reasons for worship in verses 4-19; and the response of the worshippers in verses 20-22. Interestingly, twenty two verses appear in the song mirroring the length of the Hebrew alphabet. It is as if to suggest that all our words ought to fill this space; all our written and spoken vocabulary must find its best employment in this exercise of worshipping the everlasting One. And so to the substance of this superb piece from the Hebrew hymnbook.
The rallying cry to worship (vv 1-3)
“Sing…praise…make music…sing…play skilfully, and shout for joy.” Six commands in three verses assert what ought to be our preoccupation with God. Our wonder overflows. It’s seen and heard. We can’t help ourselves, such is His greatness. Spurgeon said: “Praise is the honey of life which a devout heart extracts from every bloom of providence and grace.” It shouldn’t really require a rallying cry but we get one anyway for far too often we’re slow to give what God actually deserves. Not the writer of Psalm 33. Following that amazing forgiveness highlighted in the previous Psalm (32), this Psalm (33) is teeming with felt truth and true feelings of the soul. Gratitude to God cannot be locked down or sealed in a container, let alone our hearts. The person who truly knows the Saviour-God will never suppress the expression of his joy. He worships. He wonders. He does whatever it takes to make God known. I submit to you then, that Psalm 33: 1-3 answers four basic questions about worship – who, why, how, and what?
1. Who is the rallying cry for?
All labelled as “righteous [and] upright” (v 1). Those with faith in God and who obey His law. Righteous by faith and upright by works, evidence of their faith. As opposed to the hypocrites Jesus condemned – “These people worship Me with their lips, but their hearts are far from Me.” (Matt. 15: 8-9) Astonishingly, He was addressing religious folk who are supposed to know better. How easy to have a heart disengaged at the same time as we mouth the sacred Name and holy words. Or perhaps we burn like the bush in Exodus 3 all Sunday but truth freezes in us the rest of the week. We claim to be wearing the righteousness of Christ but fail to show any sign of it in our deeds and words. Thus worship becomes a farce, a fraud, a folly. Those bow before God aright, who with an honest heart can say they have saving faith in His Son and are aiming to be consistent and live in harmony with said profession!
2. Why worship God?
Verse 1 answers, “it is fitting”. A devil, demons, and hypocrites offering worship is harshly disagreeable to us. Corrupt and corrupting beings are unlikely to engage in this practice. The Book of Proverbs, using this same word for “fitting”, shows how unsuitable it is for fools to be honoured, live in luxury, or speak arrogantly (17: 7; 19: 10; 26: 1). On the other hand, Song of Solomon borrows this idea for a beautiful woman, the loveliness of Zion, the physical appearance of pleasing nature of things or people (1: 5; 4: 3; 6: 4; Jer. 6: 2). All that to say that it’s the most seemly and appropriate thing for us to do, to admire God, to be awed in His presence, to magnify Him. It’s not a coincidence that the longest book of the Bible is filled with His praises, culminating with this call, “Let everything that has breath praise the LORD.” (Ps. 150: 6) To state our duty is not to see it fulfilled. It is fitting then that all of our life should be spent in this activity. Even Job did it after standing over ten fresh graves: “The LORD has given and the LORD has taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD.” In wealth or want, in joy or sorrow, it’s still fitting. Are you fitting it into your agenda daily?
3. What should we use for this worship?
Lyrics and musical instruments, of course (v 2). Two first appear at this point in the Book of Psalms. This is the first time instruments are mentioned accompanying the elevation of God’s worthy Name. The voice of humans alone may not always be enough (David thought so in 1 Chron. 25). Those who utilise this art must do so “skilfully” (v 3), offering their best for THE BEST! The other first is the expression, “new song” (six times in Pss. 40: 3; 96: 1; 98: 1; 144: 9; 149: 1). The two possible meanings could include old songs with fresh vitality injected due to some novel experience of God’s grace. Or it’s an entirely new lyric describing a completely new blessing. New creations in Christ today, bathed in the New Testament, anticipating a new heavens and earth will have plenty of new material. It is surely unacceptable to serve up old worn-out stuff to the One Whose mercies are NEW every morning.
4. How are we to keep these commands to worship?
In context, joyfully and jubilantly with songs and praises and shouts of joy listed twice for emphasis that we can’t miss. Thus we comprehend the fitness, finesse and now the fervency of our approach. This is not the silence of the undertaker’s room! The word for “praise” is found in Psalm 32: 5 of David ‘acknowledging’ his sins. We’re confessing truth about God, agreeing with His own estimations laid out in Scripture. Our faith is expressed with musical and muscular vigour. After twenty five years with the Chol Indians of Mexico missionaries saw a real difference. Now 12,000 of them are believers in Christ and the Gospel drives them to praise. In the beginning they simply didn’t know how to sing. Today they are known as “The Singers” because God’s saving power has unleashed their hearts to praise Him. If having our sins forgiven and being set free from condemnation doesn’t ignite a tongue to bless our Saviour, nothing will.
“Praise is the honey of life which a devout heart extracts from every bloom of providence and grace.”
Charles Spurgeon
The Reasons for Worship vv 4-19
When pioneer missionary, Robert Morrison, arrived in Macau after 113 days at sea, the ship’s captain mocked, “So you think you’re going to make an impression upon the China?” Morrison replied, “No, sir, but I believe God will.” He certainly makes an impression on the psalmist who sets about recording it in order that we’re awed too.
1. God is the Creator (vv 4-9)
Verses 4-5 summarise all the details down to verse 18. God’s words and works are conjoined twins. His word is true, His works are faithfully discharged. He’s essentially righteous and outwardly just. This is God’s self-expression. His word is right, His works won’t be wrong. Spurgeon said it best: “God writes with a pen that never blots, speaks with a tongue that never slips, and acts with a hand that never fails.” (Treasury of David, Vol. 1 p 105) Such faultlessness added to by His unending love flooding the earth merits unceasing praise.
But how do we acquaint ourselves with His speech and action? In creation. Genesis 1-2 repeat the refrain, “and God said…. and it was so”, decree and delivery, word and action synchronised and inseparable (cp. v 9 of Ps. 33). A masterful execution sees upper and lower chambers give immediate obedience, hosts of the heavens and heaps of the waters. The NIV rendering of verse 7a “sea into jars” can also be “into heaps” with possible allusions to the stacking up of the Red Sea or Jordan when Israel needed to cross over them? Whatever the case may be, the blessings described are all plural – heavens hosts, waters, storehouses. At the very least such generosity deserves thankful appreciation. Moreover this singer insists it begs for humble reverence before One Who’s power is demonstrably great in every arena. To create all from nothing isn’t the achievement of just any ‘Joe Bloggs’. Omnipotence is not everyone’s bailiwick. Thus only God is correctly exalted in these matters and only He demands our worship.
2. God the controller (vv 10-11)
He foils the plans of nations but ensures His plans stand forever. His creation has meaning, value, and purpose. Therefore He continues to control the flow of history, and His eternal purposes go on to bring about His eternal glory. Not that men don’t imagine they can interfere independently of Him. But even an Egyptian Pharaoh, a Babylonian Nebuchadnezzar, or a Persian Cyrus shrink to miniatures before the Almighty. Those who seek to defy their Maker and deify themselves only end up dying in the end. Nations have notions of autonomy and the notions are nonsense. Proverbs 19: 21 “Many are the plans in a man’s heart, but it is the LORD’s purpose that prevails.” By contrast the report card for world leaders is nearly always the same: FAILED AGAIN. Those who see God’s sovereignty know it’s best to humble ourselves under His mighty hand.
Third, God and His chosen (v 12)
The message here is the grace-filled article of truth that only one nation was included in God’s ultimate plans of good for the world, Israel. We’ve moved from all nations to just a single nation. God’s kindness is immense in this respect. And it’s not to say Israel was better or bigger or with anything special going for her. She was dragged kicking and screaming, mumbling and complaining all the way from Egypt to Canaan. They said they couldn’t stomach the miracle manna any longer and preferred the menu at restaurant Egypt instead. We can’t make the mistake of thinking Israel deserved God’s election. Precisely the point, no-one does, then or now. This verse has its own beatitude and is the central one of the song. A cause for praise indeed that God should show incredible mercy to the underserved and underserving. From all nations to one nation; from all creation to His own created people; from man’s petty plans frustrated to God’s overarching, all-consuming, certain-to-be-fulfilled plan for His own.
If readers need reminding, in the Christian era our value is due to God’s selecting us not our selecting Him. That would never have happened by itself. “I am what I am by the grace of God”, Paul so honestly stated. An infinite God shows infinite grace through His Son’s death for sins at Calvary, and we are told that we’re of infinite value to Him. Praise today seems too little and too anaemic, almost as if we’ve lost sight of such grand ideas and such wonderful love for sinners. Try your best not to. Reflect again and raise your heart in true worship of this amazing grace from our amazing God.
4. God and His character (vv 13-18)
From all the ammunition available the songwriter has chosen but four reasons to accelerate our worship of God. This one touches the mere edges of His attributes of omniscience and omnipotence. The Yahweh of the Bible isn’t marooned on some lonely island somewhere. He’s very much involved with His creation for His people’s good. Verses 13-15 speak of “all mankind…. all who live… the hearts of all… everything”. An intensive and extensive perception penetrates any armour of concealment we care to use. Cosmic sight, universal insight. Nothing escapes His vision. Hebrews 4: 13 confirms this: “nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight”. No historical landfill is left untouched – atrocities of war, sex secrets of the sadistic, abuse of Israel yesterday, today, tomorrow – all is exposed. But the beams of this perfection are not alone. God’s uses all His strength to achieve His great ends according to verses 16-17. Conventional wisdom of the ancient world dictated that chariots and horses and armies were all you needed to win. God taught them otherwise. Oh the madness of military might. World empires are passing fancies, weak, worn-out concepts of time. Every Goliath falls at His feet.
The point the Hebrew poet is making is pertinent to those who know God personally. Verse 18 connects the dots. God’s people don’t slip from His memory, ever. The all-seeing, all-powerful One is directly and intimately aware of their needs even as world affairs go on. Verse 18 begins with an arresting, “Behold”, as dramatic as the beatitude of verse 12, thus underlining how important God’s children are to Him. Whether we’re thinking of Israel (the immediate context) or the Church (secondary application), our vigilante Saviour-God prevents any and all attempts to obliterate His own. Warren Wiersbe put it this way: “He knows what the saints are doing and what the sinners are doing to the saints.” (Vol. 3 OT) Yahweh cares very much for His people and exercises all His powers in their defence, preservation, and deliverance.
Hence the writer has given us ample reasons to worship this great God. No exaggeration, no hyperbole too high when talking of Him. We can only amplify and magnify what He has revealed of Himself. The net effect is to drive us to our knees and bring out our delight in Him with praises that find no end either in time or eternity.
The Response of the Worshippers vv 20-22
One morning a mother heard her three year old daughter, Katherine, dancing and singing around the house. But she noticed the words of the song were not completely accurate: “I love You, Lord, and I lift my noise.” The last word should have been, “voice”. We can forgive the wee lassie because her intention was right on the money. Noise from our hearts and the voice of our lips can be among some of the best responses we make to truth about God. The noise/voice of this song ends as it began, symmetrically with three verses (matching three at the start). Less exuberant and more meditative than the first three verses, and responding to the powerful sermon of verses 4-19, this is confession and confidence in Yahweh by way of a response. It is not less enthusiastic praise. The song called for in vv 1-3, and the substance of it in the theology of verses 4-19, bring us to our submission to God in prayer. The everlasting God Who creates, controls, and covers all things, must be called upon.
“Empty hands lifted to heaven will never leave empty.”
Alexander McClean
We come with renewed hope of His protection (v 20), renewed trust in His Name that breeds fresh joy (v 21), and finally, renewed prayer for His loyal love ( vv 5, 18, 22). The triad of faith, hope, and love bring us back to God again and again. They’re meant to. His help alone enables us to go on in the fight. Our contemplation upon His most worthy Person will always leave us better off than before. Alexander McClaren wrote, “empty hands lifted to heaven will never leave empty.” Reflections on His immense figure call for patient waiting in hope, trust in His holy Name, and undying hope in His faithful love. The big picture of God shows everything and everyone else as small by comparison. Our problems pale, the nations look like pigmies, our worries and fears subside as we are swallowed up in worship. May it prove to be so for all who read this. Hallelu – Yah!
