“Praise the Lord!” So begins (and ends!) Psalm 113, the first of what are known as the “Egyptian Hallel” (Psalms 113-118), which are centered on praise to Jehovah for His deliverance of His people from their bondage in Egypt. “Halleluia” – “Praise Jehovah” – is the repeated refrain, because He alone is worthy of such exaltation, and He alone deserves such praise at all times and in every place!
His name – His character and everything that makes Him Jehovah – is to be praised and “blessed” starting at this very moment, and continuing on through eternity. [vv1-2] The time to worship Jehovah is at hand, for He has already done great things for you, and His goodness is richly poured out on all who inhabit His creation! Jesus emphasized that the Father “…makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.” [Matthew 5:45, ESV; see also Paul’s sermon to unbelieving pagans in Acts 14:15-17] How much more should those who claim to know Him and serve Him be praising Him “from the rising of the sun to its setting”! [v3, ESV].
Jehovah’s greatness is not limited to any single nation, but He is “high above all nations, and his glory above the heavens!” [v4, ESV]. It is not because Israel was a chosen people or because the United States of America is a “Christian nation” that God is reigning; He is sovereign even where people have not acknowledged Him. At the exodus, He proved His rule over the powers of Egypt AND over the Israelites who followed Him to Sinai and on to the land of promise. Christ (Jehovah the Son) is shown to be “the ruler of kings” [Revelation 1:5, ESV] and His name is written as “King of kings and Lord of lords” [Revelation 19:16, ESV], “so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” [Philippians 2:10-11, ESV]. Jehovah is not some fictitious entity who must be believed on in order to exist – rather, He is Lord and judge over all, whether men accept this truth or reject it! [see Romans 1:18-23].
His nature, power, and goodness are unparalleled! “Who is like the Lord our God…?” [vv5-6, ESV] is a rhetorical question, emphasizing the absolute holiness of the One who is so far above all creation, yet “looks down” on us with intent to bless and help us. From His lofty vantage point, He is able to see our need and also to meet it with overwhelming understanding and compassion. It is God who not only “raises the poor from the dust” and “the needy from the ash heap”, but He then sets them among “the princes of his people” [vv7-8, ESV]. As Paul would later put it, He “is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think” [Ephesians 3:20, ESV]. We cannot see from here what He can see – not even enough fully to understand that our truest need is for redemption from our sins – but He sees and is able to deliver what is best for us if we will trust Him and follow His word.
It is God who gives even “the barren woman a home, making her the joyous mother of children” [v9, ESV]. How many times God literally raised up hope from women who were unable to have children! Remember aged Sarah’s son of promise [Genesis 17-21], Rebekah’s twins [Genesis 25:21], Hannah’s grief turned to joy [1 Samuel 1-2], and many others, right up to the miraculous birth of Jesus to Mary, a virgin [Luke 1-2]! In light of God’s first prophetic utterance that He would raise up the offspring of a woman to “bruise the head” of the serpent (Satan!) [Genesis 3:15], there is much more going on than just a physical blessing on the woman who trusts in the Lord [see also Galatians 4:4]. Jehovah is to be praised because, ultimately, He alone is able to bless us throughout endless generations, even when all around us seems to be bleak! He is unchanging, His word is secure, and His power is limitless to respond to those who call on His name.
Whether it is the “iron furnace of Egypt” [Deuteronomy 4:20, ESV], the hot persecution of men who rail against the truth [1 Peter 4:12-19], or the “roaring” of Satan himself [1 Peter 5:8], we can confidently shout “Praise the Lord!” because He sees all and will respond in saving power to all who seek Him in truth! [2 Peter 3:9; 1 Timothy 2:3-4; Hebrews 13:6; etc] Have you praised Jehovah for His goodness to you today? Begin now, and praise Him forevermore. Amen!