Reflections on Psalms 146

 Psalms 146(Contemporary English Version)

1. Shout praises to the LORD! With all that I am, I will shout his praises.
   
2. I will sing and praise the LORD God for as long as I live.
   
3. You can't depend on anyone, not even a great leader.
   
4. Once they die and are buried, that will be the end of all their plans.
   
5. The LORD God of Jacob blesses everyone who trusts him and depends on him.
   
6. God made heaven and earth; he created the sea and everything else. God always keeps his word.
   
7. He gives justice to the poor and food to the hungry. The LORD sets prisoners free
   
8. and heals blind eyes. He gives a helping hand to everyone who falls. The LORD loves good people
   
9. and looks after strangers. He defends the rights of orphans and widows, but destroys the wicked.
   
10. The LORD God of Zion will rule forever! Shout praises to the LORD!

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Our psalmist is again David who finds plenty of reason to praise the Lord. The psalm compares God's care to that of man, particularly that of rulers. "Happy is the one," he says, "whose hope is in the LORD his God," who is, "the Maker of heaven and earth, the sea and everything in them." (146:5-6) But he cautions not to "trust in nobles, in man, who cannot save." For with man, regardless of his standing or power, "When his breath leaves him, he returns to the ground; on that day his plans die." (146:3-4) David gives two powerful reasons why we should not trust in man: First, man cannot even save himself let alone anyone else, and second, regardless of how good a man may be to us, when he dies, his efforts on our behalf die with him.

Not so with God. As already mentioned, He is Maker of heaven and earth. Nothing is beyond His power. Furthermore, He reigns forever. He will never die and thus His help for us will never run out. Instead, it is our need for His help that will run out. David lists several reasons the one whose hope is in the Lord will be happy:

• He remains faithful forever.
  
• He executes justice for the exploited.
  
• He gives food to the hungry.
  
• He frees prisoners.
  
• He opens the eyes of the blind.
  
• He raises up those who are oppressed.
  
• He loves the righteous.
  
• He protects foreigners.
  
• He helps the fatherless and the widow.
  
• And he frustrates the ways of the wicked.
  

We can also read into this that these are all things that man cannot do for us or can only do with limited capacity. We should therefore join with David in giving praise to the Lord.