Reflections on Psalm 147

 

Psalms 147 (Contemporary English Version)


1. Shout praises to the LORD! Our God is kind, and it is right and good to sing praises to him.
   
2. The LORD rebuilds Jerusalem and brings the people of Israel back home again.
   
3. He renews our hopes and heals our bodies.
   
4. He decided how many stars there would be in the sky and gave each one a name.
   
5. Our LORD is great and powerful! He understands everything.
   
6. The LORD helps the poor, but he smears the wicked in the dirt.
   
7. Celebrate and sing! Play your harps for the LORD our God.
   
8. He fills the sky with clouds and sends rain to the earth, so that the hills will be green with grass.
   
9. He provides food for cattle and for the young ravens, when they cry out.
   
10. The LORD doesn't care about the strength of horses or powerful armies.
    
11. The LORD is pleased only with those who worship him and trust his love.
    
12. Everyone in Jerusalem, come and praise the LORD your God!
    
13. He makes your city gates strong and blesses your people by giving them children.
    
14. God lets you live in peace, and he gives you the very best wheat.
    
15. As soon as God speaks, the earth obeys.
    
16. He covers the ground with snow like a blanket of wool, and he scatters frost like ashes on the ground.
    
17. God sends down hailstones like chips of rocks. Who can stand the cold?
    
18. At his command the ice melts, the wind blows, and streams begin to flow.
    
19. God gave his laws and teachings to the descendants of Jacob, the nation of Israel.
    
20. But he has not given his laws to any other nation. Shout praises to the LORD!
    

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Was this psalm written after the return of the Jews from captivity in Babylon or might it have been written by David at the first building of Jerusalem in his time? That is the debate of commentators though the question does not greatly concern me as I reflect on it's meaning for me. God's truths are not bound in time nor do they change from circumstance to circumstance. What truth and principles apply for either of those occasions apply also for me today.

So what are those truths and principles? Well, there are several in just the first three verses. We are told that to praise God is pleasant and lovely, or "right and good," as the CEV bible states it. Those who might be inclined to disagree likely have in mind some dead ritual they practiced in church at some point in their life that was referred to as praise to God. Praise is not a ritual or even a thing that must be done at church. It is something that takes place in one's heart between that person and their God, their maker. Whatever happens outwardly is an expression of that praise. It may take place in a church in the form of a song or clapping of hands or a multitude of other expressions, but that is not the praise, only the expression of the praise that exists within the heart. If the praise is not present in the heart the outward expression is mere dead ritual no matter what form it takes. It is the real thing, the praise that happens in the heart, to which the psalmist refers and says is pleasant and lovely. And so it is. Do we not find it touching when a child at any age gives homage or praise to their parents? So it is when a person gives homage or praise to their maker and God.

In those same three verses we are also given the truth that the Lord rebuilds. For the psalmist this truth applied to the rebuilding of Jerusalem. That was one application of God's rebuilding activity. For me or any other, the truth applies that God also rebuilds lives. In fact, that is what the rebuilding of Jerusalem represented - the rebuilding of lives. Within God's rebuilding activity comes the gathering of exiles, the healing of broken hearts, and the binding of wounds. Let's not be so literal with this that we fail to see its application to any situation in our own lives that needs rebuilding, healing, or binding up. However, as pointed out in reflections on the previous psalm, God's help to us comes as we turn to Him for that help. It is not automatic. In this psalm there is a connection between praise and this rebuilding activity of God. We must recognize that God exists and can help us even if we are not sure He will help us. Then, whether boldly or uncertainly, we must go to Him in prayer with our request for help.

There is much more in this psalm beyond these first three verses, but they mainly substantiate the truths found in these verses. For instance, the God who numbers the stars and whose understanding is infinite, who covers the sky with clouds and prepares rain for the earth, etc., is vastly capable of rebuilding our lives.