Reasons to Praise (part 2)

Yesterday we starting looking at Psalm 135:3-18 and the reasons to praise God. The Psalmist gives us six reasons…we saw three of them yesterday—He is good, He loves, and He is sovereign. Let’s look at the next three today.

Praise Him because He is our Savior. In verses 8-12, the psalmist takes us from Egypt to the Promised Land. Verse 4 took us back to God’s choosing of Jacob—Jacob’s 12 sons made up the Tribes of Israel. They would eventually go to Egypt where God had already sent Joseph to rescue them. 400 years later God used Moses to lead them out of Egypt, that’s verses 8-9, then in verses 10-11 we have God moving in them to strike down and judge the pagan nations, and in verse 12 we find God bringing them to the land He promised Abraham. God saved them and provided for them and that is worthy of praise.

God took Abram by the hand and called him, Abram obeyed, and God gave him a son by the name of Isaac. Isaac had twins sons—Esau and Jacob—God chose Jacob and through him God provided the 12 Tribes…the land God promised was delivered…God saved His people.

God saves us…He is good, He is loving, He is sovereign in our lives, and He redeems us…that is worthy of our praise! Many of these same examples are repeated in Psalm 136 and every single verse repeats this line, “for His steadfast love endures forever.”

Verses 13-14 tell us to praise Him because He endures forever, “Your name, O LORD, endures forever, your renown, O LORD, throughout all the ages. For the LORD will vindicate His people and have compassion on His servants.” The God of the OT is the God of the NT. The promise keeping God is still keeping promises. The God who watches over His people watches over us. The story of Israel is our story…it is the churches story…that’s our eternal and enduring God. Praise Him for He endures forever, and He vindicates and has compassion!

Finally, praise Him because of the impact it has on you. That might surprise you, but look at verses 15-18, “The idols of the nations are silver and gold, the work of human hands. They have mouths but do not speak; they have eyes but do not see; they have ears, but do not hear, nor is there any breath in them.” Spurgeon told the story of John Thomas, a missionary to India. He noticed a large group of people gathered at the door of a temple, and as soon as the doors opened they piled in and he joined them. An idol was set before the people and Thomas went to the front and raised his hands for silence.

He touched the eyes and said, ‘It has eyes, but cannot see!”

then the ears, ‘It has ears, but cannot hear,’

‘It has a nose, but it cannot smell,’

‘it has hands, but it cannot handle,’

‘it has a mouth but cannot speak, neither is there any breath in it.’

At the moment he fully expected to be rushed upon and killed an old Brahmin was convicted and said, “It has feet, but cannot run away.” The entire crowd felt shame and left the temple.

Our idols seem a little more sophisticated don’t they…they come in the form of bank accounts, homes, cars, teams, sports, hobbies, and people…but none of it will lead us to praise the God of this psalm. The impact of our worship is found in verse 18, “Those who make them become like them, so do all who trust in them.” You and I will become like that which we worship. If too much time around a person changes you for the worse, too much time around an event…you have an idol on your hands. Worship God! Be like Him!

I love the scene in Lord of the Rings when King Aragorn honors Frodo and Samwise after the defeat of the dark lord with the rallying cry: "Praise them with great praise!" Surely they deserved great praise, but have you considered just how great our praise should be toward our Father.

I often rise before the sun comes up, but I love the moment when the light begins to appear and the feathered chorus strikes up the note and they sing…they sing praises to their Creator…how much more should we!