House Praise

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by elizabethaudet

by elizabethaudet

Psalms 134:1-3; 135:1-21

Praise is still on the Psalmist's lips as the last song of Ascent is sung with a responding refrain of Praise. It encourages blessing God no matter what your position is in the community. A short Psalm but a positive Psalm begins our study.
   We enter Psalm 134:1-2-(CEB)-
"All you who serve the Lord: Bless the Lord right now! All you who minister in the Lord's House at night: Bless God!"
(Bless the Lord means to identify God as the source of all Blessings.; The priests represented the people before God; As the priests could stay at the temple to carry out their duties to God, they were always in His service; but the people must return to their homes for work and daily routine to their families.; Psalm 103:2-There are benefits to letting God get the glory by praising Him;)
"Lift up your hands in the sanctuary and bless the Lord."
(Stand up, lift up your hands and praise Him! 1 Timothy 2:8; God expects Praise with lifted hands in the House of God! So do it!)
   Psalm134:3-(TEV)-
"May the Lord, who made heaven and earth, bless you from Zion."
(The people came to worship at the temple and now they are getting ready to go home. It has been a great festival but now they must return to their homes. The priests who remained for their assignments, first PRAISED God with uplifted hands, and then blessed the people as the people departed with the words of Psalm 131:3. A blessing from God through His servants to His people to encourage them on their way in daily routines.)
   Then we turn to Psalm 135 which continues with praise in Verses 1-4-(NKJV)-
"Praise the Lord! Praise the Name of the LORD; Praise Him, O you servants of the Lord!"
(Again Psalm 134:1-2 is appropriate which we just read.)
"You stand in the House of the Lord, in the Courts of the House of our God,"
(In the New Testament, Luke 2:36-38 we find a woman dwelling in God's House who never leaves. Here's proof, ladies, that God uses women to praise Him in the House of God! She also spoke out God's Word and was approved of God as His Prophetess.)
"Praise the Lord for the Lord is good; Sing Praises to His Name, for it is pleasant."
(God is honored by our praise!; Psalm 116:18-19)
"For the Lord has chosen Jacob for Himself. Israel for His Special Treasure."
(Exodus 19:5-Our obedience makes us a "Special Treasure" to God; Deuteronomy 7:6-again a "Special Treasure"; Deuteronomy 14:2-repeated here also "Special Treasure"; Wow! Treasures of God- Special and Valuable. Praise the Lord!)
   As we continue in Psalm 135:5-7 we find a review of God's activities (numbered for our study purposes)-(CEB)--
"Yes, I know for certain that the Lord is great-":
1. "I know our Lord is greater than all other gods."
(Psalms 95:3; 97:9; 115:4-8)

   2. "The Lord can do whatever He wants in heaven and in earth, in the seas and in the ocean depth."
(Psalm 115:3; God is active in all nations of the world.)

3."God forms the clouds at the far corners of the earth."
(Exodus 13:21; Deuteronomy 31:15; 1 Kings 8:10; 18:44)

4. "God made the lightning for the rain."
(Job 8:25-26; 38:25-28; Jeremiah 51:16)

   5. "He releases the wind from its storeroom."
(Jeremiah 10:13; Job 38:24; Exodus 14:21; 15:10; God has control of the wind also; Matthew 14:30-32; Mark 4;37-41)

   Next we continue in our numbering as we see another part of the rehearsal of Israel's History in Psalm 135:8-12-(TEV)-

6. "In Egypt He killed all the firstborn of both men and animals."
(Exodus 12:12; 15:3; Psalm 78)

   7. "There He performed miracles and wonders to punish Pharaoh and all His officials."
(Exodus 7:1-6; Psalm 136:4)

   8. "He destroyed many nations, and killed powerful kings."
(Numbers21:24-32; read in for the whole story!)

9. "Simon, king of the Amorites, Og, king of Bashan, and all the kings of Canaan."
(Joshua 12:7-24; read it and see the great victories!)

10. "He gave their land to HIS PEOPLE; HE GAVE IT TO ISRAEL."
(Psalms 78:55; 136:21-22)

   Now we have digested these great Wonders and Miracles let's go on into Psalm 135:13-14-(TLB)-
"O Jehovah, YOUR NAME IS KNOWN TO EVERY GENERATION ."
(Israel passed these miraculous reports on to the next generations long after these events happened; Exodus 3:14-15-He gets all the glory and it never ends!)

"For Jehovah will vindicate His people and have compassion on His servants."
(It pays to serve God with all your heart!; Deuteronomy 32:36-God established His reputation as His Name was spread throughout the whole world!)
Let's continue this thought while we see the failure caused by the people's trust in the god's of the world. psalm 135:15-18-(NKJV)-

"The idols of the nations are...":

1. "Silver and Gold,"
(Read Psalm 115:4-8 again)

2. "The work of men's hands."
(Not God's work but out of material He had created, not material they had created.)

3. "They have mouths, but cannot speak;"
(Carved mouths which cannot move.)
4. "Eyes they have, but they do not see;"
(They cannot look at us with love.)

5. "They have ears, but they do not hear;"
(Useless things for prayers and petitions of mercy as it "all falls on deaf ears,"!)

6. "Nor is there any breath in their mouths,"
(Dead objects with no ability to assist anyone! How far from our Real God is this? Not worth our time nor devotion! Also he didn't mention-no brain!)
   Worse yet-
"Those who make them are like them; so is everyone who trusts in them."
(Useless dummies! The nation of Israel was full of devastating attacks of Pagan idolatry and Those who were God's people wanted nothing to do with them! They had seen the Real God in all His Glory and the idols didn't hold a match to God!)
   So the Psalmist concludes with this good advice in Psalm 135:19-21-(TEV)-(Numbering used):

1. "PRAISE THE LORD, PEOPLE OF ISRAEL;"
(The nation of Israel were God's people and no matter what happened around them they were to praise God.)

2. "PRAISE HIM, YOU PRIESTS OF GOD!"
(The leaders of the praise should be praising Him also. We are His people and priests unto God today- so we are doubly responsible in Praise.)

3. "PRAISE THE LORD, YOU LEVITES;"
(Men chosen by God to serve Him in the temple; today His ministers.)

4. "PRAISE HIM, ALL YOU THAT FEAR HIM!"
(Respect and awe are the motives for Praise to God, then and now!)

5. PRAISE THE LORD IN ZION, IN JERUSALEM, HIS HOME."
(Praise Him in His Presence which dwells within the world today in His believers. ; Psalm 134:3-He has blessed You so Praise Him! God is our Source of Blessing; Psalm 103:2 again!)

   We must remember these Psalms all begin and end with "PRAISE!"
So-
"PRAISE THE LORD!"

Encourage one another to Praise God
and those who already do to PRAISE HIM CONTINUALLY !

HE NEVER FAILS US,
SO WE MUST NEVER STOP
PRAISING GOD!
"PRAISE THE LORD!"

   Next time...