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Heavenly Devotion: Psalm 113 – Who is Like Yahweh Our God?

July 31, 2024 Elder Tan Yu Chai; Dr. Chow Li Sze; Heavenly Devotion Video 0

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Psalm 113 – Who is like Yahweh Our God?

(by Elder Tan Yu Chai)

Psalm 113 is “a classical Hebrew hymn” that is included in the Hebrew “Hallel” (i.e. Psalms 113-118) which is recited on all major biblical festivals. Matthew recorded for us in Matthew 26:30 that Jesus and the disciples sang a hymn (after the Last Supper) and they went out to the Mount of Olives. It is probably before the meal they sang Psalms 113-114 and after they had eaten the Passover meal almost certainly they sang Psalms 115-118.

This Psalm opens and closes with (hallelujah, “praise the Lord”), a fitting boundary, since Psalm 113 bids all men to let the praise of God resound all the world over and motivates the appeal with the declaration that this incomparable transcending God in heaven, is the Sovereign of the world who controls the affairs of men below from His throne on high.

We see in Psalm 113:

(A) The command to praise Yahweh (verse 1)

(B) The ceaseless praises to Yahweh (verses 2-3)

Verse 1: Praise Yah! Praise, O slaves of Yahweh, Praise the name of Yahweh.

How are we to praise God? With shout, both in joy and in terror; especially in the worship of Yahweh. Who are to praise God? His servants or slaves. In the most general sense, this word means a slave or servant. For example, Joseph is called “Potiphar’s “servant” (‘ebed). In this case, Joseph was sold into slavery and became the ruler of his household. Hence, we do not own our lives, we are God’s slaves (NT Doulos). Paul said in 2 Corinthians 5:15, “And He died for all so that those who live would no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died and rose again on their behalf”. What is the object of our praises? We are to praise the name of Yahweh. “The name of the Lord” signifies the whole self-disclosure of God. In Exodus 33:19-23 and 34:5-7 indicate that the name of God encompasses the totality of His attributes, divinity and actions. Who is like Yahweh our God?

(B) The ceaseless praises to Yahweh (verses 2-3)

Verse 2: May the name of Yahweh be blessed from now until forever.

Verse 3: From the rising of the sun to its setting, the name of Yahweh is to be praised.

In what manners are we to praise God? In temporal dimension, from now till forever, never ending, ceaseless, eternally praising God. In locational dimension, from the rising to the setting of the sun. We are to praise God from all locations on Earth. Never a single square of Earth from which we could cease praising God.

In these six verses, we see the ‘theological duet’ of:

i. The Transcendence of God and the Immanence of God,

ii. The Greatness of God on one hand and the Goodness of God on the other hand,

iii. The Grandeur of God and the Grace of God.

Penned in Psalm 113 as the twin truths that God revealed Himself to us, if God is only transcendent and not immanent, then we will end up with God who is “high above all the nations” but “He does not bring Himself low to see both the things in Heaven and on Earth”.

Praise God that we have a mighty God whose glory is above the heavens, Who alone sits on high and yet He sees the things on the earth and intervene in the affairs of mankind. Praise God that His ultimate act of intervention is the Incarnation of Christ Our Lord – the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, glory as the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth (John 1:14) and this same Lord of Glory took on all our sins and the penalty therein when He gave Himself in obedience to the Father by dying on the Cross of Calvary.

Who is like Yahweh our God? Verses 7-9 of this psalm could be seen as “a connecting link between the Song of Hannah and Mary’s Magnificat”. Some calls Hannah’s Prayer in 1 Samuel 2:1-10 the prehistory of Psalm 113:7-9 and Mary’s Magnificat in Luke 1:46-55 as its posthistory. Turning a barren woman to be a glad mother of children – just like raising the poor and needy and seating them with the nobles – are evidences of the Almighty God exercising His grace and mercy.

Who is like Yahweh our God? Praise, O slaves of Yahweh, Praise the name of Yahweh. Amen.

Let’s Read Psalm 113

1 Praise Yah!
Praise, O slaves of Yahweh,
Praise the name of Yahweh.
2 May the name of Yahweh be blessed
From now until forever.
3 From the rising of the sun to its setting
The name of Yahweh is to be praised.
4 Yahweh is high above all nations;
His glory is above the heavens.
5 Who is like Yahweh our God,
The One who sits on high,
6 The One who brings Himself low to see
The things in heaven and on the earth?
7 Who raises the poor from the dust
And lifts high the needy from the ash heap,
8 To make them sit with nobles,
With the nobles of His people.
9 He makes the barren woman of the house sit
As a glad mother of children.
Praise Yah!

Let’s Pray

Our Lord, our God, help us to live a life of ceaseless praises to Your Holy Name – all the time, wherever we are. Is it not because we often fail to see Your majesty in holiness, Your greatness in Your goodness, Your grandeur in Your grace that we become so self-focused and became myopic in our vision of You?

Forgive us Lord. We praise You as the One and Only God who is none other. Praise the Lord, Amen!

This devotional was kindly contributed by Dr. Chow Li Sze and her channel Heavenly Devotion. You may find the channel at https://www.youtube.com/c/HeavenlyDevotion/videos

About the Heavenly Devotion channel

The Heavenly Devotion channel is dedicated to encouraging you to listen to Bible Scriptures and pray with the Scriptures. They are inspired by the call of service as expressed and exemplified by Apostle Paul in 2 Corinthians 9:12-15.

“For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” (Hebrew 4:12 NKJV)

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