God is Great - Psalm 135:1-18

From fifty to one hundred years ago the lesson title represented the first three words to this nation’s most common prayer. Practically every child in a Christian home was taught this simple prayer. “God is great, God is good and we thank him for this food.” Since we were reminded of this truth three times a day [at each meal time] the repetition caused the truth to sink in and leave no doubt that God was great. Since we know that we serve an unchangeable God we know that he was great even in the day of the tribe of Levi who were probably responsible for the writing of this Song of Psalm; He has continued to be of the same greatness and will forever be as great to all who follow our way.

One of the very first ways that God has always proclaimed his greatness is found in this Psalm. God, our creator, our breath and our life, has made us to be compared to the angels and placed us in charge of the universe at the time of creation. In return for all that He has done for us including the gift of life itself—here in the first verse of chapter 135, the author lets us know that God simply request that we acknowledge him as the Great Redeemer of mankind. “Hallelujah! Praise the name of the LORD, Give praise, you servants of the LORD.”

According to the Holman Christian Standard Bible’s this first word “Hallelujah” translates into a two-word Hebrew sentence that simply demands that we “Praise Yah.” This expression is also translated as “Praise ye the Lord.” The word Yah is a shortened form of one of the names of God known as Yahweh. Note that in these few words in this sentence, the writer tells us three times to PRAISE GOD. First, the word Hallelujah says praise God. Second, the writer then repeats “Praise the name of the Lord.” The emphasis comes down the third time when the writer says, “Give praise, you servants of the Lord.”

Then read verse two. It is the verse which identifies who must praise God over and over…three times in this one simple verse…which is the very simple and little thing that God demands of us in exchange for his greatness shown toward us. Who are identified as those who must praise, serve, honor and proclaim His name? Who are to praise Him? “Those that stand in the house of the Lord, in the courts of the house of our God.” This simply refers to all of us that attend his worship services; those who frequent the buildings of praise and honor and carry out the work expected of all who are called Christ like.

The main idea found here is that the psalmist is inviting all of God’s people to worship and praise the God over all creation and the history or story that we know about it. There is no doubt but that the writer includes all who are involved with the service to and worship of God. There is even a greater likelihood that he is including all who are worship leaders of any kind such as teachers, counselors and pastors.

There is another main reason for worship and praise. The psalmist uses words of praise and worthy expression regarding who God is. He is Great. He is Good. He is Worthy. He is Faithful. He is Loving and Kind. He Knows All. And is All Powerful, and always Present, forever With Us. This call for praise not only includes all of these things that God is but also all of the things that he has done and will do for us.

In verse four today the writer speaks of the fact that God chose his people for a special reason. He says here that “The Lord has chosen Jacob to be his own, Israel to be his treasured possession.” This refers to the word from Deuteronomy 7: 1-9. He calls Israel Jacob…they are the same. He chose Jacob, not because they were many but they were his elect. We Christians are a part of that elect group today. We were not chosen because we were strong but because He had made the promise to our forefathers. Our part of the inheritance comes down through the line of David to Mary and Joseph, and our Lord was born a virgin into this family. In this lesson today we find one of the greatest gifts to all mankind. We are the elect. He made us his elect by his choice and not our deserving position.

In 1 Peter 2:9 the new church is told that “You are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praise of Him who called you out of darkness into His wonderful light.”

How can we ever live one moment in the presence of God, with all He has provided us without praising Him? To our God is all the glory. We willingly and in all humbleness praise the almighty name of our living God.