Psalm 146

Today we have read the first of the final five Psalms, again being “Hillel Psalms” as each begins and ends with a Hallelujah/Praise the Lord.  They are wonderful choruses that call us in to praise God with every means at our disposal at all times in our lives.  Let us consider this Psalm.

•        146:2,9: In v2 the phrase as long as I have my being translates the same Hebrew word that in v9 is translated relieves.  This may seem strange, that these translations are so different.  But actually there is a wonderful truth here.  The root meaning of the word is to turn back or return but then came to mean to say again and again, to testify, to exhort.  In this Psalm it is used in both ways.  Verse 2 says to repeat again and again, i.e. as long as I have my being, our praise for God.  Verse 9 tells us something that is praiseworthy of God, which is that He turns back or relieves the difficulties of the fatherless and widow.  So we are encouraged to give repeated praise to God, and that praise is not empty because God repeatedly blesses the needy.  Consider this illustration from Spurgeon’s Treasury of David of the extent of praising God as long as I have my being.

While I live will I praise the LORD. George Carpenter, the Bavarian martyr, being desired by some godly brethren, that when he was burning in the fire he would give them some sign of his constancy, answered, "Let this be a sure sign unto you of my faith and perseverance in the truth, that so long as I am able to hold open my mouth, or to whisper, I will never cease to praise God, and to profess his truth"; the which also he did, saith mine author; and so did many other martyrs besides.—John Trapp.