Psalm 148: All the World Give Praise

Introduction

(Read once to be introduced to the series. After that skip this to go right to the good stuff!) 

Welcome to my Devotions Series. This series features devotions based on the Scriptures of the Common Lectionary. The series is being prepared for eventual and hopeful print publication.

By going to my Main Article List you can also find the complete collection posted on Gather, including the additional readings not posted to any groups.

The series is also posted and regularly updated on my official blog: http://www.cedwardsellner.blogspot.com/

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Lectionary Series Year A: Easter Sunday
Psalm 148 (Read it on Bible Gateway)
All the World Give Praise
This is obviously another of those Praise Psalms that we first encountered with a previous chapter (see Devotions: Psalm 146). This particular Psalm is focused on invoking God's praise from all levels of Creation, from the very heights of Heaven to the depths of the sea, and indeed from all creatures of Heaven and Earth.

From a structure perspective, the Psalm echoes the Creation story from Genesis 1, which is even referenced in verse 5. The Psalm invokes various elements of creation to Praise God in a very similar order to the sequence the Creation story has those same elements being commanded into being by God.

This Psalm raises some interesting theology. Does creation praise God? If so, how?

After all, we could simply be talking about a simple poetic expression here, meaning nothing more than the author wanted to stress how everyone and everything should praise God, but could it be more?

As someone who has a deeply appreciative, longing and loving connection and relationship with nature, I would tend toward the 'its something more' philosophy.

Stand on a mountain top and look out to the clouds. Stand on the shore with your feet in the Ocean and look out to the rolling waves. Stand in a deep forest and watch the trees dancing in the wind and listen to the song in their leaves. Stand in the desert and watch the sunset paint the rocks and sand with fiery colors. Go deep sea or scuba diving and watch the myriad rainbows of spectacular life that dances and sways through the depths. Lie on a hill in the grass and watch the flocks of birds that soar so free above you and listen to their song. Let a cat lie in your lap and purr, or a dog put their head in your lap.

Praising God is not just in limited words we sing in hymns, or lift up in prayers. Praise of God is in truly being all the wondrous and miraculous things that God created us to be. By being true to what God has created us to be, then we truly praise God.

Humans can choose whether we live and embody what God has created us to be, but much of the rest of nature cannot help but embody that wonder, that miracle and that praise, just as the Angels of Heaven cannot help but sing God's praise when they are in that divine presence.

So indeed, let all the earth praise God!

For the complete listing of our Devotions, see our Devotions Archive