Psalm 150

Before I get into my reflections about this final psalm, I wanted to reflect on the process of reading through them.  Can you believe it has taken me 10 years to finish it???  My first post, which was more of an intro and reflection of why I started studying psalms, I wrote in May 2013.  I took a couple of years’ hiatus, and then God urged me to continue on and here we are!  I hope that, as I mentioned in my intro so long ago, you were able to learn more about God’s character, His interaction with man, and the reality of the struggle in this life on earth while trying to stay connected to Him.  There is doubt, adversity, confusion, frustration, crying, singing, laughter, anger…all of the emotions that we experience as humans can also be expressed to God.  He created us, after all!  Ok, let’s get into today’s reflection…

Psalm 150 is a doxology to capstone the end of the book.  A doxology is a short hymn to express praise.  It isn’t meant to be a long song or a multi-verse song.  It is a crescendo.  If you consider all of the instruments mentioned here, it would be a loud noise!  Like a big AMEN.  

I really like the first two verses, which highlight why and how we praise God.  Praise Him inside and outside, for what He does and who He is.  This is why it makes such a great place for this psalm to be at the end of the book.  Over 149 psalms, we have seen mankind attempt to put this into words.  I also find it interesting that it ends with, let everything that has breath praise the Lord. This reminds me of an often-quoted statement by Jesus as He was entering Jerusalem on His journey to the cross, Palm Sunday in Luke 19:

³⁷ Now as he was drawing near by this time to the descent from the Mount of Olives, the whole crowd of the disciples began rejoicing to praise God with a loud voice for all the miracles that they had seen, ³⁸ saying, 
“Blessed is the king, 
the one who comes in the name of the Lord! 
Peace in heaven 
and glory in the highest!” 
³⁹ And some of the Pharisees from the crowd said to him, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples!” ⁴⁰ And he answered and* said, “I tell you that if these keep silent, the stones will cry out!” 

Now, some say the stones crying out to praise God is more of a metaphor, others say it will actually happen, while some contest it is happening already (Check out Louie Giglio’s explanation of creation singing here)!  But as we have seen throughout the psalms, we should praise God because He is worthy of praise!

So let us make a joyful noise unto the Lord (Psalm 100)!