Psalm 113
It was traditional for the Jewish people to sing 113–114 before they ate their Passover meal, and they closed the meal by singing 115–118 (Matt. 26:30; Mark 14:26). These psalms were also sung in celebration of Pentecost, Tabernacles, the new moon festivals, and the Feast of Dedication. Because of the emphasis in 114, this small collection of psalms was called "The Egyptian Hallel." The psalm opens and closes with
Psalm 113—114
who gave birth to Isaac (Gen. 17:15–19), and then Isaac's wife Rebekah became the mother of Jacob, who fathered the twelve tribes of Israel (Gen. 25:19–23). Jacob's favorite wife Rachel gave birth to Joseph (Gen. 29:31; 30:22–24), the man who protected the sons of Israel in Egypt. Hannah gave birth to Samuel (1 Sam. 1:1–2:11), and Elizabeth gave birth to John the Baptist (Luke 1:13–15), the forerunner of Jesus Christ.
"hallelujah" ("praise Jehovah") and gives us three wonderful reasons for praising the Lord.
God's Name Is the Greatest (vv. 1–3) Four times you find the word "praise" (vv. 1, 3), but who are the "servants" that the writer admonished to sing God's praises? Perhaps the temple choir in the newly restored temple, for this is a post-exilic psalm, but most likely he addressed the entire nation of Israel, which is often called "God's servant" (34:22; 69:36; 136:22; Isa. 41:8–9; 54:17). They had the privilege and responsibility of sharing the true and living God with their Gentile neighbors (Isa. 42:6), and Paul applied that verse to his own ministry and the ministry of the church (Acts 13:47; 26:26; and see Luke 2:32). The word "name" is used three times in these verses and refers to the character of God and the revelation of who He is and what He does. God has a "good name" and that name should be magnified among those who have never trusted Him. To "glorify God" means to make God look good to those who ignore Him, oppose Him, or do not know Him. This kind of praise pays no attention to time ("forever more") or space (from east to west). The prophet Malachi foresaw the day when the Gentiles would honor the name of the Lord (Mal. 1:11). God's name is attached to His covenant with Israel (Deut. 28:1–14, note v. 10), and both His name and His covenant can be trusted.
The ash heap was the gathering place of the outcasts of the city, the unwanted poor, and the diseased (Job 2:8). The sun would warm the ashes during the day and the ashes would keep the people warm at night. It was the one place that people avoided going near, but our God visits rejected people and changes their lives! If this is a post-exilic psalm, as many believe it is, this truth must have been a great encouragement to the Jewish remnant struggling to rebuild their nation and their lives. The love of God and the grace of God made our God stoop to our level, especially when He sent Jesus Christ to become one of us and die for us on the cross (Phil. 2:1–11). In John 8:6 and 8 and 13:1–11, Jesus stooped to forgive a sinful woman and to wash His disciples' feet. But His greatest demonstration of grace was when He died for us on the cross. He condescended to become like us that we might become like Him (1 Cor. 1:26–29; Eph. 2:1–10). There can be no greater love (John 15:13). Only Jesus Christ can lift sinners out of the ash heap and put them on the throne! (Eph. 2:1–10). One day the Lord will visit "barren Israel" and bless the nation with many children (Isa. 54:1–3; 66:8–11). No matter how dark the day or impossible the circumstances, our God is able to do the impossible (Eph. 3:19–20).
God's Throne Is the Highest (vv. 4–6) Earthly kings are concerned about the splendor and prominence of their thrones (2 Kings 25:27–30), but the Lord's throne is exalted above the nations and even above the heavens (57:5, 11; 99:2). Jesus Christ, the King of Kings (Rev. 19:16), is today exalted "far above all" (Eph. 4:10; Phil. 2:9–11). The question in verses 5–6 remind us of Exodus 15:11 (and see 35:10; Deut. 3:24; Isa. 40:18 and 25; and Mic. 7:18). It is not our Lord's transcendence that captivates the psalmist but His willingness to "stoop down" and pay attention to mere mortals who do not always honor Him. Most ancient kings were inaccessible to their people, but our God sees us and knows our every need (138:6; Isa. 57:15). For the believer, God's throne is not only a throne of glory and authority, but it is also a throne of grace, a topic the psalmist explained in the next three verses.