Psalm 135
The emphasis of the psalm is on praising the Lord because of who He is and what He has done for His people. It opens with the command to "praise the Lord" repeated four times and concludes with the command to "bless the Lord," also repeated four times. "Jehovah" is found thirteen times in the psalm, and the familiar phrase "praise the Lord" ("hallelujah") is repeated eight times. The psalm has been called "a mosaic" because it contains numerous quotations from other parts of Scripture, no doubt collected by a temple liturgist who, led by the Spirit, put the material together for a special occasion of worship. Some students think that the occasion was the one described in Nehemiah 9, and the use of the phrase "our God" (vv. 2, 5) is characteristic of the book of Nehemiah (4:4, 20; 6:16; 9:32; 13:2). (See also Ex. 5:8; Deut. 31:7; 32:3; Josh. 24:18.) The Jewish people spoke of Jehovah as "our God" to affirm their separation from the false gods of the nations around them (vv. 15–18; 48:14;
God gives us "songs in the night" (42:8; 77:6; Job 35:10; Isa. 30:29), when circumstances are difficult and we cannot see our way. He gave David songs in the darkness of the cave when his life was in danger (142:7–11), and He gave Paul and Silas songs while they suffered in the Philippian jail (Acts 16:25). Our
Psalm 135—136
67:6; 77:13; 115:3; 116:5). This psalm is an inspired statement of faith and believers today can shout a hearty "Amen!" to its affirmations.
115:4–8. Dead idols cannot speak, see, hear, or breathe, and they cannot give life to their worshippers. Because Jehovah is the living God, He speaks to us in His Word, sees us in our every circumstance, hears our prayers, and comes to us when we need the help that only He can give. (See the comments on Ps. 115.)
The Lord Is Our God—He Chose Us (vv. 1–4) It was God's election of Israel that set them apart from the rest of the nations, for they are "his people" (vv. 12, 14; 100:3; Deut. 32:9, 36, 43, 50). Israel is His treasured possession (v. 4; Ex. 19:5; Deut. 7:6; 14:2) and He gave them their land (v. 12). His temple stood in Jerusalem and His priests offered Him praise and sacrifices. The Jewish people were set apart to honor the name of the Lord and to bear witness to other nations that Jehovah is the one true God. Why did God choose Israel? Because "the Lord is good" (v. 3). The church today is an elect people, saved by the grace of God (Rom. 1:6; 8:30; Eph. 1:4) and called to glorify God (1 Peter 2:9–12). All believers are priests of the Lord and we must worship Him as He has instructed in His Word.
The Lord Be Praised—He Is with Us (vv. 19–21) Israel could praise the Lord because He was present with His people. No other nation could claim that distinction. His glory led Israel through the wilderness, and that glory resided in the sanctuary until God had to depart because of the nation's sins (Ezek. 7—11). What other nation had the glory of God dwelling in their midst (63:2; Rom. 9:4)? The Lord is not a distant God; He is "a very present help in trouble" (46:1). Jesus is "Emmanuel—God with us" (Matt. 1:20–25; 28:20). "I will never leave you nor forsake you" (Heb. 13:5; Gen. 28:15; Josh. 1:5; Isa. 41:10, 17). Praise the Lord!
The Lord Is Sovereign—He Does What He Pleases (vv. 5–12) The Lord is great (115:3; Ex. 15:11; 18:11), greater than the false gods of the nations. Their gods can do nothing (vv. 15–18), but Jehovah can do anything He wants to do! God showed His power over the gods of Egypt and Canaan by defeating their armies and giving Israel their possessions (vv. 8–12; Ex. 7—14; Num. 21:21–35). The Lord is ruler over all creation, from the heights of the heavens to the depths of the sea (Ex. 20:4). Even the weather is under His control (v. 7; 33:7; Job 38:22; Jer. 10:13; 51:16). Israel's exodus from Egypt is a fact of history, and Israel's faith is built on the revelation of the God of history, not the fantasies of the gods of mythology. The Christian faith is also built on solid historical facts (1 Cor. 15:1–8; 1 John 1:1–4).