Psalm 144
David wrote this psalm to "bless the Lord" (vv. 1, 15) and honor Him for making him a successful warrior and king, and to pray for His continued blessing of his people. He was concerned about dangers around them (vv. 6–7, 11) and needs within the land (vv. 12–14). In writing this psalm, he used material from Psalm 18, his great song of victory when he became king, so perhaps 144 was written about that same time (1 Sam. 5, 8). During his years of exile, David had learned much about himself and about the Lord. In this psalm, he gave witness to Jehovah, the God of Israel, and reminded his people that their God was not like the gods of their neighbors.
The Gracious God Who Blesses Us Abundantly (vv. 12–15) David never engaged in war just for the sake of conquest. His goal was to defend the land so the people could live peaceful and profitable lives. The people of Israel were God's people, and they had a work to accomplish on the earth. Therefore, they had to have
The Loving God Who Cares for Us Personally (vv. 1–4) David had been a fugitive for perhaps ten years, and
Psalm 144—145
Praise God from Generation to Generation (vv. 3–7) One of the important obligations of the older generation is to pass on to the younger generation the truth about the Lord. Whether we admit it or not, every local church is one generation short of extinction, and we must obey 2 Timothy 2:2. (See 48:13; 71:18; 78:6; 79:13; 102:18; Ex. 3:15; 12:14, 17, 42; Judg. 2:10.) God is so great that the human mind cannot fathom Him (Isa. 40:28; Job 5:9; 9:10; 11:7; Rom. 11:33; Eph. 3:8), but the human heart can love Him and tell others how great He is. God's character and God's awesome works furnish us with more material than we could ever exhaust, and we will have all of eternity to keep learning more! But David was not writing only about theology; he was also writing about personal witness, what the Lord has done in our own lives. "Come, you children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the Lord" (34:11 nkjv). The older generation must reach back into their lives and "utter the memory" of God's great goodness (v. 7). The word translated "utter" means "to pour forth like a bubbling spring" (19:2; 59:7; 94:4; 119:17).
children (v. 12), the necessities of life (v. 13), and peace in the land (v. 14). All of these blessings were promised to them in God's covenant (Deut. 28:1–14) if the people and their rulers obeyed the laws of the Lord. David mentioned the home and family first, for as goes the home, so goes the nation. He compared the sons to strong growing plants (127:3–5; 128:3) and the daughters to beautiful graceful statues that could support buildings. Then he moved to the fields to behold bountiful crops and multiplying flocks and herds. Once again, these blessings are all mentioned in God's covenant. Translations of verse 14 differ. Are the oxen heavy with young or bearing heavy loads because the fields are so fruitful? Is the picture that of a family of animals giving birth without losing any of their young, or was David describing a battle scene with the enemy breaking through the walls and the people crying out in the streets? "Breaking in" could describe the enemy coming through the walls, and "going out" the captives being led out as the people weep and express their sorrow. In His covenant with Israel, God promised them victory over the enemy, peace, prosperity, and a happy life. It is unfortunate that the nation rebelled against Jehovah and lost all those blessings in Babylonian captivity. "How blessed are the people whose God is the Lord!" for He cares for us personally, delivers us victoriously, and blesses us bountifully.
Praise God from Nation to Nation (vv. 8–13a) David knew his basic theology (v. 8; Ex. 34:6; Num. 14:18; Neh. 9:17), but he also knew that this wonderful truth must be shared with others. Jonah knew it but would not share it (Jonah 4). "All" is one of the key words of this psalm. God is good to all (v. 9), and His throne lasts for all generations (v. 13). He upholds all who fall (v. 14), and the eyes of all creatures look to God for their food (v. 15). He satisfies every living thing (v. 16) and helps all who call on Him (v. 18). One day all flesh will praise Him (v. 21). "Salvation is of the Jews" (John 4:22), but the message of salvation was not supposed to remain with the Jews. It was not sufficient for the people of Israel to praise God and teach their children to praise Him. They were obligated to share the truth about the Lord with their Gentile neighbors and let their light shine (Isa. 42:6). The psalm begins "I will extol thee" but ends "All flesh will bless his name" (v. 21). The church today has a similar obligation and privilege. All of God's works in creation praise Him around the world, but for some reason, His own people do not follow this example. God has compassion on all—God loves a lost world (John 3:16)—and we keep it to ourselves! The glory and wonder of God's spiritual kingdom must be proclaimed from nation to nation as well as from house to house. (Note that v. 13 is quoted in Dan. 4:3.)