Week 52: Psalms 148-150

Published December 18, 2025

Questions: Psalms 148-150

  • “Praise the LORD” (or Hallelujah) commands the listener to join in recognizing and declaring the worth, greatness, power, work, and character of God. In Psalm 148, most of those commanded to “praise the LORD” are beyond our ordinary ability to command and direct. In what ways does singing these repeated commands in Psalm 148 represent an exalted display of dominion? How might this reframe your understanding of what godly dominion is?
  • Psalm 149 combines joyful praise (1-5) with vengeance (6-9) as though they complement one another and cohere. These come together in God’s own glory, as the righteous judge. They come together in the cross of Christ, as we praise him as the one who was judged for us. They come together in heavenly glory, as God is praised in a context in which nothing unholy may enter. What place should this have in your present worship of God? Compare this to Romans 12:14-21.
  • Psalm 150 calls for a resounding, boisterous, intricate, hearty, and vocalized praise to God. It must also be corporate, since one person can’t possibly play all these instruments at the same time! To what extent do you join in this kind of worship with others? Make this your goal next time you gather with God’s people in worship. 

    • Devotion

    Fill in the blank: All prayer pursued far enough becomes _____ .

    • Psalm 150:1 Praise the LORD [Hallelu-Jah]!
    • Praise God in His sanctuary; praise Him in His mighty expanse.
    • 150:2 Praise Him for His mighty deeds; praise Him according to His excellent greatness.
    • 150:3 Praise Him with trumpet sound; praise Him with harp and lyre.
    • 150:4 Praise Him with timbrel and dancing; praise Him with stringed instruments and pipe.
    • 150:5 Praise Him with loud cymbals; praise Him with resounding cymbals.
    • 150:6 Let everything that has breath praise the LORD. Praise the LORD!

    All prayer pursued far enough becomes praise. Psalm 150 is deliberately placed as the concluding prayer of the church’s book of prayers. Note how many times the word praise is used in the psalm. It is no surprise that the outstanding subjects of the Psalms have to do with God: the Person of God, the Son of God, the Word of God, the Works of God, and the people of God.

    Descriptive praise exults God’s attributes (glorify God).
    Declarative praise emphasizes what God has done for His people (enjoy Him forever).
    What type of praise dominates Psalm 150?
    Verse 1 tells us where the Lord is to be praised.
    Verse 2 tells us why He is to be praised.
    Verses 3-5 tell us how to praise the Lord. What kind of scene can we imagine? How does this compare with our own worship?
    Verse 6 tells us who should praise the Lord.

    In Hebrew, the first and last words of this prayer are hallelujah (“praise the Lord”). How is your life bracketed by this word? There are no shortcuts to praise. If we maintain a sensitivity to all the psalms preceding this one, we will not be insensitive to all the tears and doubts and pain that are summed up into praise. 

    - Jim Yoder