Despite our situation or circumstances,
we still have so much to praise the LORD for! We need those times or occasions where we are reminded of how
the LORD took care of us in the past. First in verses 1-3, they are reminded to
praise the name of Jehovah and all that it represents about the attributes and
character of God.
Next, in verses 4-6 they are encouraged
to praise God because there is no other God like Him. 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 (Psalms 57:5, 11; 99:2). Today in the New Testament we need to
remember that Jesus Christ is the King of Kings (Rev. 19:16; Ephesians 1:19-23;
4:10; Phil. 2:9-11).
The question in verses 5-6
reminds us of Exodus 15:11: "Who is like You, O LORD, among the gods?
Who is like You, glorious in holiness, Fearful in praises, doing wonders?” And also in Isaiah 40:25-26: "To
whom then will you liken Me, Or to whom shall I be equal?" says the Holy
One.” 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.
The Lord in His grace not only
sees us, but He cares for us and helps us. He "stoops down" and
condescends to work on our behalf (Psalm 138:6-8). The picture in verses 7-8
comes from verses 7 and 8 of the song of Hannah (1 Samuel 2: 1-10), part of
which was borrowed by Mary in her song of praise to God (Luke 1:46-55). Hannah
was a barren wife to whom God gave a son, Samuel the judge and prophet. The
history of Israel contains the stories of several barren women to whom God gave
sons. It begins with Abraham's wife Sarah 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.
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 bless!
