Psalm 147:1-11
1 Praise the LORD! For it is good to sing praises to our
God; For it is pleasant, and praise is beautiful.
2 The LORD builds up Jerusalem; He gathers together the
outcasts of Israel.
3 He heals the brokenhearted And binds up their wounds.
4 He counts the number of the stars; He calls them all by
name.
5 Great is our Lord, and mighty in power; His understanding
is infinite.
6 The LORD lifts up the humble; He casts the wicked down to
the ground.
7 Sing to the LORD with thanksgiving; Sing praises on the
harp to our God,
8 Who covers the heavens with clouds, Who prepares rain for
the earth, Who makes grass to grow on the mountains.
9 He gives to the beast its food, And to the young ravens
that cry.
10 He does not delight in the strength of the horse; He
takes no pleasure in the legs of a man.
11 The LORD takes pleasure in those who fear Him, In those
who hope in His mercy.
Psalm 147 is the second of the five Hallelujah Psalms that
conclude the Book of Psalm. This psalm is a remarkable song that celebrates the
greatness and goodness of the LORD, especially for His people Israel. The LORD God
of Israel is set forth in His awesome glory as caring for the sorrowing, the
insignificant, and forgotten.
Psalm 147 was probably written by an unknown psalmist after
Nehemiah and his people finished rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem, restoring
the gates, and resettling the people. After
the walls were completed, they called a great assembly for celebration and
dedication, and it is likely that this psalm was written for that occasion (vv.
2, 12-14; Neh. 12:27-43). The verb "gather together" in verse
2 is used in Ezekiel 39:28 for the return of the captives to Judah, and the
word "outcasts" in verse 2 is used for these exiles (Neh.
1:9).
One of the unique characteristics of this psalm is the
large number of present participles in it—"building, hearing, binding,
counting, lifting up," and so on—all of which speak of the constant and
dynamic working of the Lord for His people. Psalm 147 presents three reasons
why the people should praise the Lord, and each section is marked off by the
command to praise God (vv. 1, 7 and 12).
First in verses 1-6, the nation should sing praises to the
LORD because they have been restored. The Medes and Persians captured Babylon
in 539 B. C, and in 537 B. C. Cyrus issued a decree permitting the Jews to
return to their land. Led by Zerubbabel, a large band of exiles went back to
Judah the next year and the temple was rebuilt. Nehemiah came in 444 B. C. to
restore the walls and gates of Jerusalem. Both Isaiah and Jeremiah had
predicted the captivity of the Jews as well as their release and return, and
God's prophetic Word proved true, as it always does.
But the psalmist did not simply notice the event; he also
noticed the way the Lord tenderly cared for His people. Many lost loved ones in
the invasion and during the time in Babylon, and all returned to a devastated
land and ruined houses. No wonder they were brokenhearted (Psalm 34:18; Isa.
61:1). The "wounds" (v. 3; "sorrows") were in
their hearts, not their bodies, for many had repented and confessed their sins
to the Lord, and through the Word, the Lord gave them the comfort they needed (Psalm
107:20; Isa. 40).
Our God is so great that He knew each person and each need
(John 10:14, 27-28). The God of the galaxies, who knows the name of every star,
is also the God who heals the broken hearts of His people (Luke 4:16-21). He
builds up Jerusalem and lifts up His people, for nothing is too hard for Him. (Psalms
20:8; 146:9; and Isa. 40:26-29.)
My friend, God is still in the business of healing broken
hearts and broken lives. This is only possible through the Lord Jesus Christ because,
“He bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins,
might live for righteousness--by whose stripes you were healed.” (1 Peter
2:24)
God bless!
