The Psalms begin with God blessing man, “Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly” (Ps. 1:1) The conclusion of Psalms is a command for man to bless God (Ps. 150). Studying the Psalms we see an interesting flow in how it’s compiled. In the early sections of the Psalms we read psalms of sadness and lament. Followed by psalms of suffering, trouble and difficulty. We relate to those psalms because we identify with the pain of the human condition living in a fallen world. But as you begin to move through the Psalms, the psalms of lament give way to psalms of joy, thanksgiving and praise. The life of a Christian is complex and the psalms help us to sing, weep, and praise.
The final psalm reveals the priority of praise in the life of a Christian. This short and powerful psalm includes the where, why, how, and who of praise.
“Praise God in his sanctuary: Praise him in the firmament of his power” (Ps. 150:1). Here we have the where of praise. First, the psalmist said to praise God in His sanctuary. One of the main reasons why we attend church is to give praise unto the Lord. A community of believers are to corporately praise God together. Next, we are to praise God under the heavens. The firmament is literally the cosmos, the expanse of the entire universe. Collectively we praise him when we gather as assembled saints in His presence. Individually we praise Him anywhere and everywhere in His entire universe.
“Praise him for his mighty acts: Praise him according to his excellent greatness” (Ps. 150:2). This is the “why” of praise. God is worthy of praise due to his “mighty acts” or his “acts of power.” The psalmist is referring to God’s divine acts or his deeds. What acts of God are recorded in Scripture? By his spoken word He created everything (Ps. 33:6). He sent His Word and healed diseases (Ps. 107:20). He was light in the darkness (Ps. 18:28). He was a refuge for the oppressed (Ps. 9:9). He provided manna in the wilderness (Ps. 78:24). He provided water from the rock (Ps. 114:8). He loaded Israel down with benefits (Ps. 68:19). He was a shepherd that took care of His flock (Ps. 23:1). Furthermore, what has God done for you? Give Him praise for it!
Next, the Psalmist instructs saints how to praise. In other words, he gives the means of praise. These would be familiar instruments and expressions used by Jews in their musical praise. Stringed instruments, woodwinds, drums, cymbals, organs, and even dancing are employed for praise (Ps. 150:3-5).
Finally he says, “Let every thing that hath breath praise the Lord. Praise ye the Lord” (Ps. 150:6). The simplest qualification for being a person of praise is simply having breath in your body. You don’t have to be a trained musician. You don’t have to be a talented singer. You don’t have to be skilled or gifted. The only qualification for praise is having breath in your body. If you are breathing, then you can praise Him!
Beloved, the writer is removing any excuse to not praise the Lord. You can praise the Lord in the sanctuary. You can praise the Lord wherever you are in the world. You can praise Him for what He has done, or you can praise Him for who He is. You can praise Him on stringed instruments, wind instruments, soft instruments, or loud instruments. You can praise Him as long as there is breath in your body!
Do whatever you can, just praise ye the Lord!