Psalm 147 was probably written to celebrate the Israelite nation returning to Jerusalem from being outcasts in Babylon. This psalm is the second of five hallelujah psalms which close the psalter, each beginning with "Praise the Lord! In these first 11 verses, the psalmist calls us to praise the Lord for His great works and for the wonders of His salvation.
PSALM 147:1-11
1 Praise the Lord!
For it is good to sing praises to our God;
for it is pleasant, and a song of praise is fitting.
2 The Lord builds up Jerusalem;
He gathers the outcasts of Israel.
3 He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.
4 He determines the number of the stars;
He gives to all of them their names.
5 Great is our Lord, and abundant in power;
His understanding is beyond measure.
6 The Lord lifts up the humble;
He casts the wicked to the ground.
7 Sing to the Lord with thanksgiving;
make melody to our God on the lyre!
8 He covers the heavens with clouds;
He prepares rain for the earth;
He makes grass grow on the hills.
9 He gives to the beasts their food, and to the young ravens that cry.
10 His delight is not in the strength of the horse,
nor his pleasure in the legs of a man,
11 but the Lord takes pleasure in those who fear Him,
in those who hope in His steadfast love.
The last two verses of this selection raise a delightful question: In what does the Lord take pleasure?
...in the praises of His people's voices and music? Surely.
...in His healing, restoring and gathering of His children? Certainly.
...in the beauty & complexity of His wonderful creation? God Himself said "it is good."
But even more than these things, in verse 11 we're given a personal connection. "The Lord takes pleasure in those who fear Him, in those who hope in His steadfast love." The Lord takes pleasure in...you!
We fear God through our praising Him, our confession of Him, and our obedience to Him. All these we do imperfectly, but because of His great love for us, God forgives us when we fail. We hope in God's steadfast love, but not in a worldly, "maybe it will happen..." kind of hope. We hope in complete confidence, because God always keeps His promises! God helps, comforts, protects and saves you! In His great love, God carries you to heaven when your short stay on this earth is over.
So, fear the Lord and hope in Him! You'll be uplifted in spirit, and the Lord will take pleasure in you!
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