Six Psalms.
That’s a lot to cover so I don’t intend to go into the minutiae of each one. They were all written by anonymous psalmists.
Psalms 111-115 are “Praise the Lord” psalms. Numbers 111-113 each begin with that phrase which, in Hebrew, is hallel u Yah; or hallelujah. In the Septuagint they are titled the “Alleluia” psalms. Psalms 114 and 115 are one psalm in the Septuagint and it is also an “Alleluia” psalm with the phrase occurring at the end.
Just for fun, I’m going to challenge myself to choose only one verse from each Alleluia psalm – except for 115 because it’s got a particularly interesting section about idols and idolaters.
PSALM 111
“Praise the Lord! I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart, in the company of the upright, in the congregation.”
Psalm 111:1 ESV
If you, dear reader, are one of the roughly 15% of the congregation that already praises the LORD with your whole heart, thank you.
On the opposite end of the spectrum is another 15% that wouldn’t budge if the Angel Gabriel showed up and played the boogie woogie on his trumpet. 🎺
As a worship leader, I generally don’t focus much on either of those groups. The first doesn’t need my assistance. They’re gonna worship the Lord no matter what. The second wouldn’t respond even if I did backflips so I just leave them for the Lord to deal with.
The 70% in the middle can often be encouraged into wholehearted worship if we show them how life-giving it is. Moving toward whole-hearted worship requires humility and vulnerability.
- Humility – because you’re gonna feel like a fraud because you’re going to remember every single failure of recent history and the voice in your head will say you’re not good enough. And you’ll have to say, “Yeah. I’m not good enough but Jesus is my righteousness and HE is good enough and HE washes away my sin and shame.
- Vulnerability – because you’re going to feel like a weirdo if you move your feet and put your hands in the air. You’re gonna feel like everyone’s looking and judging. Some might be. That’s their problem.
Here’s my 3-word pep-talk about that:
GET OVER IT
Ok. Good talk.
If you are a 70-percenter (or if you sit next to one at church) here’s a helpful tutorial from Tim Hawkins on how to get started being more expressive in worship. 😉
PSALM 112
“He will not fear bad news; His heart is steadfast, trusting in the Lord.”
Psalms 112:7 NASB2020
I’m not sure if you’re familiar with the term “fear-porn.” It’s applied to content cranked out by news outlets and online influencers who pedal doom and gloom. According to them, we’re always on the brink of a nuclear apocalypse or environmental doomsday that will really be the end this time.
There’s a certain amount of adrenaline that comes with fear of potential disaster. And just like there are adrenaline junkies who do base jumping and wingsuit flying, people can get addicted to worry over bad news.
And it truly is “bad” news in the sense that it tends to lack the balance of good journalism. But I see I have just wandered onto my soapbox…
The psalm tells us that we are talking about a good man who fears the LORD. Upright people refuse to fear or be anxious about bad news. Instead, they are steadfast and they trust in the LORD.
PSALM 113
“He stoops to look down on heaven and on earth.” Psalm 113:6 NLT
There’s one song that comes to mind that references Psalm 113. Rich Mullins’ song, Sing Your Praise to the Lord.
Click the link to listen to the original. It’s a masterpiece blending folk, rock, and even Bach’s Fugue No. 2 in C minor. Genius. Listen closely to the bridge in the latter half of the song. You’ll be able to follow right along from Psalm 113:3-6 and then back to 2.
Enjoy!
PSALMS 114 & 115
I’m putting these together Septuagint-style.
The psalmist’s description of an idol:
- Mouths but cannot speak
- Eyes but cannot see
- Ears but cannot hear
- Noses but cannot smell
- Hands but cannot touch
- Feet but cannot walk
- Throats but no voices
Then he drops this bombshell:
“Those who make them become like them, as does everyone who trusts in them.”
Psalms 115:8 LEB
How does an idolater become like his idol?
Here’s a little poem I learned as a teen:
We attract what we expect
We reflect what we desire
We become what we respect
We mirror what we admire
You’ve probably also heard the old adage that “imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.”
No one worships something they believe is inferior. People worship things to which they ascribe worth and value. To worship something is to acknowledge it as having worth. As best I can tell from my years of study, that is the foundational concept of the English word worship; which used to be worthscipe (worth-ship) in Old English. It used to be used more broadly, you could “worship” something without necessarily being an idolater. In fact, the marriage vows in the Church of England traditionally included the lines, “With my body I thee worship;” which was supposed to convey the commitment of each to use his or her body to demonstrate the valuing of the other.
Humans tend to believe that worth can be conferred. It’s why people “name-drop.” Perhaps the famous person’s “worth” rubbed off a little on them. I mean, Big Bird doesn’t hang out with just anyone. I’m part of an exclusive group. I’m special because Big Bird is special and hung out with him.
😲 You met Big Bird?!?!
🙄 (Sigh) No. It’s just an illustration.
😒 Aww shucks. I was gonna ask for an autograph.
Many times the easiest way to find out if we have an idol is to honestly answer this question:
If I just had ____________ I would matter.
What might we put in the blank? What do I believe would confer worth upon me (make me more significant or valuable)?
A successful career? Wealth?
Successful children?
Power? Influence?
The love and respect of a spouse?
A boat or an RV?
A Facebook or Instagram feed like _____’s?
Beware.
None of those things can confer worth. Only the One Who is infinitely worthy can share His worth with us. And He did so when the Word became flesh and demonstrated His love for us.
You already matter. But if the heart is not connected to and receiving that divine Love, it will assume “I’m not valuable as I am so I need to do XYZ in order to become valuable.” And that makes us vulnerable to the Enemy of our souls. He can keep us on a wild goose-chase our whole lives long looking for the significance and security that are readily available in Jesus Christ.
Here’s a fun song that flirts with the ideas of “If I just had ___ then I would be important.” In the end, the singer realizes that he must learn to be content with his lot in life and trust the LORD.
If I Were A Rich Man – Fiddler On the Roof
PSALM 127
Tevye (in the song above) hoped to be like Solomon the Wise. This psalm was written as an Ascent Song for (or perhaps by) Solomon. It was probably intended for Solomon and his attendants to sing as they ascended to the site of worship on what had been the threshing floor of Aruanah the Jenbusite which was now a construction site where a marvelous golden temple was being built. They may have also sung it when Solomon and his entourage ascended the holy hill to the Temple on the day of dedication.
With that in mind the opening line is a sobering reminder to not get proud or trust in the work of their hands.
“Unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labor in vain. Unless the Lord watches over the city, the watchman stays awake in vain. It is in vain that you rise up early and go late to rest, eating the bread of anxious toil; for he gives to his beloved sleep.”
Psalm 127:1-2 ESV
David handed to Solomon the huge project of building the Temple. Perhaps Solomon sang this Ascent Song a lot as he walked up the hill every day from the palace to oversee the work.
It might be a good little ditty to sing to ourselves every morning when we go off to work.
It might seem odd at first glance that the subject of the psalm would shift so abruptly from work to children, but children are generally the motivation behind going to work.
😏 To get away from them?
🙄 No dufus. To earn an income to provide for them and leave a legacy.
😏 Pretty sure my dad went to work to get away from me and my siblings. A house full of emojis is a wild place. Super emotional.
😑 Ok. Emoji Families excepted…
In the Hebrew mind, a “house” was not a building, it was the family.
Yahweh had promised an everlasting dynasty to David. Solomon is the first son of that dynasty. And Solomon is likely thinking about his own children (if he has any at this point) because his sons and grandsons will be crucial for Yahweh’s promise to be fulfilled.
Jesus Christ, “the descendant of David according to the flesh,” (Rom. 1:3) is the ultimate builder of the household of God. He is the prophesied fruit of the womb that is the heritage of the LORD. (That’s another subtle hint to the divine and human nature of Christ.) Jesus is the metaphorical arrow who will confidently confront and subdue His enemies in the gate.
To The Reader 