Psalms 113
BBCPsalms 113:1
Psalm 113: So Great, Yet So Gracious113:1-6 The first five verses present God as the One who is infinitely high, the last four as the One who is intimately nigh.Our God is infinitely high. As such He is worthy to be praised.
By whom?By all His servants (v. 1).How?By blessing His name, which means by thanking Him for all that He is (v. 2a). How often?Continuallynow and forevermore (v. 2b).Where?Everywherefrom lands of sunrise to lands of sunset (v. 3a).For what?For His Greatness. He is high above all nations, His glory above the heavens (v. 4). For His matchlessness. No one can be compared to Him, seated on His throne on high (v. 5). For His limitless vision. There is nothing in heaven or earth that He does not see (v. 6). The text suggests that He has to humble Himself even to behold the things in heaven!But, praise His name, the One who is infinitely high is also intimately nigh. 113:7-9 The poor can know this! He lifts them from the dust. The needy can know this! He elevates them from their low estate and seats them with princes, with the excellent of the earth. The barren woman can know this! He grants her a home and makes her like a joyful mother of children. Barrenness was a fearsome reproach among Jewish women. To be delivered from this curse was the occasion of the most extravagant joy, according to the Prayer Book Commentary. ApplicationI was poor, but through faith in Christ I have become fantastically wealthy in spiritual things. I was needy, but the Lord Jesus took this beggar from the dunghill and gave him wonderful Christian brothers and sisters, a fellowship that beats anything the world has to offer. I was barren, with no fruit in my life for God. But He has delivered me from empty, wasteful existence to meaningful, productive life. No wonder I sing with the psalmist: Praise the LORD! He fills the throne, the throne above, He fills it without wrong; The object of His Father’s love, Theme of the ransomed’s song. Though high, yet He accepts the praise His people offer here; The faintest, feeblest cry they raise Will reach the Savior’s ear. Thomas Kelly