Another cause for praise is the safety with which God covers his people. He has proven time and time again that he is able to deliver his people. Egypt is the most obvious example, how he wrought signs and wonders to break them out of 400 years of slavery. But there are two lesser appreciated examples…
In Numbers 21, God helped Israel defeat two pesky thugs—Sihon and Og—like they were flies to be swatted. God does the same for us all the time: he delivers us from danger daily.
Do you praise him for every day of not being hijacked or burgled?
SUPERIORITY: 5 For I know that the Lord is great, and that our Lord is above all gods. And 15 The idols of the nations are silver and gold, the work of human hands. 16 They have mouths, but do not speak; they have eyes, but do not see; 17 they have ears, but do not hear, nor is there any breath in their mouths. 18 Those who make them become like them, so do all who trust in them.
A final cause for praise mentioned here is God’s superiority to all rivals for our praise.
Paul used this fact in his evangelism of the Greek philosophers on Mars Hill in Athens…
The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by man, nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything. (Acts 17:24-25)
When you put your trust in money or insurance or your retirement portfolio or your education or your ingenuity or whatever…you are being as foolish as a person who trusts in a chunk of metal or a hunk of wood. The false religions of the world offer no hope, no assurance, no guarantee. But our God proves his superiority to all false religions by furnishing proof of his power…
Because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed; and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead. (Acts 17:31)
This is a cause of praise.
Our God is alive. And he is mighty to save.
3. The Crescendo of Praise
19 O house of Israel, bless the Lord! O house of Aaron, bless the Lord!
20 O house of Levi, bless the Lord! You who fear the Lord, bless the Lord!
21 Blessed be the Lord from Zion, he who dwells in Jerusalem! Praise the Lord!
When we say “Bless the Lord” we mean ascribe good words to him. Make God happy.
Those being addressed here are: The nation of Israel, the family of the high priest Aaron, the tribe of priests, all who fear God, and all who recognize Mount Zion in Jerusalem as the true religion.
This type of language confuses some Christians. “What about us?”
Remember that in the Old Testament, the only true religion, the only group of believers were the Israelites. If you forsook Baal or Marduk or any false god, you’d become Israelite, join the nation and in every way become part of Israel. In the New Testament, we don’t experience an ethnic, national, or cultural conversion. Ours is only and entirely a spiritual conversion. The church doesn’t replace Israel, nor do we become Israel; we just join them and their spiritual legacy, by faith.
Conclusion
It is fitting for us to praise God. We who fear his name, who trust in his salvation, who love him for who he is and what he’s done, it is fitting for us to praise him to bless him and to worship him in everything we say and do. And then to tell others about his praiseworthiness.
This article originally appeared here and is used by permission.
