Sunday, April 25, 2021

Seder 49: Psalm 135---Praising God as Creator and King

 Psalm 135 is a hymn of praise connected with worship at the Temple.  It calls upon all who serve at the Temple, and later upon all Israel, to praise God as Creator and King.  

Because God  is Creator, he rules all of the things he created, including the angelic beings---the "small-g gods" (Heb elohim) in verse 5.  This includes things in heaven, on earth, and under the earth--v 6.  ("Deeps" in verse 6 refers to waters under the earth.)

God controls all of the forces of nature, contrary to the beliefs of the Canaanites, who claimed the storm god Ba'al was in charge of these things (v 7).

God's rulership is seen in his mighty works, including the miracles of the Exodus and Israel's conquest of the Promised Land (vv 8-12).  

God's name Yahweh represents his character and works, and we learn more and more about the greatness of that name as history unfolds.  God's renown grows as his people praise him (vv 13-14).  

This psalm uses some sections of previous psalms, most notably Ps 115:4-8 in vv 15-18.   

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