Elsewhere the Bible says that “Since they thought it foolish to acknowledge God, he abandoned them to their foolish thinking and let them do things that should never be done,” (Romans 1:28, NLT). What’s more, they are not only convinced in their belief, but also think that those who think differently are the ones who are deceived.
Today, I woke up early and walked out to see the sunrise and, according to a reading plan I am on, I read Psalm 113. “From the rising of the sun to its setting, let the name of the LORD be praised,” (v. 3, CSB). As a lover of sunrises and sunsets, I know that verse well, but as I sat on the bench overlooking the Harker Heights baseball complex, I kept reading the passage over and over.
Psalm 113 begins with a Hallelujah, as it is transliterated. Verses 1 and 9 use one of seven Hebrew words for praise, “Hallel”, followed by the abbreviation for Yahweh, “Yah”. “Praise the Lord” is how most translate it, but the CSB is correct in rendering it “Hallelujah”.
Verse 4 says God is so far above the nations and His glory is so far above even the heavens, and yet He “humbles” Himself (KJV) to stoop down (CSB) to look and see both the heavens and earth. His ultimate “stoop down” came through Christ, Who humbled Himself to the point of death at the cross (Philippians 2:8).
The psalmist then thinks about Hannah, the barren wife who finally was able to give birth, and quotes her song found in 1 Samuel 2:7-8. She was overjoyed that God lifted her up from her impoverishment, along with all who are low and needy in order to sit with the high and mighty. Paul also acknowledged that we are risen, seated, and “hidden” (or already “departed secretly”) with Christ Who is at the right hand of God.
Psalm 113 ends by carrying forward that thought of the joy of a woman who, though childless, is given a family and a home and again refrains with the “Praise the LORD” or in Hebrew, “Hallelujah!”.
Maybe you also can’t “feel at home in this world anymore.” Well, join the heavenly crowd! Just as the Lord looks down on this world, we need to do what Pastor Randy often says, “look up” to our heavenly destination.
Or as Jesus said in Luke 21:28, “When these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near.”
Blessings in Him!
