Psalm Devotional
Praise our Faithful Covenant Lord
Each of the five books of the Psalter closes with a doxology in pure praise to God (41:13; 72:18–19; 89:52; 106:48; 150:1–6). Psalm 146 begins a series of doxologies that concludes the whole Psalter, rising in a crescendo for the finale in Psalm 150. What the cannons are to the end of the 1812 Overture, Psalms 145–150 are to the Psalter; a magnificent conclusion with a glorious finale!
The chief end of man is to praise God and enjoy Him forever, and these doxologies bring our purpose and the purpose of the Psalter to a wonderful convergence. It is not too much to say that we realize the purpose of our being when we sing the psalms. We give glory to God and find good for ourselves.
The psalmist begins with a general call to praise the Lord (v. 1) and follows it with the integrity of his own commitment to do this (vv. 1–2). He pledges himself to praise God with all that he is and has (v. 1, soul) for as long as he lives (v. 2). It seems that the Lord appoints singing in His worship because it involves the whole person: mind, heart, and body. The psalmist does all this because he is grounded in the covenant relationship with the Lord in which he responds to the Lord’s saving grace with thankful praise (v. 2; see vv. 5, 10). In praise, we repent from our pride in order to confess God’s glory.
