Psalms 135:1 - Meaning and Application

Here the duty we are called to is simple and clear: praise the Lord, praise his name, and keep praising him. We should not only thank him for what he has done for us, but also praise him for who he is in himself and for what he has done for others. We ought to take every chance to speak well of God and to speak well of his truth and his ways.

The people called to do this are the servants of the Lord, the priests and Levites, who stood in his house, and all the devout Israelites who stood in the courts of his house to worship there (Psa 135:2). Those who have the greatest reason to praise God are the ones admitted to the privileges of his house, because there they see his beauty and enjoy his bounty. It is especially expected from them, because that is part of why they are given those places. If they do not praise him, who should?

There are strong reasons why we should praise God. First, the one we are to praise is good, and goodness is something everyone is glad to speak well of. He is good to all, and we must give him the praise for that. His goodness is part of his glory, and we should speak of it in a way that brings him glory.

Second, the work itself is its own reward: “Sing praises to his name, for it is pleasant.” Praise is best given with a cheerful spirit, and then we enjoy the blessing of doing our duty. To praise God is a little taste of heaven on earth, and that joy should take away our appetite for the empty pleasures of sin.

Third, God’s people have special privileges (Psa 135:4). The Lord chose Jacob for himself, and so Jacob is bound to praise him. God chose a people for himself so that they would be for him a name and praise (Jer 13:11). This means Jacob has more than enough reason to praise, because he has been set apart and honored in a special way. Israel is God’s own treasure above all people (Exo 19:5). They are his special possession, a people belonging to him and precious in his sight. If the descendants of Jacob do not praise him for such surprising and undeserved favor, they are the most ungrateful people under the sun.