Psalms 148:1 - Meaning and Application

We live in a dark and troubled world, so we know very little about the world of light and honor above us. We live within narrow limits, and it is hard for us to grasp the vast realm above. Still, we do know this: above us is a world of blessed angels who praise God, an countless host. Thousands upon thousands serve him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stand before him. It is his glory that he has such attendants, but it is even greater glory that he does not need them and cannot be helped by them in any way.

The psalmist has that bright and happy world in view here, in verses 1 and 2. He begins with the heavens, the heights above. Since the heavens are above us, we should lift our hearts above the world and toward God in heaven, setting our minds on things above. His desire is that God would be praised from the heavens, and that a praising spirit would be passed down from there to this world. While we are often cold, low, and weak in praising God, there are those above who do it in a far better way, and they never stop, day or night.

He especially has God's angels in mind, God's armies, and he calls on them to praise God. It is clear enough that God's angels are his armies. As soon as they were made, they were enlisted, armed, and trained. God uses them in his battles, and they keep their ranks, know their place, and obey his command. But it is harder to explain what the psalmist means by calling on them to praise God. I would not say they ignore it, because Scripture says that through the church the rulers and powers learn the many-sided wisdom of God (Ephesians 3:10). But I will say they do not need the reminder, because they are always praising God, and their praise lacks nothing. So when we sing this psalm and call on the angels to praise God, as in Psalm 103:20, we mean that we want God praised by the best servants and in the best way. We are glad to think that he is praised so, and we feel spiritual fellowship with those who live in his house above and keep praising him. By faith, hope, and holy love, we have come to the countless company of angels (Hebrews 12:22).

There is also above us not only a gathering of blessed spirits, but a great system of bright heavenly bodies, and these too praise God. They give us reason, as far as we know them, to give God glory not only for their existence, but also for the good they bring to mankind. The sun, moon, and stars are always before our eyes, by day or by night, like mirrors that show us a faint shadow, not a full likeness, of the glory of the Father of lights (Psalm 148:3). The great lights, the sun and moon, are not too grand or too bright to praise him, and the smaller lights, the stars, are not too small to matter. Idolaters made the sun, moon, and stars into gods and praised them, worshiping the creature rather than the Creator because the creature could be seen more easily. But we worship the true God alone, so we make these lights our fellow-worshipers and call on them to praise him with us. They are, so to speak, like Levites, temple servants who attend us as priests offer this spiritual sacrifice.

Above the sun and stars are the heavens of heavens, the dwelling place of the blessed. From their vastness and brightness, much glory rises to God, for the heavens of heavens belong to the Lord (Psalm 115:16), yet they cannot contain him, 1 Kings 8:27. Dr. Hammond understands the phrase as the upper regions of the air, or all the air, as in Psalm 68:33. Scripture also speaks of the heaven of heavens, from which God sends out his voice, even a mighty voice, meaning thunder. There are also the waters above the heavens, the clouds hanging in the air, stored up for the day of battle and war (Job 38:23). We have reason to praise God not only because these waters do not flood the earth again, but because they water it and make it fruitful. The Chaldee paraphrase says, “Praise him, you heavens of heavens, and you waters that depend on the word of him who is above the heavens,” because the key of the clouds is one of the keys in God’s hand. He opens, and no one can shut. He shuts, and no one can open.

Let them praise the name of the Lord, that is, let us praise the name of the Lord for them, and notice how much fresh reason for praise we can gather from them. He made them, gave them their powers, and set their places. He commanded them, great as they are, out of nothing, and they were created at his word. God created, and so he may command, for he commanded and so created. His authority must always be honored and accepted, because he once spoke with such authority.

He still holds them up and keeps them in being, in their places, and in their motions (Psalm 148:6). He has established them forever and ever, meaning until the end of time, which is a short forever, but it is their forever. They will last as long as they are needed. He has made a decree, the law of creation, and it will not pass away. It was set by God’s wisdom, so it does not need to be changed. It was fixed by his rule and his faithful power, so it cannot be changed. All the creatures that once praised God for being created must still praise him for being kept in being. And we have good reason to praise him that they are kept within the limits of his decree, because that is why the waters above the heavens have not once again drowned the earth.