Psalms 33:1 - Meaning and Application

The psalmist shows four things in these verses.

First, he deeply wants God to be praised. He does not think he praises God as well as he should, so he wants others to join in this work. The more voices there are in this holy song, the more it is like heaven. Holy joy is the heart and soul of praise, and he urges all good people to rejoice in the Lord (Psalm 33:1). The previous psalm ended this way, and this one begins the same way, because all our worship should start and end with holy gladness in God, who is the best of all beings and the best of friends.

Thankful praise is the outward voice of that holy joy, and he calls for that too: “Praise the Lord.” Speak well of him and give him the honor his name deserves (Psalm 33:2). Religious songs are a proper way to express thankful praise, so he also says, “Sing to him a new song” (Psalm 33:3). This means the best song you have, not one worn out by constant use, but one fresh enough to stir the heart. It is a new song for new mercies, for the compassions that are new every morning. David also appointed music with the temple songs so they could be sung more fittingly, and here that practice is encouraged too.

There is a good rule for this duty, do it skillfully and with a loud sound. Give it both thought and feeling, with a clear mind and a warm heart. There is also a good reason for it: praise is fitting for the upright. It pleases God, and it is a beautiful ornament to our confession of faith. Since God has given honor to his people, it is right that they give honor to him. The upright praise God in a fitting way because they praise him from the heart, which is their true glory. The praises of hypocrites are awkward and out of place, like a proverb in the mouth of a fool (Proverbs 26:7).

Second, the psalmist has great thoughts of God and his perfect qualities (Psalm 33:4, 33:5). God makes himself known to us in his word, which here stands for all divine revelation, all that God has spoken at different times and in different ways to people. That word is all right, with nothing crooked in it. His commands match what is truly just, and his promises are wise, good, and completely reliable. Even his warnings are not unfair, because they are meant to keep us from evil. God’s word is right, so when we agree with it, we are right, and when we depart from it, we are wrong.

God also makes himself known in his works, and all of them are done in truth, according to his wise purposes, called the Scriptures of truth (Daniel 10:21). What God does matches his eternal plan exactly. It never slips even a little from what he intended. His works show that he is a God of unbending justice, because he loves righteousness and justice. There is nothing but righteousness in his judgments, and justice in the way he carries them out. He never does wrong to any creature, and he is always ready to set right those who are wronged. He also shows that he is a God of overflowing kindness, because the earth is full of his goodness. That means it is full of signs and examples of his goodness. The world’s life-giving rains, the fruit it produces, the food provided for both people and animals, and the common blessings enjoyed by all nations all show this plainly.

Third, the psalmist is convinced of God’s almighty power, shown in the creation of the world. We believe in God, the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, and this passage teaches us to praise him that way. God made the world by his word and the breath of his mouth (Psalm 33:6, 33:9). Christ is the Word, and the Spirit is the breath, so the Father made the world, and also rules it and redeems it, through his Son and Spirit. He spoke, and it was done. For God, saying and doing are not separate things the way they are with us.

The same power made the world, made man, and builds the church. By the Word and Spirit, God made that first world, then made man as a little world, and now makes the church, the new world, and works grace in the soul, the new man, the new creation. What cannot that power do, if it could make a world with just a word? And what God does, he does completely. He does it, and it stands firm. Whatever God does will last forever (Ecclesiastes 3:14). The reason things still continue today is that he has commanded them to stand fast (Psalm 119:91).

Fourth, the psalmist shows what God made. He made all things, but special mention is made of the heavens and their host, meaning the visible heavens and the sun, moon, and stars (Psalm 33:6). The waters and their storehouses are also mentioned (Psalm 33:7). At first the earth was covered with water, and water, being heavier, would naturally sink beneath the land. But God gathered the waters together so the dry land could appear, showing from the start that the God of nature is not limited by the usual order of nature. He also set the deep in storehouses, not only in the seas, held in place by the sand, but also in hidden underground places, where they are unseen and kept for the time when “the fountains of the great deep” were to break open. They are still there, stored for the purpose the great Master of the house knows best.

The right response to all this is clear: let all the earth fear the Lord and stand in awe of him (Psalm 33:8). That is, let all people worship him and give him glory (Psalm 95:5, 95:6). The everlasting gospel gives this same reason for worship, because God made heaven, earth, and sea (Revelation 14:6, 14:7). We should fear him, meaning we should dread his anger and not want him as our enemy. We should be careful not to resist him or try to stand against him.

We should not dare to offend him, since the one with this power surely has all power in his hand. It is dangerous to be at war with the One who has the armies of heaven for his soldiers and the depths of the sea for his storehouses. For that reason, wisdom tells us to seek peace with him (Jeremiah 5:22).

We can also find comfort in God’s rule and authority (Psalm 33:10, 11). He overrules all human plans and makes them serve his own purposes, even when people mean something else entirely. So, with the eyes of faith, we should see God on his throne.

He defeats the plans of his enemies. He brings the plans of the nations to nothing, so that what they plot against him and his kingdom becomes pointless (Psalm 2:1). Ahithophel’s counsel is turned into foolishness, and Haman’s scheme is stopped. No matter how carefully a plan is made, or how high the hopes built on it may rise, if God says it will not stand, it will fail.

He also carries out his own decrees, which are his fixed purposes. “The counsel of the Lord stands forever.” It is unchanging, because he is of one mind, and no one can turn him aside. People may resist its carrying out, but no created power can stop it, even in the least.

Through all the changes of history, God has never altered his plans. In every event, even the ones that surprise us most, his eternal purpose is fulfilled. Nothing can keep it from being accomplished at the right time. How gladly we can praise God for this as we sing. And how much peace this thought can give us at all times: God rules the world, he ruled it in perfect wisdom before we were born, and he will still rule it when we lie silent in the dust.