Psalm 148 (December 29th, 2025)
- Brian Lee
- Dec 29, 2025
- 3 min read
Summary
Psalm 148 is a call to praise the Creator of the Universe. Unlike many psalms that begin with our need or personal confession, this psalm begins with a call to praise the Creator of Heaven and Earth.
Praise the LORD! Praise the LORD from the heavens; praise him in the heights! (v. 1)
It moves downward to angels, stars, skies, seas, animals, nations, and finally to God’s covenant people. Praise is not first an emotion but a response to reality. Everything that exists is summoned to praise the LORD, not because it feels inclined to do so, but because it was created, ordered, and sustained by His word.
It ends not with abstraction, but with covenant nearness:
He has raised up a horn for his people, praise for all his saints, for the people of Israel who are near to him. Praise the Lord! (v. 14)
Creation praises because it was spoken into being (vv. 5–6). God’s people praise because they have been redeemed and drawn near.
Who is God
God is the sovereign Creator whose authority spans heaven and earth. The psalm repeatedly grounds praise in the simple but weighty phrase:
Let them praise the name of the Lord! For he commanded and they were created. (v. 5).
God speaks, and creation responds.
Even forces we consider chaotic—fire, hail, snow, mist, stormy wind—are said to fulfill his word (v. 8). This is not a fragile world barely holding together, but a world upheld by God’s ongoing command. Praise, then, is not flattery; it is recognition. God’s name alone is exalted, and His majesty is above earth and heaven.
Let them praise the name of the Lord, for his name alone is exalted; his majesty is above earth and heaven. (v. 13).
What is our guilt
We are guilty of selective praise. We often reserve worship for moments that feel inspiring, peaceful, or personally meaningful. We decide and determine when to praise, if at all.
Psalm 148 exposes that posture as too small. If mountains, fruit trees, wild animals, kings, rulers, young men, maidens, old men, and children are all called to praise the LORD (vv. 9–12), then praise cannot be limited to temperament, preference, or circumstance. Our hearts are quick to admire creation but slow to honor the Creator. We enjoy the gifts but resist the Giver’s authority. At times, we live as if praise were optional, rather than the fitting response of creatures who live by God’s sustaining word.
How does grace shine
God has raised up a horn for his people (v. 14). Strength, salvation, and victory are not abstract ideas. They are embodied promises. For us, this horn is fulfilled in Jesus Christ. In Christ, the One who commands the heavens draws sinners near. Praise becomes more than cosmic obedience. It becomes grateful worship flowing from redemption. We praise not only because God made us, but because He has claimed us.
Prayer
Father in heaven,
You are the creator of heaven and earth, and yet we confess that our praise is often small and conditional.
Please help us to lift our eyes to see your majesty over heaven and earth,
and soften our hearts to respond with reverence and joy.
Thank you for drawing us near through your Son, our Lord and Savior.
Teach us to live lives of praise—not only with our lips,
but with humble trust and daily obedience.
In the name of Jesus Christ, we pray. Amen.
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