Psalm 146
1Praise ye the Lord. Praise the Lord, O my soul.
2 While I live will I praise the Lord: I will sing praises unto my God while I have any being.
3 Put not your trust in princes, nor in the son of man, in whom there is no help.
4 His breath goeth forth, he returneth to his earth; in that very day his thoughts perish.
5 Happy is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help, whose hope is in the Lord his God:
6 Which made heaven, and earth, the sea, and all that therein is: which keepeth truth for ever:
7 Which executeth judgment for the oppressed: which giveth food to the hungry. The Lord looseth the prisoners:
8 The Lord openeth the eyes of the blind: the Lord raiseth them that are bowed down: the Lord loveth the righteous:
9 The Lord preserveth the strangers; he relieveth the fatherless and widow: but the way of the wicked he turneth upside down.
10 The Lord shall reign for ever, even thy God, O Zion, unto all generations. Praise ye the Lord.
Psalm 146 is an exceedingly joyful psalm that praises God for his knowledge and justice and for what he has accomplished in the miracle of creation.
In verse 2, the psalmist says that he will praise the Lord while he lives and while he “has any being.” This is such a beautiful way of stating that it is proper to give praise to the Lord while one is alive, precisely because God is the creator and sustainer of all being. Not only that, but our existence is a reason for joy and should inspire singing in those who are still gifted with the breath of life, which only God can give.
God, in His power, is the last word and ultimate authority. Therefore, it is useless to put our ultimate hope in men. That is not to say that our fellow man cannot aid us in this life, but to look to men as the last word on things pertaining to this life is to go astray. He who hopes in the Lord is happy, as verse 5 says.
God is true and the possessor of all truth. Without Him, one can neither perceive nor acquire truth and knowledge. Closeness to the Lord gives us wisdom and discernment. It also gives us an eye to true justice. This is because the Lord is merciful and provides for the oppressed, the hungry, and the prisoner. We, therefore, ought to be merciful in the same way, and will be if we truly walk with the Lord.
In reference to the healing power of God, verse 8 says that the Lord “openeth the eyes of the blind.” But this line is also a continuation of the psalmist’s theme of God as provider and sustainer of all truth and knowledge. One can be blind either physically or spiritually. The psalmist alludes to the fact that God, the keeper of truth, can reveal truth to those who are foolish and impoverished in mind and spirit. All that is required is that the one who lacks sight would turn to God in humility and repentance, for “the Lord loveth the righteous (verse 8).”
Finally, the psalmist affirms that the Lord is with those who are lonely and who lack protection or provision. The stranger, the fatherless, and the widow have no one to rely on except God. The Lord in His mercy sees their loneliness and helplessness and provides comfort and protection for them. In the same way, we can know that when we feel alone and at our most vulnerable, we can rely on the Lord to help us if we turn to Him in sincerity.”
After every case has been heard and every authority sought, the Lord, in His truth and mercy, will remain faithful.