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Wednesday 05/21/25
Thru the Bible: Psalm Book V: Chapters 135-138
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Exalt His name above His word?
Psalm Book V – Psalms 135-138
Psalm 135:1-21,
This is another psalm which prominently features the priests and Levites.
It begins with a call to praise. The word praise here is hālal and is most often used in scripture to mean that praise which is associated with the ministry of the Levites who praised God morning and evening.
“(1) Praise the LORD! Praise the name of the LORD; Praise Him, O you servants of the LORD! (2) You who stand in the house of the LORD, In the courts of the house of our God, (3) Praise the LORD, for the LORD is good; Sing praises to His name, for it is pleasant.”
King David had taken a special interest in the worship of God in his life and sought to organize non-mandated services before the Lord, one of which was praise offered to God both morning and evening as is recorded in 1 Chron. 23:30.
This service of joy and respect was performed not by the priests but by the Levites who served the priests in the courtyard.
It may interest you that the word hallelujah is a word derived from this word hālal. By adding the suffix – Yah, which means ‘the Lord‘ to the word ‘praise‘ you get Hallelujah which means to ‘praise the Lord’.
Of course our word pronounced Hallelijah is actually a Greek transliteration of the Hebrew construction and is spelled allēlloúia.
In any case, both the word and the context make it clear that this introduction was a special reference to the priests and Levites to praise the Lord in their service to Him in the courtyard of the tabernacle.
“(4) For the LORD has chosen Jacob for Himself, Israel for His special treasure.”
Now this is something we have not spent a lot of time on in our trek Thru the Bible, but it is worthy of mention. There seems to be a way in which Israel is both extended to include the Gentiles under the New Covenant and yet another way in which Israel stands alone. Both are represented in scripture.
Israel IS in fact God’s special treasure, but there again so are all His people throughout time – both before and after the Old Covenant.
The promised land as an inheritance seems eternal in nature, whereas the meek are said to inherit the entire earth.
Are these figures of speech or ways of conveying deeper truths through imagery of lesser things? I am not certain.
Paul comes across strong in both directions.
In one place he says,
“(3) For I could wish that I myself were accursed – cut off from Christ – for the sake of my people, my fellow countrymen, (4) who are Israelites.
To them BELONG [or ‘of whom are’] the adoption as sons, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the temple worship, and the promises.
(5) To them BELONG [or ‘of whom are’]the patriarchs, and from them, by human descent, came the Christ, Who is God over all, blessed forever! Amen.
(6) It is not as though the word of God had failed. For not all those who are descended from Israel are truly Israel, (7) nor are all the children Abraham’s true descendants; rather “through Isaac will your descendants be counted.”
(8) This means it is not the children of the flesh who are the children of God; rather, the children of promise are counted as descendants.” – Romans 9:3-8
and,
Romans 9:25-26, “(25) As he also says in Hosea: “I will call those who were not My people, ‘My people,’ and I will call her who was unloved, ‘My beloved.’” (26) “And in the very place where it was said to them, ‘You are not My people,’ there they will be called ‘sons of the living God.’”
and,
Romans 10:12-13, “(12) For there is no distinction between the Jew and the Greek, for the same Lord is Lord of all, Who richly blesses all who call on Him. (13) For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
And of course we are told that the “Gentiles are debtors to the Jews” & “Israel has been set aside until the fullness of the Gentiles have come in and so all Israel will be saved”.
Furthermore, the entire millennial reign of Christ seems focused upon His rule in Israel and among the Jewish people as a natural, physical and ethnic nation.
You see, Israel has never possessed the entirety of the land promised them by God to Abraham. They have possessed divisions of it, most notably Canaan, but due to the judgements they received for their ongoing disobedience they experienced wars, captivities, exiles and have been dispersed over the earth throughout history. So it is that there remains some of the promise God made to Abraham yet needing to be fulfilled and that promise was to the physical nation of Israel.
The real question is – Are these things true only during the millennial reign? Are they going to be considered fulfilled after 1,000 years only to be replaced with the whole family of God inheriting the earth in the final and perfect age?
I’m not sure, but it does not seem so, since the language used regarding this promise nearly always has eternal time periods associated with it.
So what does this statement in Psalm 135:4 indicate for the Gentile portion of the body of Christ?
“(4) For the LORD has chosen Jacob for Himself, Israel for His special treasure.”
Well, one thing it DOESN’T mean is that we are somehow less than Israel.
God’s love for us is just as complete as it is for them. But as we know in our human experience, there are things which make one child dear to us in ways which differ from the way our other children are dear and I think this is the way we must think of it.
In the same way that Jesus is honored not more than the Father and the Spirit, but differently and for different reasons so Israel is honored and treasured not so much above us, but in a different way and for different reasons than us.
You cannot undo the fact that out of all the world, as God’s eyes were looking too and fro, He first found a man named Abram from Ur of the Chaldeas. That the eternal fire was first set ablaze in the heart of this man. Nor that those who came from his body were the nation of Israel and they carried the torch of that fire down through time in the form of the remnant until Messiah came.
God in His foreknowledge of all these events promised Abraham a land sectioned off for his descendants and that it would be their possession eternally.
In the same way, the history of the Gentile believers being largely responsible for the propagation of the Good News these last 2,000 years cannot be erased. That we not only have been the torch bearers, but the largest representation of God’s eternal kingdom is undeniable. Furthermore, that we will be used as the means of provoking the people of Israel to jealousy is an honor and a stewardship we have which, given the nature of God’s character, is certain to be rewarded. One of the ways in which we will be rewarded will be that we will be those who rule and reign with Him during the Millennial age. In addition to this there may very well be more ways in which we are rewarded that I don’t know about.
There does seem to be a blending of these elements in the perfect age in that Abraham is told that his descendants will fill the earth and that only if one could count the sand on the sea shore would his offspring be able to be numbered.
Well unless we are included in that number I am uncertain where we will live. Furthermore, the entirety of the earth certainly expands on the original covenant which only included lands Abram had physically traversed. [See Genesis 13:17]
So in the end, I admit I do not know, but what I DO know is this – while Israel is God’s special treasure, Peter refers to the saints in his first letter as God’s Own special people – a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a chosen generation.
Also Paul in writing to Titus who was sent to Gentile believers on Crete said,
“Jesus Christ gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His Own special people, zealous for good works.”
So it is that I do not lose heart thinking that in any way I am considered less than my brethren who are Jews according to the flesh. We have all been graced by God to play our part in the establishment of His eternal kingdom.
Whatever it means that Israel is God’s special treasure, it does not mean that Gentile believers are somehow counted as less.
Let’s move on…
“(5) For I know that the LORD is great, And our Lord is above all gods. (6) Whatever the LORD pleases He does, In heaven and in earth, In the seas and in all deep places.
(7) He causes the vapors to ascend from the ends of the earth; He makes lightning for the rain; He brings the wind out of His treasuries.
(8) He destroyed the firstborn of Egypt, Both of man and beast. (9) He sent signs and wonders into the midst of you, O Egypt, Upon Pharaoh and all his servants.
(10) He defeated many nations And slew mighty kings— (11) Sihon king of the Amorites, Og king of Bashan, And all the kingdoms of Canaan— (12) And gave their land as a heritage, A heritage to Israel His people.
(13) Your name, O LORD, endures forever, Your fame, O LORD, throughout all generations.
(14) For the LORD will judge His people, And He will have compassion on His servants.
(15) The idols of the nations are silver and gold, The work of men’s hands.
(16) They have mouths, but they do not speak;
Eyes they have, but they do not see;
(17) They have ears, but they do not hear; Nor is there any breath in their mouths.
(18) Those who make them are like them; So is everyone who trusts in them.
(19) Bless the LORD, O house of Israel! Bless the LORD, O house of Aaron! (20) Bless the LORD, O house of Levi! You who fear the LORD, bless the LORD!
(21) Blessed be the LORD out of Zion, Who dwells in Jerusalem! Praise the LORD!”
Psalm 136:1-26,
This is a wonderful and exaltant escalating psalm enumerating reason upon reason for offering thanks to God for all the ways in which His eternal mercies are expressed.
I think you will see what we have witnessed many times regarding the Jews and that is their proclivity to retell their history over and over again in whatever form they can find to do so.
“(1) Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever.
(2) Oh, give thanks to the God of gods! For His mercy endures forever.
(3) Oh, give thanks to the Lord of lords! For His mercy endures forever:
(4) To Him Who alone does great wonders, For His mercy endures forever;
(5) To Him Who by wisdom made the heavens, For His mercy endures forever;
(6) To Him Who laid out the earth above the waters, For His mercy endures forever;
(7) To Him Who made great lights, For His mercy endures forever—
(8) The sun to rule by day, For His mercy endures forever;
(9) The moon and stars to rule by night, For His mercy endures forever.
(10) To Him who struck Egypt in their firstborn, For His mercy endures forever;
(11) And brought out Israel from among them, For His mercy endures forever;
(12) With a strong hand, and with an outstretched arm, For His mercy endures forever;
(13) To Him Who divided the Red Sea in two, For His mercy endures forever;
(14) And made Israel pass through the midst of it, For His mercy endures forever;
(15) But overthrew Pharaoh and his army in the Red Sea, For His mercy endures forever;
(16) To Him Who led His people through the wilderness, For His mercy endures forever;
(17) To Him Who struck down great kings, For His mercy endures forever;
(18) And slew famous kings, For His mercy endures forever—
(19) Sihon king of the Amorites, For His mercy endures forever;
(20) And Og king of Bashan, For His mercy endures forever—
(21) And gave their land as a heritage, For His mercy endures forever;
(22) A heritage to Israel His servant, For His mercy endures forever.
(23) Who remembered us in our lowly state, For His mercy endures forever;
(24) And rescued us from our enemies, For His mercy endures forever;
(25) Who gives food to all flesh, For His mercy endures forever.
(26) Oh, give thanks to the God of heaven! For His mercy endures forever!”
Psalm 137:1-9,
The setting of this psalm is immediately obvious from its mention.
Even as the Israelites were carried off into Babylonian bondage, while the sting of the tears of their exile were still on their faces, they knew that Babylon who had carried them away captive would one day be destroyed.
So this psalm begins with a calloused request for the Jewish exiles to entertain their captors with a lively song of Israel.
“(1) By the rivers of Babylon, There we sat down, yea, we wept When we remembered Zion.
(2) We hung our harps Upon the willows in the midst of it.
(3) For there those who carried us away captive asked of us a song, And those who plundered us requested mirth, Saying,
“Sing us one of the songs of Zion!”
This is a great place for a first mention in our trek ‘Thru the Bible’ and that is of Jewish music and the impact it had upon the ancient world.
Jewish music served as a powerful means of expressing cultural identity and transmitting values. It was used to commemorate historical events, celebrate life-cycle events, and convey religious teachings.
The Hebrew Scriptures, for instance, contain numerous references to music and its role in religious and communal life.
Jewish music significantly influenced the ancient world by shaping religious practices, influencing other cultures, and serving as a vehicle for cultural expression and identity. Its impact is seen in the evolution of liturgical music, the development of various musical traditions, and the transmission of cultural values through music.
As such Jewish music significantly influenced both Greek and Italian musical traditions, particularly in their early development.
Greek and Roman music scholars and musicians likely drew on Jewish musical traditions and practices, which in turn influenced the development of the Byzantine tradition of liturgical chant in the Greek-speaking world, and eventually the development of Italian music. (AI generated from online citations of historical evidence)
Jewish music was lively, celebratory. It inspired dancing and even participation in the form of tambourines and such. This was still a bit novel by the time of the Babylonian exile and so this requirement from their captors is not only believable, but should be anticipated.
Nevertheless, even if they sang their songs, their hearts were not in it – how could they be, as the next verse indicates?
“(4) How shall we sing the LORD’s song In a foreign land?”
But for all of this, the writer of this psalm knew that God had not forgotten them.
This psalm begins with the tongues of the Jewish captores sticking to the roof of their mouths as they attempted to sing traditional songs of praise to God while in captivity.
It ends however, with the Lord finishing its composition with an exclamation of His faithfulness to them and a promise of the destruction of their captors who so treated them.
“(5) If I forget you, O Jerusalem, Let My right hand forget its skill!
(6) If I do not remember you, Let My tongue cling to the roof of My mouth—
If I do not exalt Jerusalem Above my chief joy.
(7) Remember, O LORD, against the sons of Edom The day of Jerusalem, Who said, “Raze it, raze it, To its very foundation!”
(8) O daughter of Babylon, who are to be destroyed, Happy the one who repays you as you have served us!
(9) Happy the one who takes and dashes Your little ones against the rock!”
Psalm 138:1-8,
“(1) A Psalm Of David.
I will praise You with my whole heart; Before the gods I will sing praises to You.
(2) I will worship toward Your holy temple, And praise Your name For Your lovingkindness and Your truth; For You have magnified Your word above all Your name.”
Now I am reading from the NKJV and while I could have side stepped this issue by reading from a more modern translation, I thought I’d let it remain and then explain what was originally meant.
We know that God’s name is synonymous with His very person.
In equal manner we know the same to be true of His word, as it is a representation of His very character and ways.
So how could it be said that God ‘exalted His word above His name’?
Well I’m not certain and truth is, this passage is pretty difficult even in Hebrew and lest there be KJV only people who are listening to this message, you don’t get to dodge the bullet either and this may actually help you if you will let it.
To set before you the Hebrew words translated into English in the same order as they appear in the early texts it would read like this:
“I shall do obeisance towards temple Your holy and I shall make acknowledgment to Your name concerning Your mercy and Your truth; for You magnified above all name Your holy.”
I have provided below an English representation of the Masoretic Text of this verse. The only words which actually exist in the text are those NOT crossed through. Next to each word is the Hebrew word from which the translation was made and the basic meaning of those Hebrew words.
The JPS is a widely used English translation of the Hebrew Bible (Tanakh) by the Jewish Publication Society. It also is a contemporary translation based on the Masoretic text, the traditional Hebrew text and is known for its accuracy, clarity, and use of modern English.
It translates this verse as “because You have exalted Your name, Your word above all.”
Other translations like the Holman and the NET have –
“I will bow down toward Your holy temple and give thanks to Your name for Your constant love and faithfulness. You have exalted Your name and Your promise above everything else.” – Holman
“I will bow down toward your holy temple, and give thanks to your name, because of your loyal love and faithfulness, for you have exalted your promise above the entire sky.” – NET
The justification for this offered by the translation board of the New English Translation is this –
“The MT reads, “for you have made great over all your name your word.”
If retained, this must mean that God’s mighty intervention, in fulfillment of His word of promise, surpassed anything He had done prior to this.
However, the statement is odd and several emendations* have been proposed.
Some read,
“for you have exalted over everything your name and your word,”
while others suggest, “for you have exalted over all the heavens your name and your word.”
The translation assumes an emendation of “Your name” to “Your heavens” (a construction that appears also in Psalm 8:3 and Psalm 144:5).
The point is that God has been faithful to His promise and the reliability of that promise is apparent to all.”
An *emendation is the correcting or improving of a written text. Meaning it is a suggested alteration in order to fix errors, clarify ambiguities or enhance the overall quality of a text.
Now this is dangerous ground to be sure! After all, God’s word is sacred and inspired and should not be tampered with or misrepresented.
That having been said God’s word also does not contradict itself and if in the translating of a biblical text into another language, it creates a difficulty which is not natively there and which contradicts truths otherwise clearly stated, then such clarifications are not only warranted, they are necessary.
I have given you the sence of this once before using the passage in Psalm 25:3,4 as an example. That text says,
“(3) Who may ascend the mountain of the LORD? Who may stand in His holy place? (4) The one who has clean hands and a pure heart, who has not set his mind on what is false, and who has not sworn deceitfully.”
There once was an incident where the Wycliff translators ran intoa cultural difficulty when translating this into the language of a culture that saw ‘clean hands‘ as a sign of laziness.
This concept was so rooted in their culture that to keep the original reading would have caused a total misunderstanding of the text. So “clean hands” was replaced with words which illustrated the real meaning, like – “one who does not involve themself in wicked works”.
So while the words are NOT in any way true to the original, the truth being conveyed maintains its integrity.
Such I do not think can be legitimately argued as an infringement upon the New Testament warning given by our Lord in the book of Revelation since His clear intention was that no one should deliberately mislead or omit the truths revealed in scripture.
In the end, I do not have a preference because I can see a way in which either and both are true.
Not at the time of the composition of this psalm, but later realized in Jesus the Messiah, could it not be said that He – Jesus – the living Word – was in fact exalted over God’s name?
Perhaps, in that Jesus WAS and IS the person of the Word and the name of God only represents His person.
Well that was a long diversion for a simple verse, but I think such examples are helpful for our understanding of the scriptures.
The rest of this Psalm is a wonderful account of David’s trust in the Lord expressed through –
- God’s hearing and answering of prayer.
- God’s power to generate boldness in our hearts where once only timidity resided.
- God’s desire for all kings and kingdoms to join in His praise
- God’s regard for the humble and resistance to the proud
- God’s ever near presence to revive and deliver
- God’s commitment to bring everything to a good conclusion which concerns us
- God’s mercy which will last forever in His never forsaking His creation
Let’s continue on with verse 3…
“(3) In the day when I cried out, You answered me, And made me bold with strength in my soul.
(4) All the kings of the earth shall praise You, O LORD, When they hear the words of Your mouth.
(5) Yes, they shall sing of the ways of the LORD, For great is the glory of the LORD.
(6) Though the LORD is on high, Yet He regards the lowly; But the proud He knows from afar.
(7) Though I walk in the midst of trouble, You will revive me; You will stretch out Your hand Against the wrath of my enemies, And Your right hand will save me.
(8) The LORD will perfect that which concerns me; Your mercy, O LORD, endures forever; Do not forsake the works of Your hands.”
These are exaltant topics all of which deserve their own individual Psalm but are used here to capture the ways David had so far experienced and encountered God in his own life! It is recorded as a psalm for our reflection and consideration. We should certainly use it to seek and look to God for the same, knowing He is no respecter of persons!
Blessings!
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