Psalm 113 Part 1  

The book contains three collections titled Hallel, with Ps113-118 known as the Egyptian Hallel, mainly because of their connection with Passover celebrations. The psalms of the Egyptian Hallel were sung as part of the Passover ceremony, with 113-114 sung before the meal and 115-118 after the meal. Imagine Jesus singing these psalms with His disciples on that dark night in which He was betrayed. Read them with significance in relation to Jesus’ last hours! 

We, as God’s ‘servants,’ have a special reason to praise Him. We share in His great work and we are promised eternal reward for doing so. This means honouring and exalting Yahweh Himself and His character, which are represented by His name. Through ‘His name’ He has revealed himself in creation, at the Exodus, on Sinai, and in the person of His Son. We are the committed, giving loving homage to the revealed.  
V1 calls us to praise, v2 adds ‘forevermore.’ Time only reveals more reasons to praise Him! Using the Hebrew pattern of repetition, the psalmist then emphasizes that God’s is worthy of continual praise; ‘From the rising of the sun to its going down, (v3).  

The covenant God of little Israel is greater than everything in creation! V4 tells us that Yahweh is not only greater than all the nations, but His glory extends above the heavens and is incomparable with anything on heaven or earth’(v6). A loftiness that can never be measured; unless His condescension is taken into account and wondered at! If the condescension of God towards Israel is something to behold, what an amazing condescension was it for the Son of God to come from Heaven to earth and, for our salvation, take our nature upon himself. “He humbled Himself” (Phil2:5-8)  

When God in heaven beholds the things on earth (v6), He sees the poor down in the ‘dust’ and the ‘needy in the ash heap’ – and He raises them up (V7.) When Jesus sang these words on the night of His betrayal and arrest, it must have occurred to Him that He was the one who would be lifted from the dust of the grave to the highest place.