Psalm 146 Part 1 

This psalm begins a series of five final Hallelujah songs. In the earlier psalms, we have studied the various writers’ griefs, shames, sins, doubts, and fears. We have witnessed the people of God in their defeats and victories, their ups and downs in life. We have encountered rebellious words and struggling faith. All this is behind us now. In these final psalms, every word is praise. It is easy to praise the Lord when our needs are met and life is good, but do we praise God when we don’t see immediate answers to our prayers?

The psalmist meant this Hallelujah as both a declaration of his own praise to God and as an exhortation to praise. Hallelujah is a compound word made up of two Hebrew words: Hallel (an imperative verb meaning ‘praise’) and Jah (a contraction of Yahweh). So, hallelujah means ‘Praise Yahweh’. This the writer determined to do with all his soul, ‘while I have my being’ which is in parallel structure with ‘all my soul.’ This is very expressive and is declaring his determination to praise God with his entire eternal existence. The chief end of our living and being is to glorify and enjoy God forever!

vs 3&4 tells us that Yahweh is to be praised, but man is to be questioned. Even the highest among men – princes – are not worthy of our confidence. We are sure to be disappointed when we put our trust in whom there is no help. The modern equivalent of ‘princes’ would be people of influence and wealth. In the end, they are all mortal and have inherited the same feebleness and fleetingness and there is ‘no salvation’ to be found in them. 

The greatest of men are but men, they are mortal and ‘perish’. These are reasons to set our confidence in God and not in man. The word ‘spirit’ means breath, as when God breathed into Adam’s nostrils the ‘spirit/breath of life in the beginning. When it is removed ‘their thoughts perish.’V4 – Because ‘the dead know nothing.” (Eccl.9:5).For the want of a little air, the proud are brought down to the ground. Lookup not around!