Psalm 146 Part 3

From v8 the psalmist continues a marvellous description of Yahweh as a God of power, care, justice, and compassion. The psalmist seems delighted to describe Yahweh in His great works of love and power. While these classes of afflicted persons are meant to be regarded literally, they can also have a wider meaning and be intended to hint at spiritual bondage, blindness, and misery. We can instantly connect this list with the work of Jesus the Messiah. He opened ‘the eyes of the blind’ (Matt.9:27-29). He raised ‘those who are bowed down’ (Luke.13:11-13). Jesus loved ‘the righteous’ (Matt.13:43, 25:46), and ‘watched over the strangers’ (Matt.8:5-10). Jesus blessed ‘the fatherless and widow’ (Luke.7:12-15). Jesus turned ‘the way of the wicked…upside down’ (Matt.21:12). The logical conclusion to all this is that we have yet another passage that declares that Jesus is Yahweh, the LORD. Like Father, like Son!

For us, these lines may bring to mind the oracle of Isa.61, by which Jesus announced his mission when He stood up in His hometown synagogue and read from the scroll of Isaiah. These also became further clues to his identity which he sent back to John the Baptist (Luke.4:18ff;7:21ff). In contemplation of the list, we should ask, is not this the work of the church, the body of Christ, today?

V10 declares that we should praise the God who reigns forever. If the hallelujahs have languished on our tongue and our devotion has died, it is because we have lost a clear vision of God and an acute consciousness of what He is. To know Him is to praise Him without ceasing. 
The LORD will always be king! Again, for Christians, this means something else than it does for the psalmist. Jesus is the Lord who will always be king. Jesus will, one day, come back to the earth as King of Kings and Lord of lords. (Rev.17:14.) Then everybody will see that this psalm is true. 
The psalm ends as it began – with a declaration of praise to Yahweh, the proclamation Hallelujah! While the psalm has ended the praise should not, for it shall ascend forever and ever, amen!