The Call to Worship

The Call to Praise
Today’s Reading 145-150
Psalm 146:1, “Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord, O my soul!”

The last five psalms begin with a simple command. In Hebrew, this command is just one word. While we may not know Hebrew, we are very familiar with this word. It appears in many songs and is the foundation of one of Handel's great anthems in his famous Messiah. The Hebrew word that calls us to sing a hymn of praise to God is “Hallelujah.” The word Hallelujah is made up of two Hebrew parts: “Hallu,” meaning the command to praise, and “Yah,” which is a shortened form of Yahweh, the divine name. The word for praise means to admire, boast, and extol the greatness of someone or something. It expresses sincere and deep thankfulness or satisfaction in glorifying the superior qualities of the one being praise. This word is woven throughout the Psalms as a command and summons to praise God for His character and actions. It is more than a verbal expression of praise we offer in church on Sunday; it should be part of our daily lives.  

In these final songs of the Hebrew psalter, we are called to reflect on the nature and activity of God and to boast publicly about his character and deeds. It is essential to recognize that the call to praise God is not one fulfilled only in the privacy of our prayer closets. Instead, it is a call to proclaim God's greatness to others publicly. We are to speak constantly about God in our conversations and when we gather with God’s people. As we read through the final Psalms, we are reminded of the scope of how we should proclaim the wonder of God. In Psalm 145, the psalmist praises God by singing about His goodness and care for us. It begins with acknowledging his unfathomable greatness (145:3). The psalmist urges us to reflect on and stand in awe of his majesty and loving kindness. But this love is not distant; he stands beside those who seek him, hears our cries, and saves us from trouble (vs 19). This theme of God's divine protection for his people is repeated throughout the last five psalms. God not only gives hope and help to those who seek him, but he is especially attentive to the outcasts of society and those in the greatest need of divine protection. He shows concern for the oppressed, the hungry, prisoners, the blind, strangers, the fatherless, and widows. For those who are overlooked and ignored by the world, God offers his special attention and care when they turn to him for help.

In Psalm 147, we see the greatness of God in the contrast between his infinite transcendence and power and his closeness to us. The God who counts the number of the stars and gives names to all of them— a number unimaginable to us— knows each star by the name he has assigned to it. Yet, this transcendent God, who is infinite in his knowledge of the universe, also gives us his special attention when we are brokenhearted and cast down. The one who governs all of creation cares for each of those who surrender to him.

When we reflect on all the psalms and God's inexhaustible character—his unrelenting love for his people and his judgment upon the wicked—it is no wonder that the last three psalms provide a call to praise God. The songs we sing in church are not for us to be enthralled by or entertained with; they are to exalt the transcendent nature of God and his greatness (Psalm 150). This is a reminder to us that when we come to worship, is the focus upon ourselves and our enjoyment of the songs? Are we concerned about how much we like them or if they match our preferred style? Or are we focused on proclaiming the deeds and character of God and giving him praise? Worship does not begin with the music; it starts with our hearts. It begins when we humbly stand before Him and then proclaim His greatness to everyone present. Worship is more than what we do on Sunday; worship is to be as natural and necessary as breathing air each day.  How much do we talk about God?