17. It is Good to Praise Thee, O Lord!

A Meditation of psalm 92

Psalm 92 is introduced as a psalm for the Sabbath day. The Jewish people met every Saturday to worship Yahweh and to meditate their Holy Scriptures. They had a collection of songs to be sung on Sabbath and on other special days.

They believed that this psalm was originally sung by the first human being, Adam, on the seventh day of creation, the Sabbath day. Hence, they believed that this psalm was appropriate to be sung on the Sabbath day.

It is possible that the person who wrote this psalm wrote the first five verses from Adam’s perspective. The psalm begins with an assertion that it is good to thank and praise the Lord. It resonates with what God says after completing the creation of each day. On the sixth day, at the completion of the creation of the world, God saw that it was very good. Now Adam looks at the world and expresses his joy at the works of the hands of the Lord. God was happy at what he did, and Man was also happy to see the amazing creative work of the Lord.

When God looks at the world and says that it is very good, Man responds saying that it is good to thank and praise the Lord. Adam expresses not only his joy, but also his amazement at the works of the Lord. He exclaims: How great are thy works, O Lord! Marveled at the fantastic work of art Adam saw, he makes an attempt to understand the artist. But soon he realizes that ‘the thoughts about God are very deep’. The artist behind this mighty work of art is none other than ‘the most high’.  We can only admire this artist, but do not have the capability to understand Him.

It is good to praise the name of this artist because He is the one who truly deserves our praise. It is good to thank this artist because He was so kind as to make us a part of His mighty art work. Also he was so kind as to give us our five senses and our mind to appreciate this work of art. We are here to declare the loving kindness and the faithfulness of this artist. Let us express our unspeakable joy, our thanks, and our praise, and declare His loving kindness and faithfulness by singing with the aid of all the available music instruments.  

The rest of the psalm is an analysis of the two pathways one can choose in life. One can be either righteous or wicked. The righteous people flourish like a palm tree or like a cedar in Lebanon.  They will yield fruit even in old age, and they will be full of sap and will be very green. On the other hand, the wicked people sprout like grass. They do not last long. The wicked people treat God as their enemy. How senseless and stupid they are! Their life is not based on God. However, the righteous people are in friendship with God. God is the basis of their life! They are wise. 

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