Psalm 150:2 Praise him for his mighty acts: praise him according to his excellent greatness. For "excellent greatness," read "muchness of greatness." Praise is to be offered in recognition both of God's inherent power, and of its manifestation in mighty acts. I. PRAISE IS CALLED FOR BY DIVINE POWER. He who knows God knows him through a series of mighty, wonderful acts, interventions, provisions, deliverances, punishings, all of which produce overwhelming impressions of almighty power. Illustration may be taken from (1) the Divine creations; (2) the Divine maintainings; (3) the Divine redemptions. Divine power is seen in God's ordering and controlling the gigantic forces of nature and the lawless willfulness of man. Modern artistic and poetic feeling, perhaps responding to the revelations of the microscope, can find Divine power in the gentle and the minute; but Hebrew genius dealt almost exclusively with the august, tremendous, and awful in nature; so power in God was the thing most impressed on the Hebrew mind as the inspiration of praise. And still a necessary ground of entire Confidence in God is a conviction of his absolute and unquestionable almightiness everywhere, and in relation to everything. We praise him because we feel sure that our God is mightier than the mightiest. II. PRAISE IS CALLED FOR BY DIVINE CHARACTER BEHIND POWER. "Excellent greatness." An adjective is applied which directs us to moral quality. God must never be thought of as we think of giants. We are altogether absorbed by thinking of their bodily size and strength; it does not matter to us whether they hi, re either mental faculty or moral character. Some think of God as a mere embodiment of august and awful power. He is not known aright, nor can he be praised aright, until the character inspiring the exercise of his power is apprehended. Then we realize that he stands in relation to us, and for his gracious relations we praise him in the highest. - R.T. Parallel Verses KJV: Praise him for his mighty acts: praise him according to his excellent greatness.WEB: Praise him for his mighty acts! Praise him according to his excellent greatness! |
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