Sunday School Lesson for October 31, 2021 - Praise for God for His Greatness: Printed Text: Psalm 149:1-5, Psalm 150 NKJV; Background Scripture: Psalm 149-150 NKJV; Devotional Reading: Psalm 150 NKJV

 

Key Verse:

 Psalm 150:6a NKJV

6 

Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.

. God gave us breath. Let us give it back to Him in praise!

Where to begin?

` The lesson standard informs us that Psalm 146 through Psalm 150 were written by the Hebrews who returned from the Babylonian exile in 536 BC. The building of the second Temple in Jerusalem started 18 536 BC and was completed in 516 BC. In the twenty-year interim, synagogue worship served as the construct around which Jewish worship centered. It is believed that synagogue worship began while the Jews were in captivity in Babylon. Whether it morphed from a Babylonian construct or was an entirely Jewish concept resulting from Babylonian captivity, synagogues provided the Jews a local outlet for assembly, prayer, and worship for individual communities. 

Synagogue worship is mentioned prominently in the Gospels, so we know that they had a place, alongside Temple worship, in Israel during Jesus’ day. Additionally, synagogue worship serves as a precursor to the way that the modern-day church assembles today. Synagogue worship also remains a staple of Jewish worship today in Israel.

It appears that the style of worship that developed after the Jews returned from exile focused on a congregational style of worship with a focus toward the goodness of God and His great power and majesty, in that He had, once again shown great mercy and love towards His people; Israel and that He had demonstrated His great power by returning them to the place that they called home: Jerusalem.

No individual author is attributed to Psalm 145 through Psalm 150. Rather, it is believed that these psalms were written by worship leaders throughout the individual communities after the return. They would have become popular in the twenty years prior to the completion and dedication of the second temple. Because of their celebratory nature, they would have been easily integrated into the celebrations at the temple in Jerusalem once it became operational.

The Lesson

Psalm 149:1a  NKJV

1a 

Praise the Lord!

The call to worship. The worship leader of any local synagogue would have issued a similar command, “On your feet! Give it up! Praise the Lord everybody! Praise the Lord!” Whether the call is to a few or to a multitude, The call to praise God is fitting for any situation, for any time of day, for any audience. For the believer, the call to praise is a call of encouragement. For the individual, it is a proclamation of praise to God, directed to God in worship. Every one of us should proclaim the Lord’s goodness, His greatness, His grace, His mercy. We have so much to be thankful for. Praise the Lord!

Psalm 149:1b NKJV

1b 

 

Sing to the Lord a new song,

And His praise in the assembly of saints.

Verse one continues with a command by the worship leader: “Sing a new song!” Why? Because a new song tells ‘their story’; the story of the Jews return from captivity in Babylon to their home in Israel. It was not the Exodus of Moses’ day, it was theirs, it was now, it was fresh. God was with them!

Beloved, the same is available to us today. God’s mercies toward us are new every morning. Each of us has a song to sing! Every test we have endured has resulted in a testimony that we can share in the congregation; a new song to be sung in the assembly of believers. Go ahead. Tell the story! He is worthy!

 

Psalm 149:2 NKJV

 

2 

 

Let Israel rejoice in their Maker;

Let the children of Zion be joyful in their King.

 

The exhortation here is for Israel to rejoice in their creator and maker: God! The worship leader doubles down on the exhortation in a slightly different way, exhorting the ‘children of Zion’ to be joyful in their King. So as to provide a bit of background, no king of Israel returned from captivity. Zerubbabel led the first group of Jews from exile and served as the first governor of the Jews in the region. Israel would not have another king of Israeli descent until Jesus. 

 

I can hear you thinking, “But what about Herod?”

 

Glad you asked. Herod was not a descendant of Jacob (Israel) rather, he was a descendant of Esau and as such, he was an interloper, an intruder who sought to usurp, for himself,  the throne promised to the heir of David, the coming King: Jesus Christ.

Why point this out here? Because, as we transition to the next part of the lesson, I’d like to make a distinction between a ‘maker’ and a ‘king’. There have been many earthly kings, but all of them were ‘made’. Their authority was ‘imputed by their particular governmental or societal circumstance. And all their authority is imputed by God. 

 

Acts 17:26 NKJV

 

26 And He has made from one [j]blood every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, and has determined their preappointed times and the boundaries of their dwellings, 

 

Only Jesus was ‘born’ King. Only Christ is worthy of our worship. It was he to whom the psalter (psalmist) referred when he exhorted the children of Zion to find joy in their King, to be ‘joyful’ or rather, ‘joy full’ in their King. We too, as believers are invited into a place of joyfulness in the Presence of the Lord, our King: Jesus Christ.

 

Psalm 149:3 NKJV

 

3 

 

Let them praise His name with the dance;

Let them sing praises to Him with the timbrel and harp.

 

Then the praise and worship leader instructs, “Come with dancing, with timbrels and harps (probably the kinnor of last week’s lesson). Notice that in referencing the instruments to be played, the inference is many instruments. That’s right, everybody participates. Everybody dances. Anybody can play the tambourine. Everybody grab one. Let’s work! Praise Him! Praise the Lord!

 

 

Psalms 149:4 NKJV

 

4 

 

For the Lord takes pleasure in His people;

He will beautify the humble with salvation.

 

For the Lord so takes pleasure in the presence of His children. He does. And here is where the praise of God by His children begins to bring about the ascension of His children into the Holiest of Holy spaces: the space immediately before His throne. Yes, as we humble ourselves before Him in praise, He invades the assembly by the power of the Holy Ghost. He embraces us in His love as we succumb to His great grace, humbly bowing ourselves in worship. Praise, then, has lifted us into worship; the place where we abandon ourselves in complete obeisance and reverence to the Majesty and Glory of the Lord on High. In the congregation, we’ve moved from glory… to…  glory! Hallelujah!

 

Psalm 149:5 NKJV

 

5 

 

Let the saints be joyful in glory;

Let them sing aloud on their beds.

 

And it is in this glorious place that we find Rest, whether we are in the temple, the assembly, or even in our homes, in our beds. His presence: THE PRESENCE is within our reach if we will but let go and let God! Praise is the mechanism God has provided us for entry into His glorious Presence. That the psalter suggests that God’s presence can be attained, even in our bedroom encourages us that praise must be a vital part of our devotional time and our prayer time. Amen!

 

 

Psalm 150:1 NKJV

 

1a 

 

Praise the Lord!

 

But we’re in a different place now. Praise Him in this place too. This is what true worship has wrought…

 

Psalm 150:1b  NKJV

 

1b 

 

Praise God in His sanctuary;

Praise Him in His mighty firmament!

 

We transitioned. There is a point in worship where the worshipper slips away from the ‘surly bonds of earth’ and mounts up on wings of eagles to enter, by way of the Most Holy place to the Most High place. From earth to the sky! Lord we lift your name on High! Praise Him in His Sanctuary! Praise Him in His mighty firmament! A place so Holy that the Glory of the Lord fills the temple.

 

Psalm 150:2 NKJV

 

2 

 

Praise Him for His mighty acts;

Praise Him according to His excellent greatness!

 

In His presence, we now have a more revealing view of the vastness of His creation. From earth, our scope is limited by the very atmosphere that protects us, that guards our life. But from this spiritual vantage point, we are overwhelmed by all that we now clearly perceive. How majestic is thy Name, O Lord! How beautiful is your dwelling!

 

Psalm 150:3--5 NKJV

 

3 

 

Praise Him with the sound of the [c]trumpet;

Praise Him with the lute and harp!

4 

 

Praise Him with the timbrel and dance;

Praise Him with stringed instruments and flutes!

5 

 

Praise Him with loud cymbals;

Praise Him with clashing cymbals!

 

And now the entire hosts of Heaven join the moment. Worship, in its purest form, has an involuntary component. At some point, tears well up, hands are raised, lost in the moment, we are suddenly alone before Him. In these moments, He looks upon you, just you, and He loves you. Just you. In this moment of intimacy (into-me-see), we are fully transparent before Him, aware of our insufficiencies, and even more aware of His great grace. Oh! How He loves us! 

 

Psalm 150:6a NKJV

 

6a 

 

Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.

 

And now the thought comes to mind: “When God breathed into Adam, the very breath that Adam exhaled returned to God in praise!” Adam literally went from lifelessness to life by the Breath of God. How Holy then, is that breath? Beloved, with every breath, we too, can thank God for that very breath…with that very breath. A life of breathed gratitude and thankfulness and worship will yield a life rewarded the Blessing of His abiding Presence.

 

Psalm 150:6b NKJV

 

6b

 

Praise the Lord!

 

Psalm 150  (and the entire  Book of Psalms) ends with an exhortation to return to the beginning. To remain. To continually maintain... a life of praise. Praise ye the Lord!

 

 

Selah,

 

wb

 

 

ps. In writing this lesson, I was reminded of a performance that I witnessed of the late Whitney Houston performing the hymn, “I go to the Rock”. I won’t take time to describe it here, except to say that, during this performance, Whitney entered into a place with God where it was only her and God. In that moment, she was entirely ‘caught up’ and we were all witnesses. Many may not have understood the depth of the moment, at best, I can only guess, comparing it to moments, when I have been arrested, entirely, by God. What I witnessed was very personal, in a very public way. Also, I’ve looked for a copy of that video, but the owners of the video, NBC, apparently have archived it, not knowing exactly how to explain it.

 

I have witnessed a similar example of a  very public display of a very private moment with God that included Steve Harvey, the entertainer. He seems to have been MC’ing a Gospelfest in Atlanta. At some point during the festivities, Steve gave the audience his ‘take’ on how he would ‘introduce’ Jesus to a live audience. He goes through a long, sometimes funny, heartfelt introduction that closes with resonance the reverberates through the crowd. During, then immediately following the close, you see Steve enter a place of worship, the place where God has shown up and made His presence known to Steve in such a way that Steve could do nothing but surrender into the outstretched arms of His loving Father. 

 

Such are the moments I’ve sought to describe in the lesson above. Below is the link to Mr. Harvey’s moment described above. Blessings!

 

https://youtu.be/ix3MHV_RfeM

 

(I do not own the rights to the link above, nor the poem below:

 

High Flight

by John Gillespie Magee

 

Oh! I have slipped the surly bonds of Earth

And danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings;

Sunward I’ve climbed and joined the tumbling mirth

Of sun-split clouds, – and done a hundred things

You have not dreamed of – wheeled and soared and swung

High in the sunlit silence. Hov’ring there,

I’ve chased the shouting wind along and flung

My eager craft through footless halls of air…

 

Up, up the long, delirious burning blue

I’ve topped the wind-swept heights with easy grace

Where never lark, or ever eagle flew –

And, while with silent, lifting mind I’ve trod

The high untrespassed sanctity of space,

Put out my hand, and touched the face of God.

Sunday School Lesson for October 24, 2021 - Praise for God for His Presence: Printed Text: Psalm 84 NKJV; Background Scripture: Psalm 84 NKJV; Devotional Reading: Psalm 84 NKJV

 

Key Verse:

 Psalm 84:4 NKJV

4 

Blessed are those who dwell in Your house;

They will still be praising You. Selah.

. Our every desire, Lord, is to abide in your Presence. 

Where to begin?

...at the beginning. The superscription for Psalm 84 may offer clues in how it is to be approached. Let’s take a look.

To the Chief Musician. On an instrument of Gath. A Psalm of the sons of Korah.

The superscription of this Psalm tells us a couple of things. First, it is an instruction to the worship leader of the day. Which day? Everyday. The publisher of the Psalm instructs that every time this Psalm is rendered, that it be accompanied by a musical instrument from the region of Gath. Gath was a city of the Philistines, southwest of the region of Judah, the tribe of David. The bible does not specify what instrument, but scholars believe it to be an instrument known as a Kinnor (Hebrew). This instrument is similar to a lyre; a handheld stringed instrument similar in tone to a standing harp. The Kinnor is reputed to have been a favorite instrument of David, who, being from Judea, which was in close proximity to Gath, had become familiar with the instrument in his youth. In that David was regarded a prophet, the Kinnor was believed to be instrumental in providing a prophetic unction or environment within the congregation. In essence, it was a critical instrument for setting the tone for worship. So then, it seems that the publisher of Psalm 84 intended that the Kinnor be used to accompany the singing of Psalm 84.

Also, the publisher establishes that the original authors, and possibly performers of this song were the ‘Sons of Korah’, a prominent clan from the tribe of Levi, the tribe of Israel set apart to God for service to God. The tribe of Levi did not receive land as an inheritance when Israel divide the promised land. Rather, God informed them that He (God) was their inheritance. Imagine. No need for money, wealth, or fame. God was their portion. That being said, the clan of Korah’s specific responsibility before God and the nation of Israel was the function of musical worship. They were assigned to the ministry of music. 

One more thing. In light of the fact that the ‘Sons of Korah’ (plural) were the original performers of this Psalm, it is probable that the Psalm was intended to be sung in separate ‘voices’, each bringing a different perspective or aspect to the observance of worship. For the sake of illustration, I will use the names Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John to give ‘person’ to each ‘voice’. I’m dating myself here, but please indulge me. I am reminded of the groups like ‘The Temptations’, or ‘Earth, Wind, and Fire’, or if you want a gospel comparison (and there are many), then ‘The Winans, or ‘Take 6’ come to mind. These groups blended harmonies and melodies and instrumentation so seamlessly that you were left in awe in hearing them, especially in live performances. Such were the ‘Sons of Korah’.

And so, without further ado, and with no more gilding of the lily, “Ladies and Gentlemen, let me introduce to you…., the Son’s of Korah!"

The Lesson

Psalm 84:1-2  NKJV (Matthew)

1

How lovely is Your tabernacle,

O Lord of hosts!

2 

My soul longs, yes, even faints

For the courts of the Lord;

My heart and my flesh cry out for the living God.

The first voice (Matthew) in this harmony has been here before. All of Israel was commanded by the Law of Moses to assemble in Jerusalem three times a year. The three pilgrimages were known collectively as Shalosh Regalim (The Three Pilgrimages). Separately, they are Pesach (the Passover), Shavuot (the Feast of Pentecost), and Sukkot (The Feast of Tabernacles). The Psalm suggests that it is written in reference to the tri-annual pilgrimage. For Matthew, three visits a year is not nearly enough. He longs for the courts of the Lord with all of His being. When he is home, he is not. His heart abides with the Lord.

Psalm 84:3 NKJV (Luke)

3 

Even the sparrow has found a home,

And the swallow a nest for herself,

Where she may lay her young—

Even Your altars, O Lord of hosts,

My King and my God.

Luke, the second vocalist builds on Matthew’s sentiment by pointing out that the sparrows of the air make their nests in the upper reaches of the tents that house the altar of the Lord and the sacred Ark of the Covenant. You can sense a hint of envy as the singer makes such a simple observation. As though he wished to, himself be able to ‘nest’ in the Presence of the Almighty. There were a plethora of requirements that had to be observed by those who served in the Tabernacles, yet the sparrows had no such cares. They simply dwell under the watchful eye of a loving God.

Psalm 84:4 NKJV (John)

4 

Blessed are those who dwell in Your house;

They will still be praising You. Selah

You can hear the third vocalist, Johnn counter with his own observation: those who do dwell in the tabernacles of the Lord; the ministers, the administrators, the deacons, even the janitors are blessed, blessed I tell you! Why? Because they are able to spend so much time in the Lord’s Presence. Better than riches, time spent in the Presence of the Lord is priceless. 

Selah - denotes a musical interlude, possible with the music reaching a crescendo. At this point, the three vocalists join the instrumentation, bringing their voices together in harmony as the fourth vocalist takes the lead...

Psalm 84:5 NKJV (Mark)

5 

Blessed is the man whose strength is in You,

Whose heart is set on pilgrimage.

6 

As they pass through the Valley of [c]Baca,

They make it a spring;

The rain also covers it with [d]pools.

Mark has made the pilgrimage from a place beyond the Valley of Baca, south of Jerusalem and he details his journey as he takes the lead. The Valley of Baca has three different names according to which translation of scripture you refer to. Each is significant. David’s greatest victory against the Philistines was there. At that time it was called the Valley of Rephaim, a reference to the giants that dwelt in that region from before the time of Abraham until the time of David, over five hundred years. Imagine for a moment, the dread that accompanied one who would have to travel through that place in order to come into ancient Israel. 

That’s why the next name for this place was also apropos. It was called by many, the Valley of Weeping. How many had lost their lives to the beasts; the giants who dwelt there. How many had lost loved ones to the evil that lurked therein. No wonder it had been called a place of weeping.

Finally, the Philistines and the Raphaim were permanently vanquished by the armies of Israel under the leadership of King David. It was there that the Lord told David not to attack the Philistines until he heard the sound of marching over the tops of the Baca trees. That would indicate that the Lord, Himself had gone before David to defeat the Philistines. They were never a threat after that time. (2 Samuel 5:24)

Because the Rephaim were now a distant memory, the place where they formerly dwelt was transformed by God into a place of beauty and tranquility. It became known as the Valley of Baca, a place where God caused springs to come forth and healing to be made available to the nation of Israel through the Baca trees that grew there. It is from the Baca tree that frankincense is harvested. Frankincense was a very valuable commodity used for making healing balm and incense.

Mark’s vocals reflect on the wonder-working power of the God that we serve. Yes, God cares for His people. He delivers, He heals, He provides. He gives us victory over all our enemies… 

Psalm 84:6-7 NKJV (Mark and the Chorus)

6 

As they pass through the Valley of Baca,

They make it a spring;

The rain also covers it with pools.

7 

They go from strength to strength;

Each one appears before God in Zion.

I reprint verse 6 because, in this illustration, Matthew, Luke, and John are bringing up the refrain, while Mark leads the song. In verse 7, all four singers join together, each pointing at the other as they revel in the thought that they journey from strength to strength, from place to place, in God, we are carried from glory to glory, 

Let me put it another way. As Mark recalls his journey through the Valley of Baca, a place made pleasant, yes holy by God, he reminds his audience that the destination; the Tabernacle is much more glorious because there is where God’s Presence dwells. Each vocalist affirms Mark’s refrain separately, then in unison. The same is true of us who are looking forward to appearing before and celebrating at His glorious throne of mercy. Amen.

Psalm 84:8 NKJV (Matthew and the Chorus)

8 

O Lord God of hosts, hear my prayer;

Give ear, O God of Jacob! Selah (the Chorus echoes Matthew’s thought)

Matthew takes the lead here: “Lord of hosts, hear my prayer!”, the others echo his plea; “Give ear, O God of Jacob”, building on the thought that collectively they are drawing on their position as heirs of Jacob to request an audience of the King of Heaven, with the expectation that He will hear them. Wait! What? The Sons of Korah intimate that God will hear them because of whose they are, not only acknowledging them as heirs but embracing them as children.

Selah - Another musical refrain (bridge) into the next phrase.

Psalm 84:9 NKJV (Matthew and Luke in unison)

9 

O God, behold our shield,

And look upon the face of Your anointed.

Luke joins Matthew as they share their desire for God’s rapt attention toward and prophetic revelation of Christ, God’s own anointed Son, and our eternal Shield and Buckler. God does not hold us accountable for our sins. He forgives us because Jesus paid the price. He was a ransom for many.

Psalm 84:10 NKJV (John)

10 

For a day in Your courts is better than a thousand.

I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God

than dwell in the tents of wickedness.

John takes over as this psalm comes to a close. It was John who observed the blessing that attends those who serve in the Lord’s tabernacle. He reiterates the point with his well-known and celebrated declaration that “...a day in Your courts is better than a thousand. I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of wickedness.” This simple, yet powerful statement has been used by ministers and laypersons from the time it was spoken unto this very day. Should the Lord tarry, it will be repeated as many more times.

Psalm 84:10 NKJV (Chorus)

11 

For the Lord God is a sun and shield;

The Lord will give grace and glory;

No good thing will He withhold

From those who walk uprightly.

12 

O Lord of hosts,

Blessed is the man who trusts in You!

 

In harmony, their voices combine in prophetic utterance with visions of the New Covenant:

The Lord is a sun and a shield (Jesus is the very expression of God to mankind).

The Lord will give grace and glory (The New Covenant will provide salvation by 

grace through faith).

No good thing will He withhold from those who walk uprightly (Blessed are the 

pure in heart, for they shall see God).

Blessed is the man who trusts in you! (The just shall live by faith).

Selah - (As the music builds and then slowly ebbs, with the Kinnor gently bringing the entire movement to a close and all of the congregation gently weeps with tears of gratitude and thankfulness in the Presence of the Lord)

wb

ps... I intentionally selected each of the Gospel authors for specific verses within Psalm Eighty Four. Feel free to offer feedback any thought on my reasoning based on your own observations. Blessings!