Read Psalm 33
1 Sing joyfully to the Lord, you righteous;
it is fitting for the upright to praise him.
2 Praise the Lord with the harp;
make music to him on the ten-stringed lyre.
3 Sing to him a new song;
play skillfully, and shout for joy.
4 For the word of the Lord is right and true;
he is faithful in all he does.
5 The Lord loves righteousness and justice;
the earth is full of his unfailing love.
6 By the word of the Lord the heavens were made,
their starry host by the breath of his mouth.
7 He gathers the waters of the sea into jars;
he puts the deep into storehouses.
8 Let all the earth fear the Lord;
let all the people of the world revere him.
9 For he spoke, and it came to be;
he commanded, and it stood firm.
10 The Lord foils the plans of the nations;
he thwarts the purposes of the peoples.
11 But the plans of the Lord stand firm forever,
the purposes of his heart through all generations.
12 Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord,
the people he chose for his inheritance.
13 From heaven the Lord looks down
and sees all mankind;
14 from his dwelling place he watches
all who live on earth—
15 he who forms the hearts of all,
who considers everything they do.
16 No king is saved by the size of his army;
no warrior escapes by his great strength.
17 A horse is a vain hope for deliverance;
despite all its great strength it cannot save.
18 But the eyes of the Lord are on those who fear him,
on those whose hope is in his unfailing love,
19 to deliver them from death
and keep them alive in famine.
20 We wait in hope for the Lord;
he is our help and our shield.
21 In him our hearts rejoice,
for we trust in his holy name.
22 May your unfailing love be with us, Lord,
even as we put our hope in you.
Go Deeper
After imploring the righteous to participate in their fitting worship and calling to remembrance the God who created the world with His breath, the psalmist centers on God’s counsel. He writes, “Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD, the people whom he has chosen for his heritage.” This verse may elicit a range of initial emotions depending on the reader. We could feel pride in thinking we are the nation whose God is the LORD. We may feel sorrow or a longing to be a part of such a nation. Or our initial reaction could be jealousy or anger. Wherever we find ourselves, God has good news for us.
God chose to reveal His character to the world through His relationship with the nation of Israel, Abraham’s descendants. He chose them not because they were mighty or great in number but because He loved them and because of His oath made to Abraham to bless him and make him a great nation (Deuteronomy 7:7-8, Genesis 12:2-3). He chose them to be the vehicle through which the world would come to know of His steadfast love. Israel is God’s chosen nation, and through the work of Jesus Christ, we have been grafted into the promises and the family (Romans 11:17-21).
Peter writes to a mixed audience in 1 Peter 2:9. He states, “But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.” So, if we have put our faith in Jesus Christ, we are the nation whose God is the LORD, regardless of our physical location or any worldly documentation. In Christ, we are God’s chosen inheritance. Ephesians 1:18 describes those bought by the blood of Jesus as His “glorious inheritance!” As His chosen people, we have a call to represent Him to the world around us. The earth is full of His steadfast love, and we get to share the name of that love, Jesus Christ.
Throughout Scripture, we see that being chosen and giving praise go hand in hand. As soon as we cease praising, we lose sight of our source of joy, strength, wisdom, and hope. We start looking to created things to fill the void in our hearts that only the Creator truly can. Psalm 33:15 reminds us that God fashions the heart of man. He not only knows what we need, but He is what we need. It doesn’t make sense for the people of God to grumble about the fallen condition of the world. What “befits” the people of God are hearts that continue to compose new songs of the wondrous works of the LORD in and around us, even as we hope in Him.
Questions
- If we have been chosen by God, our praise and adoration of Him points others to Him. How much time do you spend drawing attention to the steadfast love of Jesus that abounds before us everyday? Are our words heavy with praise or grumbling?
- How does thinking about the entire body of believers across the world as one nation under God change your way of thinking?
- In the ESV translation, Psalm 33 is titled The steadfast love of the Lord. What are some areas in your life where you can spend time thanking God for His steadfast love?
Keep Digging
Read this quick post about what it means to be chosen by God.
6 thoughts on “Psalms of Praise Psalm 33”
I was struck by the similarities of verse 12 in today’s Psalm along side the verse from 2 Chronicles that JP used a a prayer this past Sunday. May we each be a person whose seek his face and call God Lord.
12 Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord,
the people he chose for his inheritance.
“if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.”
2 Chronicles 7:14 NIV
Praise God!!
His word is upright
His work is faithful
The earth is full of the steadfast Love of God.
Behold, the eye of the LORD is on those who fear him,
on those who hope in his steadfast love.
We have His word, we should be doing His work, and we should fear Him, as in being terrified of being away from God, so that we rest in His steadfast Hesed, Love. We trust Him because we have hope in His return. There is nothing that can seperate us from the love of God, and there is nothing we can do to earn it.
God thank You for instilling holy fear in me stronger. Thank You that my fear helps me to not sin against You. I desire the this fear to enhance my interaction with You God. I want to love what You love, and hate what You hate. God thank You for giving me wisdom, knowledge and understanding for direction in these minutes of this day. God thank You for transforming me in these minutes. May my words and meditations of my heart be pleasing to You in Jesus name amen.
WOOHOO!!!!!!!!!!!
What a timely message for our country right now and especially for believers to rise up and stand on these truths of Psalm 33, “But the plans of the Lord stand firm forever, the purposes of his heart through all generations. Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord the people he chose for his inheritance”(v11-12).
Amen!
11 “But the plans of the Lord stand firm forever, the purposes of his heart through all generations. 12 Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, the people he chose for his inheritance.”
Q: How long do God’s plans last?
A: Forever! Through all generations!
Memory song for this passage:
https://open.spotify.com/track/5StZJI1jqOJg7IGqDxAXZH?si=4PZX626bSBK6pjFeR7b8qg
12 Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, the people he chose for his inheritance.”
Teach us, Lord to trust in Your unfailing love, to find hope in Your promises, and to walk in obedience to Your will. In our anguish, Lord, let our hearts overflow with songs of joy and thanksgiving.
In the name Jesus, who understands our anguish and intercedes on our behalf, Amen
Prayer from Pastor Rich Bitterman