DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:

Why is right doctrine so important to the Christian faith?
What does this song teach us about God’s attributes and character? How should this shape our praise?
How does God’s sovereignty impact our day to day living? How should it shape our praise?
How does this Psalm point ahead to Jesus?

Psalm 33 calls God’s people to worship God through song. It’s a call to get the band back together. It’s a call to start writing and composing a new song that God’s people will sing with loud and joyful hearts. It begins with David saying,

“[1] Shout for joy in the LORD, O you righteous!

Praise befits the upright.

[2] Give thanks to the LORD with the lyre;

make melody to him with the harp of ten strings!

[3] Sing to him a new song;

play skillfully on the strings, with loud shouts.”

DOCTRINE SHAPES PRAISE

“It’s time to sing loud,” David is saying. Pick up your harp. Pick up your lyre. It’s time to get the band back together. It’s time to sing a new song to the LORD.

Following this call of preparation, David begins to list many reasons why God’s people should praise God. And each reason David provides is doctrinal. So, what we will start to see in this psalm is the truth that doctrine shapes praise.

There’s a lie creeping into the church that teaches that we can have an emotion-filled relationship with God without concrete truths about God. But that’s the equivalent of me saying, “I want six-pack abs without changing my diet.” It simply can’t happen. Our joy and praise is shaped by what we know about God. When handled rightly, doctrine should lead to happy hearts and loud singing.

SING A NEW SONG

Before we discuss the doctrinal reasons why we should praise God, let me highlight one quick thing. At the start of verse 3, David says, “Sing to him a new song.”

We are a predominantly young church, and with youth comes a willingness to embrace newness. But, with age comes, at times, less of a desire to embrace change. There will come a day for us at Harbor when we face something new and won't want to change. But I want these six words to always ring in our hearts—“Sing to him a new song.” It’s possible to sing a new song filled with old doctrine. It’s possible to embrace new methods while holding onto old truths. New is not always bad. So, as we disciple the next generation, it’s good to encourage the youth to sing new songs rooted in timeless truths about God.

What are some of these timeless truths about God? What are some of the reasons we should praise God? Well, I’ve narrowed these 18 verses into five reasons God is worthy of our praise.

God deserves our praise because he is good.
God deserves our praise because he is the creator.
God deserves our praise because he is sovereign.
God deserves our praise because he is eternal.
God deserves our praise because he saves.

GOD DESERVES OUR PRAISE BECAUSE HE IS GOOD.

When considering God, we ask, “What is God like? Or Who is God, and what is his character?”

Well, verses 4-5 answer this question by highlighting five attributes of God: God is upright, faithful, righteous, just, and loving. These five attributes could be summarized as the truth that God is good. Therefore, God is worthy of praise because he is good.

Look at what David says in verses 4-5,

“[4] For the word of the LORD is upright,

and all his work is done in faithfulness.

[5] He loves righteousness and justice;

the earth is full of the steadfast love of the LORD.”

It’s one thing to know that there is a God; it’s another thing to know this God. Many people believe a creator exists, but not everyone knows this creator. Well, David shines a light deep into the character of God, showing us who God is and what he is like.

Verse 4 begins with the declaration that the word of the LORD is upright, meaning his words are true, right, straight, and correct. You can trust his words to be true. There’s no two-facing with God. If he says something, you can believe it. God’s word is upright. Not only is his word upright, but his work is faithful— “all his work is done in faithfulness.” Like the word “upright,” the word “faithful” implies God is trustful and stable. His actions are steady-handed in trustfulness. His words and his actions will always align. What he says, he will do. What he does is what he says.

His words and works are upright and true because “he loves righteousness and justice.” The word for love here is predominantly used in a relational way to describe the intimate love between a husband and a wife or a parent for a child. So, in the same way that Abraham loved Isaac, God loves righteousness and justice. In the same way Jacob went to extreme measures to be with Rachel, God has gone to extreme lengths to be with righteousness and justice. He will always keep them close because they’re something he delights in.

Righteousness, like uprightness and faithfulness, is the act of living rightly. It’s the state of doing what is right; it’s being seen without sin. There has never been a moment when God has not done what is right. And God doesn’t do what is right begrudgingly; he does it joyfully because he loves righteousness. As we survey the works of God’s hands, we can trust that everything he does is right.

Justice is treating all people fairly, in blessings and curses. There has never been a moment in time when God has acted unjustly. There’s not an ounce of injustice in God because he loves justice. So, as we survey a world full of injustice, we know that there is coming a day when the God who loves righteousness and justice will bang the gavel and exercise judgment upon the wicked who have not embraced Jesus as Lord.

David then says, "The earth is full of the steadfast love of the LORD.” The Hebrew word for steadfast love is “hesed,” which means loyal love. This is an all-in type of love. “It’s not merely love, but a loyal love; not merely kindness but dependable kindness; Not merely affection, but affection that has committed itself.”

We’ve often talked about God's omnipresent nature, and there is not a square inch of this earth where God is not. If the omnipresent God of the universe is full of loyal love, then we can rightly conclude with the psalmist that the “earth is full of the steadfast love of the LORD.” His faithful love is inescapable.

God is worthy of praise because of his character. His uprightness, faithfulness, righteousness, justice, and love are all good and deserving of praise. Each of these attributes is carefully intertwined; they’re never at odds with one another. His love never clashes with his justice, and his righteousness never clashes with his faithfulness. In the words of Millard Erickson, “God is a unified, integrated being whose personality is harmonious… There should be, then, no tension among any of these attributes… [So] love and justice are not two separate attributes competing with one another… Justice is loving justice and love is love that is just.”

GOD IS WORTHY OF PRAISE BECAUSE HE IS THE CREATOR.

So, God is worthy of praise because he is good. But he’s also worthy of praise because he is the creator. This good God is powerful.

Look at what is said next about God,

“[6] By the word of the LORD the heavens were made,

and by the breath of his mouth all their host.

[7] He gathers the waters of the sea as a heap;

he puts the deeps in storehouses.

[8] Let all the earth fear the LORD;

let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him!

[9] For he spoke, and it came to be;

he commanded, and it stood firm.”

One of the many amazing things about God is that He didn’t form the heavens with a chisel and saw. The divine architect created with words. He spoke, and it came to be. By the word of the LORD, the heavens were made. He said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.

The language in these verses is intentionally used to make us look small compared to God. For example, the language used in verse 7 to describe the waters is powerful. Water is a powerful force that man cannot tame. When the sea gets angry, there’s no stopping it. Yet, God reigns over it.

“Gathering the waters of the sea as a heap” is the same language used in the Exodus narrative. In Exodus, we see that when God’s people were led out of Egypt, the Egyptians pursued after them. When they came to the Red Sea, God parted the sea. It says, “At the blast of his nostrils, the waters piled up; the floods stood up in a heap; the deeps congealed in the heart of the sea.” Something so powerful and great was gathered and stored like grains of wheat by almighty God. He has created a storehouse for the water to sit. Like a trained dog, the seas obey. When God says, “roar,” they roar. When God says, “sit,” they sit. When God says, “Don’t go any further,” they don’t go any further.

Therefore, we stand in fear and awe of Him— “Let all the earth fear the LORD; let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him! For he spoke, and it came to be; he commanded, and it stood firm.” Fear and praise are not mutually exclusive. They go hand in hand. The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and I would argue it’s the catalyst of praise. No matter how long we walk with God, we should always stand in awe of him. Our praise should always be filled with awe, fear, and wonder.

GOD IS WORTHY OF PRAISE BECAUSE HE IS SOVEREIGN

We praise God because he is good, we praise God because he is the creator, and we praise God because he is sovereign.

Look at what David says next,

“[10] The LORD brings the counsel of the nations to nothing;

he frustrates the plans of the peoples.

[11] The counsel of the LORD stands forever,

the plans of his heart to all generations.

[12] Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD,

the people whom he has chosen as his heritage!”

We just established that God is the creator. If God is the creator, then it only makes logical sense that he is sovereign over his creation. Nothing happens outside of God’s control; he is the supreme ruler over his creation. He is the boss. He sits above all earthly authorities. In Psalm 2, we learn that as the nations plot in vain, God sits and laughs. He brings “the counsel of the nations to nothing,” and “his counsel stands forever.” He “frustrates the plans of the peoples, and his plans will extend throughout all generations.” God’s counsel, his will, and his plans will stand forever.

Now, if God is good—if he is upright, righteous, just, and loving—then he must undoubtedly be sovereignly working all things together for good. We see this demonstrated perfectly on the cross. The greatest evil ever to touch this earth was the instrument God chose to use for our redemption. As Paul puts it in Ephesians 1, “Before the foundation of the world, God chose us in Christ Jesus. In love, he predestined us for adoption.” This means that man’s plans against the LORD were God’s plan for man. What man meant for evil, God meant for God. The cross was not a moment of weakness; it was a moment of power. It was not a moment of despair; it was a moment of hope. The cross did not catch God by surprise; it was a part of God’s loving and predetermined plan of redemption. Man’s intention with the cross was shameful, but God’s intention was beautiful. God’s sovereignty and providence should not be a doctrine we turn our noses up to, nor should we be embarrassed over. It should be a truth that leads to praise! Although we may encounter hardships, God is sovereignly working all things together for our good. But God doesn’t simply turn things for our good; he wills it for our good. As pushups are intended to make us stronger, trials are intended to make us more like Jesus.

GOD IS WORTHY OF PRAISE BECAUSE HE SAVES.

God is worthy of praise because he is good, he is worthy of praise because he is creator, he is worthy of praise because he is sovereign, and he is worthy of praise because he has a plan to save.

Look at verses 13-22,

“[13] The LORD looks down from heaven;

he sees all the children of man;

[14] from where he sits enthroned he looks out

on all the inhabitants of the earth,

[15] he who fashions the hearts of them all

and observes all their deeds.

[16] The king is not saved by his great army;

a warrior is not delivered by his great strength.

[17] The war horse is a false hope for salvation,

and by its great might it cannot rescue.

[18] Behold, the eye of the LORD is on those who fear him,

on those who hope in his steadfast love,

[19] that he may deliver their soul from death

and keep them alive in famine.

[20] Our soul waits for the LORD;

he is our help and our shield.

[21] For our heart is glad in him,

because we trust in his holy name.

[22] Let your steadfast love, O LORD, be upon us,

even as we hope in you.”

God sovereignly looks down from heaven, having a bird' s-eye view of all creation. He is omniscient, meaning he sees and knows all things. The one who fashions man's heart observes every action. Not a soul on this planet goes unnoticed by God. During this time, the peak of humanity, the highest social ladder you could climb, was to be a king. As a king, you could obtain whatever you wanted at the snap of a finger. You would have an army that obeys your every command and a war horse that would follow your lead. But Psalm 33 sets even the king under the sovereign lordship of God. The king is not saved by his great army, nor is a warrior delivered by his great strength. The war horse is a false hope for security and salvation.

If the [K]ing possesses all power and sits on his throne, then the [k]ings of this earth have no power outside of God's allowance. A warrior's strength pales compared to his creator's strength. God is sovereign; man is not. God is powerful; man is weak. God is infinite; man is finite. So, who can stand against the LORD?

The beauty of the gospel is that this sovereign God has made a way for us to be saved. In love, God sent his Son to the cross. And it’s on the cross that God’s justice, love, righteousness, and truthfulness collide. Our sin has brought forth judgment. God is just, and his wrath is coming. But, the just judge who loves righteousness has made a way for us to be saved. God, in love, sent His Son, Jesus, to live the life we couldn’t live and die the death we should have died, and he rose from the grave, defeating sin and death. In doing so, he has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son (Col 1:13). He has delivered us from the wrath to come (1 Thess 1:10).

If God has delivered us from the present evil age, we can trust him to care for us in all seasons, working all things together for our good. If we trust God with our salvation, we can trust God with our daily bread. If we trust God regarding the security of our lives to come, we can trust God with our lives now. The same God who has delivered us from the wrath to come will also deliver us from famine now. He will meet our every need.

God is worthy of our trust and praise today. Those who praise God are those who trust God, and those who trust God are those who praise God. So, where does your trust reside today? A lot of fool’s gold is out there that promises something it cannot deliver. So, are you hoping in chariots today? Or are you hoping in God? Are you trusting in your strength today? Or are you hoping in God?

God is worthy of your trust, and he is worthy of your praise.