Today, we continue our very sporadic and haphazard study of the psalms, by turning to Psalm 135. This is a beautiful psalm-- it's the type of psalm that lends itself to being used as an opener for Sunday morning worship. I hope today that you'll leave differently, in two ways. The first, is that you'll become aware of one of the ways in which we find Jesus in the OT. And second, I hope you'll leave today worshipping God big, and worshipping God better. Let's start by simply reading verse 1 (Hebrew numbering throughout-- not sure if it's different):
(1) Praise Yah! , [Hallelu- Yah]
Praise the Name of Yahweh!,
Our psalmist begins with a call to praise. "Praise Yah!, Praise the name of Yahweh!" Always a nice way to start worship. :)
The second line here was this: "Praise the Name of Yahweh." We maybe think there's not much here to talk about. But you maybe find yourself wondering, why did I accidentally capitalize Name?
We read verse 1, and we assume the psalmist means something like, "when you are praising God, the name you praise is Yahweh. Yahweh is the Elohim you should praise." That's maybe what this means. Maybe. But I'll come back to this in a minute.
The psalmist then narrows this call to praise, to the people who are at Yahweh's house. He says this, still in verse 1:
Praise!, servants of Yahweh,
(2) who are standing in the house of Yahweh,
in the courts of the house of our God.
This idea, that Yahweh has a house, is maybe new. The psalmist is talking about the temple that Solomon built. Let's turn to 1 King 8:27-30. Solomon here is dedicating the temple to Yahweh, and praying to him. And even as he looks at the temple, which is a magnificent building, he thinks about Yahweh, and he marvels that Yahweh could possibly live in any house, however amazing (ESV modified):
27 “But will God indeed dwell on the earth? Behold, heaven and the highest heaven cannot contain you; how much less this house that I have built! 28 Yet have regard to the prayer of your servant and to his plea, O Yahweh my God, listening to the cry and to the prayer that your servant prays before you this day, 29 that your eyes may be open night and day toward this house, the place of which you have said, ‘My name shall be there,’ that you may listen to the prayer that your servant offers toward this place. 30 And listen to the plea of your servant and of your people Israel, when they pray toward this place. And listen in heaven your dwelling place, and when you hear, forgive.
While Solomon was dedicating the temple to Yahweh, Yahweh's glory very visibly, very obviously filled the temple. There is some sense in which Yahweh moved in, and accepted this house as his home. But Solomon knows, Yahweh can't possibly fit in a house, however magnificent. Earth and the heavens can't contain Yahweh-- so how could a house?
We find ourselves reading Solomon's prayer, and we want to say, "Well, God is everywhere, right?" We don't see any problem with Yahweh being in the temple, and at the same time, in the heavens. Because we think Yahweh is everywhere.
But this is NOT what Solomon is saying. Yahweh is present in the house Solomon built for him, in a way that he is not present anywhere else on earth. There is something special about the temple.
What is this? Why is this house special?
What Solomon says is that Yahweh has placed his Name in the house/temple.
Yahweh dwells in the heavens, but he placed his Name in the temple.
We read this, and we just don't get it. Our brains hurt. What does this mean?
Let's reread verses 1-2:
(1) Praise Yah!,
Praise the name/Name of Yahweh!,
Praise, servants of Yahweh!,
(2) who are standing in the house of Yahweh,
in the courts of the house of our God.
Our psalmist knows 1 Kings 8. He knows that Yahweh placed his Name at the temple. And so when we calls the priests, specifically, to praise the Name of Yahweh, this makes sense. They are serving, and worshipping, and helping others worship, at Yahweh's house-- at the place Yahweh put his Name.
So when the psalmist says, praise the Name of Yahweh, I don't think he's saying, "Praise Yahweh, instead of a differently named elohim (like, 1 Kings 18:24)." He's pointing back to 1 Kings 8. He's calling on the people serving at the temple to praise the Name of Yahweh, because it's the Name of Yahweh that Yahweh placed in His house.
But in saying this, our heads still hurt. What does this mean? What, or Who, is the Name of Yahweh?
Let's turn to Isaiah 30:27-28 (ESV):
Behold, the Name of Yahweh comes from afar,
burning with his anger, and in thick rising smoke;[d]
his lips are full of fury,
and his tongue is like a devouring fire;
28 his breath is like an overflowing stream
that reaches up to the neck;
to sift the nations with the sieve of destruction,
and to place on the jaws of the peoples a bridle that leads astray.
Now let's turn to Psalm 20, and read verses 1 and 7:
May the LORD answer you in the day of trouble!
May the Name of the God of Jacob protect you!
Some trust in chariots and some in horses,
but we trust in the Name of Yahweh our God.
How can the Name of Yahweh protect people? How can we trust in the Name of Yahweh? How can the Name of Yahweh be coming in judgment in Isaiah?
One last passage. Exodus 33:12-23:
(12) And Moses said to Yahweh,
"See! You were saying to me,
"Bring up this people,"
and you haven't let me know who you will send with me,
while you said,
(A) "I know you by name,"
and, also, (B) You have found favor in my eyes,"
(13) And now, if, please, I have found favor in your eyes, make known to me, please, your ways so that I may know you, so that I may find favor in your eyes,
and See! that your people is this nation,"
(14) and He said,
"My face/presence shall go,
And I shall give rest to you,"
(15) and he said to Him,
"If your face/presence isn't going, may you not lead us up from here,
and by what shall it be known, then, that I have found favor in your eyes-- I and your people?
Are you not going with us?,"
and will we not be distinguished-- I and your people-- from all the people who are on the face of the earth?"
------------------------------------
Moses is a pitbull here. He's tenacious. He keeps asking, very nicely, but persistently, that Yahweh would give proof that Yahweh is going with them. They shouldn't look like the other nations. There should be obvious proof, visible proof, that Yahweh is leading his people. And if Yahweh isn't willing to do this, he very nicely says, "may you not lead us up." Verse 17 gives us Yahweh's response:
(17) And Yahweh said to Moses,
"Also this thing that you have spoken, I shall do because you have found favor in my eyes,
and I know you by name."
Yahweh says "yes" here. He heeds Moses' voice. He accepts the basis for Moses' prayer as fair, and legitimate.
This leads Moses, in verse 18, to go for broke-- because why not be super brave, and full of faith, in your prayers?:
(18) And he said,
"Show me, please, your glory,"
All of us say we live by faith. We say we live in light of what we know to be true about God, regardless of how the world looks. But, what if we could see God? What if we could see God's glory? And live by sight? Moses has seen Yahweh's glory more fully already, at this point in Exodus, than anyone. But Yahweh has still shielded his full glory from Moses. Moses is ready for Yahweh to stop shielding his glory. He wants to see Yahweh, for how he really, fully, is.
This is how Yahweh responds, verse 19:
(19) And he (Yahweh) said,
"I will summon/invite/proclaim the Name of Yahweh before your face,
and I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious,
and I will show compassion to whom I will show compassion,
(20) And he said,
"You are not able to see my face because no human will see me and live."
(21) And Yahweh said,
"LOOK! A place with me,
and you shall stand on the rock,
(22) and then, while my glory passes, I will put you in the crevice of the rock,
and I will cover my hand over you until my passing,
and I will remove my hand,
and you will see my back,
while my face will not be seen."
What is Yahweh doing in these verses? Yahweh is in two places, doing two different things here. On one hand, we have verse 21. Yahweh sees a place, and he will be with Moses in that place. Yahweh will put him in a crevice; He will cover Moses with his hand.
At the same time He is doing this, Yahweh's glory will pass by them. And Yahweh's glory, is Him passing by.
And all of this started, by Yahweh talking about how he would summon/invite/proclaim/call his Name before his face.
So this is Yahweh's plan. This is how Yahweh will answer Moses' request.
We find the fulfillment of this in 34:5:
(5) And Yahweh descended in the cloud,
and He stood with him there,
and He summoned/invited/proclaimed the Name of Yahweh,
and Yahweh passed before his face,
and Yahweh proclaimed,
"Yahweh, a God compassionate and gracious,
slow of anger and great in steadfast loyalty and faithfulness,
keeping steadfast loyalty to the thousands,
forgiving guilt and transgression and sin,
and he surely doesn't leave unpunished,
visiting the guilt of the fathers on the sons and on the grandsons up to the third and fourth generation."
Yahweh is standing with Moses, and He proclaims, at the same time Yahweh passes before Moses' face.
How is all of this possible? Yahweh called on his Name, who is himself Yahweh, who is himself Yahweh's glory. Yahweh then hides Moses' face from Yahweh until Yahweh is passed.
All of these OT passages are acting like "the Name of Yahweh" is an actual Being. Not only this, but the Name of Yahweh IS Yahweh.
My wife's name is [ ]. I don't serve the Name of [ ]. I don't love the name of [ ]. The name of [ ] doesn't watch the kids while I work all day. The name of [ ] doesn't go to work with me, while [name] stays home.
I think what we are supposed to do is capitalize this. The Name of Yahweh is an actual Being. The Name is Yahweh, but is also in some way distinct from Yahweh. The Name of Yahweh does things. The Name comes in judgment. The Name answers prayer. The Name protects Yahweh's people. The Name is praised. We trust the Name. The Name is the glory of Yahweh.
And when we return to 1 Kings 8, think about this: The Name, is Yahweh on earth. The Name of Yahweh, is how Yahweh lives/tabernacles among His people (John 1:14).
How do we explain all of this? Who is the Name of Yahweh? I think the answer is really simple: the Name of Yahweh is Jesus.
Hebrews 1:1-4:
1 Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, 2 but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. 3 He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, 4 having become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs.
John 17:11-12 (ESV):
11 And I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, keep them in your name, which you have given me, that they may be one, even as we are one. 12 While I was with them, I kept them in your name, which you have given me. I have guarded them, and not one of them has been lost except the son of destruction, that the Scripture might be fulfilled.
Jesus is the Name of Yahweh.
Romans 10:9-13:
9 because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. 11 For the Scripture says, “Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.” 12 For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him. 13 For “everyone who calls on the Name of the Lord will be saved.”
Here's the original verse from Joel that Paul is quoting (2:32 in English Bibles):
And then, all who call on the Name of Yahweh shall escape/be saved."
I'm trying to teach all of this to you this morning, as a way to force myself to try to come to grips with all of this. I don't understand all of it. I can't explain everything. But I'm confident enough that this is right, that I'll leave this to you to wrestle with.
So let's start Psalm 135 over, and try this again:
(1) Praise Yah ,
Praise the Name of Yahweh,
Praise, servants of Yahweh,
(2) who are standing in the house of Yahweh,
in the courts of the house of our God.
(3) Praise Yah,
because good is Yahweh.
Why should you praise Yahweh? Why do you praise the Name of Yahweh? You praise, first of all, because good is Yahweh. Sometimes you will hear people say things like, "I could never believe in a God who..." And then finish that in different ways. "I could never believe in a God who lets babies die. I could never believe in a God who sends people to hell. I could never believe in a God who..."
The idea, with this kind of language, is that we have this wishlist of things we want to be true about God. We want God to be a certain kind of God. And we put all these qualities in a little box, and when we are done, God comes out of the box just how we want. We act like we get to decide who God is, and what he's like.
God is who He is. If God was short-tempered, untrustworthy, and easily bored with his creation, then we'd just have to make the best of it. We wouldn't get to not believe in God, because we didn't like him. We wouldn't get to ignore him. We'd praise him, because we're scared of him-- we'd be scared not to praise.
But God isn't like this. What is God like? Good. God is good. And it's for this reason, that we gladly praise him. No matter what happens in life, we know that God is good.
Continuing in verse 3:
Sing to his Name,
because [it is] pleasant/lovely/delightful,
(4) because Jacob, Yah chose for himself,
Israel as his prized treasure.
Sing to his name. Sing to the Name of Yahweh. Sing to Jesus. Because singing to the Name of Yahweh is delightful.
[May or may not include this, but Rev. 5:9-11]
9 And they sang a new song, saying,
“Worthy are you to take the scroll
and to open its seals,
for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God
from every tribe and language and people and nation,
10 and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God,
and they shall reign on the earth.”
We sing to the Name of Jesus not just because this is delightful, but also, in verse 4, because we know that we are part of God's chosen people. Through Jesus, we are part of Israel. We are part of Jacob. We are Abraham's descendants.
Then, in verse 5, we have another reason to sing to the Name of Yahweh:
Sing to his Name,
because [it is] pleasant/lovely/delightful,
(4) because Jacob, Yah chose for himself,
Israel as his prized treasure.
(5) Because I have known that great is Yahweh,
and our Lord/Master than all elohim/gods.
The Name of Yahweh is great. He is magnificent. You could end it there, thinking about God's glory, and be content. We can worship off that. We can praise him. But then the psalmist continues in the second line. Our Lord/Master is greater than all the other elohim. Which is basically exactly what Hebrews 1 teaches, right? Our Lord is greater than all other spiritual beings.
We don't need to think about the Name's greatness, and worry about how his greatness stacks up against other elohim. Our Lord, is their Lord.
Verse 6, through part of verse 7:
(6) All that Yahweh has taken pleasure in, he has done in the heavens and on the earth,
in the seas and all the deep/primaeval Sea,
(7) the one bringing up the clouds from the ends of the earth,
lightnings for rain he has made,
the one bringing out breath/wind/spirit/Spirit from his storehouses,
Part of the proof that Yahweh is greater than the other elohim, is that Yahweh does what he wants, everywhere--in the heavens, on earth, in the seas, and the primaeval Sea. This is really what "all-powerful," or "most-powerful" means. Yahweh does what He wants.
Yahweh is the one who brings clouds from the ends of the earth. Yahweh is the one who makes lightning.
Many of us are fortunate enough to get to work outside. We aren't stuck in cubicles all day, or depressing offices. We see the clouds. We feel the wind. We see the lightning. We get soaked when it rains. But in all of that, do we have an awareness of God? For some of us, I think our rationalistic, "scientific" approach has blinded us to most of what God does. If we can explain something scientifically, we assume God has no part in it. And then we wonder why it's a struggle to worship God. Or why it's a struggle to really think about God's glory.
When you see clouds, know that Yahweh brought them. When you see lightnings, know that Yahweh made them. And when you feel the wind, know that Yahweh has a storehouse he pulls that out from. When you see creation, you are seeing God at work.
Continuing in verse 7:
who struck down the firstborns of Egypt,
from man up to cattle.
He sent signs and wonders into your midst, Egypt,
into/against Pharaoh and into/against all his servants,
(10) who struck down many nations,
and killed mighty kings,
(11) Sikhon king of the Amorites and Og, king of Bashan, and all the kings of Canaan,
(12) and gave their land as an inheritance,
an inheritance to Israel his people.
When we praise God in the OT, we do so usually for two reasons. First, because God created the world, and continues to uphold it. Second, because of what God has done in history for his people. Here, the psalmist redirects our attention to God's historical acts.
Yahweh has demonstrated his power over all kingdoms. He humiliated Egypt. God's people, when they think about Egypt, will always think about how God sent signs and wonders against them. There is no king that is safe from Yahweh. No one can stand against him.
And at the end of all that, what did Yahweh do? He took their land, and he gave it to his people as an inheritance.
Verses 13-14:
(13) Yahweh, your name/Name forever,
Yahweh, your memory for ages and ages,
(14) because Yahweh shall execute justice for his people,
and over his servants he shall have compassion.
As we sit here this morning, we know that Yahweh's power and goodness are not just a past reality. God has done great things in the past. But we know, that Yahweh will continue to be faithful. Yahweh will continue to do great things. And so this verse looks forward. Yahweh shall execute justice for his people. Yahweh shall have compassion over his servants. And because of this, Yahweh's name, and memory, will endure forever.
Verse 15:
(15) The idols of the nations are silver and gold,
the work of the hands of man.
Idols are beautiful. Silver and gold look good. They're attractive. If you go overseas, you will see idols. And you'll maybe be tempted to buy one and take it home. But there's a huge problem with idols. They are the work of human hands.
Verses 16-18:
(16) A mouth for them,
and they aren't speaking,
eyes for them,
and they aren't seeing,
(17) ears for them,
and they aren't hearing.
What's worse, there isn't breath/wind/spirit in their mouths.
(18) Like them, the ones making them shall become,
all who are trusting in them.
Idols have a mouth. But they can't call the winds. They can't call lightnings. They can't speak, to help you. They can't speak, to encourage you.
Idols have eyes. But they can't see. When you desperately need help, idols don't know. You can be surrounded by enemies, or dying of starvation, or hanging on to life by a thread-- and idols don't know.
Idols have ears. But they can't hear. You cry out to them in your need, and what do you get? Nothing. You're wasting your time. You're wasting your energy. They can't hear.
And what's worse than all of this? They don't have any breath in their mouths.
Genesis 1:30:
30 And to every beast of the earth and to every bird of the heavens and to everything that creeps on the earth, everything that has the breath of life, I have given every green plant for food.”
Genesis 2:5-7:
5 When no bush of the field[a] was yet in the land[b] and no small plant of the field had yet sprung up—for the LORD God had not caused it to rain on the land, and there was no man to work the ground, 6 and a mist[c]was going up from the land and was watering the whole face of the ground— 7 then the LORD God formed the man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living creature.
The reason every animal, and every human, lives, is because Yahweh breathed the breath of life into them. And this word, "breath," is just as easily translated "spirit/wind." Sometimes you'll hear that people are the only ones who have Yahweh's breath/spirit. But Genesis 1:30 says, all living creatures have this breath.
Everything that lives, lives because the God who sends the "wind" (Psalm 135:7)," puts that "wind" into them. And Yahweh would NEVER give his breath to an idol. He would never put his Spirit in an idol. The thought is appalling. NEVER.
This brings us to verse 18:
(18) Like them, the ones making them shall become,
all who are trusting in them.
People who trust idols, will eventually become like them. There's two ways to understand this, that I can think of, and I'm not sure we have to choose between them really.
(1) The first would be (focusing on vs. 16-17), people who trust in idols will lose their ability to see reality for how it actually is. They will be hardened in their sin-- unable to see, hear, or speak truth. (How do we break through to people like that? The gospel, is how the Spirit cuts through all the lies.)
(2) The second way to understand this (focusing on verse 18), is that idols are dead. And people who trust in idols, will eventually have the breath/Spirit taken from them, and they will die. The fact that these people don't have their breath/spirit already taken from them, is a mark of God's patience, and his willingness that no one should perish. And we all sit here this morning, and we know that this, by right, should've been us. We trusted in idols; we were not a people who praised God. And yet here we are, by God's mercy-- through the Name of Yahweh.
So who do we praise? Who do we trust? We trust in Yahweh, and in the Name of Yahweh. We praise Yahweh, who fights for his people. Who has compassion on his people. Who loves his people. May His Name be praised forever.
Verse 19-21:
(19) House of Israel, bless Yahweh!,
house of Aaron, bless Yahweh!,
(20) House of Levi, bless Yahweh!,
You who fear/revere Yahweh, bless Yahweh!.
(21) Being blessed is Yahweh from Zion,
the One dwelling in Jerusalem.
Praise Yah!
Translation:
(1) Praise Yah! ,
Praise the Name of Yahweh!,
Praise, servants of Yahweh!,
(2) who are standing in the house of Yahweh,
in the courts of the house of our God.
(3) Praise Yah!,
because good is Yahweh.
Sing to his Name!,
because [it is] pleasant/lovely/delightful,
(4) because Jacob, Yah chose for himself,
Israel as his prized treasure.
(5) Because I have known that great is Yahweh,
and our Lord/Master than all elohim/gods.
(6) All that he has taken pleasure in, Yahweh has done
in the heavens and on the earth,
in the seas and all the deep/primaeval Sea,
(7) the one bringing up the clouds from the ends of the earth,
lightnings for rain he has made,
the one bringing out breath/wind/spirit from his storehouses,
who struck down the firstborns of Egypt,
from man up to cattle.
He sent signs and wonders into your midst, Egypt,
into/against Pharaoh and into/against all his servants,
(10) who struck down many nations,
and killed mighty kings,
(11) Sikhon king of the Amorites and Og, king of Bashan, and all the kings/kingdoms of Canaan,
(12) and he gave their land as an inheritance,
an inheritance to Israel his people.
(13) Yahweh, your name/Name forever,
Yahweh, your memory for ages and ages,
(14) because Yahweh shall execute justice for his people,
and over his servants he shall have compassion.
(15) The idols of the nations are silver and gold,
the work of the hands of man.
(16) A mouth for them,
and they aren't speaking,
eyes for them,
and they aren't seeing,
(17) ears for them,
and they aren't hearing.
What's worse, there isn't breath/wind/spirit in their mouths.
(18) Like them, the ones making them shall become,
all who are trusting in them.
(19) House of Israel, bless Yahweh!,
house of Aaron, bless Yahweh!,
(20) House of Levi, bless Yahweh!,
You who fear/revere Yahweh, bless Yahweh!.
(21) Being blessed is Yahweh from Zion,
the One dwelling in Jerusalem.
Praise Yah!
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