Psa 113:6-9 | KingComments | STEP | The reason to praise the LORD forever and everywhere is because “the LORD is high above all nations” ( ). The nations presume to be powerful. They strive for world dominion. Also, many of them have done great harm to God’s people. But in the end, none of the nations have anything to argue against God. They are to Him “like a drop from a bucket, and are regarded as a speck of dust on the scales” ( ). He is not merely “above” them, but “high above” them, that is, exalted high above them. His glory knows no bounds: it is not limited to one or a few peoples and not limited to the created heavens. Not only is He high above the nations of the earth, He is also “above the heavens”. The heavens were created by Him, as was the earth. He is not confined in His creation, but is above it. He oversees everything on earth and in heaven. “His glory” transcends the splendor of heaven. Everything in the universe reflects His glory. With the high and exalted God nothing and no one can be compared ( ; ; ; ). This is the core message of this psalm. It is the center and focal point of this psalm. The message is reinforced by posing it as a rhetorical question: “Who is like the LORD our God?” All the gods of men are, in their imaginations, unassailably high above them. How very different is the God of Israel ( ; ). He “is enthroned on high”. His very high dwelling place does not prevent Him from humbling Himself to behold all beneath Him to perceive and be involved in what is happening there ( ). His glory is universal, above all creation, above heaven and earth. The mention of “in heaven and in the earth” connects to . The sentence runs like this: “Who is like the LORD our God” ( ) … “in heaven and in the earth?” ( ). The phrases “Who is enthroned on high ( ), Who humbles Himself to behold ( )” form an interlude. His glory, however, concerns not only His power, but also His love. He, Who is enthroned on high, is at the same time He, Who humbles Himself to behold. The psalmist and the remnant, as well as we, see that we are objects of His great love. Wonder and adoration come naturally when we see such a glory. This thought is further developed in . Elihu testifies: “Behold, God is mighty but does not despise [any]” ( ). God bows down to the very lowest people and blesses them (cf. ). These people have no ability or means to work their way up out of the rubbish of life. If they are then blessed, it is proof that the blessing comes from Him, through His power and through His love. He chooses the weak and despised to shame the strong and to destroy the wisdom of the wise. He acts in this way so that no flesh will boast before Him. If it were otherwise, the blessings would not be blessings from Him. He is great above the universe and He is great in His blessings of afflicted people. In , the psalmist gives two examples of God acting in mercy and condescending goodness. These two examples are two sides of the same coin. They are about the outward condition, which is in the dust and dirt, and the inward condition, which is barren. The first example is about “the poor” and “the needy” ( ). The poor lives in “the dust”, the needy on “the ash heap”. He can be found at the refuse dumps outside the city to see if there is anything edible left. God takes him from the bottom of society and makes him “sit with princes, with the princes of His people” ( ; cf. ; ). He places the poor and needy on the same level as the princes whom He has given a governing role in the people He has made His own. That God allows them to “sit” means that He gives them a place of rest and authority. It is sitting on a throne. The application for us is that we were dead in our trespasses and sins ( ). Then we see what God has done with us: “But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly [places] in Christ Jesus” ( ). What grace! “The princes” are the God-fearing leaders of His people ( ). It is clearly an act of His grace. He was able to perform that act because He laid His Son “in the dust of death” ( ) by laying the dirt of our sins on Him ( ). The second example is “the barren woman” whom God “makes … abide in the house” as “a joyful mother of children” ( ). In Israel’s history, several barren women have had a child or children, such as Sarah, Rachel, and Hannah. We can add to this Elisabeth in the New Testament. In all these cases of barrenness, it is clear that God in His grace gives children. The psalm concludes with the exclamation with which it began: “Hallelujah!”, i.e. “praise the LORD”. There is all the more reason for this, now that the psalmist has presented God’s sovereignty and His loving care. Each psalm gives a new reason to praise the LORD. In this psalm, it is the grace of the LORD. As the first of the hallel-psalms, this psalm gives the foundation of Israel’s redemption. This will be worked out in the hallel-psalms to come.

‏ Psalms 113:6-9

The Majesty of the LORD

The reason to praise the LORD forever and everywhere is because “the LORD is high above all nations” (Psa 113:4). The nations presume to be powerful. They strive for world dominion. Also, many of them have done great harm to God’s people. But in the end, none of the nations have anything to argue against God. They are to Him “like a drop from a bucket, and are regarded as a speck of dust on the scales” (Isa 40:15). He is not merely “above” them, but “high above” them, that is, exalted high above them. His glory knows no bounds: it is not limited to one or a few peoples and not limited to the created heavens.

Not only is He high above the nations of the earth, He is also “above the heavens”. The heavens were created by Him, as was the earth. He is not confined in His creation, but is above it. He oversees everything on earth and in heaven. “His glory” transcends the splendor of heaven. Everything in the universe reflects His glory.

With the high and exalted God nothing and no one can be compared (Psa 113:5; Isa 40:18 ; 25 ; Isa 46:5; Jer 10:6-7 ; Jer 49:19 ; Jer 50:44; Mic 7:18). This is the core message of this psalm. It is the center and focal point of this psalm. The message is reinforced by posing it as a rhetorical question: “Who is like the LORD our God?”

All the gods of men are, in their imaginations, unassailably high above them. How very different is the God of Israel (1Kgs 8:23; Isa 57:15). He “is enthroned on high”. His very high dwelling place does not prevent Him from humbling Himself to behold all beneath Him to perceive and be involved in what is happening there (Psa 113:6a).

His glory is universal, above all creation, above heaven and earth. The mention of “in heaven and in the earth” connects to Psa 113:5a. The sentence runs like this: “Who is like the LORD our God” (Psa 113:5a) … “in heaven and in the earth?” (Psa 113:6b). The phrases “Who is enthroned on high (Psa 113:5b), Who humbles Himself to behold (Psa 113:6a)” form an interlude.

His glory, however, concerns not only His power, but also His love. He, Who is enthroned on high, is at the same time He, Who humbles Himself to behold. The psalmist and the remnant, as well as we, see that we are objects of His great love. Wonder and adoration come naturally when we see such a glory. This thought is further developed in Psa 113:7-9.

Elihu testifies: “Behold, God is mighty but does not despise [any]” (Job 36:5a). God bows down to the very lowest people and blesses them (cf. Exo 3:8). These people have no ability or means to work their way up out of the rubbish of life. If they are then blessed, it is proof that the blessing comes from Him, through His power and through His love.

He chooses the weak and despised to shame the strong and to destroy the wisdom of the wise. He acts in this way so that no flesh will boast before Him. If it were otherwise, the blessings would not be blessings from Him. He is great above the universe and He is great in His blessings of afflicted people.

In Psa 113:7-9, the psalmist gives two examples of God acting in mercy and condescending goodness. These two examples are two sides of the same coin. They are about the outward condition, which is in the dust and dirt, and the inward condition, which is barren.

The first example is about “the poor” and “the needy” (Psa 113:7). The poor lives in “the dust”, the needy on “the ash heap”. He can be found at the refuse dumps outside the city to see if there is anything edible left. God takes him from the bottom of society and makes him “sit with princes, with the princes of His people” (Psa 113:8; cf. Job 36:7; 2Sam 9:13). He places the poor and needy on the same level as the princes whom He has given a governing role in the people He has made His own. That God allows them to “sit” means that He gives them a place of rest and authority. It is sitting on a throne.

The application for us is that we were dead in our trespasses and sins (Eph 2:1). Then we see what God has done with us: “But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly [places] in Christ Jesus” (Eph 2:4-6). What grace!

“The princes” are the God-fearing leaders of His people (Isa 32:8). It is clearly an act of His grace. He was able to perform that act because He laid His Son “in the dust of death” (Psa 22:15c) by laying the dirt of our sins on Him (2Cor 8:9).

The second example is “the barren woman” whom God “makes … abide in the house” as “a joyful mother of children” (Psa 113:9). In Israel’s history, several barren women have had a child or children, such as Sarah, Rachel, and Hannah. We can add to this Elisabeth in the New Testament. In all these cases of barrenness, it is clear that God in His grace gives children.

The psalm concludes with the exclamation with which it began: “Hallelujah!”, i.e. “praise the LORD”. There is all the more reason for this, now that the psalmist has presented God’s sovereignty and His loving care.

Each psalm gives a new reason to praise the LORD. In this psalm, it is the grace of the LORD. As the first of the hallel-psalms, this psalm gives the foundation of Israel’s redemption. This will be worked out in the hallel-psalms to come.