Psa 135:5 | KingComments | STEP | From the depths of his heart, the righteous acknowledges in an emphatic personal confession, “I”, that “the LORD is great” ( ). This is, as it were, the echo of Jethro’s personal confession when he saw what the LORD had done to Israel ( ). He is absolute in His greatness. It is folly to make any comparison between Him and anyone or anything else. There is no one and nothing to compare Him to ( ; ). The gods that are there are dwarfed in His presence. The muslims cry ‘allahu akbar’ – meaning ‘allah is greater’ (than other gods) – but the psalmist exclaims “the LORD is great”. In the book of Isaiah, the LORD is called “the First and the Last” ( ), meaning that He is not only the greatest, but also the Only One, the only true God. There is no God outside of Him. He is the “Lord”, Adonai, the sovereign Ruler of the universe. This is how the righteous know Him, for they speak of “our Lord”. He is the absolute Ruler, Who can and does do whatever pleases Him ( ). He not only has a sovereign will, but also absolute power and might to carry out His will. Nor is there any area or territory that can escape His power. His sovereignty and power are unlimited. He does what pleases Him “in heaven and in the earth” and also “in the seas and in all the deeps” (cf. ). The “deeps” are the subterranean waters. That He is Lord over creation is a fact. That He is Lord over men is at present a choice. The believers acknowledge His lordship, the unbelievers do not, that is, not yet. For a day is coming “that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” ( ). The entire universe is created by Him and therefore subject to Him. Here it is not primarily about the LORD as Creator, but about His power over creation. It is about God’s eternal power and Divine nature, which have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made ( ). Knowing His eternal power and Divine nature should lead us to honor Him and give thanks to Him as God ( ). That is what the psalmist is doing here. His power is evident in causing vapors to ascend ( ). We speak of evaporating the water, but the psalmist teaches us here that God does it. The Canaanites believe that the Baal works this. In the future, man will believe that the beast can do anything ( ). The remnant, however, puts their trust in Him Who has said that to Him all authority in heaven and on earth has been given ( ). The psalmist is not speaking as a physicist, but as a believer who knows that everything that happens on earth comes from God, is worked by Him. In the same way, we speak of ‘it lightens’ and ‘it blows’, while here we read that God “makes lightnings for the rain” and “brings forth the wind from His treasuries” (cf. ). He is indeed incomparably great. We cry out with the writer of the song: ‘How great Thou art, how great Thou art!’

‏ Psalms 135:5

The LORD Is Great

From the depths of his heart, the righteous acknowledges in an emphatic personal confession, “I”, that “the LORD is great” (Psa 135:5). This is, as it were, the echo of Jethro’s personal confession when he saw what the LORD had done to Israel (Exo 18:11). He is absolute in His greatness. It is folly to make any comparison between Him and anyone or anything else. There is no one and nothing to compare Him to (Exo 15:11; Isa 40:18 ; 25). The gods that are there are dwarfed in His presence.

The muslims cry ‘allahu akbar’ – meaning ‘allah is greater’ (than other gods) – but the psalmist exclaims “the LORD is great”. In the book of Isaiah, the LORD is called “the First and the Last” (Isa 44:6), meaning that He is not only the greatest, but also the Only One, the only true God. There is no God outside of Him.

He is the “Lord”, Adonai, the sovereign Ruler of the universe. This is how the righteous know Him, for they speak of “our Lord”. He is the absolute Ruler, Who can and does do whatever pleases Him (Psa 135:6). He not only has a sovereign will, but also absolute power and might to carry out His will. Nor is there any area or territory that can escape His power. His sovereignty and power are unlimited. He does what pleases Him “in heaven and in the earth” and also “in the seas and in all the deeps” (cf. Jer 10:13 ; Jer 51:16). The “deeps” are the subterranean waters.

That He is Lord over creation is a fact. That He is Lord over men is at present a choice. The believers acknowledge His lordship, the unbelievers do not, that is, not yet. For a day is coming “that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Phil 2:10-11).

The entire universe is created by Him and therefore subject to Him. Here it is not primarily about the LORD as Creator, but about His power over creation. It is about God’s eternal power and Divine nature, which have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made (Rom 1:20). Knowing His eternal power and Divine nature should lead us to honor Him and give thanks to Him as God (Rom 1:21). That is what the psalmist is doing here.

His power is evident in causing vapors to ascend (Psa 135:7). We speak of evaporating the water, but the psalmist teaches us here that God does it. The Canaanites believe that the Baal works this. In the future, man will believe that the beast can do anything (Rev 13:4). The remnant, however, puts their trust in Him Who has said that to Him all authority in heaven and on earth has been given (Mt 28:18).

The psalmist is not speaking as a physicist, but as a believer who knows that everything that happens on earth comes from God, is worked by Him. In the same way, we speak of ‘it lightens’ and ‘it blows’, while here we read that God “makes lightnings for the rain” and “brings forth the wind from His treasuries” (cf. Job 38:22). He is indeed incomparably great. We cry out with the writer of the song: ‘How great Thou art, how great Thou art!’