Learning How to Worship: Psalm 144

I chose Psalm 144 to close the first go around in this series of posts because of how well I think the
Psalm encompasses and concludes the entire Psalter. It is a psalm of David, and whether intentional by him or not, I do believe its placement was very intentional by the compiler of the book.

Why?

Because within this Psalm I see reflections, allusions, even word for word quotes from some of the other poems we have studied. In many ways this is the acting last psalm of Book Five.

The next six psalms that actually end the collection are one, a stand alone psalm that also sums up the totality of the book fairly well, and then five doxologies to remind us of the praise of God and the centrality of Torah in Israel's life.

Psalm 144 acts as the final 'Hoorah!' in my opinion of the themes in the Psalter. It also bookends the entire psalter with Psalm 2 as another Royal Psalm. David is where we began, David is where we end, but the chiastic structure that this creates within the whole collection points us to the one who is far greater than David: God Himself.


David begins with this verse, a common phrase in the Psalms and with an acknowledgement that God is the one who has given him his abilities and gifts, for David it was his warrior and leadership skills:

Blessed be the Lord, my rock,
    who trains my hands for war,
    and my fingers for battle;
he is my steadfast love and my fortress,
    my stronghold and my deliverer,
my shield and he in whom I take refuge,
    who subdues peoples under me.

If the entirety of the Psalter had one thesis, that "God is our refuge/fortress/stronghold" would be one of the leading candidates. The language here also reflects similar language used in Psalm 18. The psalm that scholars summarize with the word "Theophany", God shows up in his power and glory. Also, the last line about God being the one "who subdues people under me" reminds me of the power and might reflected in Psalm 110: "Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool."

O Lord, what is man that you regard him,
    or the son of man that you think of him?

Why hello there, Psalm 8, you trying to remind us of something?

Man is like a breath;
    his days are like a passing shadow.

And there is Psalm 90! Or Psalm 103! Take your pick. I appreciate David's use here of this line right after he quotes from Psalm 8, which if we remember puts mankind at the center of creation. Far be it from us to get a big head though, because David quickly reminds us that though God "regards us" we are also just a breath, a brief, passing shadow.

Bow your heavens, O Lord, and come down!
    Touch the mountains so that they smoke!
Flash forth the lightning and scatter them;
    send out your arrows and rout them!
Stretch out your hand from on high;
    rescue me and deliver me from the many waters,
    from the hand of foreigners,
whose mouths speak lies
    and whose right hand is a right hand of falsehood.

Psalm 18 makes another appearance here in the middle of this poem, its language so clearly pointing us back to the power and might of God. In His presence we are made low, but the enemies of the LORD are scattered and made even lower.

I will sing a new song to you, O God;
    upon a ten-stringed harp I will play to you,
who gives victory to kings,
    who rescues David his servant from the cruel sword.

I think of Psalm 96 as David announces to Israel that he is singing a new song, and that he is ascribing worship to the LORD. And then an allusion to Psalm 20 and the victory and safety of our God over the peoples, that is who David puts his trust in. The Psalms make mention of one other harp of ten strings, and it is found in another Psalm of David, Psalm 33, where David makes another similar praise. He will sing yet another new song to God, because of how the LORD has protected him and kept him.

Rescue me and deliver me
    from the hand of foreigners,
whose mouths speak lies
    and whose right hand is a right hand of falsehood.

A refrain from above that is, again, reference to Psalm 18.

May our sons in their youth
    be like plants full grown,
our daughters like corner pillars
    cut for the structure of a palace;
may our granaries be full,
    providing all kinds of produce;
may our sheep bring forth thousands
    and ten thousands in our fields;
may our cattle be heavy with young,
    suffering no mishap or failure in bearing;
may there be no cry of distress in our streets!

Though there is no clear parallel for these verses that I took note of, there are a variety of allusions. The focus is now towards the coming generation, the prosperity that David oversaw, but refused to take credit for. Perhaps we could say that Psalm 133 is highlighted here with the blessing of children. Maybe a reference to Psalm 1, like trees planted by the water, so are sons in their youth. Perhaps we think of the Great Shepherd of Psalm 23 caring for the thousands and ten thousands of sheep. The idea that God is provider, the one who fills our barns and gives good gifts, is laden throughout the poems of Israel. Perhaps the references to thousands and ten thousands make us think of Psalm 50, though a rebuke on the nation it was, we realize that God owns it all and is freely sharing and giving to His people.

One thing is certain, there is no cry of distress of those found in Him.

Blessed are the people to whom such blessings fall!
    Blessed are the people whose God is the Lord!

Ah, and to end this wonderful song we remember Psalm 2, the Royal Psalm that began it all for us. The covenant royal frame that one scholar calls it, is complete with this benediction of blessing on all people whose God is YaHWeH. (Ps. 2:12)

So what? This psalm makes use of a lot of other psalms, it fits as a good conclusion to many themes present in the psalms... but what does it teach us about worship today?

In my opinion, it shows us that one of the greatest ways we proclaim the worship of our God, one of the ways God would ask of our worship of Him, is when we speak Scripture back to Him in a heartfelt manner. David doesn't come up with any new material to compile this poem, he used things he had already written, what other had written, what the community had accepted as worshipful material. David used to word of God to proclaim his heart's condition to the world. That is something we all can take to heart as we learn to worship Jesus with our all, hearts abandoned, pride reduced... and all honor and glory to Him. 

It is only when we have a heart condition like the one described in Psalm 144, that we can read the final five doxologies the way they were meant to be read. 

Let EVERYTHING that has BREATH PRAISE YAHWEH! (Ps. 150:6)

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Nathan Bryant

is a pastor at River Run Church in East Orlando, FL. As a student at Ozark Christian College in Joplin, Missouri he majored in Biblical Leadership, New Testament Studies, and Missiology.  In 2014 he attended the Leadership Institute in Phoenix, AZ where he continued his education from other pastors and educators at one of the fastest growing churches in the United States. He loves the outdoors, whether it is camping in the mountains or jumping through the waves at the beach, nothing is better than enjoying God’s creation. Nathan longs for unity and commitment to Jesus to be a defining element in the global church of his generation.

Christ's Kingdom is bigger than our causes.

Christ's Kingdom is bigger than our boundaries.

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