Attributes of God (5)
25 February 2018 PM – Psalm 145:10-13 – Psa145 – Scott Childs
Introduction: We will remember that God’s attributes are His eternal innate character qualities that never change. His attributes have always described and depicted His character and always will.
Transition: This evening we are going to note the LORD’s attributes of being Creator, Powerful, and Eternal.
1. The LORD is Creator!
(Psalms 145:10) “All thy works shall praise thee, O LORD; and thy saints shall bless thee.“
a. All God’s works will praise Jehovah (v.10)
1) What are God’s works?
a) They are God’s deeds or the things He has done. It is the same Hebrew word found in Ps 145:4, 9, 17.
b) As we have noted in earlier verses, an awesome display of God’s works is found in creation.
2) Let’s examine the word “praise”.
a) In the KJV it is translated as: praise (53x), give thanks (32x), confess (16x), thank (5x), make confession (2x), thanksgiving (2x), cast (1x), cast out (1x), shoot (1x), thankful (1x).
3) All of God’s creation will praise or thank Him.
a) The stars praise God with their humanly innumerable twinkles in the midnight sky. The earth praises God with its precise daily rotation and yearly orbit creating daily awesome sunrises and sunsets. The oceans praise God with the roar of their constant waves crashing against the shores. The flowers praise God with their delicate design, myriads of colours and beautiful smells. The birds praise Him as they boast their many designs, magnificent colours, melodic tunes and awesome flight patterns. Even microscopic life praises God who designed and observes their functions invisible to the naked eye. Yes, everything that God created praises Him as it performs the function He gave it.
b) Spurgeon comments, “But observe, neither the flower, nor the sea, nor the bird, praises with intent to praise. To them it is no exercise of intellect, for they do not know God, and cannot understand his worthiness; nor do they even know that they are praising him. They exhibit his skill, and his goodness, and so forth, and in so doing they do much; but we must learn to do more. When you and I praise God, there is the element of will, of intelligence, of desire, of intent; and in the saints of God there is another element, namely, that of love to him, of reverent gratitude towards him, and this turns the praise into blessing.”
b. God’s saints will bless Him.
1) The word “saints” refers to those who are faithful, kind, Godly, holy, or pious. It describes those who have placed their faith in God. If you have trusted Christ, that includes you. Blessing God is our duty!
2) We have already studied this word translated “bless” back in Ps 145:1-2. We learned that it has to do with kneeling in order to bless or praise God.
3) In the context of this verse, saints are contrasted with God’s works of creation. We, as humans, the ultimate of God’s creation, ought to be first in line to praise and bless the LORD!
a) As Spurgeon pointed out, the things and creatures in nature praise God by fulfilling their creative duties.
b) While the human body is a display of God’s wonderful creation, humans are distinct from the rest of God’s creation. He created us in His image and we have a will.
c) For us to bless God as He created us to do, we must obey Him and bow before Him and verbally express our praise and thanks. We must daily communicate with Him.
O Have you obeyed God in every area that you know about? Think about it! How many times this week have you bowed before God just to praise Him?
2. The LORD is Powerful!
(Psalms 145:11) “They shall speak of the glory of thy kingdom, and talk of thy power;” (Psalms 145:12) “To make known to the sons of men his mighty acts, and the glorious majesty of his kingdom.”
a. What is to be the subject of our praise? (v.11)
1) They speak of the saints. We are to speak of the glory of God’s kingdom.
a) God’s glory speaks of His honour, splendour, or dignity. It has to do with being weighty and thus valuable.
b) The word “speak” seems to apply to a statement, whereas the word “talk” used in the next phrase is more of a conversation.
c) We are to speak of the glory or weight of God’s kingdom. It seems to be a kingdom that was present at that time not the Millennial or Eternal kingdom. God is KING of kings and LORD of lords. He is King over all creation, over the angels, over the demons, and over man. The honour of no other being even comes close to the weighty glory of the LORD who is King of all creation.
2) We are to talk of God’s power.
a) The Hebrew word here translated power is also translated: might (27x), strength (17x), power (9x), mighty acts (4x), mighty (2x), force (1x), mastery (1x).
b) God is unlimited in His power. (Jeremiah 10:12) “He hath made the earth by his power, he hath established the world by his wisdom, and hath stretched out the heavens by his discretion.”
c) (1 Chronicles 29:11) “Thine, O LORD, is the greatness, and the power, and the glory, and the victory, and the majesty: for all that is in the heaven and in the earth is thine; thine is the kingdom, O LORD, and thou art exalted as head above all.”
d) Spurgeon states, “They inscribe the deeds of their heroes upon brass, but the glorious acts of Jehovah are written upon the sand, and the tide of time washes them from present memory; therefore we must repeat the lesson, and yet again repeat it.”
b. What is the purpose of our praise? (v.12)
1) We are to make known to the sons of men God’s mighty acts.
a) The phrase “mighty acts” is the same Hebrew word translated “power” in the previous verse.
b) We are to tell others of God’s great might and power. Let’s praise God unashamedly when He powerfully answers a prayer for us.
2) We are to make know the glorious majesty of God’s kingdom. God’s glorious majesty is his splendid honour. God deserves more honour than we can possible give to Him, yet we often fail to give Him any. We must stop honouring ourselves and lift Him up instead.
3. The LORD is Eternal!
(Psalms 145:13) “Thy kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and thy dominion endureth throughout all generations.“
a. God’s kingdom is eternal.
1) From before time began, God has always been the ultimate KING. No other being has existed as long as God. God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit form the eternal godhead that has always existed. God has no beginning.
2) God will be the ultimate KING forever into the countless eons of eternity.
b. God’s dominion will always endure.
1) Dominion speaks of His rule. He will rule as King forever.
2) Spurgeon, “The Lord’s kingdom is without beginning, without break, without bound, and without end.”
Conclusion: The Lord is creator of all. Nature praises Him involuntarily but we must praise Him wilfully. We must praise God’s mighty acts of power. That includes specifically thanking God every time He answers a prayer, whether large or small. Because God is the eternal King of kings, we need not worry that He will lose control of the universe. We are safe in His powerful, eternal care.
Song: How Great Thou Art, 37