January 27th, 2026
Good evening, church family and friends!
In junior high school English, we learned to diagram sentences. I may be alone in this, but I liked this part of English! I enjoyed making the diagrams, especially when you added things below the line, such as prepositional phrases. The more prepositional phrases in a sentence, the more things you had hanging down below. It was fun in my class of junior high students at Eisenhower Junior High School in Kansas City, KS during the early seventies.
It appears the author of Psalm 150 also enjoyed prepositions. This anonymous writer employed three of them throughout the Psalm, giving it its simple structure. These prepositions inform us where we can praise God, why we should praise God and what we can use in the praise of God.
The Psalmist indicated two places where we can praise God: “Praise God in his sanctuary; praise him in his mighty heavens” (v. 1). For the ancient Hebrew, the sanctuary was the place God chose to have his name remembered (Ex. 20:24). The mighty heavens were the place of God’s dwelling. We are to praise God wherever we are prompted to think of him here on earth or when we join the host of heaven and praise him there. Seems pretty all-encompassing!
The next preposition gives us two reasons why we should praise God: “Praise him for his acts of power; praise him for his surpassing greatness” (v. 2). We praise God for what he has done, including such things as our salvation and forgiveness. And we praise him for who he is – loving, merciful, and good. Praising God for what he has done seems to flow easily. Praising him for who he is takes more intentionality.
Finally, the third preposition details ways we can praise God. We can use the sounding of the trumpet, harp and lyre, tambourine and dance, strings and flute, the clashing, and resounding of cymbals (vv. 3-5). Brass and stringed instruments, percussion, and liturgical dance can all be employed in the praise of God. These elements make many of our worship services seem rather tame. Maybe we should learn something from Hebrew worship!
As a one verse summary to this Psalm, and the Psalter in general, the writer concludes, “Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord” (v. 6). It is interesting the Psalms begin with an invitation to employ the Torah of the Lord as a way of life and end with an invitation to praise the Lord as the best use of that life. We are to use the breath we are given to praise the One who alone is worthy of it.
I admit enjoying the diagramming of sentences. And I still think prepositions are good things. Even though they don’t have breath, they can be used to praise the Word who became flesh, who diagrammed and effected the plan of salvation for any heart still willing to receive him.
Blessings,
Pastor David
In junior high school English, we learned to diagram sentences. I may be alone in this, but I liked this part of English! I enjoyed making the diagrams, especially when you added things below the line, such as prepositional phrases. The more prepositional phrases in a sentence, the more things you had hanging down below. It was fun in my class of junior high students at Eisenhower Junior High School in Kansas City, KS during the early seventies.
It appears the author of Psalm 150 also enjoyed prepositions. This anonymous writer employed three of them throughout the Psalm, giving it its simple structure. These prepositions inform us where we can praise God, why we should praise God and what we can use in the praise of God.
The Psalmist indicated two places where we can praise God: “Praise God in his sanctuary; praise him in his mighty heavens” (v. 1). For the ancient Hebrew, the sanctuary was the place God chose to have his name remembered (Ex. 20:24). The mighty heavens were the place of God’s dwelling. We are to praise God wherever we are prompted to think of him here on earth or when we join the host of heaven and praise him there. Seems pretty all-encompassing!
The next preposition gives us two reasons why we should praise God: “Praise him for his acts of power; praise him for his surpassing greatness” (v. 2). We praise God for what he has done, including such things as our salvation and forgiveness. And we praise him for who he is – loving, merciful, and good. Praising God for what he has done seems to flow easily. Praising him for who he is takes more intentionality.
Finally, the third preposition details ways we can praise God. We can use the sounding of the trumpet, harp and lyre, tambourine and dance, strings and flute, the clashing, and resounding of cymbals (vv. 3-5). Brass and stringed instruments, percussion, and liturgical dance can all be employed in the praise of God. These elements make many of our worship services seem rather tame. Maybe we should learn something from Hebrew worship!
As a one verse summary to this Psalm, and the Psalter in general, the writer concludes, “Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord” (v. 6). It is interesting the Psalms begin with an invitation to employ the Torah of the Lord as a way of life and end with an invitation to praise the Lord as the best use of that life. We are to use the breath we are given to praise the One who alone is worthy of it.
I admit enjoying the diagramming of sentences. And I still think prepositions are good things. Even though they don’t have breath, they can be used to praise the Word who became flesh, who diagrammed and effected the plan of salvation for any heart still willing to receive him.
Blessings,
Pastor David
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