Theme:
God alone is worthy of praise—because His name is good, His power is unmatched, and His covenant care endures.
Tone:
Jubilant and reverent.
Structure:
A call to worship followed by reasons: praise is commanded, then anchored in God’s sovereign rule, His mighty redemption, His faithful gift, and the emptiness of idols—ending with gathered blessing.
The Call
The psalm begins by gathering the worshiping community into a single posture: “Praise the LORD.” It is not private inspiration but public devotion—priests, servants, and all who stand in God’s house are summoned to lift their attention from themselves to the Lord’s name. The opening feels like stepping into the courts of worship: a deliberate turning, a holy focus.
The Reflection
Praise deepens as the psalmist supplies weighty reasons. God is not merely helpful; He is sovereign—He “does whatever pleases him” in heaven, earth, sea, and depths. Creation and providence answer to His will, not to human control.
Then worship becomes remembrance: the Lord’s power is not abstract but proven in history—He struck Egypt, toppled kings, and gave Israel an inheritance. The heart is carried from awe to gratitude, from majesty to mercy.
A sharp contrast follows: idols are crafted, speechless, powerless, and ultimately deforming—those who trust them become like them. Against this silence stands the living God who acts, speaks, and saves. True worship is not the polishing of religious objects; it is the glad surrender to the Lord who alone has life in Himself.
The Resolve
The psalm closes with a widening chorus of blessing. Different households of God’s people are named and invited—Israel, Aaron, Levi, and all who fear the Lord. Praise becomes communal and steady, rooted in Zion, not in passing moods. The final note is not argument but doxology: God remains worthy, and His people remain called.
Psalm 135 celebrates the Lord’s absolute freedom to act and His mighty deliverance of His people—realities that come to their clearest light in Jesus. In Christ, God’s sovereignty is not distant power but saving power: the One who “does whatever pleases him” is pleased to redeem through the cross and to triumph through resurrection.
The psalm’s warning about idols also finds fulfillment in Christ’s revelation of the true God. Jesus exposes every false refuge—anything that cannot speak life, forgive sin, or raise the dead—and He stands as the living image of God, worthy of the worship that belongs to God alone. In Him, the church becomes the gathered people who bless the Lord, not from a temple court in Jerusalem only, but from every place where His name is confessed.
A key word in this psalm is “ḥesed” (חֶסֶד), often translated “steadfast love” (v. 14). It speaks of God’s loyal covenant commitment—love that is not fragile or temporary, but faithful, pledged, and enduring. Praise here is not flattery; it is the fitting response to covenant mercy.
“For I know that the LORD is great, and that our Lord is above all gods.” — Psalm 135:5
Answer the questions below. When you choose an option, you will see the result and an explanation.
1. Who is summoned at the beginning to join the public call, “Praise the LORD”?
2. How are idols described in contrast to the living God?