Psalms in Book 5 affirm that God does answer prayer, God’s promises are valid and they include a long love song for God’s laws. The final 5 Psalms are songs of praise believed to have been written to be sung at the dedication of the second temple.

If you let it, the Bible can be subversive. Especially if you are open to the Holy Spirit leading you. Sometimes, when you have expectations of where you think the Bible is going, the Bible seems to subvert itself. Please let reading Psalm 146 be one of those times.

The books of Psalms are roughly themed like this:

Book 1: Psalms 1 – 41: God is beside us.
Book 2: Psalms 42 – 72: God goes before us
Book 3: Psalms 73 – 89: God is all around us.
Book 4: Psalms 90 – 106: God is above us.
Book 5: Psalms 107 – 150: God is among us.

146 Praise the Lord!
Praise the Lord, O my soul!
² I will praise the Lord as long as I live;
    I will sing praises to my God while I have my being.
³ Put not your trust in princes,
    in a son of man, in whom there is no salvation.
⁴ When his breath departs, he returns to the earth;
    on that very day his plans perish.
⁵ Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob,
    whose hope is in the Lord his God,
⁶ who made heaven and earth,
    the sea, and all that is in them,
who keeps faith for ever;
⁷     who executes justice for the oppressed,
    who gives food to the hungry.
The Lord sets the prisoners free;
⁸     the Lord opens the eyes of the blind.
The Lord lifts up those who are bowed down;
    the Lord loves the righteous.
⁹ The Lord watches over the sojourners;
    he upholds the widow and the fatherless,
    but the way of the wicked he brings to ruin.
¹⁰ The Lord will reign for ever,
    your God, O Zion, to all generations.
Praise the Lord!

Psalm 146 ESVUK

Praise the Lord through the length of my life

These five praise psalms conclude the Psalter. They all start and end with the word Hallelujah, “praise God” or “Praise the Lord” in Hebrew.

Verses 1 and 2 eloquently express the psalmist’s commitment to praise God with their entire being – soul, life, and being. Some churches place great emphasis on personal testimony, sharing how God is actively present in one’s life. The impact of these testimonies is truly heightened when religious jargon is avoided, in my humble opinion, but that’s a tangent. Where can we find evidence of this in the Bible? It’s right here.

“I will praise the Lord through the length of my life; I will sing praises to my God through having my being.” is another way of looking at vere 2. I have changed these prepositions from the English translations, but not from the Hebrew, the words can mean in my life/existance or through them. The Human lifespan is of adequate length for praising God, but also the events of a person’s life that show God’s faithfulness can glorify God also.

Psalm 146 takes an unexpected turn and becomes political. It seems like whoever said you should not mix religion and politics forgot to inform God about this. From verse 3 onwards, Psalm 146 delves deeply into political matters. With the recent British and French elections, as well as the ongoing US campaign leading up to the November elections, it’s certainly important to pay attention to what the Psalm conveys. Get ready, as this could be quite subversive.

But first I’ll step back and look at the structure of Book 5 of the psalms (Psalms 107 -150).

“Oh, let’s give thanks to the Lord, because he is so good, and his steadfast love endures forever!” (Psalm 107:1) is how this section of psalms starts. Starting with “God is good” is such a wonderful way to open up, and it continues throughout the section. Psalm 146 will continue this beautiful theme by showing various ways that God is truly good.

Book 5 is a very organized book. The compilation is about the return of Judah to her homeland and the rebuilding of the temple in Jerusalem. They are arranged like this:

• After the first introducory song (Psalm 107)
• There is a section of songs attributed to David (Psalms 108-110)
• A section of praise songs, called the Egyptian Hallel (113-119) sandwiched between acrostic songs (111, 112 and 119)
• Songs for aproaching God’s temple, the Songs of Ascent (120-134)
• Songs which conclude both the Egypian Hallel and the Songs od Ascent (135-137)
• A second section of songs attributed to David (138-145)
• The concluding songs (146-150)

Comparing this to the Biblical histories of this period, the Books of Ezra and Nehemiah (originally a single scroll in Hebrew), we can discern a longing to restore the monarchy as well when reading between the lines. Zerubbabel, a descendant of David, was destined to be the new king of Judah. The story is not explicitly stated, as that would upset the Persians who ruled the area, but it is indeed there.

Book 5 up to this point, with its emphasis on songs of Jerusalem and songs of David, seems to support the restoration of the Monarchy. Until Psalm 146:3-4 which subverts that idea: “Put not your trust in princes.” Ouch!

Do not trust politicians, even the best ones are only here for a short time (verse 4). That does not mean do not vote, we need the political things to be done. What those are starts in verse 5. It means that politics is short-term, but salvation is long-term. Only God can bring that.

Salvation, although rarely used outside of a religious context these days, simply means to be saved. If you have been rescued from the sea by the coastguard, that is salvation. The films The 33 (2015), based on the real events of the 2010 Copiapó mining disaster in Chile, and 13 Lives (2022), about the rescue of a Thai boy’s football team and their coach from Tham Luang Nang Non, a cave system in Chiang Rai province, northern Thailand, are both poignant examples of salvation based on true stories.

How is God good? It’s political

I can bring glory to God through the events of my life. I can bring salvation to people, short term, by how I deal with people in a godly way. How do I do that? The list starts in verse 5, God gives:

the oppressed have justice
the hungry have food
the prisoners are set free
the eyes of the blind are opened
the bowed down are lifted up
the righteous are loved
sojourners are watched over
widows and the fatherless are upheld

It’s a political list, but this is God’s politics. When we support these same people, society’s most vulnerable, and those who help them, we are embodying God’s politics. When we vote for people who will help these individuals, we are embodying God’s politics. By advocating for the assistance of these people, we are embodying God’s politics.

It’s not just about the economy; it’s about how we compassionately care for society’s most vulnerable. That’s what God’s politics is all about.

Films like The 33 and 13 Lives may not delve into the concept of eternal salvation. It’s important to remember that feeding the hungry does not influence eternal salvation, which is only attainable through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. However, bringing salvation into a person’s life, protecting the vulnerable, providing for the hungry, and empowering the powerless remain significant to God. These aspects deserve our utmost attention and care.

Get un-bent

Get un-bent. I have borrowed the phrase from a Rabbi I read when researching the psalm’s background. Verse 8 says, “The Lord lifts up those who are bowed down.” We can all get bowed down by the stresses of everyday life. Pressure can bend you out of shape. Come to God and get un-bent.

That’s about all he said about getting un-bent. But I liked the phrase so much that I stole it.

Jesus said something similar:

²⁸ Come to me, all who labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. ²⁹ Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. ³⁰ For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

Matthew 11:28-30

Come to Jesus. He accepts all who come to him. Get yourself un-bent. The salvation of Jesus is forever.

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