For those who may wish to ‘study’ this chapter, the following simple resources are provided for you. Each passage has a four-Part approach to help you take in and think further about what you have read.

Passage: Psa 135:1-12

1 Praise the Lord.

Praise the name of the Lord;
    praise him, you servants of the Lord,
2 you who minister in the house of the Lord,
    in the courts of the house of our God.

3 Praise the Lord, for the Lord is good;
    sing praise to his name, for that is pleasant.
4 For the Lord has chosen Jacob to be his own,
    Israel to be his treasured possession.

5 I know that the Lord is great,
    that our Lord is greater than all gods.
6 The Lord does whatever pleases him,
    in the heavens and on the earth,
    in the seas and all their depths.
7 He makes clouds rise from the ends of the earth;
    he sends lightning with the rain
    and brings out the wind from his storehouses.

8 He struck down the firstborn of Egypt,
    the firstborn of people and animals.
9 He sent his signs and wonders into your midst, Egypt,
    against Pharaoh and all his servants.
10 He struck down many nations
    and killed mighty kings –
11 Sihon king of the Amorites,
    Og king of Bashan,
    and all the kings of Canaan –
12 and he gave their land as an inheritance,
    an inheritance to his people Israel.

A. Find Out

1. Who is called to do what? v.1,2
2. Why? v.3,4
3. What does the psalmist know about the Lord?  v.5,6
4. How is that seen in ‘nature’? v.7
5. How had that been seen in Israel’s history? v.8-12

B. Think:

1. How does this psalm seem a continuation in theme from Psa 134?
2. Look at Psa 136. How does that differ?
3. What is the difference between praise and thanks?

C. Comment:

                This is not one of the ‘songs of ascents’ but it continues the them of praise we found in the previous psalm. Praise acknowledges someone’s great achievements; thanks and an expression of gratitude for what has been done as it has affected you (see Psa 136).

                This psalm starts with a call to praise (v.1) and addresses all who serve in God’s house (v.1b,2) to praise Him. We are given content for this praise: it is because God is good (v.3) and we know this because of the way He chose and dealt with Israel (v.4)

                This revelation has shown us that God is greater than the so-called ‘gods’ of the nations (v.5) and because He is, he can do what He likes, wherever He likes (v.6). Because He is all-powerful, He can do what He likes with the weather (v.7. He is sovereign Lord.

                But He has revealed this in detail in the way He has acted on Israel’s behalf. He brought judgements on Egypt and on Pharaoh, to bring about Israel’s deliverance (v.8,9) and in the process of bringing them into as land of their own, He brought about the downfall of those nations that would stand in the way of His people (v.10,11) to eventually give them a land of their own, their inheritance from Him (v.12).

                Note again that this is a call to praise and thus acknowledge the Lord’s greatness and it is a call to those who serve Him, so that they may remind themselves and realise who it is they serve.

D. Application:

1. Realise God’s greatness. Ponder on it often.
2. See His greatness as revealed in His word.

Passage: Psa 135:13-21

13 Your name, Lord, endures for ever,
    your renown, Lord, through all generations.
14 For the Lord will vindicate his people
    and have compassion on his servants.

15 The idols of the nations are silver and gold,
    made by human hands.
16 They have mouths, but cannot speak,
    eyes, but cannot see.
17 They have ears, but cannot hear,
    nor is there breath in their mouths.
18 Those who make them will be like them,
    and so will all who trust in them.

19 All you Israelites, praise the Lord;
    house of Aaron, praise the Lord;
20 house of Levi, praise the Lord;
    you who fear him, praise the Lord.
21 Praise be to the Lord from Zion,
    to him who dwells in Jerusalem.

Praise the Lord.

A. Find Out

1. What does he say about the Lord and what will He do? v.13,14
2. What does he then turn to consider? v.15
3. How are they limited? v.16,17
4. What will happen to their makers? v.18
5. To whom does he call to do what? v.19,20
6. How does he describe the Lord? v.21

B. Think:

1. What do you think is the point of the psalmist mentioning idols?
2. What should we take from this?

C. Comment:

                Remember, in the first half of this psalm the psalmist has recounted the things the Lord DOES or has done. As a result of all that He has done, His fame will continue on in future generations (v.13) and there is the assurance that He will continue to be there for His people (v.14). He is God who works on behalf of His people.

                But then the psalmist turns to consider idols (v.15) that people in other nations worship (implied), things simply made by the hands of men. These idols, made in human form, have mouths, eyes and ears yet they cannot speak, see or hear (v.16,17) and indeed there is no life in them. The contrast with the Lord is sharp. The Lord, as we’ve seen earlier, speaks and acts on behalf of His people and as a result their lives are changed and they are saved. Idols, that other nations worship, by comparison, are worthless and do nothing for their people! Indeed trust in them will only end in death and destruction. The message is clear: they are worthless, stay away from them. The Lord by comparison is wonderful and can be trusted to care for His people.

                The conclusion is clear: God is great and worthy of our praise, and so the psalmist exhorts all Israel, the high priests and those who serve the Lord, and indeed all who fear the Lord to praise Him (v.19,20), to praise Him who dwells there in their midst in Jerusalem (v.21) for He is worthy of praise (and idols aren’t!). 

D. Application:

1. The Lord acts on behalf of His people.
2. Any alternative to the Lord is worthless and pointless.