Praise the Lord!
Praise, O servants of the Lord,
    praise the name of the Lord!

² Blessed be the name of the Lord
    from this time forth and forevermore!
³ From the rising of the sun to its setting,
    the name of the Lord is to be praised!

⁴ The Lord is high above all nations,
    and his glory above the heavens!
⁵ Who is like the Lord our God,
    who is seated on high,
⁶ who looks far down
    on the heavens and the earth?
⁷ He raises the poor from the dust
    and lifts the needy from the ash heap,
⁸ to make them sit with princes,
    with the princes of his people.
⁹ He gives the barren woman a home,
    making her the joyous mother of children.
Praise the Lord!

1) What sections is this psalm broken into?
Psalms are poetic and largely employ a various number of literary techniques in their composition. Their main goal, other than to emotionally relate to God, was to give God’s people a songbook that was rich with God’s character traits to remind them who He was to them, and who they were to Him. Psalm 113 is broken into 3 sections with one main theme. Its overarching theme is adoration for God, which is noted like bookends at both the beginning and end of the song. The first section leans into the theme of praise, reminding us to praise God at all times, both from a big picture perspective (“beginning of time and forever more”), as well as the regular, everyday part of our lives (“from the rising of the sun, to its setting”). Section two is from verses 4-6 and focuses on 1 of 2 reasons given for why we praise God, which is simply because of who He is as the all-powerful, all-knowing, all-seeing Lord of All! The final section is found in verses 7-9, which give a second reason for praising God; His intimate interaction with humanity. The paradox is incredible! The Ruler of all creation, who Himself sits “high above” all nations, is intimately acquainted with every detail of our lives, and moves and acts for our benefit!

2) What does it mean to “bless the Lord”?
The idea of “blessing the Lord” is extremely common in the psalms, but also found in other places in Scripture too. It’s the idea of intentionally choosing to bring God the worship of your heart. This psalm in particular focuses on the timing of bringing that gift of worship, noting that the Lord is worthy of our worship regardless of our circumstances, emotions, relationships, or social status. We are always His beloved and He will always be worthy of our adoration.

3) Are verses 7-9 a promise that everyone who is poor or barren will gain wealth or children?
In a word, no. 🙂  When we read verses like these, it’s extremely important to keep context and purpose in mind to understand the intention of the words. The psalm only calls out two distinct circumstances, poverty and barrenness, but these would have ranked quite high on the list of “desperate needs” for people of that culture. It’s also important to note that the psalmist is calling on the lowest people of society and joyfully declaring the truth that God sees even them.

1) What sections is this psalm broken into?
The paradox in this psalm is incredible! The Ruler of all creation, who Himself sits “high above all nations”, is intimately acquainted with every detail of our lives, and moves and acts for our benefit! Sometimes, we find it honestly hard to praise God, both in big things (like cancer, death, or a broken relationship) and in small things (cheerios all over the floor, dirty socks left by the laundry basket, legos on the floor, or being late). But this psalm reminds us that God is God of all things big and small, and is present in every moment, no matter its significance. Next time you’re stressed and ready to worry or cry or get angry, remember who your God is and who you are to him: precious and deeply loved!

2) What does it mean to “bless the Lord”?
Job, who was extremely wealthy and successful lost everything and everyone dear to him, yet he chose to “bless the Lord”, realizing that God was still worthy of praise, despite how he felt and what he had lost. (Job 1:21) What are your circumstances in this moment? Whether they are extreme on one end or the other of the “happy” scale, or you’re content somewhere in the middle, now is the time to bless and worship Him! Sad? Worship Him. Angry? Worship Him. Giddy? Worship Him. Excited? Worship Him. Worship calls us away from our incessant desire to focus intently on ourselves and our pace of life, and shifts our heart to a place of peace, of quiet, of straightening of priorities as we gaze on the glories of our Maker! Try it! You won’t be disappointed!

3) Are verses 7-9 a promise that everyone who is poor or barren will gain wealth or children?
When studying the Bible, we should take care to always ask 3 questions. What does this passage teach me about God, about His people as a whole, and finally, about myself? A biblically accurate takeaway would be for us to see that because God’s character is benevolent and kind, He sees our biggest needs, and moves to care for us. Far from being promises of monetary and physical prosperity, the intention of these verses is to point to a God who sees every unique situation and circumstance. He sees every longing of our heart and has the highest regard for every single person, whether male or female, black or white, CEO or a blue-collar worker or a homeless man on the corner. No situation and no person is unknown or unseen to the Lord God! Walk confidently today, knowing that your God sees you and knows you, values you, and is working for your good!

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We love getting help while we study and www.studylight.org is one of many excellent resources.  Just type in the verse you’re looking at and Boom! It’s right in front of you in English and Hebrew (Old Testament) or Greek (New Testament), which are the original languages the Bible was written in.

Want to know more about a specific word in a verse? Click on “Strong’s Interlinear Bible” then click the word you’d like to study. Find super awesome stuff like “origin”, “definition”, and even all the different ways that single word has been translated into English! If you want to be geeky, you can even click the word and hear its original pronunciation – That Is Awesome!

Want to get more background on a word or phrasing or passage? Click “Study Tools”, then pick a few commentaries to read their scholarly approach, keeping in mind that just because a commentary says it, doesn’t mean it’s true. (just like the internet :-))

Finding the original meaning is a huge deal when we study Scripture and can make all the difference in our understanding as we apply God’s truths to our everyday lives.

In our modern-day relationships, we want people to understand our original intention as we communicate; how much more so between God and humanity?!

Here’s a little bit more on why we take Digging Deeper so seriously.

Embracing God’s fullness in our lives is rooted in scripture and memorizing His word is vital to our continued growth and depth with Jesus.
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