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Praise the Lord! Let [everything he has made] praise the name of the Lord, for his name alone is exalted; his splendor is above the earth and the heavens (Psalm 148:1, 13).

Praise the Lord!

There is it. One of the basic commands of the Christian life.

As basic as the two great commandments: love the Lord your God and your neighbour as yourself. As complex as the cultural mandate in Genesis 1:28 and the great commission in Matthew 28:18-20. Understanding that this is a foundational practice of the Christian life, the liturgical traditions of the church end each day with a version of ‘Praise the Lord!’

This Psalm is a musical variation of Genesis 1. Everything God has created is called to join the great chorus of praise. Verses 1-6 elicit praise from the heavens, while verses 7-12 issue the same summons to the earth. This is the poet’s way of including everything in the cosmos: breathing, non-breathing, weather, planets, the elements on the periodic table, mighty and non-mighty; all must praise the Lord.

It is because God created us that we are called to praise Him. The Contemporary Testimony articulates the implications of God’s creating work: Our world belongs to God-not to us or earthly powers, not to demons, fate, or chance. The earth is the Lord's. In the beginning, God-Father, Word, and Spirit-called this world into being out of nothing, and gave it shape and order (7-8). Because he is the creator of all, all he has created ought to praise his glorious name.

This also: God formed sky, land, and sea; stars above, moon and sun, making a world of color, beauty, and variety-a fitting home for plants and animals, and us-a place to work and play, worship and wonder, love and laugh. God rested and gave us rest. In the beginning everything was very good (9). How can we not praise Him?

We might ask why this call to praise is needed. Why does it not come naturally to us? And of course, the answer is that all of creation is now subject to bondage and decay (cf. Romans 8:20-21). Along with the rest of God’s created order we are subject to other powers because of sin.

But that is not the end of the story. Romans 8 also tells us that the creation waits in eager hope for liberation. The rest of the story is that the one through whom the creation was formed became flesh and went through death to liberate all things. Christ frees us from the bondage of all hostile powers. Jesus reconciles us and all creation to our Creator God.

As redeemed children of God, we have been recreated as new beings. We are incorporated into a new community which a new attitude towards life. Our lives our no longer controlled by sin but centred in Christ so that the peace of Christ rules in our hearts, the word of Christ dwells in us richly, and the name of the Lord Jesus governs our behaviour. Christ has put on our flesh, therefore we put on Christ in our flesh -- Christ like in our everyday living, singing to God with thanks in our hearts, doing everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, always giving thanks to God the Father through Christ (cf. Colossians 3:1-17).

But we are only the first fruits, a taste of what is to come. The whole creation is waiting eagerly for its renewal. Salvation isn’t just about “me and Jesus.” It is about everything in heaven and on earth. Again, from the Contemporary Testimony, “Our hope for a new creation is not tied to what humans can do, for we believe that one day every challenge to God's rule will be crushed. His kingdom will fully come, and the Lord will rule (55). On that day we will see our Savior face to face, sacrificed Lamb and triumphant King, just and gracious. He will set all things right, judge evil, and condemn the wicked. We face that day without fear, for the Judge is our Savior, whose shed blood declares us righteous. We live confidently, anticipating his coming, offering him our daily lives-our acts of kindness, our loyalty, and our love-knowing that he will weave even our sins and sorrows into his sovereign purpose (57).

Followers of Jesus sing Psalm 148 in anticipation of the whole creation being free to sing the praise of God again. Let’s sing this psalm in anticipation of Christ’s final and full victory. Come, Lord Jesus, come.