breathes

December 31, 2015

Doxology of praise to Yahweh (Ps 150:3-150:6)

“Praise him

With trumpet sound!

Praise him

With lute!

Praise him

With harp!

Praise him

With tambourine!

Praise him

With dance!

Praise him

With strings!

Praise him

With pipe!

Praise him

With clanging cymbals;

Praise him

With loud clashing cymbals!

Let everything that breathes

Praise Yahweh!

Praise Yahweh!”

This psalm and the whole book of psalms end with the double phrase “praise Yahweh,” another way of saying alleluia, the Hebrew “Hallelujah.” This doxological praise of God explains how this is done here on earth. The various instruments were to be used in praising Yahweh, the trumpet, the lute, the harp, and the tambourine. There was to be dancing with stringed instruments, playing pipes, and clanging cymbals. Everything that breathes should praise Yahweh. This is a fitting end to a great book of praise to God.

November 29, 2015

Praise Yahweh (Ps 104:31-104:35)

“May the glory of Yahweh endure forever.

May Yahweh rejoice in his works.

He looks on the earth.

It trembles!

He touches the mountains.

They smoke!

I will sing to Yahweh

As long as I live.

I will sing praise to my God

While I have existence.

May my meditation be pleasing to him.

I rejoice in Yahweh.

Let sinners be consumed from the earth!

Let the wicked be no more!

Bless Yahweh!

O my soul!

Praise Yahweh!”

This long psalm of thanksgiving ends with a shout out praise for Yahweh as the creator of all people and things. The glory of God endures forever so that Yahweh should rejoice in his works. If he looks at the earth, it trembles. If he touches the mountains, they start to smoke. This psalmist will sing praise to Yahweh as long as he lives and breathes. He wanted his mediation to be pleasing to Yahweh. He rejoiced in Yahweh. However, he wanted the sinners consumed and the wicked wiped away. Finally, he wanted his soul to bless and praise Yahweh. The phrase “praise Yahweh” is another way of saying alleluia, the Hebrew “Hallelujah.”

September 10, 2015

Yahweh created the world (Ps 33:6-33:7)

“By the word of Yahweh,

The heavens were made.

Their entire host came to be,

By the breath of his mouth.

He gathered the waters of the sea

As in a bottle.

He put the deep areas in storehouses.”

The heavens came to be with the simple word of Yahweh, the creator God. All that exists, the hosts of things, were created by the breath of Yahweh. Yahweh gathered all the seas and waters as if he poured it out of a bottle. He had storehouses for the depths of the seas. In very colorful anthropomorphic language, Yahweh speaks, breathes, and gathers water in a bottle as the creator of the world.