The Psalms end with a final call to praise. There is no narrative. No petition. No confession. No lament. Just crescendoing imperatives to praise:
Hallelujah!
Praise God in his sanctuary.
Praise him in his mighty expanse.
Praise him for his powerful acts;
praise him for his abundant greatness.
Praise him with the blast of a ram’s horn;
praise him with harp and lyre.
Praise him with tambourine and dance;
praise him with strings and flute.
Praise him with resounding cymbals;
praise him with clashing cymbals.
Let everything that breathes praise the Lord.
Hallelujah!
In the final lines the worship breaks out. At the start of the psalm, the setting is cultic and liturgical, focused upon Israel and the temple. "Praise God in his sanctuary." But at the end of the song, the praise has spilled out and becomes universal. "Let everything that breathes praise the Lord."
That is how the Psalms come to an end, with a vision of the destiny of every human life.
No comments:
Post a Comment