Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ (2 Co 1:2). Amen.
It is kind of bland, if not blah, when someone states: “It is good to _____ .” And then there is a follow up of something “good” to do. The word “good” in that sentence doesn’t sound all that great. Kind of take it or leave it. For example: “It is good to grill out on Father’s Day.” That comes across as nothing more than a useful suggestion or some helpful advice. (Plus, it also has a hidden assumption of who will turn on the gas or lay out the charcoal. Of course, dad can pick what he wants to make over the open flame. It is his day, after all.)
That is not what the psalmist had in mind. It is not a simple recommendation, but a sincere invitation. More along the lines of “it is good and right so to do” (CW pp. 21, 33). It is good to praise the Lord for his faithfulness and for our fruitfulness. We read from …
Psalm 92:1-15
Dear People of the Lord our God, who once saved us and now strengthens us,
We have another one of these special celebrations today. Father’s Day. And so we say, “Happy Father’s Day.” We pray that it is.
If you are a father in the present or have been a father in the past, you know that it is not always easy. (That is not to talk anyone out of that role in the future. It is an important responsibility from our God.)
While there is no perfect father, it is not a bad thought to show some thankfulness for all that a dad does—whether it is known or even notable, from paying bills to offering prayers. It is good to be grateful to him.
Even more so the Lord.
It Is Good to Praise the Lord
1. For his faithfulness (1-8)
2. For our fruitfulness (9-15)
1. For his faithfulness (1-8)
Being a dad is a full-time charge, not a part-time one. And it is time-consuming and can be sleep-depriving. That is not meant to be a bit of negativity, but a dose of reality. We might not be so good at acknowledging the day-to-day or appreciating the day after day—especially if dad is a constant. But even if, or when, an earthly father may falter, our heavenly Father does not fail. It is good to praise the Lord for his faithfulness.
Not every psalm has a heading. This one does. It was intended to be sung to musical accompaniment—a melody with words (cf. heading—“ A psalm. A song.”). The singer even mentions some instruments: “to the music of the ten-stringed lyre and the melody of the harp” (Ps 92:3). He is not being restrictive, but instructive. We can praise the Lord in various ways. Today we have an organ as we chanted the refrain and verses. Nothing wrong with the piano either. The same is true of a guitar or violin or you name it. Music is a means to express our excitement.
And so the psalmist begins with a parallel idea and a precise identification:
“It is good to praise the LORD” (Ps 92:1). It is something pleasing to make a public confession of who God is and what God does. After all, he is the LORD—the One who does not change when it comes to his love (Ex 34:6,7).
“It is good to … make music to your name, O Most High” (Ps 92:1). God’s name is everything that he reveals about himself—his qualities and characteristics, from punishing sin to promising salvation. And he can do that as the one who is above all, mighty and majestic. In fact, in the very middle of the psalm, he stops to shout: “But you, O LORD, are exalted forever” (Ps 92:8). He is on high and we hold him high.
If you go back to the initial information, this was composed “For the Sabbath day” (cf. heading). That was Saturday, the 7th day of the week. The Lord reserved that for rest—physical and spiritual. There was to be no work. But there was to be worship. The children of Israel were to reflect on the refreshment that the Messiah would bring for their weary and worn souls.
Whether it is that day or this day, we recall that God sends our sins away. Our hearts are no longer bothered by or burdened with guilt. All because of what God has done for us in Christ. Time praising God is good for us (Mk 2:27).
But not just one day, every day—all day:
“to proclaim your love in the morning” (Ps 92:2). After a night of safekeeping, God is there with his mercy every new day (La 3:22,23). He sees our needs and supplies them—both around us and in us. Luther captures that in his morning prayer: “I thank you, my heavenly Father, through Jesus Christ, your dear Son, that you have kept me this night from all harm and danger. Keep me this day also from sin and every evil, that all my doings and life may please you” (CW p. 139). We go forward with him watching our coming and going (Ps 121:8). It is good to praise the Lord in the morning.
“to proclaim … your faithfulness at night” (Ps 92:2). The Lord is dependable and reliable through the challenges and changes of the day. He proves it with his presence and with his power. We trust in him as we turn to him. Again Luther leads us: “I thank you, my heavenly Father, through Jesus Christ, your dear Son, that you have graciously kept me this day. Forgive me all my sins, and graciously keep me this night” (CW p. 139). We close our eyes in sweet slumber, safe and secure. It is good to praise the Lord at night.
While there are times that we sing in sadness, the psalmist does it with gladness. “For you make me glad by your deeds, O LORD; I sing for joy at the works of your hands” (Ps 92:4). The Lord has been active all through history—from the creation of the world to the care of his people, even bringing them back to Israel from their captivity in Babylon. All so that the Savior could be born—to carry our sin, going to the cross on Good Friday, and to cry out in victory, coming from his grave on Easter Sunday. Who can measure his initiative and his intention? We add our voices in exclamation: “How great are your works, O LORD, how profound your thoughts!” (Ps 92:5; cf. Ro 11:33). There is no scale or gauge for that. We simply stand in awe of them and of him.
That doesn’t mean that everyone gets it. “The senseless man does not know, fools do not understand” (Ps 92:6). In a way, the comparison is to a cow—somewhat dull. It is not intellectual ability, but spiritual ignorance. They don’t get why it is good to praise the Lord. The singer details their lack of discernment: “that though the wicked spring up like grass and all evildoers flourish, they will be forever destroyed” (Ps 92:7). You may be mowing your grass regularly—much more so than in January. Those who are guilty may bud and blossom, but they will not last like your lawn come the fall. Those who practice what is harmful to their relationship with God will be ruined eternally. There will be that sad end. We hear that so that we heed it.
But we give our attention to God. And we give our devotion to him. We don’t want to miss any opportunity, any chance. It is good to praise him for his faithfulness. God doesn’t just make a promise, he keeps it. Through Ezekiel, the Lord used picture language to assure of his action: “I myself will take a shoot from the very top of a cedar and plant it; I will break off a tender sprig from its topmost shoots and plant it on a high and lofty mountain” (Eze 17:22). That is a reference to the Messiah to come for them—who has come for us. Jesus Christ is the One who came from David to sit on his throne to rule forever (Lk 1:32,33). He even punctuates it—almost as if it is an exclamation mark: “I the LORD have spoken, and I will do it” (Eze 17:24). We consider that every Christmas. We enjoy it every Easter. We praise the Lord for his steadiness.
That is valuable all our life. The apostle Paul pointed out that we spend our days in an “earthly tent” (2 Co 5:1). It is temporary. Our home in heaven is eternal. We look for it. We long for it. And one day it will be ours. In the meantime, “We live by faith, not by sight” (2 Co 5:7). But there is no question about it. God has given to us his Holy Spirit “as a deposit” (2 Co 5:5)—like a down payment. When we take out a loan, we put down some cash, pledging that there will be more to follow. God asserts: “There is more to come.” We will live in heaven with him. It is good to praise the Lord for his faithfulness on earth to eternity.
2. For our fruitfulness (9-15)
There is that cliché: “like father like son.” There is often a similarity between the two—their opinions and outlooks, their walk and talk. Our heavenly Father’s work in our hearts leads to work in our lives. It is good to praise the Lord for our fruitfulness.
Once more the psalmist references those who are hostile. And he is emphatic. “For surely your enemies, O LORD, surely your enemies will perish; all evildoers will be scattered” (Ps 92:9). That is even the case at times with those who bring us trouble and cause us hardship: “My eyes have seen the defeat of my adversaries; my ears have heard the rout of my wicked foes” (Ps 92:11). We await his timing and anticipate his triumph. God is there: “You have exalted my horn like that of a wild ox” [A horn is a symbol of power.]; fine oils have been poured on me” [Oil is a sign of prosperity.] (Ps 92:10).
And he picks that up with another illustration: “The righteous will flourish like a palm tree, they will grow like a cedar of Lebanon” (Ps 92:12). We are right with God because he covers us in Christ’s righteousness, his holiness. The tall, slender palm tree produced fruit—even in hot, dry climates. The large, magnificent cedar tree was used for construction—beams and pillars. “Planted in the house of the LORD, they will flourish in the courts of our God” (Ps 92:13). God has put the seed of conviction in us. And now like a tree does what it is meant to do—an apple tree yielding apples, so do we. The gift of faith causes fruits of faith—good works. Paul spells it out like this: “So we make it our goal to please him” (2 Co 5:9). We no longer live for ourselves, but for our Savior. And there is growth as Jesus mentioned in his parable: “All by itself the soil produces grain—first the stalk, then the head, then the full kernel in the head” (Mk 4:28)—from first planting to final harvesting (Mk 4:29).
And it is not just for a season or a time. “They will still bear fruit in old age, they will stay fresh and green” (Ps 92:14). As trees age become older, they may become sickly, affecting the crop. But even past the prime of life, we stay strong in our praise: “proclaiming, “The LORD is upright; he is my Rock, and there is no wickedness in him” (Ps 92:15). We announce that he is not crooked—a place of solid and sturdy protection, in whom there is nothing bad. It is good to praise the Lord for our fruitfulness.
Father’s Day comes once a year. But we ought not limit our expressions of gratitude to that many times. “Happy Father’s Day” can translate into “Thank you, Dad” (also when he cooks outside). That is good. But it is good to praise the Lord for his faithfulness. That is the way he is morning and evening, day in and day out. It is good to praise the Lord for our fruitfulness. As we live with him, we live for him. That is good. Amen.
The grace of the Lord Jesus be with you (1 Co 16:23). Amen.
A psalm. A song. For the Sabbath day.
1 It is good to praise the LORD and make music to your name, O Most High,
2 to proclaim your love in the morning and your faithfulness at night,
3 to the music of the ten-stringed lyre and the melody of the harp.
4 For you make me glad by your deeds, O LORD; I sing for joy at the works of your hands.
5 How great are your works, O LORD, how profound your thoughts!
6 The senseless man does not know, fools do not understand,
7 that though the wicked spring up like grass and all evildoers flourish, they will be forever destroyed.
8 But you, O LORD, are exalted forever.
9 For surely your enemies, O LORD, surely your enemies will perish; all evildoers will be scattered.
10 You have exalted my horn like that of a wild ox; fine oils have been poured on me.
11 My eyes have seen the defeat of my adversaries; my ears have heard the rout of my wicked foes.
12 The righteous will flourish like a palm tree, they will grow like a cedar of Lebanon;
13 planted in the house of the LORD, they will flourish in the courts of our God.
14 They will still bear fruit in old age, they will stay fresh and green,
15 proclaiming, “The LORD is upright; he is my Rock, and there is no wickedness in him.”
June 17, 2018
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