Psalm 150
Praise the Lord! Praise God
in his sanctuary; praise him in his mighty firmament!
Praise him for his mighty
deeds; praise him according to his surpassing greatness!
Praise him with trumpet
sound; praise him with lute and harp!
Praise him with tambourine
and dance; praise him with strings and pipe!
Praise him with clanging
cymbals; praise him with loud clashing cymbals!
Let everything that breathes
praise the Lord! Praise the Lord!
Is this the eleventh commandment?! Moses brought down from Mt. Sinai the ten we know about: believe in One God, don’t make idols, don’t curse, take a break for God’s sake, honor your parents, don’t do bad things and treat others as you would like to be treated (Exodus 20:1-21). Then, the eleventh commandment is “Praise The Lord!” Well, of course, what else is there to do?! It hardens back to the first commandment that God is One and One with us! When we fully understand this the only other option is for us to “Praise The Lord!” This eleventh commandment also reflects the ‘great commandment’ that King Josiah delivered in Deuteronomy. It is known as the Shema, this name is from the Hebrew for ‘listen’. “Israel, listen!” Deuteronomy 6:4 and following begins. That’s right: People of God, LISTEN! The psalmist expands this even further, “Let every living thing...” Listen! Listen because God is in our midst, beside us, walking with us, and providing for us.
After we listen, there is just one response: make noise, shake things up, stir the pot! Grab everything you’ve got from horns to strings, percussion to voice, and proclaim that God is One and one with us now and forevermore! “Praise The Lord!” Let it begin today!
Dr. Andy Stoker, Senior Minister
