'' HALLELUJAH." I. PRAISE CELESTIAL (r-6). I. Injunction to Praise (1-4). The Place and the Participants. 2. Incentives to Praise (5-6). "Let them ... for ... " II. PRAISE TERRESTRIAL (7-14). I. Injunction to Praise (7-12). The Place and the Participants. 2. Incentives to Praise (13-14). "Let them ... for ... " PRIMARY AssocIATION.-See notes introductory to the group. Another psalm without a single petition. z
PROPHETIC ANTICIPATION.-lsrael invokes heaven and earth to join in the chorus of praise celebrating the restored relationship between Jehovah and the nation, a relationship clearly indicated in the last verse. In the coming kingdom age, Israel will be a nation of priests having the privilege of access to His presence as well as the responsibility (as we have seen in adv.) of testifying Jehovah's excellencies to the Gentile nations; c£ the privilege of the Church now, I Pet. ii. 5 (Godward); ii. 9 (manward). Note that the anthem of praise ringing out from the heavens above will find an answer of praise re-echoing from the earth below. PERSONAL APPLICATION.-The praise of inanimate objects may be inaudible, but it is by no means imperceptible to the thoughtful student of nature, Rom. i. 20. Remember the myriad beautiful things in creation were first thought by God before He gave them being. Obedience reigns in the starry heavens, c£ Matt. vi. 10. Note God's (a) Creating Power (sb); (b) Sustaining Power (6a); (c) Re straining Power (6b); see Heb. i. 2-3-"made ... upholding." All mankind without distinction of rank or age or sex have the same obligation and privilege of praise (11-12). Note that Scripture recognises a plurality of heavens: (a) the first or lowest heaven, i.e. the atmosphere-the cloudy heaven; (b) the second or middle heaven, i.e. space-the stellar heaven; (c) the third or highest heaven, i.e. the immediate. presence-chamber of God-the unseen heaven, 2 Cor. xii. 2. VERSE NOTES 1 ff. C£ Rev. iv., v. 13. This is not mere poetic rapture but clear prophetic truth; "heights," i.e. of heaven-a reminder of the Church's place in that day, Eph. ii. 3, 7. 2. "host"= hosts, may refer to both heavenly beings and heavenly bodies. 4. (a)" .•. ye highest heavens," c£ Neh. ix. 6, see note above; (b) cf. Gen. i. 6-7; Ps. civ. 3. It is possible that unknown to present science there are immense reserves of water lying beyond the expe. To such Scripture seems to make frequent reference. However in Gen. i. the reference is better explained of waters stored up in clouds divided from the waters upon the earth. h) e emp .. 6. "And he hath made them stand fast ... "; i.e. He not only created but sustains them; (b) as margin. 7. C£ Gen. i. 21. Note that the summons to earth begins with the deeps, whereas the summons to heaven began with the heights (1 ). Note also the rising scale (7 ff.) .. 8 "p· d h il " · th d . " · th ire an a , 1.e. e summer st<;>rm; snow an nust, 1.e. e wmter storm, cf. cxlvii. 16-18.
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