Study Questions for Psalm 66, 103, 117, 150

The Big Idea: Praise for God should permeate our lives as we think of His overwhelming glory and grace.

I. Praise His Glory (Ps 66) / Key Idea: We should praise God’s glory as it is seen in His works, in His loving discipline, and in His answers to our prayers.
1. Read Psalm 66:1-7. What are we told to do (v1, 2, 3, 5) and why (v5, 6, 7)? What results will this have (v3-4, 7)? / We are to shout joyfully to God, sing the glory of His name and make His praise glorious. We should also say to God how glorious His works are, and observe these works. We should do this because God is awesome in His actions toward the sons of men, having turned the sea into dry land, and He rules by His might forever, keeping watch over the nations. As a result the rebellious should not exalt themselves, but rather feign obedience if necessary, and all the earth will worship God and sing praises to Him.
2. According to Ps 66:8-15 what has God done for us (v9, 10-12) and how should we respond (v8, 13-15)? / God has kept our soul in life (literally, has “put it in life”), rather than death, and has not allowed our foot to slip. Slip could be translated “totter”, so the implication is that when we were about to fall down God kept us from that. He has also tried and refined us as a precious metal so that the dross will be removed and we will come out pure and valuable. This is not a pleasant process because it means we go through fire and water and men ride over our heads – they beat us down. But, when we come out on the other side we find ourselves in a place of abundance (lit, saturation). Because of this disciplining love we should bless, or praise, God, sounding His praise abroad, and we should worship Him with offerings that were promised when we were in trouble.
3. From Ps 66:16-20 what had the psalmist done (v17) and what was God’s response (v19-20)? What was the condition (v18)? / The psalmist had cried out to God when he was in trouble, and had extolled (exalted) Him with his tongue. This could mean that he exalted God by calling on Him for help, or by giving Him credit after he was helped. God responded to his prayer by hearing it, then giving heed (paying attention and moving into action) to it. He had not turned away from the psalmist’s in his cry for help, but had continued to express His lovingkindness (covenant loyalty) to him. The condition for God responding in this way was that the psalmist could not regard (to look at intently) wickedness (the laborious pursuit of that which leads to emptiness – everything opposed to God) in his heart. This only makes sense; God will not bless us when we pursuing things opposed to His plan and purpose for our lives. They will only result in sorrow for us, and He would not be acting in our best interests if He granted the wishes of our heart if we were going against His will.
II. Praise His Grace (Ps 103) / Key Idea: We should praise God for His compassionate grace as He gives us good things and gently deals with our sins.
4. Using Ps 103:1-5 what are some things that we should “bless” or praise the Lord for (v2, 3, 4, 5)? How should we do this (v1)? / We should bless (enrich) the Lord with our entire being – with all that is within us – for His benefits to us. He has pardoned our iniquities, healed our diseases, redeemed (rescued) our lives from the pit (of destruction), had crowned our lives with lovingkindness (covenant faithfulness) and compassion, and has satisfied our years with good things so that we are being continually renewed like eagle’s feathers. When we consider all of the things He has given to us how can we do any less than bless Him with all our soul?
5. From Ps 103:6-9 describe God’s nature (v6, 7, 8). What are some expressions of His nature (v6, 7, 9)? What does that mean to you? / God’s nature is to act righteously and justly, and to reveal His ways to His people. Furthermore, He is compassionate, gracious, slow to anger and has abundant lovingkindness. His peaceful nature leads Him to bring His contention with us over our sin to an end as soon as possible (but He will not short-circuit His intention to form us into the image of His Son even though He hates to see us hurt). These characteristics are important to us because they tell us that God will act this way because of who He is, not because of our performance. God cannot act contrary to His nature, so He is totally dependable and does not change based on us (although it may appear to us that He changes the course He has us on).
6. Read Ps 103:10-14. In what specific area has God shown His lovingkindness to us (v10, 12, 13)? Why does He do that (v13, 14)? / God has specifically shown lovingkindness to us in the area of our sins. Any sin is an affront to God – to His holiness and to His love for us. We are choosing another God and another way over Him, and He is a jealous God. In spite of that God restrains His punishment by making ways for us to come back to Him and be forgiven. In the Old Testament (covenant) He instituted a sacrificial system that would cover the sins (atone for them, but not actually pay for them) and allow fellowship to be restored with sinners, and in the New Testament (covenant) He paid for the sins through the blood of Christ. We deserve immediate and lasting punishment for our sins, but God has mercifully provided a pathway to restoration and life. Moreover, He has removed our transgressions from our account with Him, and has intentionally chosen to not remember them (Jer 31:34). He has compassion on us, and realizes that we are weak and fragile people, little more than dust. While God’s standard is perfection, He knows that we will not achieve that and so has made a way for us to be forgiven and restored to fellowship with Him.
7. Looking at Ps 103:15-18 how are God and man different (v15-17)? Who does that benefit (v17-18)? / While God is eternal in all His attributes and ways, we are like grass that greens up in the morning with the dew, and withers in the searing wind of a hot afternoon. We are so impermanent, but God will show His loving-kindness forever to those who fear (reverence, respect) Him, and will act righteously towards their grandchildren (a poetic way of saying that God will never change – He will always act right for all generations). This benefits those who keep His covenant, those who remember His precepts so that they may do them. There is no guarantee that the spiritual steadfastness of one generation will lead to God’s blessings on the next; each generation must reaffirm the faith of their fathers to receive the blessing of God’s promises. However, the next generation is “set up” to inherit God’s blessings which have been given to their parents if they will only obey the Lord.
8. According to Ps 103:19-22 what else should God be praised for (v19), and who should do it (v20-22)? / God should be praised for His sovereignty (His indisputable rule over all), although many want to question the fairness of God as He rules universally. Those who should praise God are the angels – they are mighty in strength as they obey and perform His commands. All of God’s hosts – this normally refers to the stars or angels, but encompasses all creation as they carry out His purpose and plan. All works of God, in all places of His rule – in other words every single thing, animate and inanimate – are to bless the Lord. God is worthy of praise from everything in every place.
III. Praise Him Greatly (Ps 117, 150) / Key Idea: Everyone and everything should praise God greatly – in every possible place and in every possible way.
9. In Ps 117:1-2 who is told to praise God (v1) and why (v2)? Why should both of these characteristics of God make us want to praise Him? / All nations (all peoples other than Jews) and all peoples are to praise and “laud” (another word for “praise) Him. They are to praise Him for His lovingkindness and His truth. Each of these are important to all people because God’s love is expressed to all creation, not just His people, and His truth is the certainty upon which the world is established and carries on. Lovingkindness is really a technical word that refers to the love and kindness that flows out of God’s covenants with us – He has entered into a relation-ship with us that is guaranteed by His integrity. We can always count on God to provide for His creation, to continue to uphold the “laws” of nature and to maintain the continuity of the natural principles of wisdom. Because His na-ture is truth, this means that an absolute, objective truth does exist, against which we can weigh falseness to determine it is wrong. Things are really either wrong or right – it is not all relative and subjective. This, too, is a great blessing that is worthy of praise.
10. Using Ps 150:1-6 name the who (v6), where (v1), what (v2), and how (v3-6) of praising God. What is the psalmist’s point (v1)? / Everything that has breath should praise the Lord – in the place of worship and out in nature. We should praise Him for His mighty works, and in every way that His excelling greatness is expressed. We should praise Him with music, with dancing, and with instruments of every kind – and it is implied that this praise should be a loud celebration. The point is that praising the Lord should be the utmost priority for every believer.
11. Name one thing from Ps 66, 103, 117 and 150 that you can praise God for. How can you make praising God a habit in your life? / Ps 66:7 tells me that God will not allow the rebellious to get out of line too far, so I can praise Him for His justice – even as it manifests itself with His discipline in my life. Ps 103 reminds me to praise God for His mercy towards me in my sin – He is gentle in His dealing with me although I am imperfect and weak. Ps 117 causes me to praise God for His truth – because it exists there is a standard that can be trusted for life. Finally, Ps 150 leads me to praise God for His mighty works – both in my life and in the life of others. The only way to make praise a habit in my life is to dwell on these thoughts throughout the day. As I drive, sit, relate, or recreate I must remember the greatness and goodness of God that is visible in all these daily activities of life.