I WILL EXALT MY GOD THE KING

Psalm 145:1-21 / Keywords 145:1

I will exalt you, my God the King; I will praise your name for ever and ever.

Psalm 145[a]

A psalm of praise. Of David.

145:1 I will exalt you, my God the King;

    I will praise your name for ever and ever.

2 Every day I will praise you

    and extol your name for ever and ever.

3 Great is the Lord and most worthy of praise;

    his greatness no one can fathom.

4 One generation commends your works to another;

    they tell of your mighty acts.

5 They speak of the glorious splendor of your majesty—

    and I will meditate on your wonderful works.[b]

6 They tell of the power of your awesome works—

    and I will proclaim your great deeds.

7 They celebrate your abundant goodness

    and joyfully sing of your righteousness.

8 The Lord is gracious and compassionate,

    slow to anger and rich in love.

9 The Lord is good to all;

    he has compassion on all he has made.

10 All your works praise you, Lord;

    your faithful people extol you.

11 They tell of the glory of your kingdom

    and speak of your might,

12 so that all people may know of your mighty acts

    and the glorious splendor of your kingdom.

13 Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,

    and your dominion endures through all generations.

The Lord is trustworthy in all he promises

    and faithful in all he does.[c]

14 The Lord upholds all who fall

    and lifts up all who are bowed down.

15 The eyes of all look to you,

    and you give them their food at the proper time.

16 You open your hand

    and satisfy the desires of every living thing.

17 The Lord is righteous in all his ways

    and faithful in all he does.

18 The Lord is near to all who call on him,

    to all who call on him in truth.

19 He fulfills the desires of those who fear him;

    he hears their cry and saves them.

20 The Lord watches over all who love him,

    but all the wicked he will destroy.

21 My mouth will speak in praise of the Lord.

    Let every creature praise his holy name

    for ever and ever.

Footnotes

a. Psalm 145:1 This psalm is an acrostic poem, the verses of which (including verse 13b) begin with the successive letters of the Hebrew alphabet.

b. Psalm 145:5 Dead Sea Scrolls and Syriac (see also Septuagint); Masoretic Text On the glorious splendor of your majesty / and on your wonderful works I will meditate

c. Psalm 145:13 One manuscript of the Masoretic Text, Dead Sea Scrolls and Syriac (see also Septuagint); most manuscripts of the Masoretic Text do not have the last two lines of verse 13.

 

1. David declares, “I will exalt you, my God the King; I will praise your name for ever and ever.” The direction of his heart and his life is very clear. The Lord is his God and his King. David knows him very personally and has experienced the greatness of God throughout his life. The fact that a mere mortal intends to praise God forever and ever is a clue to the hope we have in our God. The psalm builds as God’s praise is passed from one generation to another. Each generation can praise God because of the salvation they have received. We can sing because, although we were sinners, Christ died for us. In Jesus, we have tasted the goodness and righteousness of God and we can’t help but to sing his praise to the next generation.

 

2. In verse 8, David echoes the words the Lord used to describe himself in Exodus. The Lord is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in love. This is how he applies his power and glory; he is good to all and the whole universe sings his praise. His faithful people extol him because he has made them citizens of his glorious kingdom. The doors of his kingdom are open for all who will come in and it is a kingdom that will never end. The benefits of the Lord are wonderful and are experienced by those who belong to him. He is faithful, righteous, near to us, watchful, and satisfying. Praise his holy name!

 

Prayer Father, you alone are worthy of our praise.

One Word I will praise you forever and ever!