Devotional Short Note to Psalm 113: Despite Hengstenberg’s focus on all the threes in the psalm, three praises, three times the name of the Lord etc. it may be better to stick to the content. The prophetic character of the psalm is a good leitmotif to understand it better rather than the conventional suggestion by Judaism and commentaries to see a festival behind it. The praising ones are the “servants” of the Lord. They can be males or females, officiating priests, preachers or leaders. There are no female priests in Israel ever but there were corrupt Israelites who permitted their wives to be ordained priestesses as one can see in Jeremiah 44:15 “Then all the men which knew that their wives had burned incense unto other gods…..”. The following of a popular cultural jurisprudence. Female ministries as priestesses here but in Jeremiah 44:26 it says: “Behold, I have sworn by my great name, says the Lord, that my name shall no more be named in the mouth of any man..” Females in the biblical way not included here due to the headship punishment clause in the Edenic divine judgment. This tension of culture vs biblical is throughout the biblical history not only in our digimodernism time. 

As one can see in 113:2-4, three aspects deserved attention to demonstrate how widespread the worship of the Lord is: time, from history to eternity; space, from the east to the west; ranking, beyond nations, heavens and above all glory.

With whom can God be compared? (113:5).

He is the One on high to dwell (113:5b).

He is the One coming down to see (113:6a) in heaven and upon the earth (113:6b).

What is there for Him to see? He is coming at the Second Coming to fetch His own as He has promised when Jesus left in John 14:1-3. Unfinished business. Philosophical Deism that God wound up the clock of this earth and then disappeared to let it run by itself, has no place in this scenario. Sorry. Shelve that concept. It does’nt work.

“Who raises from the dust (dal) lowly ones [dead]” (113:7a). It is the Resurrection that Daniel 12:1-2 is talking about. From dust to dust means created by God from dust and returning to dust after death. To be raised (gimi) from the dust means resurrection. “He lifts up the needy from a dunghill” (113:7b). Scholars thought it refers to mourning practices or the place for lepers. It is the poor/needy and after the Time of Trouble all will be poor since they had to ‘come out of her My people’ (Revelation) and the Lord “scattered” them as we saw in Psalm 112.

Why did He raised them from the dead at the Second Coming? “To dwell with princes, with princes of My people” (113:8). Christ promised the remnant that they will be princes and kings one day in eternity. Why? The CNN of heaven from other planets will take us for appointments one by one to their planets where millions are waiting to welcome us to tell our incredible salvation story, a narrative that they only watched on “heavenly videos” but with us there they can see face to face.

“Who dwells the barren woman of the house, a mother of children joyous” (113:9). No kids? Wait a minute, you have not seen the prophecies did you? Isaiah saw the Resurrection scene in Isaiah 49:20-21 because parents and children will be reunited. Christ will lift His hand to the nations and set up His standard to the peoples and after the Resurrection took place, angels will “bring your sons in bosom” (Isaiah 49:22d), and “your daughters will be carried on shoulders [of angels]” (Isaiah 49:22e). Now watch this for those who did not have children: “Behold I was left alone, from where did these come?” (Isaiah 49:21f). Ever thought I am going to be alone in heaven? No longer please. Promise me that.