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600_Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob (Psalm 146)

Psalm 146 Praise the Lord!
Praise the Lord, O my soul!
2 I will praise the Lord as long as I live;
I will sing praises to my God while I have my being.

3 Put not your trust in princes,
in a son of man, in whom there is no salvation.
4 When his breath departs, he returns to the earth;
on that very day his plans perish.

5 Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob,
whose hope is in the Lord his God,
6 who made heaven and earth,
the sea, and all that is in them,
who keeps faith forever;
7 who executes justice for the oppressed,
who gives food to the hungry.

The Lord sets the prisoners free;
8 the Lord opens the eyes of the blind.
The Lord lifts up those who are bowed down;
the Lord loves the righteous.
9 The Lord watches over the sojourners;
he upholds the widow and the fatherless,
but the way of the wicked he brings to ruin.

10 The Lord will reign forever,
your God, O Zion, to all generations.
Praise the Lord!

There is a story told about a famous tightrope walker who once stretched a rope across Niagara Falls. Crowds gathered as he walked back and forth with perfect balance, carrying a pole, then a chair, even pushing a wheelbarrow across the roaring waters. Each time he reached the other side, the crowd erupted in applause. At one point he turned to them and asked, “Do you believe I can carry a person across in this wheelbarrow?” The crowd shouted enthusiastically, “Yes!” Then he asked a quieter question: “Who will get in?” The cheering stopped. Belief, it turned out, was easy. Trust was much harder. That moment captures something very close to the heart of Psalm 146. It is one thing to admire God, to speak well of Him, or to agree that He is powerful. It is another thing entirely to place the full weight of our hope, our future, and our security in Him. The psalmist declares that the truly blessed person is the one who does exactly that: “Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the Lord his God.”

Psalm 146 opens the final collection of psalms, often called the Hallelujah Psalms. Each of the last five psalms begins and ends with the same exuberant call: “Praise the Lord.” It is as if the book of Psalms, after wrestling with lament, doubt, confession, and longing, resolves at the end to lift its eyes heavenward and rest in praise. This particular psalm begins not with a command to others, but with a personal resolve. “Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord, O my soul! I will praise the Lord as long as I live; I will sing praises to my God while I have my being.” Praise is not presented as a momentary emotional response, but as a lifelong posture. As long as there is breath in his lungs, the psalmist wants praise to be on his lips. Another psalm echoes this same desire: “Let my mouth be filled with your praise and with your glory all the day.” A life characterized by praise is not a life untouched by pain or struggle, but one that has learned where true help comes from. Such a life brings glory to God because it quietly testifies that God is worthy of trust in every season.

Almost immediately, the psalmist turns our attention to a great temptation of the human heart: misplaced trust. “Put not your trust in princes, in a son of man, in whom there is no salvation.” This is not a denial of the value of leadership, wisdom, or human relationships, but a clear warning against making them our ultimate hope. Even the most powerful human beings are fragile. Verse four is striking in its simplicity and honesty: when a person dies, his breath departs, he returns to the earth, and “on that very day his plans perish.” Death is the great equalizer. It renders the ambitions of kings and the dreams of common people equally powerless. Wealth, influence, intelligence, and authority all stop at the grave. The psalmist is not being cynical; he is being realistic. Human plans are limited by time, weakness, and mortality.

In contrast, the purposes of God move beyond individuals and beyond generations. God’s plans are not fragile, and they are not interrupted by death. This is why Scripture consistently urges us to align ourselves with what God is doing rather than investing all our energy in self-made, self-centered plans. To be part of God’s purpose is far safer and far more meaningful than trying to build a personal kingdom that cannot last. Trusting in human power ultimately leads to disappointment, not because humans are always malicious, but because they are finite.

Against this backdrop, verse five shines like a bright promise: “Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the Lord his God.” The word “blessed” here carries the sense of deep contentment, stability, and well-being. This blessedness is not rooted in circumstances, but in relationship. The psalmist then patiently unfolds why such a person is truly blessed, piling reason upon reason until the heart is convinced that there is no safer place to rest than in God.

First, the Lord is the Creator of heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them. This immediately sets Him apart from every human helper. He is not limited by resources, strength, or knowledge. The One who made all things is certainly able to help those who trust Him. Our problems may be complex, but they are never beyond His capacity. The psalmist wants us to see that God’s willingness to help is matched by His absolute ability to do so.

Second, this God “keeps faith forever.” Unlike human promises, which may be sincere but fragile, God’s faithfulness does not expire. He does not forget, grow weary, or change His mind. Every promise He has made stands secure. For people who live in a world where trust is often broken, this is profoundly comforting. The God of Jacob is not only powerful; He is dependable.

The psalm then turns our attention to God’s heart for justice and compassion. He executes justice for the oppressed and gives food to the hungry. Again and again in Scripture, God reveals Himself as the defender of those who are vulnerable. He is described elsewhere as “Father of the fatherless and protector of widows.” These are not poetic exaggerations; they are windows into His character. God notices those whom society overlooks. He is not impressed by status or wealth. His eyes are drawn to suffering, and His hands are moved to act.

The psalmist goes on to say that the Lord sets the prisoners free and opens the eyes of the blind. These words carry both literal and spiritual meaning. God is able to intervene in real human bondage, but they also point us forward to the ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ. When Jesus read from Isaiah and declared that the Spirit of the Lord was upon Him to proclaim good news to the poor and liberty to captives, He was announcing that God’s saving compassion had taken visible, tangible form. In Christ, we see Psalm 146 lived out before our eyes. He lifts up those who are bowed down, heals the brokenhearted, and restores dignity to the crushed.

The Lord loves the righteous, not because they are flawless, but because they walk in humble dependence upon Him. He watches over the sojourner, the widow, and the fatherless, and at the same time, He brings the way of the wicked to ruin. This contrast is not meant to make us proud, but sober. A life oriented toward God leads to blessing and restoration; a life set against Him ultimately collapses under its own weight. Jesus echoed this truth when He said, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.” True satisfaction is found not in self-assertion, but in surrender to God’s ways.

The psalm ends where it began, with praise, but now that praise is anchored in hope that stretches beyond time. “The Lord will reign forever, your God, O Zion, to all generations. Praise the Lord!” Human rulers come and go. Kingdoms rise and fall. But God’s reign is unending. This is the final and strongest reason for trust. The God who helps His people today will still be reigning tomorrow, and long after we are gone. Those who place their hope in Him are not gambling on a temporary solution; they are resting in an eternal King.

Psalm 146 presents a breathtaking picture of God as Creator, Sustainer, Provider, Healer, Protector, and Savior. To seek help from such a God is not wishful thinking; it is wisdom. Those who trust Him do not escape hardship, but they are never abandoned within it. Even death does not have the final word, because their hope reaches beyond the grave.

The practical question this psalm leaves us with is simple and searching: where do we instinctively turn for help? When anxiety rises, plans fail, or the future feels uncertain, do we place our confidence in people, systems, or our own abilities, or do we turn to the God of Jacob? Praise, in this sense, becomes an act of trust. Each time we choose to praise God, we declare that our help does not come from princes, but from the Lord who made heaven and earth. This day, we can practice that trust by consciously bringing our worries to Him, by choosing obedience even when it feels risky, and by praising Him not only for what He gives, but for who He is. Blessed indeed is the one whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the Lord his God.