602_Let all creatures praise the Lord (Psalm 148) Psalm 148 Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord from the heavens; praise him in the heights! 2 Praise him, all his angels; praise him, all his hosts! 3 Praise him, sun and moon, praise him, all you shining stars! 4 Praise him, you highest heavens, and you waters above the heavens! 5 Let them praise the name of the Lord! For he commanded and they were created. 6 And he established them forever and ever; he gave a decree, and it shall not pass away. 7 Praise the Lord from the earth, you great sea creatures and all deeps, 8 fire and hail, snow and mist, stormy wind fulfilling his word! 9 Mountains and all hills, fruit trees and all cedars! 10 Beasts and all livestock, creeping things and flying birds! 11 Kings of the earth and all peoples, princes and all rulers of the earth! 12 Young men and maidens together, old men and children! 13 Let them praise the name of the Lord, for his name alone is exalted; his majesty is above earth and heaven. 14 He has raised up a horn for his people, praise for all his saints, for the people of Israel who are near to him. Praise the Lord! There is a famous story told about the composer Joseph Haydn. One evening, after attending a concert where his own music had been performed, he quietly slipped into a nearby chapel. A friend later asked him why he went there instead of celebrating the applause. Haydn replied, “I wanted to give the praise back to the One to whom it truly belongs.” That simple response captures something deeply biblical: praise is not merely an emotional reaction; it is a rightful response. Praise is the echo of creation recognizing its Creator. Psalm 148 invites us into that vast echo. We have come to the third of the Hallelujah psalms, and this one lifts our eyes higher and wider than perhaps any other. The psalmist calls upon the entire universe to praise the Lord—everything that exists, seen and unseen, animate and inanimate, heavenly and earthly. From angels to animals, from stars to storms, from kings to children, all creatures are summoned to bow before the Lord. Praising God, at its heart, means acknowledging and declaring His glory and majesty. It is the recognition that God alone is worthy, that He stands above all that He has made. The psalm begins not on earth but in heaven. Angels and heavenly hosts are called to praise Him. Scripture gives us glimpses of this angelic worship, perhaps most vividly in Isaiah’s vision. Isaiah tells us that above the throne stood seraphim, each with six wings—two covering their faces, two covering their feet, and two with which they flew. They called to one another without ceasing, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory.” Even these sinless, powerful beings veil themselves in reverence. Their worship reminds us that praise is not casual familiarity but holy awe. From the angels, the psalmist turns our attention
