Whereas in the psalms of petition the focus is often on the worshiper and his needs, in the psalms of celebration the emphasis is on the dominion and authority of the Great King, the grantor and guarantor of the covenant.
Enthronement Psalms
Of all acclamations in the Psalms, perhaps the most joyful is the cry, “Yahweh has become King!” (Pss. 93:1; 96:10; 97:1; 99:1). The psalms of the Lord’s enthronement set the scene for the renewal of the covenant in the invitation to worship him as the Great King:
Come, let us sing for joy to the Lord;
Let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation.
Let us come before him with thanksgiving
And extol him with music and song.
For the Lord is the great God,
The great King above all gods. (Ps. 95:1–3)
Although Israel understands its special role as the covenant partners of Yahweh (Ps. 147:19–20), it also understands that Yahweh’s dominion is universal:
Say among the nations, “The Lord reigns … ”
He comes to judge the earth.
He will judge the world in righteousness
And the peoples in his truth. (Ps. 96:10, 13)
In ancient treaties, the great king is often compared to a shepherd; the shepherd-sheep image is therefore covenant language. The Psalms speak of Yahweh as the “Shepherd of Israel” (Ps. 80:1; cf. Ps. 23:1) and of his people as sheep:
Come, let us bow down in worship,
Let us kneel before the Lord our Maker;
For he is our God
And we are the people of his pasture, the flock under his care. (Ps. 95:6–7; cf. Ps. 100:3)
The declaration “he is our God” is an affirmation of covenant ratification, reminiscent of the covenant formulary as found in the prophetic books: “I will be their God, and they will be my people” (Jer. 31:33).
Related to the psalms of enthronement are those that depict Yahweh’s ascent of Zion to take up his rule. The language of these psalms may hark back to the time when David first had the ark of the covenant brought up to Jerusalem, or it may reveal an ongoing reenactment of that event in a procession of the ark:
Your procession has come into view, O God,
The procession of my God and King into the sanctuary. (Ps. 68:24)
Lift up your heads, O you gates;
Lift them up, you ancient doors,
That the King of glory may come in. (Ps. 24:9)
God has ascended amid shouts of joy,
The Lord amid the sounding of trumpets.
Sing praises to God, sing praises;
Sing praises to our King, sing praises.…
God reigns over the nations;
God is seated on his holy throne. (Ps. 47:5–6, 8)
Hymns of Praise
The hymn of praise is the offering of tribute to the Lord, the fulfillment of a covenant obligation and the worshiper’s vow of praise:
I will sacrifice a [sacrifice of confession] to you
And call on the name of the Lord.
I will fulfill my vows to the Lord
In the presence of all his people,
In the courts of the house of the Lord—
In your midst, O Jerusalem,
Praise the Lord. (Ps. 116:17–19)
The joyful cry “Hallelujah! (“Praise the Lord,” or “Praise Yah,” a shortened form of the name Yahweh) occurs in sixteen psalms. It introduces and concludes several of the hymns of praise:
Praise Yahweh!
Praise, O servants of Yahweh,
Praise the name of Yahweh.
Blessed be the name of Yahweh
From this time forth and forever. (Ps. 113:1–2)
The concept of “name” or reputation is important in treaty terminology, for the treaty stands upon the name of the great king who grants it. Thus Yahweh declares his name, together with his act of deliverance in the Exodus, at the beginning of the Sinai covenant (Exod. 20:2). In the psalms of praise, worshipers often “bless the name” of Yahweh (Pss. 96:2; 100:4; 103:1; 145:1 all NASB).
Like the enthronement psalm, the hymn of praise may be universal in scope, inviting Gentile worshipers as well as those of Israel to participate in the act of tribute:
Praise the Lord, all you nations;
Extol him, all you peoples.
For great is his [covenant love] toward us,
And the faithfulness of the Lord endures forever.
Praise the Lord. (Ps. 117:1–2)
Hymns of praise may celebrate different aspects of the Lord’s activity in maintaining the covenant. Some of them emphasize his act of creation, as a demonstration of his power, which holds at bay those who may threaten his covenant partners:
By the word of the Lord were the heavens made,
Their starry host by the breath of his mouth.
He gathers the waters of the sea into jars;
He puts the deep into storehouses.
Let all the earth fear the Lord;
Let all the people of the world revere him. (Ps. 33:6–8)
In other psalms, Yahweh’s power is made known through his actions in history to save his people:
Shout with joy to God, all the earth!
Sing the glory of his name;
Make his praise glorious! …
He turned the sea into dry land,
They passed through the waters on foot—
Come, let us rejoice in him.
He rules forever by his power,
His eyes watch on the nations—
Let not the rebellious rise up against him. (Ps. 66:1–2, 6–7)
The psalm of praise may also extol the laws of the covenant. The massive acrostic, Psalm 119, has been called “a great doxology of God’s word” (Claus Westermann, The Psalms: Structure, Content, and Message [Minneapolis: Augsburg Publishing House, 1980], p. 117). In Psalm 19 the hymn of praise combines the “creation” theme with that of the Law:
The heavens declare the glory of God;
The skies proclaim the work of his hands.…
The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple. (Ps. 19:1, 7)
Many interpreters consider this psalm to be two separate compositions that were joined together at a late date in the formation of the Psalter. In their view, psalms that celebrate the Law or Torah must have originated only after the Law came to be revered, at times, to excess. But if the proclamation of the stipulations or “word” of the covenant between Yahweh and his people was part of the ongoing festal worship of the Israelite sanctuary—as evidence suggests—it is to be expected that some psalms would especially celebrate that “word” or law, even from an early period. The link between Yahweh as Creator and Yahweh as Lawgiver is integral to his role as the Great King.
Almost all psalms of praise and psalms of enthronement begin with an invitation to worship the Lord: to bless his name; to “sing to the Lord a new song” (Pss. 96:1; 98:1; 149:1); to raise a shout (Pss. 47:1; 66:1; 95:1; 100:1); to clap the hands (Ps. 47:1); to fall prostrate or kneel before the Lord (Ps. 95:6); to enter his presence joyfully with thanksgiving and praise (Ps. 100:4); to celebrate with dancing and music (Ps. 149:3). The invitation may be extended to occupy the entire hymn, as in Psalms 148–150. In the Psalter’s concluding doxology, every line save the last begins with the imperative, “Praise!” (Halllu!), and the last ends with “Hallelujah!” These psalms represent a heightened recognition of the homage due the Great King from his partners in the covenant.
Psalms of the Sanctuary
As the site of the annual festivals, where the covenant with the Lord was renewed, Jerusalem was the place “where the tribes go up” (Ps. 122:4). The sanctuary on Mount Zion was especially esteemed in the eyes of the faithful of Israel and Judah. The house of the Lord was the place where Yahweh’s faithfulness in protecting his servants was revealed:
In Judah God is known,
His name is great in Israel.
His tabernacle is in Salem,
His dwelling place in Zion.
There he broke the flashing arrows,
The shield, the sword, and the weapons of war. (76:1–2)
Thus, psalms of Zion developed; they exalted the city of the sanctuary and spoke of Yahweh’s love for it:
The Lord loves the gates of Zion
More than all the dwellings of Jacob.
Glorious things are said of you,
O city of God. (Ps. 87:2–3)
In the perspective of the worshiper of Yahweh, it seemed that Zion, “the city of the Great King” (Ps. 48:2), would be established forever as a stronghold and defense for his people (Pss. 46; 48). The psalmic portrayal of Zion became the basis for the New Testament picture of the worshiping church as the New Jerusalem, the refuge of the saints of God (Gal. 4:26; Heb. 12:22–23; Rev. 21:2).
Psalms of Historical Recital
Ancient treaties are prefaced by a narrative of the previous relationship between the overlord and his vassal, usually reciting the benefits the great king has conferred on the servant, such as his elevation to a place of authority, the granting of territory, or protection from invasion. Biblical covenants begin with a similar “historical prologue”:
“I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.” (Exod. 20:2)
“I took you from the pasture and from following the flock to be ruler over my people Israel. I have been with you wherever you have gone, and I have cut off all your enemies from before you.… ” (2 Sam. 7:8–9)
The historical recital forms part of the act of covenant renewal and may be greatly extended, as in Moses’ renewal of the covenant prior to Israel’s entrance into Canaan (Deut. 1–4). The historical psalms represent a development from this element in the covenant structure:
They wandered from nation to nation,
From one kingdom to another.
He allowed no one to oppress them;
For their sake he rebuked kings:
“Do not touch my anointed ones;
For my prophets no harm.” …
He brought out his people with rejoicing,
His chosen ones with shouts of joy;
He gave them the lands of the nations,
And they fell heir to what others had toiled for—
That they might keep his precepts
And observe his laws.
Praise the Lord. (Ps. 105:13–15, 43–45)
In the faith of the prophetic psalmists of the sanctuary, the covenant was not to be taken for granted; its effectiveness was dependent on the continued obedience of the worshipping community—an obedience that had been all too often compromised:
Today, if you hear his voice,
Do not harden your hearts as you did at Meribah,
As you did that day at Massah in the desert,
Where your fathers tested and tried me,
Though they had seen what I did. (Ps. 95:7–8)
Thus the recitation of covenant history may take the form of the confession of Israel’s sin and rebellion:
Thus he brought them to the border of his holy land,
To the hill country his right hand had taken.
He drove out nations before them
And he allotted their lands to them as an inheritance;
He settled the tribes of Israel in their homes.
But they put God to the test and rebelled against the Most High;
They did not keep his statutes.
Like their fathers they were disloyal and faithless,
As unreliable as a faulty bow.
They angered him with their high places;
They aroused his jealousy with their idols. (Ps. 78:54–58; cf. Ps. 106)
The psalms of historical recital are a reminder not only of Yahweh’s choice of his people and his deeds of deliverance but also of the servant’s constant temptation to fall away from a commitment to the Great King.
Festal Liturgies
A proviso of treaties between the great king and the servant king is the requirement to present tribute at stated intervals. In the same way, Yahweh in his covenant required Israel to appear before him in the three great annual festivals (Exod. 23:14–17; Lev. 23; Deut. 16:1–17). The festivals were a heightened time of celebration of the covenant relationship between God and his people. It is not surprising that some of the Psalms mirror the liturgical actions that took place on these days or on other occasions when worshipers assembled at the sanctuary.
In Psalm 118 we encounter what appears to be a liturgy celebrating a victory in battle, evidently conducted during one of the sacrificial festivals (Ps. 118:27). Several voices speak in this psalm. It opens with the invitation to all Israel (the lay worshipers), the priests, and even “those who fear the Lord,” perhaps Gentile members of the community, to respond in turn with the antiphon, “his love endures forever” (Ps. 118:1–4). The king, or the sanctuary singers on his behalf, then describes the dangerous situation the army encountered on the battlefield, how he appealed to Yahweh his overlord for help, and how the valiant hand of the Lord brought deliverance (Ps. 118:5–18). A “ritual of entrance” follows, in which the worshiper asks to be admitted to the sanctuary to give thanks and is told, “This is the gate of the Lord through which the righteous may enter” (Ps. 118:19–21). The next movement in the liturgy features rejoicing by the community at the king’s victory, followed by what may be a responsive section in which several voices are heard: the congregation, the priests, and perhaps the king.
This is the day that the Lord has made;
Let us rejoice and be glad in it.
O Lord, save us;
O Lord, grant us success.
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.
From the house of the Lord we bless you. (Ps. 118:24–26)
The worshipers then call for the festival sacrifice to be offered (Ps. 118:27). The ceremony concludes with the pledge ratifying the covenant, “You are my God, and I confess you” (Ps. 118:28), followed by a repeat of the opening doxology (Ps. 118:29).
The psalms that relate to Yahweh’s ascent of Mount Zion to be enthroned as King are also liturgies. In Psalm 68 we see the ark of the covenant setting out on its journey to the sanctuary, to the traditional acclamation, “May God arise, may his enemies be scattered” (Ps. 68:1; cf. Num. 10:35), the procession up to Zion with singers, musicians, and dancers (Ps. 68:24–27), and finally Yahweh enthroned “in the skies,” above the cherubim in the sanctuary (Ps. 68:34–35). The “entrance liturgy” as the ark is brought through the sanctuary gates is preserved in Psalm 24. It is impossible to know how much of this language is literal and how much is symbolic imagery; what in earlier times may have actually been performed may have been recalled in a later era only through song.
Finally, the Psalms contain evidence of the reenactment of the original covenant of Sinai in the sanctuary of Zion, through the “appearance” of the Lord and the declaration of the covenant commandments. Psalm 81 opens with the invitation to assemble with rejoicing on the “day of our Feast” (Ps. 81:1–5); Yahweh then speaks through the prophetic word, reminding the congregation that he rescued them from oppression in Egypt (Ps. 81:5–7). The basic covenant obligation is then set forth, the requirement to give exclusive allegiance to Yahweh:
You shall have no foreign god among you;
You shall not bow down to an alien god.
I am the Lord your God,
Who brought you up out of Egypt.… (Ps. 81:9–10)
These words introduce the Decalogue, the “word” of the Sinai covenant, which the congregation is then invited to recite: “Open wide your mouth and I will fill it” (Ps. 81:10).
Something similar occurs in Psalm 50. Here Yahweh “appears” in his sanctuary, in imagery reminiscent of that of Mount Sinai:
From Zion perfect in beauty,
God shines forth.
Our God comes and will not be silent;
A fire devours before him,
And around him a tempest rages.
He summons the heavens above,
And the earth, that he may judge his people:
“Gather to me my consecrated ones,
Who made a covenant with me by sacrifice.”
And the heavens proclaim his righteousness,
For God himself is judge. Selah. (Ps. 50:2–6)
The stage is set for the judgment of the community on the basis of its obedience to the covenant obligations—a judgment proclaimed in prophetic word through the remainder of the psalm. Again, we hear the opening of the covenant act of Sinai: “I am God, your God” (Ps. 50:7; in this portion of the Psalter, “God” is often substituted for “Yahweh”). And again we learn of the liturgical recitation of the covenant commandments:
But to the wicked, God says:
“What right have you to recite my laws
Or take my covenant on your lips?” (Ps. 50:16)
The indictment that follows (Ps. 50:17–21) mirrors the covenant stipulations as set forth in the laws of Sinai; it has the character of the “covenant lawsuit,” a form of address often found in the prophetic books.
Psalms such as these show that the covenant between the Lord and Israel was not an antiquarian document, cold tablets of stone shut up in a darkened sanctuary. It was a living instrument in the mouth of the spokespersons of the Lord, governing the relationship he had so graciously granted his servants and giving form and order to their worship in his presence.