1/26/25 Weekly Bible Lesson: My God, The King

Background of Text — Psalm 145 is the final acrostic psalm. Each line begins with a letter of the Hebrew alphabet. While the English reader does not see this, it is a way for the psalmist to praise God for His complete blessings. We are reminded of the pronouncement of the Lord, “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end” (Revelation 22:13). The faithfulness of God is total and complete, from A to Z! Therefore, this literary tool is not just something of interest, rather it is a reminder that even when our world feels ever-changing in its turmoil, we can experience the complete goodness of God and His kingdom. 

Verse 1 — As the psalm begins, there is a reminder of truth: God is the King! However, the psalmist makes this truth very personal, “MY God the King.” While God is the one true king over all of creation for all time, He is first MY God. God had told the people of Israel, “I will walk among you and be your God, and you will be my people” (Leviticus 26:12). This invitation is for the entire community, but it begins with each person choosing to make the Lord their king. 

There is also a reminder that worship is not a one-time event, or even a lifetime event; worship will continue for all eternity! When we fully grasp the glory of God, there will be no other reaction than to bow down in eternal worship. 

Verse 10 — David praises God with a reminder that all of creation will worship Him. In Psalm 19:1, David observes that, “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the expanse proclaims the work of his hands.” Once again, worship gets very personal for the “faithful” or the “saints.” The redeemed of God can identify the King’s character and, therefore, will bless Him. 

Verses 11-12 — When we consider the kingdom of God, it is tempting to think of this as a place. Yet the true kingdom is not a realm it is a rule. Especially in the time of the Old Testament when much talk is about the nation and the Promised Land, the true goal was to be in the presence of God, and yield to His rule. That is the repeated sadness in the story of God—His people failed to lift Him up as their king and instead worshipped false gods. Whereas all the acts of God should have been a reminder of God’s rule and reign, they were rejected for images of wood and stone made by hands. 

Verse 13 — David declares God’s kingdom is everlasting, and it is for all generations. David understood one day his rule of Israel would end; yet his rule was not of supreme importance. The rule of the Lord was what was needed for not just Israel but for all people. How fantastic that the Kingdom of God is now available for all by means of Jesus’s sacrifice and life! Paul writes, “For the Scripture says, everyone who believes on him will not be put to shame, since there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, because the same Lord of all richly blesses all who call on him. For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved” (Romans 10:11-13). These promises are not just words. God backs it up by His actions as seen by the His Son coming to earth to save.  

Verses 14-16 — We read a list of difficulties that humanity faces. In fact, these areas of stress feel like they are only growing more problematic in our world. In the text, these include being knocked down, being oppressed, being hungry, and having a deep longing. Too many people in our world today feel stressed because of need and the worries of life. Too often they look in all the wrong places for hope such as their job or the government. David rightly says God is the one who can raise people up in hope. 

Most Christians say they believe this. The problem is we do not always live that way. Christians certainly have the same stressors as people of the world, but our actions do not always show that our trust is in the Lord. One must wonder how many times God says today what He said in the days of Isaiah: “The Lord says, ‘I was ready to respond, but no one asked for help. I was ready to be found, but no one was looking for me. I said, “Here I am, here I am!”’ to a nation that did not call on my name” (Isaiah 65:1, NLT). 

Verses 17-20 — In these verses, David praises God for being all that is needed in our life and much more. He is faithful and near. This is absolute truth, so when we might feel that God is far away or that He has abandoned us, we must conclude we are the ones who have moved. When we experience difficulty and things are not going the way we want, we cannot forget this world is not the end of the story. 

Verse 21 — With these words, David concludes his hymn as he started it, with praise! There is no other proper response. Now, we call on all others to join us in our worship of our God, our King. He is worthy!