#DailyDevotion Praise The Name Of Yah! Praise Jesus!
Psalm 111 Praise the LORD! I will thank the LORD with all my heart in the fellowship of the righteous and in the congregation. 2The LORD has done great things, things studied by all who delight in them. 3His work is glorious and majestic, and He will be righteous forever. 4He made His wonders something to be remembered. The LORD is kind and merciful: 5He gives food to those who fear Him; He will always remember His covenant. 6He showed His people His power by His works, by giving them the land of the nations. 7Faithful and just are the works of His hands; all His guiding principles are reliable. 8They are unshakably firm forever; they are faithfully and correctly put into action. 9He sent liberty to His people and ordered His covenant to be forever. His name is holy and awesome. 10To be wise, first fear the LORD; it is good sense for all to do that. He will be praised forever.
This is one of the few places in the Bible you get to know the LORD, the God of Israel’s nickname. Yes, like anyone who is dearly beloved, he has a nickname. What might that be you ask? Yah! You may have heard when you see “LORD” in all capital letters the divine name revealed to Israel, YHWH (Yahweh or Jehovah as some translations write) is the the actual name behind it. Well here in the first verse what we have here is “Praise Yah!” You will see this name of the tail end of many Israelite names: Elijah, Isaiah, Jeremiah and the like.
But then the full name is brought out in the next strophe, “I will thank YHWH.” We often call people by their nickname when we have heartfelt feelings towards them. The psalmist here is thanking the LORD with all his heart in the fellowship of the congregation. What is he thanking the LORD for? He is thanking him for the great things he has done, his wonders. He then calls us to remember and study these things and to delight in them. He most likely is thinking about the exodus from Egypt and how the LORD delivered his people from there. He is thinking of how the LORD delivered the Torah to his people. The mighty acts and how he fought for the Israelites over the nations which were removed because of their sins.
He recalls, and so should we, the LORD is merciful and kind. These are not feelings but actions of the almighty towards Israel. He fed the Israelites, gave them drink and sustained their clothing and bodies while in the wilderness. He gave them homes and cities they didn’t build, fields and orchards they didn’t develop. He sustained them as long as were faithful to him and called them to repentance numerous times when they were not. He always remembered his covenant, the covenant he made with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
In verse 9 we see two more names of the God of Israel, Holy and Awesome, Qadosh and Nirah. We probably read these as describing the name YHWH. At least the Jews of today count them individual names, which also describe the diving name. A name tells you something about the person. Holy is something or someone is something that is set apart for God’s use. Awesome is fear and dread inspiring. When we think of Jesus, who is the LORD, and all his works for us and our salvation we are called to praise that name as well. Taking on our human flesh, overcoming temptation for us, suffering and dying on the cross to deliver us, rising from the dead overcoming death, ascending to the throne of God to open the way for us are all good reasons to fear his name and give him thanks and praise forever and especially in the midst of the congregation.
Holy and Awesome Father, open our lips that we may give thanks and praise for all Jesus has done for us and let us think and delight on these things. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.