Psalm 145:7- Singing and shouting the righteousness of God

The first night I read this Psalm most recently, which began a month long study and now these blog posts, my focus was actually on the issue of music and the worship of the church. Surely, there are many whose traditions are good and faithful to God's design for worship. Others have fallen into man-centered songs whose primary goal is to talk about how God makes them feel. While these may be helpful in some settings, I believe that the Bible bears out that what we offer to God in corporate worship is not to be dictated by the latest popular song, or led by stylistic preference, but should be focused on allowing the entire congregation of blood bought saints of Jesus Christ to focus on who He is, what He has done, and offer our songs and our lives in devoted praise and obedience.

Today's verse I want to share from the various versions I have been considering, to compare and contrast as I have done here previously, as the multiple translators take the original languages and try to express them as faithfully as possible to the American reader in my case, but in the English language as is the case in many countries across the globe.

The New American Standard Bible (NASB) renders the passage as follows:

"They shall eagerly utter the memory of Your abundant goodness

And will shout joyfully of Your righteousness." 

The King James Version (KJV) is slightly different, but flows with beauty:

"They shall abundantly utter the memory of thy great goodness, 

and shall sing of thy righteousness."

And last, but not least, the English Standard Version (ESV) another beautiful and rich rendering of what happens when we understand the glory of God as revealed in the rest of this psalm:

"They shall pour forth the fame of your abundant goodness

and shall sing aloud of your righteousness."

We see here some slight differences, which give a fuller sense of meaning to the underlying inspired Hebrew original texts, preserved by God for our edification and education, along with leading us to praise God with our lips and not merely intellectually  or philosophically, but outwardly as a spring bursting forth from the heart that knows and loves this merciful and gracious, majestic and glorious God. 

We might put together these renderings and come up with something like this: "They shall pour forth abundantly and eagerly the fame and memory of God's great and abundant goodness, and will shout and sing with joy-filled hearts of the righteousness of God"  The question that comes to mind when I read this and consider the state of my own heart, the patterns of the family I lead, and the members of the church we attend along with those who attend churches throughout Knox County, Maine, the United States of America, and throughout the world is this: In light of all we have learned from this Psalm already, of all the marvelous works of grace and mercy that God has done for His people, with all the abundant blessings we have been given, chiefly among them the salvation from eternal Hell and condemnation and the promise of eternal life and forgiveness of sin through the atoning death of Jesus Christ for His Bride, when the wrath of God due to me was poured out on the spotless Savior who willingly died in my place to rescue and redeem me when I was dead in my trespasses and sins, 

ARE WE WHO ARE CALLED BY THE NAME CHRISTIAN KNOWN, 

NOT ONLY IN CHURCH BUT EVERYWHERE WE GO, 

FOR POURING FORTH FROM OUR HEARTS THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD? 

IF NOT, WHY NOT?

Are we truly filled with the Holy Spirit?  Have we truly been born again to a new and living hope because of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, enduring the wrath of God due for sin? Have we, as seasoned Christians, come to the House of the Lord to worship Him as this verse shows, or are we following the traditions of men (which have value, but only if pleasing to God) or are we just doing what we think keeps people interested, offends as few people as possible, or we just like certain forms over others? 

This is not an accusation against anyone, but a challenge I have been considering for years, a study I have been laboring at for over a decade, and the subject of many struggles that faithful Christians have as they see the progress of modern churches toward man centered songs and sermons. You would not believe how often this issue comes to my email inbox or messenger, along with personal conversations too numerous to count. If our purpose for living as Christians is to make disciples of all nations, teach them to observe the commandments of Jesus, and all the other things we find in the New Testament, is it time to consider EVERY practice and pattern in the church by God's design, and then to implement only that which we know to honor God rather than allowing dozens of man made and even contradictory practices, let alone songs and sermons into our churches?

I will leave this post here as it was not my intent to get into the regulative principle of worship, nor to criticize anyone or any church. Rather, we need to do as the psalmist did here, to meditate on the character and nature of God and let that drive how we live our lives, how we raise our children, how we reach the lost, and how we worship God. 

Thank you for continuing to read this series, now 7 posts long with 15 more in the works. If you enjoy these posts, please share them via social media, or print them out to read to your family to spur discussion of profitable things from the Word of God. Please also read some my series, also posted here from years ago, on "The Ideal Church" a 5 part series that speaks simply and Biblically about the practices of the early church and our need to return to the patterns God instituted at the beginning of the Church. 

May the splendor and majesty of God compel you to sing and shout His praises for all the world to hear. 

A fool for Christ,

Mark