Psalm 75: A Psalm of Powerful Praise 1. Friends of Christ Rejoice Psalm 75:1-3

Text: “Unto Thee, O God, do we give thanks: for that Thy Name is near Thy wondrous works declare.”

Psalm 75:1.

Good morning, truly thankful Christian!  You are giving the Lord God Jehovah, all the thanksgiving, and all your earnest praise – but what, more precisely, are you thanking and praising Him for today?  It is good for our souls to ask ourselves such profound questions, for in doing so, the Lord grants Divine answers to our inquiries, and provides food for our souls.

When reading and studying Holy Scriptures – we must always ask ourselves many questions concerning the texts we are reading.  For it is in asking the questions, we receive the answers to assist us in understanding and learning God’s will for us, from His inspired Word.

“Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: for every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.” (Matthew 7:7-8)

You and I, as Bible-believing, born again, Christians, have a lot for which to be thankful to our Lord God.  The little song, ‘Count Your Blessings’ reflects this concept powerfully.  When you and I take time to count our blessings, we are amazed at what the Lord has done, is doing, and shall Eternally do for us, ‘His people’.  Thanks be to Thee, oh Lord God.

Verse 1. “Unto Thee, O God, do we give thanks. As the smiling flowers gratefully reflect in their lovely colours the various constituents of the solar ray, so should gratitude spring up in our hearts after the smiles of God’s providence.”  (C.H. Spurgeon, Treasury of David, page 323)

The Law of the Second Mention: What we call ‘The law of the second mention’ is in evidence here in the opening of Psalm 75.  Verse 1 repeats, in close conjunction terms, the same concept twice: “Unto Thee, O God, do we give thanks, unto Thee do we give thanks…”  If God, the Holy Spirit Who inspires all Scriptures, sees fit to repeat, in close proximity, a certain concept, then it is certain that He desires all Bible readers to pay particular attention to that concept.  This is what we call ‘The law of the second mention’.

Giving praise and thanks unto the Lord God is an integral and vital part of our worship of Him, a principle that we should, perhaps, all more attentively seek to do in this day of ‘luke-warm’, Laodicean, Christianity?

“And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things sayeth the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the Creation of God; I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would that thou wert cold or hot.  So then because thou art luke-warm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of My mouth…As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.”  (Rev. 3:14-22)

Verse 1. “…For that Thy Name is near Thy wondrous works declare. We sing not of a hidden God Who sleeps and leaves the church to her fate, but of One Who ever in our darkest days is most near, a very present help in trouble. “Near is His Name.”  Baal is on a journey, but Jehovah dwells in His church.  Glory be unto the Lord, Whose perpetual deeds of grace and majesty are the sure tokens of His being with us always, even unto the end of the world.”  (C.H. Spurgeon, Treasury of David, page 323)

Verse 1. “…For that Thy Name is near Thy wondrous works declare. How do we KNOW that our Lord God is near?  Well, all we have to do is look for a moment around us, see with our own eyes the full evidence of His marvellous Creation!  The sun comes up every morning: Hallelujah!  Thank you, Lord God! The flowers, plants, trees, food produce, all grow in their seasons: Hallelujah! Thanks be to the Lord God!  We have sweet air to breathe into healthy lungs: Hallelujah!  Thanks be to the Living Lord God!  God’s wondrous works are being declared all around us – we need no other evidence that God’s Name is near.  Let us give Him our heartful thanksgiving and praise.   (Psalm 19:1-3)

Verse 2. “When I shall receive the congregation, I will judge uprightly.  When the genuine Christian receives others, we are compelled to ‘judge uprightly’, for that is how our Father in Heaven would have us discern and deal with all others in this life.  He trains us up in the way that we should go, by drawing us into the frequent study of His inspired Word.  Therefore, we become known to be wise discerners of all things, because the Lord God has taught us to be thus.

“Train up a child (of God) in the way (John 14:6) he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.” (Proverbs 22:6)

“Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the Word of truth.” (2 Timothy 2:15)

What a day of anarchy and anti-Christianity we are living in today, in this increasingly apostate 21^st Century!  In all my 78 years on this earth, I have NEVER seen moral standards so low, and often non-existent in societies world-wide!  Governments, who are raised up to be the guardians of lawful and moral regulation – have become the fore-runners of all things twisted, deceitful, and vile.  What a fearful day of Holy judgement is coming real soon.

Verse 3. “The earth and all the inhabitants thereof are dissolved. When anarchy is abroad, and tyrants are in power, everything is unloosed, dissolution threatens all things, the solid mountains of government melt as wax; but even then, the Lord upholds and sustains the right.”  (C.H. Spurgeon, Treasury of David, page 323)

Russia has invaded Ukraine and destroyed vast cities there; the British Prime-Minister and politicians are currently being charged with unlawful offences; morality is a bad word throughout British/American/European societies – the whole house of moral stability is falling down around our ears, internationally. Yet, Christ’s friends are completely secure.

Thought: Verse 3. “I bear up the pillars of it. Hence, there is no real cause for fear. While the pillars stand, and stand they must for God upholds them, the house will brave out the storm.  In the day of the Lord’s appearing a general melting will take place, but in that day our covenant God will be the sure support of our confidence.” (C.H. Spurgeon, Treasury of David, page 323) Praise God for His assurance!