Introduction

Encouragement to trust in God.

Verses
1Praise the LORD!
Praise the LORD, my soul.
2While I live, I will praise the LORD.
I will sing praises to my God as long as I exist.
3Don’t put your trust in princes,
in a son of man in whom there is no help.
4His spirit departs, and he returns to the earth.
In that very day, his thoughts perish.
5Happy is he who has the God of Jacob for his help,
whose hope is in the LORD, his God:
6who made heaven and earth,
the sea, and all that is in them;
who keeps truth forever;
7who executes justice for the oppressed;
who gives food to the hungry.
The LORD frees the prisoners.
8The LORD opens the eyes of the blind.
The LORD raises up those who are bowed down.
The LORD loves the righteous.
9The LORD preserves the foreigners.
He upholds the fatherless and widow,
but he turns the way of the wicked upside down.
10The LORD will reign forever;
your God, O Zion, to all generations.
Praise the LORD!
 

Questions

1. Why shouldn't we trust in princes?

v 3 and 4 Don’t put your trust in princes, in a son of man in whom there is no help His spirit departs, and he returns to the earth. In that very day, his thoughts perish.

2. Why should we ask the God of Jacob for help?

v 5 and 6 Happy is he who has the God of Jacob for his help,
whose hope is in the LORD, his God:

who made heaven and earth,
the sea, and all that is in them;
who keeps truth forever;

3. What will the LORD do in Zion?

v 10 The LORD will reign forever;
your God, O Zion, to all generations. ...

Summary Points

  • v 1 and 2  The psalmist wants to sing praises to God continually
  • v 3 and 4 We should not trust people
  • v 5 to 9 We should trust God because he created our world and he helps those in difficult situations
  • v 10 God’s long-term plan is to rule the world from Zion (part of Jerusalem)

 Timeline 1050 to 850 BC

The audio version uses Yahweh instead of LORD. This reflects the original Hebrew language.

Audio