Psalms 148-150 profoundly emphasize the importance of praising God by commanding us to praise Him numerous times. Examining these statements reveals that six prepositions (color coded below) help us understand various aspects of these commands:
Psa 148:1 Praise ye the LORD. Praise ye the LORD from the heavens: praise him in the heights.
Psa 148:7 Praise the LORD from the earth, ye dragons, and all deeps:
Psa 149:1 Praise ye the LORD. Sing unto the LORD a new song, and his praise in the congregation of saints.
Psa 149:3 Let them praise his name in the dance: let them sing praises unto him with the timbrel and harp.
Psa 150:1 Praise ye the LORD. Praise God in his sanctuary: praise him in the firmament of his power.
2 Praise him for his mighty acts: praise him according to his excellent greatness.
3 Praise him with the sound of the trumpet: praise him with the psaltery and harp.
4 Praise him with the timbrel and dance: praise him with stringed instruments and organs.
5 Praise him upon the loud cymbals: praise him upon the high sounding cymbals.
6 Let every thing that hath breath praise the LORD. Praise ye the LORD.
Among other things, these six prepositions teach us the following truths about our giving praise to God:
(1) the commanded places/locations/settings (“from the heavens”; “from the earth”; “in the heights”; “in the congregation of the saints”; “in the dance”; “in his sanctuary”; “in the firmament of his power”);
(2) the reason (“for his mighty acts”);
(3) the standard (“according to his excellent greatness”); and
(4) the means (“with the timbrel and harp”; “with the sound of the trumpet”; “with the psaltery and harp”; with the timbrel and dance”; with stringed instruments and organs”; “upon the loud cymbals”; “upon the high sounding cymbals”)!
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