Psalm 92:1-15

Psalm 92:1–15
Psalm 92 is the only Psalm assigned to a specific day: the Sabbath. Some even see a link in that the name “Yahweh” occurs seven times in the Psalm and the Sabbath was the seventh day. The Old Testament Sabbath was a day not only for rest but also for corporate worship. Moreover it was intended to be a delight rather than a burden. The psalmist’s concern is not just with adoration but also more generally with the life and future of the righteous and the wicked. Ultimately this piece is an affirmation of God’s sovereignty and the deliverance of His people. Verse 8, which appears in the very middle of the passage, punctuates this theme of sovereignty with the emphatic pronoun “you.” God alone is exalted forever. 

Celebrate God in Worship (1–4)
“To sing praises” is a single verb, the root of the Hebrew word for psalm, meaning to play an instrument or sing with accompaniment. “The lyre” is in Hebrew the 10 and refers to a 10-stringed instrument. The Hebrew word translated “works” or “deeds” refers to God’s activity in creation. Seven times in Genesis 1, we are told that what God made was “good.” This psalmist adds an eighth “good thing,” namely that it is “good to praise the Lord.”

In addition to His creation, “works” and “deeds” also are often associated with God’s saving activity. Both nuances are appropriate, because God’s creating and saving activities speak to His universal sovereignty. Whether we are stirred by His creation that surrounds us or His salvation that frees us, we have every reason to give praise and thanks to God.

Recognize the Eternal Realities of Worship (5–9)
The psalmist shifts attention to the Lord’s enemies, who make life difficult for His people. The New International Version refers to them as “senseless,” while other translations refer to them as “brutish,” “stupid” or “rude.” The great tragedy of these dull souls is their failure to grasp the short life cycle of their wayward lives. It is significant that verse 8 is surrounded by two verses that focus on “evildoers.” In terms of the structure of the Psalm and the reality of the psalmist’s world, the affirmation of God’s dominion is made in the midst of evil. Appearances in the world seem to deny the reality of God’s reign, for evildoers flourish. But the psalmist affirms that, without question, they will perish. The senseless wicked are like grass; they have no deep root, and their luxuriant growth passes quickly.  

Enjoy the Benefits of Worship (10–15)
God’s changelessness is celebrated by His servants. Such celebration generates a resurgent life among His people, as portrayed in the repetition of the words “fresh” and “flourish.” The wicked will flourish but only briefly, “like grass.” The righteous, on the other hand, will flourish like trees planted in God’s garden. The “horn” is a symbol of power, and God gives His people power to overcome their foes. In this context, “fresh oil” speaks to a renewed anointing to serve God. It also suggests the thought of preparing a “living sacrifice,” since the verb is used elsewhere not for anointing but for moistening the meal offering with oil before presenting it to the altar (see Exodus 29:40). To “bear fruit in old age” speaks to youthfulness in latter years, like that of Moses whose “eye was not dim, nor his natural force abated” (Deut. 34:7). Such maturity and passion for God do not wane as the faithful servant moves closer to eternity. The final verse returns us to the Psalm’s main thrust, which is not the anticipation of our destiny but the praise of God. The opening verses called us to declare this adoration with our lips; now the conclusion calls us to adore Him through our lives. To “proclaim” or “show” that “the Lord is upright” is the crowning phrase to which verses 12–14 lead up. The close of the Psalm is telling us to not only voice our praise but also “be” praise by how we live. Psalm 92 affirms that trust in self alone is illusory and ultimately leads to destruction. Trust in the sovereign God brings true understanding and connects us to the unfailing source of life. From this psalmist’s perspective, the irony is that the more sophisticated and self-sufficient we think we are, the more ignorant and insecure we actually are.