LET EVERYTHING THAT HAS BREATH

LET EVERYTHING THAT HAS BREATH
Psalm 150:6
“Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.” 

The collection of psalms ends with a bang, a loud one! A full range of musical instruments plays together in an orchestra to praise God in a grand symphony. Brass, strings, wind and percussion make a joyful noise, but that is not enough. All that has breath, human and animal, are invited to join in! Whales and birds, children and street buskers—all are welcome! Not only in the sanctuary of the Temple, but out there in the vast expanse of the “mighty heavens” (v..1)

“Praise the LORD!” begins and ends the psalm, and ten times in between we are exhorted to “praise God” and “praise him”—it is “Hallelujah!” (Hebrew for “Praise the LORD!”) again and again in breathless repetition. As Revelation closes the New Testament with scenes of multitudes beyond numbers praising God, so Psalm 150 ends the Psaltery with similar spectacles of celebration. What John saw could well be people summoned together by Psalm 150: 

“Then I heard what seemed to be the voice of a great multitude, like the roar of many waters and like the sound of mighty peals of thunder, crying out, ‘Hallelujah! For the Lord our God the Almighty reigns.’” (Rev 19.6)

Both the psalmist and John are telling us, “This is how everything is going to end. We will be praising the Lord!” We attended a concert featuring Keith and Krysten Getty who have written and performed some of the greatest modern hymns praising God. We were reminded, and rightly so, “Tonight is only a rehearsal; the real event will come when Christ comes again!” How true!

The psalms have a prayer for every situation, to meet any need or express any emotion. We have met in the psalms anger, sorrow, contrition, lament, and joy. But as we come to the end, one thing dominates and overwhelms all the rest. It is the outburst of praise. As the hymn Love Divine presents the last word in the last stanza: 

“Changed from glory into glory /Till in Heav’n we take our place
Till we cast our crowns before thee /Lost in wonder, love and praise!”

The End, Praise God!