2). Grounds For Praising YHWH (4-12).
a). Because of His moral activity (4-5).
‘For the word of YHWH is right,
And all his work is done in faithfulness.
He loves righteousness and justice,
The earth is full of the lovingkindness of YHWH.'
The first reason for praising God is because of what He is. The word of YHWH is right (or ‘upright'), He does nothing that will not help to fulfil His purposes of goodness and love; His work is done in faithfulness, so that He can be totally relied on; He loves righteousness and justice, and the earth is full of His lovingkindness.
‘His word' signifies what He wills to do, He speaks and His purposes go forward (compare Isaiah 55:11-13). His work is what is accomplished through His word, the fulfilment of His purposes. And all is done because He loves what is right and just, and because the earth is filled with His lovingkindness (compare Matthew 5:45, ‘He sends His rain on the righteous and the unrighteous').
b). Because of His creative omnipotence (6-9).
‘By the word of YHWH the heavens were made,
And all the host of them by the breath (Spirit) of his mouth.
He gathers the waters of the sea together as a heap (or ‘as in a wineskin'),
He lays up the deeps in store-houses.'
Let all the earth fear YHWH,
Let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him.
For he spoke, and it was done,
He commanded, and it stood fast.'
The word of the Lord is not only right and effective in the carrying out of His will, but it is also the means by which He made the heavens. It was important that men realise that all that is in the heavens was created by YHWH. ‘He made the stars also' (Genesis 1:16). Indeed they were made by His word and His Spirit. ‘By the word of the Lord were the heavens made and all their host by the breath (Spirit) of His mouth.' Compare John 1:3, ‘the Word -- all things were made by Him, and without Him was not anything made that was made'. Genesis 1:2, ‘the Spirit of God hovered over the waters'. ‘He spoke' and it was done (Genesis 1). Note how the word and the Spirit are in close alliance through the ‘breath'.
Picturesquely he then goes on to portray YHWH as establishing the earth by gathering up the seas in a heap, and placing them in storehouses, and the tense reminds us that He continues doing so. Thus are they kept within their bounds by Him. ‘In a heap' might have in mind what happened at the Red Sea (Psalms 78:13; Exodus 15:8), as one of many examples of His control of the sea. However, the Versions, on the basis of the same ancient Hebrew text, use another pointing and translate ‘as in a wineskin' (nod instead of ned), paralleling this with Job 38:37. The picture is then of an all-powerful YHWH carrying the seas in His wineskin preparatory to putting them in storage. Compare Isaiah 40:12 for a similar vivid picture, ‘He has measured the waters in the hollow of His hand, and meted out heaven with a span - the span of His fingers - and assessed the dust of the earth in a pint pot, and weighed the mountains in scales and the hills in a balance.'
And the result is to be that the whole earth will fear His Name and all its inhabitants will be in awe of Him, for at His word all was accomplished, and at His command all was established. He was sovereign in creation through His word and at His command (compare Amos 4:13; Amos 5:8; Amos 9:6).
c). Because of His sovereign rule over the nations (10-11).
‘YHWH brings the counsel of the nations to nought,
He makes the thoughts of the peoples to be of no effect.
The counsel of YHWH stands fast for ever,
The thoughts of his heart to all generations.'
The third reason for praising YHWH is because He brings the counsel of the nations to naught. Whatever they plot against His people will come to nothing. Their thoughts will be of no effect. In contrast His counsel and thoughts are permanent and effective into the distant future, for all generations, and will accomplish all His will.
d). Because of His choice and care of His people (12).
‘Blessed is the nation whose God is YHWH,
The people whom he has chosen for his own inheritance.
In contrast to the helplessness of the nations before YHWH, the nation whose God is YHWH are blessed. (They are not just happy, they are positively blessed). They are the people whom He has chosen for His inheritance, and they will enjoy all the benefits of His care and watch over them.