Extol – Pass the Crown
I love the Psalms. The poetic sway of song and praise, thankfulness and yes, even repentance. Some give heavy pen so passionately, you can almost feel the author lean from the pages and grab you with a fisted hand, look you in the eye and with a raspy voice: “Turn from evil and do good!” (37:27). Ok, perhaps not the raspy voice. But be assured you will be grabbed. If not, you’re not leaning in enough.
Yet of all the Psalms, what most causes me pause is the exalting of God.
King David wrote: “I will extol You, my God, and King, and I will bless Your name forever and ever” (Psalm 145:1, ESV). To launch the twenty-one verses, he opens his worship with humility and adoration. As a king himself, with a surrendered heart–he passes the crown, “my God and King.”
“I will extol You.” Extol, the word is pretty much obsolete these days. When was the last time we used it in a sentence? It isn’t active in our speech, prayers, or worship. (Or should it?)
There are two main emphases when praising and worshipping God in scripture: We praise Him for what He does and has done; powerful, mercy filled, His divine action to His beloved children. We worship for Who He is. Declaring Him as Superior: He is more, He is beyond, He is above all. He is!
In the Hebrew extol conveys movement, the act of raising. When extolling God, we are not only raising Him in high status over our life, but we lift His attributes as well. We grab all we know about Him and raise it as high as we can. Doing this, we are under–we are acknowledging we are lower. This is done both in word and deed. Not just in church as we raise our hands, but in how we conduct our lives. Wouldn’t it be great if it were contagious to others, as if standing and looking up and those around us are so caught by our behavior, and our focused direction, that they too, stop and look up.
When we worship and extol WHO God is, we are indeed in the act of surrendered lifting, we too–pass the crown. Raising Him high. We raise Him higher than the stuff, higher than our mess. HIGHER. David continues the psalm extolling God in His greatness, glorious splendor, majesty, His abundant goodness, righteousness and oh, (OH!) He is abounding in steadfast love!
May our life, in word and deed–extol Him. Giving Him the glory due and getting others to look up! (Sounds kinda psalmish)
In Him, DeDe (“Let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love & good deeds.” – Hebrews 10:24)
Extolling Him
“I will extol You, my God, O King, and I will bless Your name forever and ever.” (King David, Psalm 145:1, ESV – emphasis mine) Extol, the word is pretty much obsolete these days. When was the last time we used it in a sentence – it doesn’t just roll off our tongue? (Or should it?)
Webster’s defines it, ‘to praise highly or enthusiastically.’ Looking at the many different words translated in the Old Testament on praising and glorifying God, there are two main representations: When we exalt God, (in word AND deed) we are personally declaring Him as Superior: He is more, He is beyond, He is above … all. When extolling God, we not only raise Him in high status, but we lift His attributes as well. God, YOU are holy! You are merciful! You are loving! You are sovereign! You are grace-filled and grace-giving! (Selah)
The imagery is likened to when we raise our hands in church, not only are we in a posture of surrender but raising God above – above the stuff, higher than ourselves. There have been a few times when I, reading His word and becoming so keenly aware of Him and His holiness, on the floor face down I can-not-get-low-enough. A true revelation of God will cause a gut response to do nothing else but lift Him up!
King Nebuchadnezzar experienced just this when stating: “Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and extol and honor the King of Heaven, for all His works are right and His ways are just; and those who walk in pride He is able to humble.” (Daniel 4:37) As the ancient folks came across on dry ground, safely on the shores, with the Egyptians who sought to again enslave them, now lay dead, it is said of them, the Israelites ‘believed in the LORD…” (Ex. 14:31) and sang: “The LORD is my strength and song, And He has become my salvation; This is my God, and I will praise Him; My father’s God, and I will extol Him.” (Ex 15:2)
Praising lavishly and magnifying His majesty! May ours, be a lifestyle of extolling God above all. (In Jesus name)
In Him, DeDe (“Let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love & good deeds.” – Hebrews 10:24)
Inspired Fountain 