AUGUST 25, 2026
Psalm 148:7, 11-13
Praise the Lord from the earth … kings of the earth and all peoples; princes and all judges of the earth; both young men and maidens; old men and children. Let them praise the name of the Lord.
After addressing all the different parts and pieces of the universe, the psalmist now turns his attention to God’s crowning achievement in Creation, mankind. Taken altogether, the composer recognizes that men of all ranks should “praise the Lord from the earth.” Yet in doing so, notice that he first mentions the leaders among men — kings, princes and judges. Subsequently, he mentions the people who are subject to those kings and leaders. This acknowledges that, in God’s grand plan, those He allows to govern other men are expected to set a proper example. Not only are they to control behavior in society but are to publicly honor God and inspire others to follow suit. In short, “To whom much is given much is required.”
It is a universal fact that, if there are no just leaders and judges, men would indulge themselves and corrupt civilization with crime and lawlessness. If this undesirable scenario were taken to an extreme, selfish behavior would be lauded and God forgotten. In short, there would be no praise of God in the earth. To consider such a situation is not far-fetched; this is exactly what happened in the days of Noah and why there was a universal flood. Let’s not forget that Messiah predicted that mankind would return to such a corrupt state in the days leading up to His return.
That being said, the psalmist focuses on the fact that there will be those — young and old, men and women — who despite widespread iniquity and corruption, will praise the Lord. As we see with Noah and many others that followed his example, there has always been a remnant who honored God amid iniquity thus bearing witness to His sovereignty. Though it may be that wicked kings and compromised judges will allow crime and lawlessness to abound in these last days, there will be those who stand up and proclaim the praises of our God. As it is written, “I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh; then your sons and your daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, and your young men will see visions. Even on the menservants and maidservants in those days I will pour out My Spirit” (Joel 2:28-29). May it be soon, even in our day. Praise the Lord!