There is a wonderful universality in these last verses, through verse 20. It is seen in the word “all” which is repeated eleven times: “all his promises,” “all he has made," "all those who fall,” “all who are bowed down,” “all look to you,” “all his ways," "all he has made," "all who call on him” (twice), "all who love him” and “all the wicked.” This means that because God is good to all, all ought to praise him.
How does God demonstrate his faithfulness? He does it by keeping his promises and by caring for his creation (v. 13). When we fall, he lifts us up (v. 14). When we are bowed down by distress, he restores us (v. 14). When we are hungry, he provides food (v. 15). When we look to him with our hands open, empty and held out, he satisfies us with good things (v. 16).
It was probably his reference to God's “goodness” in verse 7 that led the psalmist to deal with God's grace, compassion, patience and rich love (v. 8) in stanza three (vv. 8-13a), the theme introduced by verse 8.
Praise is worship; it is acknowledging God to be what he truly is, the sovereign, holy, just, righteous, merciful, awesome and majestic God we discover him to be in Scripture. Worship is not coming to God to get things from him, though we are free to do that too. It is not even confessing our sins or pleading for grace, though these flow from worship naturally. It is acknowledging God to be God. Indeed, it is doing precisely what David does do in the remainder of this composition.
What do you think should be the subject matter of this very last psalm by David? It should not take long to answer that question. If you know anything at all about David, you will expect this great Old Testament figure to be praising God. That is exactly what we find. Psalm 145 is a great praise psalm, a fit summary of all David had learned about God during a long lifetime of following hard after the Almighty. It is also an appropriate transition to the final “Hallelujah” psalms that close the Psalter.
