Psalm 150: The Grand Finale

Psalm 150 is a song of praise that celebrates the many ways we can honor and thank God with music and joy.

It's the last psalm in the Book of Psalms, and it focuses entirely on praising God—whether through instruments, dance, or simply our voices. The psalm invites everyone, young and old, to express gratitude and happiness in creative and exciting ways.

Did you know that some prayers were always meant to be joyous and musical?

Fun Fact: The word "Hallelu-jah" means "Praise God" in Hebrew! It's like a universal shout of joy used in many cultures and languages.

A sanctuary or stronghold can be anywhere one feels most secure and supported, be it one's home, outside, on the field, in nature, or surrounded by loved ones.

Think about all of the amazing things in the world that are exceedingly awesome and uncountable: drops in the ocean, stars in the sky, flakes of snow, grains of sand, leaves on trees...what else can you think of that's awesomely impressive?

Blowing the shofar brings to mind tribute, glory, and majesty (think Rosh Hashanah vibes!)--and the shofar is one of the oldest instruments in Jewish traditions. Praising with a harp and lyre are a gentler way of praising God, and these stringed instruments were popular at the time this psalm was written (like guitars are today!).

Timbrel and tambourine bring a percussive beat to our prayers--often offering up a heartbeat of our service. A timbrel or hand drum could have bells or metal, similar to our current-day tambourines. These were used to accentuate rhythms. Lutes and pipes, as mentioned above, provided some gentler prayer options for our spirited musicians.

Fun fact: the first type of cymbal was a small cymbal used to help another instrument while the larger crashing cymbals produced loud clanging sounds. Both show how even shocking noises can have stronger and gentler tones that show fun ways to pray!

May everyone who breathes, or may all breaths, come together to praise God! This is how Psalm 150 ends and this is how we join together to end the entire book of Psalms! Hallelujah!