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Praise is a universal privilege (Pss. 96:1; 100:1). "All nations, all peoples" (Ps. 117:1) are to praise God. "Let the sea roar and all it contains; the world and those who dwell in it; let the rivers clap their hands, let the mountains sing together for joy" (Ps. 98:7-8). Indeed, "let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice; let the sea roar, and all it contains; let the field exult, and all that is in it; then all the trees of the forest will sing for joy" (Ps. 96:11-12).

In 148:1-12 we note that praise is pervasive, boundless, all-encompassing. There are no people who are excused from praise. There is no place where praise is not proper. In 148:1-6 the whole of the celestial or heavenly universe is called on to praise God. In 148:7-12 the whole of the terrestrial or earthly universe is called on to praise God. In other words, heaven and earth and everything they contain and all in between are to praise God.

(1)           Praise is "from the heavens" (148:1) and "from the earth" (v. 7). Songs of praise originate in heaven and descend to the earth. Songs of praise originate on earth and ascend to heaven.

(2)           "All His [God's] angels" (148:2) are to praise God. How many are there? See Rev. 5:11; Dan. 7:10. What a choir!

(3)           "Sun and moon" (148:3a) are to praise Him. Praise is unceasing in the heavens as the sun praises Him by day and the moon by night. God never leaves Himself without a testimony.

(4)           "All stars of light" (148:3b) praise Him. People in the ancient world, especially the Babylonians, believed the stars were deities that controlled human destiny. But here the stars are but one section in the celestial choir that praises God.

(5)           "Sea monsters" (148:7), i.e., perch, whales, dolphins, sharks, jelly-fish, stingrays, moray eels, starfish, barracudas, bass, trout, salmon, catfish, etc., all praise Him!

(6)           See 148:8. "It is a grand orchestra which contains such wind instruments as these! He is a great leader who can keep all these musicians in concert, and direct both time and tune" (Spurgeon, 439).

(7)           "Mountains and all hills" (148:9a), from the smallest ant hill to the pinnacle of Mt. Everest . . .

(8)           "Fruit trees and cedars" (148:9b), including apple trees and cherry trees and sycamores and oaks and elms and cedars and sweet gums and weeping willows and sequoias and pine trees, all praise God.

(9)           "Beasts and all cattle" (148:10a), such as longhorn and simbrah and jersey and every other animal, exist to praise God.

(10)        "Creeping things and winged fowl" (148:10b), such as spiders and ants and bees and bullfrogs and gnats and sparrows and cardinals and bluejays and quail and eagles and even vultures, praise God.

(11)        People too, praise God (148:11-12), whether rich or poor, young or old, male or female, powerful or weak. In light of 150:6, all that have breath should praise Him with every breath until they are out of breath.