Psalm 146:6-9
6 He is the Maker of heaven and earth,
the sea, and everything in them—
he remains faithful forever.
7 He upholds the cause of the oppressed
and gives food to the hungry.
The LORD sets prisoners free,
8 the LORD gives sight to the blind,
the LORD lifts up those who are bowed down,
the LORD loves the righteous.
9 The LORD watches over the foreigner
and sustains the fatherless and the widow,
but he frustrates the ways of the wicked.
Yesterday we saw the psalmist tell his readers not to trust in earthly princes but to instead trust in the LORD. He has previously stated in v. 3 that these human princes cannot save. Here he will heap praises upon the LORD for his saving, delivering, and redeeming work.
In verse 6 the psalmist contrasts the fleeting nature of human rulers with the power and eternality of God. Whereas the princes return to dust when they die and their plans fade away God is the maker of heaven and earth. Humans are a part of the creation, God stands outside of it and even created it. He is eternal, remaining faithful forever. Humans are mortal. The choice for where we should place our hope is obvious.
As if that isn't enough the psalmist goes further with all the wonderful things the LORD does in vv. 7-9. Note, these are all things that the kings of Israel were supposed to do and champion but they often failed. These are the things the prophets called them out for most often.
Again, referencing back to Psalm 2, these are the things the people of Israel longed for from their leaders but never fully received. Jesus however fulfills them all. When we read in the gospels of Jesus feeding the five thousand (Mk. 6:30-44), declaring his mission to set the captives free (Lk. 4:18), giving sight to the blind (John 9), frustrating the way of the Pharisees (Matt. 23), lifting up the leper (Mk 1:40-45), healing a foreigner (Mk 7:24-30), etc we see him fulfilling the hope of the messianic king but also doing what only God can do. This would have been abundantly evident to any first century student of the Psalms.
Additional Resources
This Psalm points out how the Christian worldview simply does not fit perfectly with either political party platform we have in America today. The Republican party talks little of things like upholding the cause of the oppressed, giving food to the hungry, sustaining the fatherless and the widow, etc. While the Democratic party tends to put their trust in "princes" to accomplish these things rather than in the LORD and, by extension, his people who claim his name.
