Praise is becoming

One of the most common commands in Scripture is, “Praise the Lord” (or some derivation of that imperative).  The follower of God is to give worship to and find joy in God in all things and at all times.

Sometimes, the God-follower is simply commanded to praise God, and on other occasions, as in Psalm 33, the reader is given multiple reasons to rejoice in God.

Why worship God?  The most prominent reason to praise God (among many given in the psalm) is because it is appropriate for the believer:

    Sing for joy in the LORD, O you righteous ones;
    Praise is becoming to the upright. (v. 1)

It is fitting for the believer to praise.  Just as beauty fits Solomon’s bride (Song 1:5; 2:14), so praise fits the believer.  And just as excellent speech and honor do not fit a fool, so praise of God does fit the believer. Some things just go together — a carpenter and a hammer, a lock and a key, a man and a woman, a diamond ring and a bride’s finger, bread and butter.  Similarly, praise exactly fits and corresponds to the believer.  It is most natural that his lips would be filled with praise of God.

Why should this praise be appropriate for the believer?  Because he has been made righteous.  When the psalmist alludes to “the righteous ones” in verse one, he is not referring to those who are naturally righteous, or righteous by their own efforts.  The only one who is righteous is righteous by the grace of God (Gen. 15:6; Is. 53:11-12; Rom. 3:28).  So when Israel or the individual believer contemplates God’s grace in choosing him (v. 12), when he considers that he has been rescued from death (v. 19), his heart rejoices in and gives praise to God (vv. 21-22).  Having been declared righteous by God, it is appropriate always to praise God.

Praise is not comely for any but the godly. A profane man stuck with God’s praise is like a dunghill stuck with flowers. Praise in the mouth of a sinner is like an oracle in the mouth of a fool: how uncomely is it for him to praise God, whose whole life is a dishonouring of God? It is as indecent for a wicked man to praise God, who goes on in sinful practices, as it is for an usurer to talk of living by faith, or for the devil to quote Scripture. The godly are only fit to be choristers in God’s praise; it is called, “the garment of praise.” Isaiah 61:3. This garment sits handsome only on a saint’s back. [Thomas Watson]