Jeff Garrison
Mayberry & Bluemont Churches
Psalm 33
August 10, 2025
At the beginning of worship:
A burglar broken into a house when the occupants were away. As he started casing out the place, looking for silver and jewelry and other things of value which he could easily hock, he heard a voice. “Jesus is watching you.” The burglar decided his conscience was bothering him. He quickly put his fear aside.
Then, he heard the distinctive voice again. “Jesus is watching you.” He looked around. He saw a parrot in a bird cage. Then the bird spoke again. “Jesus is watching you.” The burglar relaxed. “Just a stupid bird,” he thought. He went about his work, tossing valuables into his bag.
Then he heard the bird change his tune, “Sic ‘em, Jesus.” He turns around just in time to see the exposed fangs of a charging rottweiler.
Of course, Jesus watches. And I’m not talking about a dog named Jesus. We believe this truth: our God is all-knowing and all-seeing. God sees our actions. But more important and perhaps more damning, God knows what we think and what’s in our hearts. Thankfully, we also worship a God of grace. Otherwise, there would be no hope for any of us.
Before the reading of Scripture:
For the next few weeks, I plan to spend time in the Psalms, ancient Israel’s hymnal. I’m going to draw on the lectionary for many of these, but not exclusively. I will mostly pick Psalms which I have not yet preached. This way I can dig deeper into this book.
Think of the great hymns of our tradition and how they express our theology. Hymns are often constructed around the Trinity, such as “Holy, Holy, Holy.” Others express the truth of the incarnation, that God came to us in the flesh in the life of Jesus, as in “Joy to the World, the Lord is come.” Others remind us of how we can trust God, such as “Great is Thy Faithfulness.” “I Sing the Mighty Power of God,” expresses the power of the Almighty and “A Mighty Fortress is Our God,” expresses how we should take refuge in God’s power.
Likewise, the Psalms express the theology of ancient Israel. Today, we’re looking at Psalm 33. This piece conveys the Almighty nature of God as well as God’s goodness. Because of God’s nature, we should praise him. Think of the hymn, “God of Grace and God of Glory,” which we sang this morning.
A festival hymn, this Psalm was sung in worship; it may have been used during New Year celebrations as it looks back and forth.[1] Let’s listen to the Psalm.
Read Psalm 33:
“When you gathered with people who are righteous and upright, sing with them Psalm 33,” suggested Athanasius. He was the Bishop of Alexander in the 4th Century.[2] This Psalm was important for the early church. It provided them and us with reasons for and benefits of trusting God.
Let’s work through the Psalm. You might want to keep your Bibles open. Verse 1 through 3 serves as a call to worship. This is the first Psalm to mention musical instruments: the lyre, the harp, strings.[3] If you want to support the use of a guitar or banjo in worship, look no further than the opening of this Psalm. However, the Psalm excludes many of us for in verse three we’re told to “play skillfully on the strings.” Some of us can’t do that! At least not the skillful part. Including yours truly.
Along with instrumental music, we’re called to sing and to use our voices to make “loud shouts.” That’s the joyful noise which Psalm 100 calls us to make.
These opening verses center us in worship. Our focus, in worship, isn’t to be internal, on ourselves and our needs. Instead, worship centers on God.
We’re then given two reasons why we should worship God. First, God is faithful and upright. God created the heavens and earth by his word and holds back the waters. Remember, to desert people like Israel, large bodies of water were scary. Holding back the waters was seen as grace.
The second reason has to do with God’s control. We’re to fear God for what God says will be. Our Lord stands above all nations and peoples. Next to God, we’re powerless, for God can thwart any of our plans. God is eternal, we’re not!
In verse 12, there’s a shift to how God’s power relates to the earth. It begins with “Happy is the nation whose God is the Lord.” This quote has been used on billboards and bumper stickers to promote a nationalistic agenda.[4] But that’s a misuse. It only makes sense by leaving off the second half of the verse, “the people whom God has chosen.”[5] This reminds us of a key concept in our theology. It’s not about us choosing God, it’s about God choosing us. If God doesn’t make the first move, which he does in Jesus Christ, we’d be lost.
Of course, the nation referred to here is ancient Israel, through whom God worked to bring salvation to the world.
But as the Psalm continues, we’re reminded repeatedly that this really isn’t about a nationalistic religion of a powerful nation. God watches over all the earth. While God stands apart from the world, God remains interested in what happens to his creation.[6]
Furthermore, in verse 16, we realize this can’t be a nation who takes comfort in its military prowess. The king cannot be saved by his great army, nor the warrior by his great strength. Even the strength of a war horse is vain. Instead, salvation can only be found in the God who watches over us all. Pacifism isn’t the intent of this Psalm. Nationally, there remains a need to protect oneself. But we shouldn’t trust just in the military. We must trust, first and foremost, in God, not in our own abilities.
Remember, Jesus watches us. Idolatry exists when we place our trust in anything other than God, and that includes military might. Hedging our bets is a dangerous strategy, according to this Psalm, for God wants our total allegiance.
We’re called to fear God but should remember this fear isn’t about being afraid. Because of God’s power, we want to be on God’s side. When we try to ignore God and do our own things, we may quickly find ourselves in trouble.
So, the Psalm closes with the promise to wait on God, for we find in him help and protection. Our hearts should be glad because of our trust in God. Then, the Psalmist addresses the Almighty, asking for the Lord to be with us.
What can we take away from this Psalm? As the 130th Psalm proclaims, we’re to hope in the Lord.[7]
Another thing this Psalm reminds us of is the inability to separate our lives into the religious and the secular. Or the “church and everything else.” For God sees all, not just what happens in church. This is God’s world and we’re to live for the Lord.[8]
Augustine, writing in the 4th Century on this Psalm suggested: “Let the unjust dance for joy in this world, by all means; but when this world comes to an end, there will be an end to their dancing. Let the just dance for joy in the Lord, for the Lord abides forever, and so will the exultation of the just.[9]
We’re to dance for joy in the Lord! That’s good advice. Keep focused on God and worry less about the things of this world. Amen.
[1] Artur Weiser, The Psalms: A Commentary (Philadelphia: Westminster Press, 1962), 289.
[2] Athanasius, On the Interpretation of the Psalms, as quoted in Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture: Old Testament VII, Psalms 1-50, edited by Craig A. Blaising and Carmen S. Hardin (Downers Grove, IL: Intervarsity Press, 2008), 244.
[3] James L. Mays, Psalms: Interpretation, A Biblical Commentary for Teaching and Preaching (Louisville KY: John Knox Press, 1994), 149. This is based on the current canonical ordering of the Psalms as found in the Christian Bible.
[4] It’s been a while, but I have seen this as a bumper sticker. For billboards, see Stan Masts Commentary on the Psalm at https://cepreaching.org/commentary/2016-07-31/psalm-3312-22/
[5]Scott Hoezee, Sermon Commentary for Sunday, August 7, 2022, Psalm 33:12-22,” in https://cepreaching.org/commentary/2022-08-01/psalm-3312-22-3/
[6] Walter Brueggemann, The Message of the Psalms: A Theological Commentary (Minneapolis: Augsburg, 1984), 35.
[7] Psalm 130:5
[8] May, 151.
[9] Augustine, Expositions of the Psalms, as quoted in Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture: Old Testament VII, Psalms 1-50, edited by Craig A. Blaising and Carmen S. Hardin (Downers Grove, IL: Intervarsity Press, 2008), 246