“Stand up and bless the Lord your God, from everlasting to everlasting. Blessed be your glorious name, which is exalted above all blessing and praise. You are the Lord, you alone. You have made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their hosts. The earth and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them. And you preserve all of them, and the host of heaven worships you.”
– Nehemiah 9:5–6
Oh, I could going, part of me wants to keep going. Like, the whole chapter is a song of praise to God, thanksgiving to God. This is the Levites, the leaders after the Temple has been built, the walls have been built, the word of God has been read, they gather together for an incredible service of worship. “Stand up and bless God,” and they just start praising him. Like, this is why we have breath.
God is the only God, the Creator of heaven and earth. He is worthy of the praise of all peoples.
I was reading the other day, Psalm 150:6, “Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.” This is why we have breath, to praise God. And to join with all creation in praising the one true God. “You are the Lord, you alone.”
Nehemiah 9:5–6 Thinks About The Rajput Jadon People In India
I think today about the Rajput Jadon people in India. Almost three million of them worshiping all kinds of false gods in Hinduism. Worshiping millions of false gods, more gods than we can even fathom are being worshiped. There is only one God. “You are the Lord, you alone.”
And so, I just want to lead us to pray in praise to God. To exalt God. Like, this is why we have breath. When we pray, we’re not just asking for things, we are ascribing glory and praise and blessing to God. So we pray.
This Verse Reminds Us That The Lord Is The Only God
God, blessed be your glorious name. Which is exalted above all blessing and praise. Exalted forever and ever, from everlasting to everlasting, you are God. You are the Lord, you alone. And there are no other gods beside you. God, may the Rajput Jadon know that in India. May they know that you alone are God. Cause your name alone to be exalted as God among them. We pray, please, please send workers. Raise up your church to go the Rajput Jadon of India to tell them the good news of the one true God. Causes your name to be glorified there.
You alone have made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their host. The earth and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them. Oh, God, we look at creation around us and it shouts your glory. The heavens declare the glory of God, the sky above proclaims his handiwork. Day after day they pour out speech, night after night they display, they reveal knowledge.
Nehemiah 9:5–6 Praises God For His Creation
God, we praise you for your creation. We praise you for your love. Just for who you are, God. You are loving, you are all-powerful, omnipotent. You are all-knowing, omniscient. And You are Lord over all. You are King over all. You are merciful, you are gracious, you are kind, you are compassionate, you are forgiving, you are just, you are righteous. Righteous in your anger in your holy hatred of sin, in your holy judgment of sinners.
And you are merciful, you save sinners. You are the Savior of sinners. Jesus, we praise you, you are God. You are King. You are the one who died on a cross to save us from our sins. And you are the risen and exalted Lord. We praise you, we bless your name, oh God. We worship you. Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts. The whole earth is full of your glory. All glory be to your name. All blessing, blessed be your glorious name, which is exalted above all blessing and praise.
We take our rightful place, we use the breath you’ve given us right now to say glory and blessing and honor be to your name. We live to praise you. In Jesus’ name, we pray, amen.
David Platt serves as a pastor in metro Washington, D.C. He is the founder of Radical.
David received his Ph.D. from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary and is the author of Don’t Hold Back, Radical, Follow Me, Counter Culture, Something Needs to Change, Before You Vote, as well as the multiple volumes of the Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary series.
Along with his wife and children, he lives in the Washington, D.C. metro area.
