Psalm 33: We Hope in Yahweh Above All Names

Rev. David Boisclair, pastor of Faith and Bethesda Lutheran Churches in North St. Louis County, Missouri, joins host Rev. AJ Espinosa to study Psalm 33. Psalm 33 has no title in Hebrew, no superscription saying who wrote it or what kind of psalm it is. While this a little uncommon by itself, it really stands out because Psalm 33 occurs in the middle of several “of David” psalms. And not only does Psalm 33 lack names like “David,” but it lacks names like “Israel,” “Judah,” “Moses”… In fact, there are no names in the psalm at all—except for one. That’s the point. The psalm points back to God both as the one who created the whole world and also as the one who chose Israel from among the nations of the world. We feel a tension being balanced throughout: God is the God of Israel, but He is also the God of the whole world. Many people recall verse 12: “Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD, the people whom he has chosen as his heritage!” What does it mean to be a God-fearing nation? What is the place of Israel? Who are we? What is our name? Jesus Christ fulfills this psalm because He is the true Israel, chosen from before the creation of the world.