Thy Strong Word – Psalm 113: God Most High ⇨ Mary’s Little One, ☧ the Word

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Rev. Christopher Maronde, pastor of St. John-Bingen in Decatur, Indiana, joins host Rev. AJ Espinosa to study Psalm 113.

“Who is like Yahweh our God, who condescends to us from on high!” … Pardon? The old sense of condescension, referring to a superior graciously coming down to help a subordinate, captures the middle of Psalm 113, which says that God “looks far down on the heavens and the earth.” The great mystery is that the true God is infinitely higher than all our false idols, and yet He still cares about “the poor” and “the needy” like Hannah and Mary, going from infinitely far to infinitely close, God in Mary’s very womb, her precious little baby boy. We can only meditate on God’s Word because the Word first came down to our level in Christ’s incarnation, to rise and shine on us like the dawn, showing mercy and showing the way.

Underwriter of Thy Strong Word

Thy Strong Word is a daily in-depth study of the books of the Bible with host Rev. AJ Espinosa and guest pastors from across the country. Thy Strong Word is graciously underwritten by the Lutheran Heritage Foundation and produced by the LCMS Office of National Mission.

Psalm 113

Who Is like the Lord Our God?

113 Praise the Lord!
Praise, O servants of the Lord,
praise the name of the Lord!

2 Blessed be the name of the Lord
from this time forth and forevermore!
3 From the rising of the sun to its setting,
the name of the Lord is to be praised!

4 The Lord is high above all nations,
and his glory above the heavens!
5 Who is like the Lord our God,
who is seated on high,
6 who looks far down
on the heavens and the earth?
7 He raises the poor from the dust
and lifts the needy from the ash heap,
8 to make them sit with princes,
with the princes of his people.
9 He gives the barren woman a home,
making her the joyous mother of children.
Praise the Lord!

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. esv.org