Hallelujah! (Ps. 150)

Psalm 150 is the conclusion to the whole Psalter.

The Psalter has five books within it – just like the five books of Moses. And each of the five books of the Psalter ends with a doxology: for instance, Psalm 41 ends the first book with the doxology, "Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel from everlasting to everlasting. Amen and amen."

The doxology of the fifth book consists of at least the last five Psalms (146-150) all of which proclaim the praises of the Lord, building up the crescendo of praise and exaltation to the God of Israel, climaxing with the jubilant exuberance of this Psalm.

So Psalm 150 is not only the doxology for the fifth book of the Psalter, it is also a doxology to the whole Psalter - a declaration of praise to Yahweh, and a call to all Israel to join in the praise due to his name.

Notice that every phrase is in the imperative. This is a command that everything in heaven and on earth must praise Yahweh.

The whole book of Psalms has been leading up to this. The book of Psalms ends the way all history will end - praising God in his sanctuary!