Mountains, and all hills; fruitful trees, and all cedars:
Psalm 148:9 continues the summons for the whole creation to praise the LORD. The psalm has already called upon angels, sun, moon, stars, heavens, waters, sea creatures, fire, hail, snow, vapour, and stormy wind to praise Him (vv.1-8). Now the command reaches the land itself. Mountains, hills, fruitful trees, and cedars all bear witness to the greatness of their Maker. They do not praise with human speech, but by existing according to His word, displaying His wisdom, power, order, and goodness. “The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork” (Psalm 19:1).
“Mountains.” The greatest features of the land are called to praise God. Mountains impress men by their height, mass, age, strength, and majesty, but Scripture will not permit the creature to steal glory from the Creator. “Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God” (Psalm 90:2). Mountains are ancient to us, but they are young before Him. He formed them, weighs them, touches them, and moves them according to His will (Psalm 104:32; Isaiah 40:12). Their greatness should lift the mind beyond themselves to the One who made them.
“And all hills.” The command includes the lesser elevations as well as the mountains. God is praised by the great and the small works of creation. Men naturally notice what is largest, highest, or most dramatic, but the psalm includes “all hills.” Nothing God formed is beneath His ownership or outside His glory. The earth is not divided between important works worthy of wonder and ordinary works beneath notice. “The earth is the LORD’S, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein” (Psalm 24:1). The hill near at hand and the mountain on the horizon both belong to Him. This should correct the habit of looking for God’s greatness only in extraordinary things. His wisdom is present in the common landscape as surely as in the grandest scene.
“Fruitful trees.” The psalm now moves from the shape of the land to the vegetation growing upon it. Fruitful trees praise God by displaying His provision. Their roots draw from soil, their leaves receive light, their branches bear fruit, and their appointed seasons serve men and beasts. God established the order at creation: “Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind” (Genesis 1:11). Fruit therefore does not arise independently from nature. God created the tree, established its kind, ordained its seasons, and supplies the rain and increase. Scripture therefore directs thanksgiving beyond the fruit to the Giver: “Nevertheless he left not himself without witness, in that he did good, and gave us rain from heaven, and fruitful seasons” (Acts 14:17). Every harvest is another witness that the earth remains under His providence.
“And all cedars.” Cedars were known for height, strength, durability, and beauty, yet they too are creatures under God. Scripture calls them “the cedars of Lebanon, which he hath planted” (Psalm 104:16). Their stature does not make them independent. God planted them, waters them, sustains them, and can break them: “The voice of the LORD breaketh the cedars; yea, the LORD breaketh the cedars of Lebanon” (Psalm 29:5). What appears strongest in creation remains weak before its Maker. The cedar therefore praises God both by its strength and by its dependence. Its greatness displays His craftsmanship; its frailty before His voice displays His dominion.
The verse joins useful fruit trees and mighty cedars without forcing either into a hidden symbol. One feeds; the other stands tall and strong. Both serve the purpose for which God made them, and in doing so they praise Him. The previous verse says even “stormy wind fulfilling his word” praises the LORD (v.8). That principle explains the praise of verse 9. Creation glorifies God by fulfilling the order He gave it. The tree does not need human speech to testify. Its existence, structure, fruitfulness, beauty, and obedience to created order announce the wisdom of its Maker (Romans 1:20).
This testimony also rebukes idolatry. Men have repeatedly worshipped mountains, groves, trees, heavenly bodies, and other created things rather than the One who made them. Paul describes this corruption as worshipping and serving “the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen” (Romans 1:25). Psalm 148 does the opposite. It does not tell men to praise the mountain or cedar; it calls the mountain and cedar themselves into the chorus praising Jehovah. Creation is a witness, not a god.
Jesus Christ is not part of this created chorus as one creature among others. The eternal Word made the world He entered: “All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made” (John 1:3). The Word was afterward “made flesh, and dwelt among us” (John 1:14). Therefore every mountain, hill, fruitful tree, and cedar owes its existence to the divine Word who became flesh. Creation praises its Maker, and the believer sees in Jesus Christ the glory of the One through whom all things were made.
Look at creation correctly. Do not stop at the beauty of the mountain, the pleasantness of the hill, the sweetness of the fruit, or the strength of the cedar. Let each created thing turn the mind toward its Maker. “Let them praise the name of the LORD: for he commanded, and they were created” (v.5). Receive the fruit with thanksgiving, behold the landscape with reverence, and let the praise that creation displays become praise spoken by your own mouth.
Mountains, and all hills; fruitful trees, and all cedars:
Psalm 148:9 continues the summons for the whole creation to praise the LORD. The psalm has already called upon angels, sun, moon, stars, heavens, waters, sea creatures, fire, hail, snow, vapour, and stormy wind to praise Him (vv.1-8). Now the command reaches the land itself. Mountains, hills, fruitful trees, and cedars all bear witness to the greatness of their Maker. They do not praise with human speech, but by existing according to His word, displaying His wisdom, power, order, and goodness. “The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork” (Psalm 19:1).
“Mountains.” The greatest features of the land are called to praise God. Mountains impress men by their height, mass, age, strength, and majesty, but Scripture will not permit the creature to steal glory from the Creator. “Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God” (Psalm 90:2). Mountains are ancient to us, but they are young before Him. He formed them, weighs them, touches them, and moves them according to His will (Psalm 104:32; Isaiah 40:12). Their greatness should lift the mind beyond themselves to the One who made them.
“And all hills.” The command includes the lesser elevations as well as the mountains. God is praised by the great and the small works of creation. Men naturally notice what is largest, highest, or most dramatic, but the psalm includes “all hills.” Nothing God formed is beneath His ownership or outside His glory. The earth is not divided between important works worthy of wonder and ordinary works beneath notice. “The earth is the LORD’S, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein” (Psalm 24:1). The hill near at hand and the mountain on the horizon both belong to Him. This should correct the habit of looking for God’s greatness only in extraordinary things. His wisdom is present in the common landscape as surely as in the grandest scene.
“Fruitful trees.” The psalm now moves from the shape of the land to the vegetation growing upon it. Fruitful trees praise God by displaying His provision. Their roots draw from soil, their leaves receive light, their branches bear fruit, and their appointed seasons serve men and beasts. God established the order at creation: “Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind” (Genesis 1:11). Fruit therefore does not arise independently from nature. God created the tree, established its kind, ordained its seasons, and supplies the rain and increase. Scripture therefore directs thanksgiving beyond the fruit to the Giver: “Nevertheless he left not himself without witness, in that he did good, and gave us rain from heaven, and fruitful seasons” (Acts 14:17). Every harvest is another witness that the earth remains under His providence.
“And all cedars.” Cedars were known for height, strength, durability, and beauty, yet they too are creatures under God. Scripture calls them “the cedars of Lebanon, which he hath planted” (Psalm 104:16). Their stature does not make them independent. God planted them, waters them, sustains them, and can break them: “The voice of the LORD breaketh the cedars; yea, the LORD breaketh the cedars of Lebanon” (Psalm 29:5). What appears strongest in creation remains weak before its Maker. The cedar therefore praises God both by its strength and by its dependence. Its greatness displays His craftsmanship; its frailty before His voice displays His dominion.
The verse joins useful fruit trees and mighty cedars without forcing either into a hidden symbol. One feeds; the other stands tall and strong. Both serve the purpose for which God made them, and in doing so they praise Him. The previous verse says even “stormy wind fulfilling his word” praises the LORD (v.8). That principle explains the praise of verse 9. Creation glorifies God by fulfilling the order He gave it. The tree does not need human speech to testify. Its existence, structure, fruitfulness, beauty, and obedience to created order announce the wisdom of its Maker (Romans 1:20).
This testimony also rebukes idolatry. Men have repeatedly worshipped mountains, groves, trees, heavenly bodies, and other created things rather than the One who made them. Paul describes this corruption as worshipping and serving “the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen” (Romans 1:25). Psalm 148 does the opposite. It does not tell men to praise the mountain or cedar; it calls the mountain and cedar themselves into the chorus praising Jehovah. Creation is a witness, not a god.
Jesus Christ is not part of this created chorus as one creature among others. The eternal Word made the world He entered: “All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made” (John 1:3). The Word was afterward “made flesh, and dwelt among us” (John 1:14). Therefore every mountain, hill, fruitful tree, and cedar owes its existence to the divine Word who became flesh. Creation praises its Maker, and the believer sees in Jesus Christ the glory of the One through whom all things were made.
Look at creation correctly. Do not stop at the beauty of the mountain, the pleasantness of the hill, the sweetness of the fruit, or the strength of the cedar. Let each created thing turn the mind toward its Maker. “Let them praise the name of the LORD: for he commanded, and they were created” (v.5). Receive the fruit with thanksgiving, behold the landscape with reverence, and let the praise that creation displays become praise spoken by your own mouth.