Psalm 145 – Skeptic's Annotated Bible answered

A response and reply to the notes on Psalm 145 in the Skeptic's Annotated Bible (SAB).

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King James Version

SAB comment

My comment


1 I will extol thee, my God, O king; and I will bless thy name for ever and ever.

2 Every day will I bless thee; and I will praise thy name for ever and ever.

3 Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised; and his greatness is unsearchable.

4 One generation shall praise thy works to another, and shall declare thy mighty acts.

5 I will speak of the glorious honour of thy majesty, and of thy wondrous works.

6 And men shall speak of the might of thy terrible acts: and I will declare thy greatness.

7 They shall abundantly utter the memory of thy great goodness, and shall sing of thy righteousness.

8 The LORD is gracious, and full of compassion; slow to anger, and of great mercy.

"The LORD is gracious, and full of compassion; slow to anger, and of great mercy." Is God merciful?
See chapter 103:8.

9 The LORD is good to all: and his tender mercies are over all his works.

"The LORD is good to all: and his tender mercies are over all his works." Then why do nearly all animals die painful deaths from starvation, predation, or disease long before they reach adulthood?
God did not create this world with suffering. It was the choice of Adam and Eve to know good and evil which brought suffering into this world, Gen. 3:6. This could happen because God gave humans a truly free will. And we follow in Adam's footsteps.
But in this fallen world and in all this suffering, Rom. 8:22, we can still see God's original creation. That originally the world was created very good. The only truly scientific evidence we have is that things are devolving, not evolving. We have hard evidence of birds losing their flight, and there are no examples of creatures gaining it.
And God's hand is still in this world, and his tender mercies are over all his works, because what would this world be if that was not the case? The effects of the Fall are not being undone, but one day they will and then every creature will be liberated as well, Rom. 8:21.

10 All thy works shall praise thee, O LORD; and thy saints shall bless thee.

11 They shall speak of the glory of thy kingdom, and talk of thy power;

12 To make known to the sons of men his mighty acts, and the glorious majesty of his kingdom.

13 Thy kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and thy dominion endureth throughout all generations.

14 The LORD upholdeth all that fall, and raiseth up all those that be bowed down.

15 The eyes of all wait upon thee; and thou givest them their meat in due season.

16 Thou openest thine hand, and satisfiest the desire of every living thing.

God "satisfiest the desire of every living thing." But in nature few needs are met and few desires are satisfied. Life is short, hard, cruel, and painful for nearly every living thing.
The author of the SAB displays his science icon. Isn't it the opinion of the majority of scientists that all this suffering is good? That it leads to progress and evolution? Isn't it through strife and survival that humans came into being so shouldn't we glorify in that?
Of course the meaning cannot be here what the author of the SAB makes the psalmist say. The desire of every wild beast such as lions or bears cannot be satisfied. Nor can it truly be said they have desires. They follow their instincts and have to live in this fallen world, verse 9. Only of man it can truly be said he has desires and can be satisfied. And that only of a man who has a new heart, who has been born again. As John Gill comments on every living thing:

Everyone that is made spiritually alive, quickened by the Spirit and grace of God; these desire spiritual things, spiritual food, more grace and more communion with God, and conformity to Christ; and these desires are before the Lord; and sooner or later they are satisfied, they have what they desire; especially this will be their case, when they awake in the divine likeness.

He also says that we can read this verse as: “and satisfies every living one with that which is acceptable [with] favor.”

17 The LORD is righteous in all his ways, and holy in all his works.

18 The LORD is nigh unto all them that call upon him, to all that call upon him in truth.

"The LORD is nigh unto all them that call upon him."
Does God help in times of need?
Yes, God is nigh as the psalmist says. But for whom is the question. God is not nigh to those that hate him and reject him. As the psalmist clearly says, he is nigh to those that call upon him. See also chapter 22:1 for those verses that are said of Christ.

19 He will fulfil the desire of them that fear him: he also will hear their cry, and will save them.

20 The LORD preserveth all them that love him: but all the wicked will he destroy.

21 My mouth shall speak the praise of the LORD: and let all flesh bless his holy name for ever and ever.

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