All:	1 Praise the LORD.
Group 1:	Praise, O servants of the LORD,
Group 2:	praise the name of the LORD.
All:	2 Let the name of the LORD be praised,
Group 2:	both now
Group 1:	and forevermore.
Group 2:	3 From the rising of the sun to the place where it sets,
All:	the name of the LORD is to be praised.
Group 1:	4 The LORD is exalted over all the nations,
Group 2:	his glory above the heavens.
All:	5 Who is like the LORD our God,
Group 1:	the One who sits enthroned on high,
Group 2:	6 who stoops down to look on the heavens and the earth?
Group 1:	7 He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap;
Group 2:	8 he seats them with princes, with the princes of their people.
Group 1:	9 He settles the barren woman in her home as a happy mother of children.
All:	Praise the LORD.
Psalm 113 from the NIV.

All:	1 Praise the LORD.
Group 1:	Praise, O servants of the LORD,
Group 2:	praise the name of the LORD.
All:	2 Let the name of the LORD be praised,
Group 2:	both now
Group 1:	and forevermore.
Group 2:	3 From the rising of the sun to the place where it sets,
All:	the name of the LORD is to be praised.
Group 1:	4 The LORD is exalted over all the nations,
Group 2:	his glory above the heavens.
All:	5 Who is like the LORD our God,
Group 1:	the One who sits enthroned on high,
Group 2:	6 who stoops down to look on the heavens and the earth?
Group 1:	7 He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap;
Group 2:	8 he seats them with princes, with the princes of their people.
Group 1:	9 He settles the barren woman in her home as a happy mother of children.
All:	Praise the LORD.
Psalm 113 from the NIV.

All:	1 Praise the LORD.
Group 1:	Praise, O servants of the LORD,
Group 2:	praise the name of the LORD.
All:	2 Let the name of the LORD be praised,
Group 2:	both now
Group 1:	and forevermore.
Group 2:	3 From the rising of the sun to the place where it sets,
All:	the name of the LORD is to be praised.
Group 1:	4 The LORD is exalted over all the nations,
Group 2:	his glory above the heavens.
All:	5 Who is like the LORD our God,
Group 1:	the One who sits enthroned on high,
Group 2:	6 who stoops down to look on the heavens and the earth?
Group 1:	7 He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap;
Group 2:	8 he seats them with princes, with the princes of their people.
Group 1:	9 He settles the barren woman in her home as a happy mother of children.
All:	Praise the LORD.
Psalm 113 from the NIV.

1.	Read text antiphonally

2.	Pray–help us know who You are.

Facts:

1.	What is the first instruction in verse 1?

a.	Praise the LORD.

2.	We'll be coming back to look at how this instruction is amplified later. But for now, according to verse 4, why is God worthy of praise?

a.	Lord is exalted (high above) over all the nations

i.	Exalted where?

ii.	How many nations?

b.	His glory is [exalted] above the heavens

3.	Verse 5 raises a question about this exalted and glorious God. What is it?

a.	Who is like the Lord our God . . . .?

i.	Notice, whose God is this?

(1)	Our God

b.	Our God who does what two things? (Vs. 5-6)

i.	sits enthroned on high

ii.	stoops [humbles himself] to look/behold on the heavens and the earth

4.	And how does our God respond to what He sees? (In groups)

a.	He raises the poor from the dust

b.	And lifts the needy from the ash heap/dunghill

c.	He seats them with princes, with the princes of His people

d.	He settles the barren woman in her home, a happy mother of children

5.	Now, looking at the first two responses of God, I want you to tell me why God responds in the way He does? (Interp)

a.	Because He is our God and cares about us, He's identified Himself with a people and cares about their destiny.

b.	Because He doesn't want to see people in the dust or ash heap

i.	So then what are His plans for them, or we might ask where does He want to see them?

(1)	With princes

(a)	Which princes?

(i)	The princes of His people

(2)	In their own home with children

6.	List for me again the different kinds of people our God notices, noting any fuller description ofthem.

a.	The poor in the dust

b.	The needy in the ash heap/dunghill

c.	The barren woman

Interp:

7.	In your groups I want you to tell me what these people have in common. (Make sure you discuss the significance of the different metaphors the psalmist uses to describe these people.)

a.	They're displaced

b.	Picture of death/mourning/absence of life

8.	I want you, in your groups, to make a list of all the verbs that describe God in verses 4-9.

a.	A. A. Is exalted

b.	B. B. Sits enthroned

c.	C. C. Stoops down/humbles himself

d.	D. D. Raises

e.	C. C. Lifts

f.	A. B. Seats/makes sit

g.	B. A. Settles/makes abide/makes dwell

9.	Now, in your groups, tell me why these verbs are listed in the order they are? What's significant about the progression?

10.	INTERRUPT! (If people start making connections to Christ's ministry.) Now, hold on to those thoughts. They're good, and I want to come back to them. But what right did the psalmist have for describing God this way, in his day? We could say, he's a prophet. But how could his original readers have understood this? What evidence was already available that their God operated this way?

a.	The exodus

b.	Creation

11.	This is really the foundation for what is the greatest evidence that we have that God works this way. What is that evidence?

a.	The cross

12.	By the way–did you know that the cross is called Jesus' exodus (Luke 9:31)? We're familiar with the cross and resurrection as a picture of the new creation–this is the language of Ephesians! So let's take a look at each of these in light of their New Testament fulfillment.

a.	The Lord is exalted over all the nations (Jesus is Lord over even the gentiles.)

b.	Who sits enthroned (It shows how far He stoops)

c.	Who stoops down to look on the heavens and the earth. (NOTE: This is a picture of OUR God. Picture of Creator [not some god of wood or stone made by human beings but the one who though transcendent became immanent] who is concerned about His creation. Picture of Jesus humbling Himself.)

d.	Raises the poor from the dust. (Death and Resurrection theme. We're dead. We're in slavery.)

e.	Lifts the needy from the ash heap. (Raising up to heavenly places. He's carrying us. We're on a journey. In light of chiasm, shows how high He raises us.)

f.	Seats them with the princes of His people. (Bestows honor. [Eph. 2:6; Rev. 20:4; Rev. 3:21])

g.	Settles in home with children. (Gives us place of belonging. Gives us new life. Gives us dominion.)

13.	NOTE: Can write the above as a V–starting from top of V to bottom and then back up to top. (Chiasm)

14.	In light of all this, what does the psalmist think is an appropriate response?

a.	Praise the Lord

i.	And who is this an appropriate response for?

(1)	The servants of the Lord

(a)	Which means who?

(i)	Those who have been raised to life, carried to heavenly places, seated with honor, and given back their dominion.

ii.	For how long?

(1)	Both now and forevermore

(a)	Which means what?

(i)	NOW (God has already done these things for you.) and for all time

iii.	And in what places?

(1)	From the rising of the sun to the place where it sets

(a)	Which means?

(i)	Everywhere–wherever you find yourself

Appl:

15.	All right, I'm going to give you a chance to get personal now. Where do you fit into this psalm?

a.	The poor in the dust who has been raised from death

b.	Who has been lifted up

c.	To sit with royalty

d.	And the one who has been given a place of belonging where there is new life

16.	What would you like to say to God in response to that conviction?

a.	Praise Him