20260709 [새벽묵상] 낮은자를 돌보시는 높으신 하나님을 찬양하라 Praise the Exalted God Who Cares for the Lowly (시/Ps 113:1~9)

113:1 할렐루야, 여호와의 종들아 찬양하라 여호와의 이름을 찬양하라

113:2 이제부터 영원까지 여호와의 이름을 찬송할지로다

113:3 해 돋는 데에서부터 해 지는 데에까지 여호와의 이름이 찬양을 받으시리로다

1 Praise the Lord.

Praise the Lord, you his servants;

    praise the name of the Lord.

2 Let the name of the Lord be praised,

    both now and forevermore.

3 From the rising of the sun to the place where it sets,

    the name of the Lord is to be praised.

113:4 여호와는 모든 나라보다 높으시며 그의 영광은 하늘보다 높으시도다

113:5 여호와 우리 하나님과 같은 이가 누구리요 높은 곳에 앉으셨으나

113:6 스스로 낮추사 천지를 살피시고

4 The Lord is exalted over all the nations,

    his glory above the heavens.

5 Who is like the Lord our God,

    the One who sits enthroned on high,

6 who stoops down to look

    on the heavens and the earth?

113:7 가난한 자를 먼지 더미에서 일으키시며 궁핍한 자를 거름 더미에서 들어 세워

113:8 지도자들 곧 그의 백성의 지도자들과 함께 세우시며

113:9 또 임신하지 못하던 여자를 집에 살게 하사 자녀들을 즐겁게 하는 어머니가 되게 하시는도다 할렐루야

7 He raises the poor from the dust

    and lifts the needy from the ash heap;

8 he seats them with princes,

    with the princes of his people.

9 He settles the childless woman in her home

    as a happy mother of children.

Praise the Lord.

                시편 113편을 보면서 제일 먼저 떠올랐던 찬양이 있습니다. 바로 “해 뜨는데 부터”이지요. (노래) “해 뜨는데부터 해지는데 까지 주 이름 찬양 받으리 랄랄라 할렐루야- 여호와의 모든 종들아 주 이름 찬양해 이제부터 영원까지 주 이름 찬양 할 지로다” 이 찬양이 오늘 말씀의 1절부터 3절까지의 내용을 모두 요약하고 있습니다. 여호와의 이름은 해 뜨는데부터 해 지는 곳까지, 땅끝부터 땅끝까지 모든 사람과 만물의 찬양을 받으시기 합당합니다. 또한 이제부터 영원까지 여호와의 종인 우리들은 여호와의 이름을 찬송해야 할 것입니다. 이 내용들을 이 찬양 한 곡이 모두 담고 있지요. 그러나 이 찬양이 다루지 않는 내용이 있습니다. 그것은 ‘우리가 하나님을 왜 찬양해야 하는가?’ 또는 ‘우리가 하나님의 무엇을 찬양해야 하는가?’ 하는 것입니다. 오늘은 그 질문에 대한 대답으로 “낮은 자를 돌보시는 높으신 하나님을 찬양하라” 라는 제목으로 말씀을 나누기 원합니다.

Introduction: Why Do We Praise?

There is a specific praise song that immediately came to my mind when I read Psalm 113. It is "From the Rising of the Sun."

"From the rising of the sun to the going down of the same, the name of the Lord shall be praised. Praise ye the Lord, praise, oh ye servants of the Lord, praise the name of the Lord. Blessed be the name of the Lord, from this time forth and forevermore!"

This song perfectly summarizes verses 1 through 3 of today's scripture. The name of the Lord is worthy to receive praise from all people and all creation, from the rising of the sun to its setting—from one end of the earth to the other. Furthermore, as servants of the Lord, we must praise His name from this time forth and forevermore. This single praise song holds all of these truths.

However, there is something this song does not address. It does not answer: "Why must we praise God?" or "What specific attributes of God should we praise?" Today, as an answer to those very questions, I want to share a message titled, "Praise the Exalted God Who Cares for the Lowly."

Body

                우리는 먼저 하나님이 얼마나 높은 분이신지를 알아야 합니다. 4절 말씀을 함께 읽어보겠습니다. “여호와는 모든 나라보다 높으시며 그의 영광은 하늘보다 높으시도다” 아멘. 제가 화요일 설교에 당시 이스라엘은 거대한 제국들 사이에서 살아야 했던 사람들이라고 말씀을 드렸었습니다. 당시의 세상은 아시리아 제국이나 바빌론 제국, 또 애굽과 같은 제국들이 지배하고 있었지요. 이스라엘 백성들의 눈에는 자연히 그들을 둘러싼 제국들이 가장 힘있고 누구도 대적할 수 없는 무적의 존재처럼 보였을 것입니다. 그러나 오늘 말씀은 여호와께서 그들 모든 나라, 모든 제국들보다 높으시다 라고 선포하고 있습니다. 하나님이 더 높으시며 더 강하신 분이라는 것입니다. 그의 영광 또한 마찬가지입니다. 당시의 사람들이 눈으로 보고 상상할 수 있었던 가장 높은 것이 무엇입니까? 바로 하늘이지요. 그런데 하나님의 영광이 그 하늘보다 더 높다고 고백하고 있습니다. 사실 이것은 그들이 직접 경험한 것이기도 합니다. 출애굽기 24:10 말씀에 모세와 장로들이 하나님이 임재하신 시내산으로 올라갔을 때에 “이스라엘의 하나님을 보니 그의 발 아래에는 청옥을 편 듯하고 하늘 같이 청명하더라,” 즉 하나님께서는 하늘로 덮여있는 피조세계 위에 계신 더 높으신 분이라는 것을 경험하였었지요. 이렇듯 그 누구도 비교할 수 없는 하나님의 유일성. 그것이 바로 5절 말씀이 말하고자 하는 것입니다. 함께 읽겠습니다. “여호와 우리 하나님과 같은 이가 누구리요 높은 곳에 앉으셨으나” 그 지극히 높으신 천외천의 보좌에 좌정하시는 하나님. 그 하나님과 같이 스스로 보좌에 좌정할 자 누구냐는 것입니다. 어느 제국의 왕도 이 피조세계의 그 무엇도 우리 하나님과 같이 높은 분은 없다는 것이지요. 그런데 그런분을 이들은 ‘여호와, 우리 하나님’이라고 부르고 있습니다. 여호와라는 이름, 하나님께서 이스라엘을 구원하실 때에 자신의 백성들에게 직접 알려주신 당신의 이름입니다. 그 이름을 주심으로 여호와께서는 이스라엘의 하나님이 되셨습니다. 지극히 높은 하나님이 이들에게 먼저 손내미셔서 이들의 하나님이 되어주신 것입니다.

1. The Exalted God Beyond Human Imagination

First, we must deeply grasp just how exalted and high our God truly is. Let us read verse 4 together:

“The Lord is exalted over all the nations, his glory above the heavens.”

As I mentioned in Tuesday’s sermon, the ancient Israelites had to live their lives sandwiched between massive, intimidating empires. The world back then was dominated by superpowers like the Assyrian Empire, the Babylonian Empire, and Egypt. In the eyes of the Israelites, the empires surrounding them must have looked like the ultimate, invincible forces of the world—powers that no one could possibly oppose.

Yet, today's text boldly declares that the Lord is exalted far above all those nations and all those empires. God is infinitely higher, and He is infinitely stronger.

The same applies to His glory. What was the highest thing people back then could visually see and imagine? It was the physical heavens—the sky. But the psalmist confesses that God’s glory is even higher than those heavens.

In fact, this was something the people of Israel had historically experienced. Exodus 24:10 tells us that when Moses and the elders went up to Mount Sinai where God’s presence rested:

“...and saw the God of Israel. Under his feet was something like a pavement made of lapis lazuli, as clear as the sky itself.”

They directly experienced the truth that God exists far above the created universe covered by the sky. This speaks to the absolute uniqueness of God, which nothing and no one can compare to. This is precisely what verse 5 is pointing out. Let us read it together:

“Who is like the Lord our God, the One who sits enthroned on high”

Our God is the One who sits on the supreme throne, far above the heavens. Who could possibly seat themselves on a throne like our God? No emperor of any empire, nor anything else in all of creation, is as high as our Lord.

Yet, notice what the Israelites call this majestic Being: “the Lord OUR God.” The name "Yahweh" (the Lord) is the personal name that God directly revealed to His people when He delivered them out of Egypt. By giving them His name, the Lord became Israel's God. The infinitely exalted God was the One who reached down first to become their personal God.

                바로 여기에 오늘 말씀에 놀라움이 있습니다. 하나님은 누구도 다가갈 수 없는 가장 높은 곳의 보좌에 앉으신 분이십니다. 높은 보좌에 앉은 자, 누구입니까? 지배자입니다. 왕입니다. 세상은 약육강식입니다. 힘 있는 자가 힘 없는 자를 착취하는 것이 당연합니다. 이것이 힘의 논리이고 제국의 법칙이며 세상의 법칙입니다. 그러나 하나님께서는 세상과는 다른 통치를 펼치십니다. 6절을 함께 읽겠습니다. “스스로 낮추사 천지를 살피시고” 가장 높으신 분이 스스로를 낮추셨다고 합니다. 여기서 낮춘다는 말은 본래 징벌적인 의미를 가지고 있습니다. 지극히 높으신 창조주께서 세상의 가장 낮은 자들을 구원하시기 위해 외부의 강요나 조건에 의해서가 아니라 오직 당신의 주권적인 의지로 스스로 비천해지시는 것을 선택하셨다는 것입니다. 그렇게 가장 높으신 분이 스스로 낮추셔서 하시는 일이 무엇입니까? 7-8절 함께 읽겠습니다. “가난한 자를 먼지 더미에서 일으키시며 궁핍한 자를 거름 더미에서 들어 세워 지도자들 곧 그의 백성의 지도자들과 함께 세우시며” 이 말씀의 가난한 자와 궁핍한 자는 경제적인 결핍만을 말하는 것이 아닙니다. 이들은 사회적으로 힘이 없고 보호받지 못하는 마치 불가촉천민과 같은 사람들을 말합니다. 이들은 먼지 더미와 거름 더미, 즉 마을 바깥 쓰레기장과 온갖 배설물들 가운데 거하는 사람들입니다. 사회에서 완전히 버림받아 인간 이하의 취급을 받는 절대 절망의 자리 가운데 있는 사람들입니다. 하나님께서 가장 높은 곳에 계신 분이라면 이들은 낮은 곳 중에서도 가장 낮은 자리에 있는 사람들입니다. 하나님께서는 스스로 낮추사 이들을 찾아가십니다. 이들을 일으키시며, 이들을 들어 세워 왕자들, 백성의 지배자들과 함께 앉히시는 분이십니다. 하나님의 구원은 이들이 연명할 수 있도록 생존만을 보장해주시는 것이 아니라는 것입니다. 공동체 안에서 그들을 존귀한 자리에 세워주시는 것입니다. 9절 말씀도 마찬가지입니다. 임신하지 못하는 여자, 당시의 기준으로는 아무런 가치가 없는 존재입니다. 창세기 16:4에 사래의 여종이었던 하갈이 자신이 임신하였다는 사실을 알자마자 자신의 여주인을 멸시하지 않습니까? 종이 자신의 주인을 멸시하다니요. 주인임에도 불구하고 종보다도 낮아보인다는 것이 아니겠습니까? 바로 그런 불임의 여인을 하나님께서는 그 집안의 중심부에 확고하게 앉히십니다. 그리고 그녀의 정체성을 자식을 가진 행복한 어머니가 되게 하십니다. 하나님의 구원이 공동체 안에 공적인 구원 뿐만 아니라 가장 사적이고 고통스러운 삶의 자리까지 미친다는 것을 보여주고 있는 것입니다. 재미있는 것은 하나님께서 높은 곳에 앉으셨으나 라는 앉으셨다는 단어와 가난한 자, 궁핍한 자를 왕자들과 함께 앉히신다 하는 단어, 그리고 임신하지 못하던 여자를 그 집안 한 가운데에 앉히신다라는 단어가 같은 어근을 가지고 있다는 것입니다. 지극히 높으신 하나님께서 스스로를 낮추사 지극히 낮은 자들을 일으켜 마치 당신처럼 존귀한 위치에 앉이신다는 것입니다.

2. The Radical Humility and Salvation of God

Right here lies the stunning wonder of today’s message. God is the One who sits on a throne in the highest, most unapproachable place. Who sits on a high throne? A ruler does. A king does.

The secular world operates on the law of the jungle—the survival of the fittest. In the world, it is taken for granted that the powerful exploit the powerless. That is the logic of raw strength, the law of empires, and the rule of this world.

However, God exercises a completely different kind of rule. Let us read verse 6 together:

“...who stoops down to look on the heavens and the earth”

The scripture says that the Most High stoops down (literally, humbles Himself). In its original language, this word for lowering oneself often carries a heavy, sacrificial nuance. It means that the infinitely high Creator chose to lower Himself into vituperation and lowliness—not because of external coercion or pressure, but solely out of His own sovereign, loving will to save the lowest of this world.

And what does the Most High actually do after lowering Himself? Let us read verses 7 and 8 together:

“He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap; he seats them with princes, with the princes of his people.”

The “poor” and “needy” mentioned here do not just refer to economic poverty. These words describe people who are completely powerless and unprotected in society—the outcasts, the untouchables. They are found living in the dust and the ash heap—which refers to the garbage dumps and waste grounds outside the village walls. They are individuals who have been completely abandoned by society, treated as subhuman, and trapped in absolute despair.

If God is in the highest possible place, these individuals are in the lowest of the low. Yet, God willingly humbles Himself to go down and visit them. He raises them up, lifts them out of the filth, and seats them right next to princes—the rulers of the people.

A Restoration of Dignity Notice that God's salvation does not just guarantee their bare survival or give them handouts to barely get by. His salvation completely restores their dignity and establishes them in a place of honor within the community.

We see the exact same pattern in verse 9. A childless woman in ancient times was considered entirely worthless by societal standards. In Genesis 16:4, the moment Hagar (Sarai's maidservant) knew she was pregnant, she began to despise her mistress. A slave despising her owner! It implies that despite being the mistress, Sarai looked lower than a pregnant slave.

Yet, God takes that very childless woman and firmly settles her in the absolute center of the home. He transforms her identity entirely, making her "a happy mother of children." This beautifully demonstrates that God’s salvation is not just a public, corporate deliverance within the community; it reaches into the most private, painful, and agonizing corners of an individual's life.

• The Hebrew Wordplay of Grace: Interestingly, the Hebrew root word for "sits enthroned" on high (v. 5), "seats" the poor with princes (v. 8), and "settles/seats" the childless woman in her home (v. 9) is exactly the same: Yashab (יָשַׁב). The infinitely exalted God humbles Himself to raise up the deeply broken and places them in the exact same position of honor (yashab) where He resides.

말씀을 맺습니다. 여호와의 종인 우리는 여호와의 이름을 찬양해야 합니다. 여호와께서는 우리가 생각할 수 있는 그 누구, 그 무엇보다도 더 높으신 분이십니다. 그러나 하나님께서는 지극히 높으신 분이심에도 스스로를 낮추어 가장 낮은 자들을 그들의 절망과 결핍 가운데서 일으키십니다. 그뿐만이 아닙니다. 그들을 들어올리셔서 당신과 같이 존귀한 자리에 앉이십니다. 이분이 바로 우리의 하나님. 여호와이십니다. 그 하나님의 놀라운 구원을 찬양합시다. 할렐루야!

Conclusion: Sing Halleluiah to Our God

Let us conclude. As servants of the Lord, we must praise His holy name. The Lord is higher than anyone or anything we could ever think of or imagine.

Yet, despite being the Most High, He willingly stoops down to rescue the lowest of the low from their absolute despair and lack. Not only that, but He lifts them all the way up to seat them in a position of royal dignity alongside Himself.

This is our God. This is Yahweh. Let us praise the magnificent, upside-down salvation of our God.

Hallelujah!

Let us pray.