Introduction
Psalm 117 is the shortest psalm, but — as one of the commentators says (Futato) — its theme is one of the grandest, because it’s about the worldwide worship of the Lord our God.
The text
In verse 1, the psalmist calls on ‘all you nations’ and on ‘all you peoples’ to praise and extol the Lord. There’s really no difference between the verbs ‘praise’ and ‘extol’. And so, in both lines, the psalmist is inviting, even commanding, all the people of the world to praise the Lord.
The psalmist uses God’s special covenant name, which appears in our English Bibles as LORD in capital letters. And that means he’s telling the nations to turn from their own gods to worship Israel’s God. He’s calling on them to leave behind Baal and Dagon and every other false god to worship the LORD who has revealed himself to Israel as the one, true and living God who made and who sustains all things in heaven and on earth.
In verse 2 the psalmist explains why all people around the world should praise the Lord. And it’s because ‘great is his love towards us and the faithfulness of the Lord lasts forever’. In the first line, he’s referring to God’s covenant love for his covenant people. So, this is God’s never-ending love for them. And he says it is great. It is mighty. It’s the greatest of all loves. And since God’s faithfulness endures for ever, then he will always love his people. Just as a faithful husband will love his wife always, so the Lord will love his people always.
And so, even though the Lord was angry with his people for a time, because of their persistent unbelief and rebellion, so that he sent them away into exile to Babylon, nevertheless his love for them endured. And, when the time was right, he brought them back to the Promised Land. When their love for him was small, his love for them was great. When they were unfaithful to him, he remained faithful to them.
And this short psalm ends with ‘Hallelujah!’ or ‘Praise the Lord!’
Explanation
The psalm, then, is about the worldwide worship of the Lord our God. All people should worship him.
However, the reason the psalmist gives to explain why all people should worship him is remarkable. We might have expected him to tell all people to worship the Lord because he made them and gave them their life. Or because he sustains them by giving them all they need each day. However, he doesn’t mention those things. Instead he refers them to God’s love ‘towards us’. That is, he refers them to God’s love towards Israel, who were his covenant people in those days. So, everyone around the world should praise the Lord for his love towards Israel. And when he refers to God’s faithfulness, he’s thinking about God’s faithfulness to Israel.
So, why should everyone around the world praise the Lord for his love and faithfulness towards the people of Israel? It’s because the Lord’s love and faithfulness towards Israel benefitted the whole world. His love and faithfulness towards Israel meant that the Saviour of the world could come.
Ever since the Lord called Abram, he watched over Abram and his descendants. He protected them from danger and he rescued them from their enemies. When Abraham had to go to Egypt because of a famine in the land, God was with him and his wife, Sarah. Later, when Jacob had to flee from Esau, God protected him and blessed him whenever he was living with Laban. When Jacob’s descendants moved to Egypt, the Lord protected them from the Pharaoh who was treating them cruelly. He then brought them out of Egypt in the days of Moses and brought them through the Red Sea and through the wilderness and through the River Jordan and into the Promised Land. He protected them from the Philistines and other nations who attacked them. When they were sent into exile, he kept them safe in Babylon and brought them back to the Promised Land. When Haman wanted to annihilate them, the Lord ensured that Esther was in the right place at the right time to keep them safe. And the Lord sustained his people for years when other nations ruled over them. And when the time was right, he enabled Mary to give birth to the Lord Jesus, who came to be the Saviour, not only for Israel, but for the whole world.
Ever since the days of Abram, God watched over his people. He demonstrated his steadfast love and faithfulness again and again and again. He kept them safe and he preserved them so that, in the fullness of time, the Saviour of the world would come from Israel.
And after the Saviour’s death and resurrection, God made clear to his people in Israel that salvation was not only for them, but it was for all who believe. God’s covenant promise of salvation was for everyone who believes, including believing Jews and believing Gentiles. It was for everyone who calls on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.
And so, the apostles were sent out of Jerusalem and into the world to tell people everywhere the good news of God’s love and faithfulness and his willingness to pardon whoever believes in Christ, who died and who was raised for sinners. And as they preached the good news to the nations, the Holy Spirit worked through their message to convince and convert Gentiles to faith in Christ. And they too became God’s covenant people and members of Christ’s church, which he is building throughout the world. And so, now, throughout the world, people in every nation are joining together to praise and to extol the Lord.
The Lord’s love and faithfulness to Israel has benefitted the whole world, because his love and faithfulness to Israel meant that the Saviour of the world could come.
And in Revelation 7, the Apostle John was allowed to see into heaven. And when he looked into heaven, he saw a great multitude that no-one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne of God and in front of the Lamb of God; and they were praising the Lord. In other words, he saw the fulfilment of Psalm 117.
And since it is God’s will for people from every nation to join together to praise and extol the Lord, then we can pray with confidence for God to send out preachers into all the world to proclaim the good news to all; and we can pray with confidence for God to bless the reading and preaching of his word throughout the world, so that those who hear will repent and believe and be added to Christ’s worldwide church. And as members of Christ’s worldwide church, they will praise the Lord for his love and faithful to Israel, which has benefitted the whole world.
Sermons and Stuff 