19-117 The Shortest Psalm
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Psalm 117:1-2
Psalm 117:1-2
We have had a very long and busy weekend and looking forward to a little rest and relaxing, finding reprieve from the heat at the lake with the church picnic. With the picnic, I have a challenge to finish just a little bit earlier and so we’ll take up our Genesis study next week, and I thought I would look with you at the shortest of the Psalms today. Hang on—b/c I’m going to cover the entire Psalm this morning. We’re going to study all the verses—all 2 of them. And you think we’ll be getting out a little earlier—and I thought so too, then I started studying, digging into Ps 117, and b/c it is God’s Word, there’s a depth to it that we can’t exhaust in a few moments together.
Martin Luther made comments on PS 117 and it took him 36 pages. Charles Spurgeon speaks of an author who saw 5 important doctrinal lessons: the calling of the Gentiles, a summary of the gospel, the end and goal of such blessing, the duties of God’s people, and their privileges. Derek Kidner writes “This tiny psalm is great in faith, and its reach is enormous.”
The Apostle Paul quotes from this psalm in Rom 15:11. We don’t know the author, we don’t know the occasion for its writing but it is designed for public worship and it should develop in God’s people a fervent passion for world evangelism, committing to (as Charles Wesley “O For A Thousand Tongues”) “to spread thru all the earth abroad the honors of thy name.” 3 simple parts to this psalm:
1. The Call to Worship
1. The Call to Worship
vs 1
Those who lead singing each week are challenged with calling the congregation to worship. Often they will incorporate a psalm or parts of a psalm to call the congregation to lift up our praise, to bring our worship before our Great God and Savior. It is a fitting way to begin our corporate gathering, being called to worship the Almighty God.
This psalm effectively does that in vs 1. “Praise the Lord” In many psalms this is the command to the nation of Israel to praise, give thanks, bless, exalt, to sing our shout joyfully to YHWH for all His goodness, especially b/c of His covenant. This is something Scripture always hold before us as believers. We are always being called to worship. Abraham Wright once said “the saints of God are never satisfied with their own efforts, and would infinitely magnify him, even as his perfections are infinite.”
While the psalms often call Israel to worship—this time it is different. This call goes out to every nation—that they would join the chorus of praise to YHWH. And the 2nd line— “Laud Him all peoples” (Heb poetry uses parallel lines to emphasize the same truth). Now, this is where the Romans were needing instruction. They were struggling to maintain unity within that church body. For 35 consecutive verses (ch 14 & 15:1-12) Paul is expressing his concern for unity, b/t Jews & Gentiles (primarily). Because of their cultural differences, they had a tough time living in peace toward one another…then Paul prays for the Romans (15:5-6) and admonishes them vs 7 and then moves on to an explanation vv 8-9.
You remember the promise God gave Abraham? “I will bless you, make your name great, so you shall be a blessing. And I will bless those who bless, curse those who curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”
Thur Isaiah God spoke:
6 He says, “It is too small a thing that You should be My Servant To raise up the tribes of Jacob and to restore the preserved ones of Israel; I will also make You a light of the nations So that My salvation may reach to the end of the earth.”
There was disunity among believers b/c Jews couldn’t accept the Gentiles and the Gentiles were having a hard time accepting the Jews. So Paul quotes several OT passages, including Ps 117:1 to prove that God’s purpose would result in a great chorus of praise from every people, tribe, nation and tongue.
10 Sing to the Lord a new song, Sing His praise from the end of the earth! You who go down to the sea, and all that is in it. You islands, and those who dwell on them. 11 Let the wilderness and its cities lift up their voices, The settlements where Kedar inhabits. Let the inhabitants of Sela sing aloud, Let them shout for joy from the tops of the mountains. 12 Let them give glory to the Lord And declare His praise in the coastlands.
Now, today, we have a commission to take the gospel to every corner of the earth. It is a gospel of good news, it is a gospel of redemption, it is a gospel of reconciliation with the one true Creator God, but is also a gospel that is also offensive.
It is offensive to the world today b/c it is exclusive. The way of the cross, the way of Xty excludes every other religious perspective. The central tenet of Xty is incompatible with any other system of belief—not b/c we say so.
6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.
12 “And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved.”
These are exclusive statements, there is salvation in no one else, period. The gospel you take to ends of the earth will offend people—but that’s the truth they need to hear, so that they can be saved. Jesus is the Savior of the world, and those who are being saved do so by the preaching of the cross. And the result? A multi-national, inter-ethnic, culturally diverse chorus that renders praise to YHWH.
John Piper write in his book, “Let the Nations Be Glad” “Missions is not the ultimate goal of the church. Worship is. Missions exist because worship doesn’t. Worship is ultimate, not missions, because God is ultimate, not man.”
So we have this call to worship that goes out to every nation.
2. The Causes For Worship
2. The Causes For Worship
vs 2a, b
What propels our worship? Why are we called to worship? There’s 2 causes:
First
“For… His lovingkindness is great…” The word for lovingkindness (NASB; ESV Steadfast love; NIV love; KJV/NKJ merciful kindness) underscores the character of God being loving and including His deep merciful dealings with His people.
Jews returning from Babylonian captivity would bask in one of their favorite understandings of God’s person:
6 Then the Lord passed by in front of him and proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord God, compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in lovingkindness and truth; 7 who keeps lovingkindness for thousands, who forgives iniquity, transgression and sin; yet He will by no means leave the guilty unpunished, visiting the iniquity of fathers on the children and on the grandchildren to the third and fourth generations.”
The remnant who returned to Jerusalem had been chastened by 70 years of captivity and had new appreciation for God’s mercy and love. But if they understood the lovingkindness of the Lord—how much more should we who have seen the greatest demonstration of that in the atonement at the cross?
Over the past couple of weeks I have set my thoughts on John 3:16 quite often (I would urge you to do the same—you already know it, have memorized it—meditate on it).
16 “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.
James Boice speaks of the time DL Moody learned of the greatness of God’s love from this verse.
Psalms, Volume 3: (Psalms 107–150): An Expositional Commentary The Greatness of God’s Love
Moody traveled to England early in his ministry and met a young English preacher named Henry Moorhouse, who later pioneered Christian social service work in London’s poorer areas. One day Moorhouse told Moody, “I’m thinking of going to America.”
Moody said, “Well, if you should ever get to Chicago, come to my church and I’ll give you a chance to preach.”
Moody was only being polite when he said this, because he had not heard Moorhouse and didn’t know what he might say. He put the matter out of his mind, thinking that Moorhouse would probably never get as far west as Chicago. Sometime after Moody had gone back to America, he received a telegram that said, “Have arrived in New York. Will be in Chicago Sunday.” Moody didn’t know what to do, especially since he was scheduled to be away that weekend. Finally he told the leaders of the church, “I think we should let him preach once. Put him on; then, if the people enjoy him, let him preach again.”
Moody was gone for a week following that Sunday, and when he got back he asked his wife, “How did the young preacher do?”
“He’s a better preacher than you are,” she said. “He’s telling sinners that God loves them.”
“That’s not right,” Moody replied. “God doesn’t love sinners.” He had not yet learned very much about the love of God.
“Well, if you don’t think so, go and hear him.”
“What?” said Moody. “Do you mean to tell me he is still here, that he is still preaching?”
“Yes, he has been preaching all week, and he has only had one verse for a text. It is John 3:16.”
Moody went to the meeting. Moorhouse began by saying, “I have been hunting for a text all day, and I have not been able to find a better one than John 3:16. So I think I will just talk about it once more.” He began to preach, and afterward Moody testified that on that night he received his first clear understanding of the gospel of grace and the greatness of God’s love.
The psalmist says His lovingkindness is “great” (superior, strong, mighty). This term is used of one who prevails over another b/c of their superior qualities:
11 So it came about when Moses held his hand up, that Israel prevailed, and when he let his hand down, Amalek prevailed.
18 The water prevailed and increased greatly upon the earth, and the ark floated on the surface of the water.
The word describes our sin:
3 Iniquities prevail against me; As for our transgressions, You forgive them.
The point is that God’s merciful love prevails over every obstacle and against all enemies—This is picked up in the next psalm frequently.
Second
The 2nd cause for worship is “the truth of the Lord is everlasting”. This word for truth is where we get our word “amen” from (NIV faithfulness). The basic idea of the root of this word is firmness or certainty. It has the idea of supporting or carrying an object and came to describe something that is firm or unshakable. The OT uses this word in 2 primary ways: used of God as one of His attributes (Like here in Ps 117). It rightly describes God who is unshakable/firm. Heaven and earth will pass away but God will not nor will His Words. So we have the God of the amen or the God of truth.
Isaiah 65:16 (NASB95)
16 “Because he who is blessed in the earth Will be blessed by the God of truth; And he who swears in the earth Will swear by the God of truth
Lit “the God of the amen.” This is how Jesus uses it many times in the gospel (Gk is similar) “truly, truly.”
The other way is what we’re familiar with—used by us to express our agreement with what God says. If God says something, we should respond with “Amen.”
The psalmist says the Lord’s unshakability is everlasting. These are 2 causes for worship: lovingkindness (merciful love) and enduring truth (faithfulness, unshakability, firmness).
3. The Crown of Worship
3. The Crown of Worship
2c
PTL! The crown of worship, the climax, the ultimate pinnacle for the saint is to praise the Lord. That’s the imperative of this psalm and if you’ve missed the message, you’ve missed the great heart and purpose of God to surround Himself with an international choir of those who render praise b/c of His greatness. Then you miss the profound privilege of participating in the mission of the church—to evangelize the lost. May each of us give our life, prayers, and efforts to the task of reaching the world for JC. Go forth and preach the gospel and fulfill this psalm: “Praise the Lord!”