Give Glory to God! Psalm 115:1-8

Introduction

How many of you have a life verse? It has become very common for Christians to have a life verse. It’s very common for believers in their online bio to list a life verse. Eph 2:8-9, Joshua 24:15, Jeremiah 29:11. I have my own life verse, and I chose it because I knew I wanted to go into ministry. And what I did not want to happen was for me to become a pastor and lose sight of what my mission was. And so I chose Psalm 115:1.

The time of the Psalm is unsure, but it is likely that it takes place right before a trial as a psalm meant to inspire confidence by reminding the listener of truth about God and idols, or after victory in which it is a testimony of what the Lord has done that no other God can do.

Likely recited at the second temple dedication

The Jewish people have returned from exile and rebuilt the temple

1 - read by the leader

2-8 recited by audience

9-11 choir

12-15 priest

16-18 recited by audience

1. God is to be glorified

Psalm 115:1 “Not to us, O Lord, not to us, but to your name give glory, for the sake of your steadfast love and your faithfulness!”

A. God’s Steadfast Love

This is that “hessed” love that is defined as “unfailing kind of love, kindness, or goodness; often used of God’s love that is related to faithfulness to his covenant.”

God has made multiple promises and covenants with his people - motivated by love - for the sake of his glory and our salvation. For the Israelites, this hessed love was seen demonstrated by God’s entering into covenants with a people who were sinful and bad at following him.

For us, we see God’s steadfast love demonstrated in the covenants, but ultimately in the sending of Jesus. His death and resurrection is the ultimate act of love, and it is why we glorify him.

Because when you realize that you are a sinful person who has zero redeeming qualities, you realize how much God loves you, and how undeserving of it you are, and so after accepting Jesus, you are filled with awe and wonder at what God has done for you, and your new goal in life becomes praising him.

B. God’s faithfulness

The Israelites would have thought back to a verse like Exodus 34:6 “The Lord passed before him and proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness,”

The Israelites have just sinned by creating the golden calf, and while there is a severe punishment for their sin, God still enters into a covenant with them at Mount Sinai - giving them the Ten commandments among some other things.

They would remember that during a time when they deserved to be wiped out for their sin, God remained faithful in his love for his people - not abandoning his promises to them, but staying faithful even when the Israelites were not.

We are reminded of God’s faithfulness to us - keeping us apart of his family even though we sin after our salvation. God is faithful and just to forgive us our sin and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. He does not decide to recant his offer of salvation, nor change his mind concerning your forgiven status. He is faithful to forgive and cleanse.

1 Corinthians 1:8 “who will sustain you to the end, guiltless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Do not be worried about your past sin. Be repent and humble, and if you have asked for forgiveness then know that you are forgiven.

And knowing that you are forgiven, glorify God for what he has done.

2. God is incomparable

Psalm 115:2–7 “Why should the nations say, “Where is their God?” Our God is in the heavens; he does all that he pleases. Their idols are silver and gold, the work of human hands. They have mouths, but do not speak; eyes, but do not see. They have ears, but do not hear; noses, but do not smell. They have hands, but do not feel; feet, but do not walk; and they do not make a sound in their throat.”

Verse 2 gives reasons for why the Psalm is being written. The nations either were or currently are asking where the God of the Jews is? They have no idol or graven image of him, and there question implies that the Jewish people were in the midst of some kind of great trial or tribulation such as an exile.

Verse 2 gives the question, but the psalm answers in verse 3

A. Our God is in heaven

The nations ask where God is, and the psalm has an answer. Our God is in heaven.

“Comparison is the thief of joy” That is often true, but not always true. If we have little, and look at someone who has much, we grow discontent, anxious, jealous, greedy, etc. But if you have more and compare yourself to someone with less, you find yourself thankful, encouraged, joyful even.

I see this all the time with Sports. Sports fans will compare their team to a lesser team as a way of coping with how bad their own team is. My Bears have not won a Superbowl since 1985. But you know who has never won a Superbowl? The Lions and Vikings who are division rivals. And suddenly I don’t feel quite so bad about my team because I know someone has had it worse then me, and it especially feels good to know your rival has it worst.

So let’s play the comparison game between our God and the other gods of this world:

Our God is located in heaven where he does as he pleases. He is not bound by another, but resides in perfect paradise from where he rules.

These other Gods are made by men. They are on earth - stuck in the same location as us. They are not able to join God in heaven on their own power just as we are unable.

Our God wins the first matchup - his residence is greater.

Additionally, he does all that he pleases. There is no restriction placed upon what he can and cannot do. His power is not restrained nor his will checked and balanced by another.

He lives in paradise - free from oversight and rule.

He wins his second matchup

B. Our God is not man made

They are made of silver and gold by men - flashy but shallow and lower than men

Mouths but can’t speak

eyes, but do not see

ears, but do not hear

noses, but do not smell

hand, but no sense of touch

feet, but no ability to walk

throat, but no ability to make a sound

I compare my God to these gods, and I come away with exceeding joy because my God is FAR greater than anything listed here.

These gods are pathetic. They do not hold a candle when compared to our God. There is no salvation or protection found in them. They are manmade - less then even their creators. When we compare our God to these gods, there is no comparison.

Application

Psalm 115:8 “Those who make them become like them; so do all who trust in them.”

A. Do not Live for Empty Idols

You may think to yourself, “I was not planning on making and worshipping any gold or silver idols anyways, so this does not bother me much”

An idol is not just a small gold or silver statue, but anything that takes the place of God in our lives. We may not bow before figurines and statues, but we do trust in plenty of other things to comfort us, protect us, provide for us, save us from either health problems, financial problems, relational problems, etc.

I can list the obvious like drugs, sex, alcohol etc. but there are plenty of other ways that we can put something before God.

All of those idols that we are tempted to follow are listed in this section. They have no power in and of themselves to do anything that God cannot already do.

If I were to describe these idols with one word, I think I would use the word empty.

Look at how verse 8 ends: Those who make them become like them as do all who trust in them. The person who trusts his money, or is always looking forward to the next game or the next season, or the person who finds their worth and value in their relationship status - they are all empty like their idols.

And I think we sense this as we speak with these people longer. You talk with these people and after awhile begin to sense what is important to them - sports, politics, money, a hobby. And after awhile you realize it is all they care about and all they care to talk about, and you begin to see them as shallow and empty people. And it is all because people who live for their empty idols are themselves empty.

B. Live for God and His Glory

Why would you live for anything in this world when you can live for God? Compare your God to what everything else has to offer, and make the beyond obvious decision to cast off all other distractions and things that would vie for your affections and love so that you can serve God.

Do not be obsessed with your own glory. Do not be obsessed your own idols. Serve the one true God who is greater than all these things, and give him the glory he deserves!

Why? Because of his steadfast love that is faithful even when we are most unfaithful.

That is a God worth living for, and that is a God worth glorifying.

Live for God and glorify him believer. There is none greater, and none who have it better than us.

So compare yourself to the world. Look around at what they have, and rejoice, because you have something better than all of them.

Comparison is the thief of joy if you are the one with less.

We are the one with more, and when I compare my God with what I see, I have joy, and I hope you do as well.

1 Corinthians 10:31 “So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.”