The Glory of His Name
Notes
Transcript
Handout
Please turn in your Bible to Psalm 115 as we look at THE GLORY OF HIS NAME.
Over the past six months we have looked at something to do with the Passover on the first Sunday of each month. We have done so because we celebrate the Lord’s Supper on the first Sunday of the month. And since the Lord’s Supper or Table was instituted during Christ’s last Passover meal, it seems appropriate to look at the Passover in preparation for the celebration of this ordinance which Christ gave to the church. As we have done so, we have looked at the original Passover as presented in Exodus 12. And then we have looked at how each of the gospel writers details the institution of the Lord’s Supper.
The problem that I come to now is, where do we go from here? Last month we were in John 13; and in truth we could continue on in John 13, as well as chapters 14-16 since they all took place in the context of the Last Supper. Or we could do a deep dive into 1 Corinthians 11 which deals with this subject as well.
But I have chosen to go a different route. Being the musician that I am, I have always been intrigued by this one verse which follows the institution of the Lord’s Supper. To get a better idea of it, let’s briefly look again at
26 Now while they were eating, Jesus took some bread, and after a blessing, He broke it. And giving it to the disciples, He said, “Take, eat; this is My body.”
27 And when He had taken a cup and given thanks, He gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you;
28 for this is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for forgiveness of sins.
29 “But I say to you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in My Father’s kingdom.”
30 And after singing a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.
It is this final verse which intrigues me so much since I love singing hymns. What hymn did they sing? As a kid I probably asked myself — did they sing The Old Rugged Cross? Or was it some other hymn they sang? Well, it wasn’t The Old Rugged Cross, which was written until the 20th century. So, what was it?
Most likely it was the psalm which we are about to look at this morning, along with the three psalms which immediately follow it. In other words Psalms 115-118. Over the course of the next three months it is my intention to look at three of these four psalms. For know we will skip over Psalm 117 since it is only two verses long. But we will look at the other three psalm between now and the first Sunday of November (Lord willing).
This morning, we will consider the historical setting of this section of psalms, then we will look at the call for the vindication of God’s name, the call for complete trust in God, and the acknowledgment of God’s complete sovereignty.
For today’s message I have decided to use the Legacy Standard Bible (LSB) instead of the English Standard Version (ESV) which I most often use. And my reasoning for doing so is that the LSB consistently transliterates the covenant name for God as Yahweh, instead of using LORD in all Capps as most English translations do. The tradition of inserting the term LORD for the covenant name of God stems from the Jewish tradition of not speaking the name of God lest they be found guilty of using it in vain. But as long as a person doesn’t use His name in vain, then they won’t be guilty. After all, the Holy Spirit inspired the writers of the Old Testament to use God’s covenant name over and over again. So, it is not wrong to speak it as long as when you do so, you speak it reverently.
We will not read through each verse right now, but will look at each verse as we come to it in our exposition.
Let’s begin by looking at
The Historical Setting
The Historical Setting
of this section of psalms.
Note that,
Psalms 113-118 are Referred to as The Egyptian Hallel
Why are they called the Egyptian Hallel? First, let’s consider the term Hallel. This is the Hebrew term for praise. I would assume that we are all familiar with the term “Hallelujah.” Hallelujah is a compound word made up of the term “Hallel” meaning praise, and the term “Yah” which is a shortened version of the name Yahweh, the covenant name of God.
But what does Egypt have to do with these psalms? Psalms 113—118 are known as the Hallel Psalms, or simply the Hallel (Hallel means “praise”). While many psalms praise God, this set of psalms became associated with Passover due the mention of the deliverance from Egypt in Psalm 114. The focus on the exodus is the reason these psalms are also sometimes referred to as the Egyptian Hallel. These psalms were recited at Jewish feasts, especially Passover. Depending upon which tradition was being followed, one or two of the psalms were recited before the meal, and the rest after.
Psalm 113 is a short psalm of praise without any reference to a historical setting. Psalm 114 gives reference to the exodus from Egypt.
1 When Israel went out from Egypt, The house of Jacob from a people of strange language,
It also refers to the crossing of the Red Sea and the Jordan river.
3 The sea looked and fled; The Jordan turned back.
The separating of these two bodies of water marked the beginning and the ending of the exodus from Egypt.
Verse 4 also refers to the violent appearance of God to Israel at Sinai.
4 The mountains skipped like rams, The hills, like lambs.
And because these psalms are associated with the exodus, they came to be a part of the celebration of the Passover meal.
So, while our psalm for today does not speak either of the exodus nor of redemption, by tradition it is associated with the Passover meal. Thus it is fitting for us to look at it this morning as we prepare our hearts for the celebration of the Lord’s Supper.
Let’s look next at
The Call For Vindication of God’s Name
The Call For Vindication of God’s Name
Note that,
Yahweh is the Only Being who is Worthy to Receive Glory and Honor and Praise
Look at verse 1.
1 Not to us, O Yahweh, not to us, But to Your name give glory Because of Your lovingkindness, because of Your truth.
As we go through this psalm we will see that the psalmist is worried that the power and name of Yahweh are being challenged by those who have conquered the people of Israel. While it is not certain when this psalm was written, most believe that it was written after the time of the exile into Babylon. Some believe it was written around the time of Ezra and Nehemiah when they were having this beautiful ceremony of dedication after the rebuilding of the walls of Jerusalem. Since there is an antiphonal sense to this psalm, some think it might have been sung as a part of the ceremony when they dedicated the walls in Jerusalem, as written about in Nehemiah 12.
But the surrounding nations thought that since the people of Judah had been conquered by the Babylonians, that the God of Israel must be inferior to the gods of Babylon.
Because we have been emersed all of our lives with the truth that there is only one God, we don’t fully understand the thinking of the ancient peoples in the middle east. In ancient times it was believed that every nation had their own personal god. The conquering nation’s god was considered to be stronger than the other nations god. And each home also had their own personal god. Along with that ancient peoples also had their own individual gods. So, most people prayed to many gods; to the god of their nation, the god of their house, and their own personal favorite god. (It kind of reminds me of people praying to their own favorite patron saint who are as deaf as idols).
But at the time of the exodus, God set the record straight for the people of Israel when He gave them His covenant terms which they must follow. We call these the Ten Commandments.
2 “I am Yahweh your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.
3 “You shall have no other gods before Me.
Look again at verse 1.
1 Not to us, O Yahweh, not to us, But to Your name give glory Because of Your lovingkindness, because of Your truth.
The psalmist begins by stating the people of Israel are not worthy of receiving glory. God alone is worthy to receive it. Why does the psalmist say that God is to receive the glory? First, because of His lovingkindness.
The word translated “Lovingkindness” in our text is a rich word filled with a lot of meaning. But it is difficult to fully express it in English. We see this by the various translations of it. The KJV, and NKJV translate it as mercy. The NASB95 and LSB translate it as lovingkindness. The ESV and RSV translate it as steadfast love. The CSB translates it as faithful love. The NIV simply translates it as love. And the LEB and NET translate it as loyal love. Throw into all of this, one songwriter sought to communicate the idea by calling it stubborn love which never lets go of me. All of these translations are accurate — as I said this is a very rich term. And since all these terms express God’s lovingkindness to His covenant people, He is then worthy of receiving glory.
The psalmist also gives Him glory because of His truth. God is truth. His Word is truth. He can always be depended on to keep His word. And therefore, He is worthy to receive glory.
Note next that
The Psalmist Calls Upon Yahweh to Vindicate His Name
Look at verse 2.
2 Why should the nations say, “Where, now, is their God?”
It would seem that the psalmist is actually calling upon God to save His people, not for their sake, but for His own name’s sake. The psalmist wants God to reveal to the rest of the world what he knew to be true about God; that He is holy, loving, merciful, and truthful. That He is present among His people.
If this psalm was written at the time of Nehemiah, as I believe to be possible, the nation of Israel was without a king. They were the subject of scorn by the nations which surrounded them. They had enemies on every side which sought to keep them from rebuilding first, the temple, and second the wall around Jerusalem. Pagan’s scorned the name of the God of Israel since, in their minds, He wasn’t strong enough to protect His people.
But the psalmist knew that Israel had been disciplined by God for not keeping His number one commandment, to worship no other God but Him. But because of God’s steadfast love to His covenant people, He had not divorced them — He was not finished with them.
The same can be said for us who are believers in Jesus Christ. As Paul once wrote,
6 I am sure of this, that he who started a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.
While this psalm is written specifically to the nation of Israel, it can be broadened to a degree to include the universal church. Believers in Jesus Christ are often treated with contempt for their belief in Christ and in His Word. We are scorned for believing that it is only through Jesus that a person can enter into the joys of heaven. I have personally been called a religious bigot for saying that to my fellow educators when I was working in the public schools. We are scorned for not trusting the science and rather believing in an ancient myth regarding the creation of this world. Presently, we are mocked for holding that God has a special place in His heart for the nation of Israel, while everyone else seems to want them to be wiped off the face of the earth.
Note next that,
The Psalmist Expresses His Confidence in Yahweh’s Sovereignty
Look at verse 3.
3 But our God is in the heavens; He does whatever He pleases.
One commentator wrote, “The confident faith of God’s people finds expression in the credo “Our God is in heaven; he does whatever pleases him.” They affirm that he is still their God (“our God”), that he rules sovereignly (“is in heaven”; cf. v. 16), and that he is free in his acts of love and judgment (“whatever pleases him”; see appendix to Ps 5: Yahweh Is King). In this regard he is totally other than the idols. He is powerful and free to act at any time; but he is also free to delay, as Calvin explains, “Because he knows that delay and procrastination are profitable to us; it being his will to wink at and tolerate for a while what assuredly, were it his pleasure, he could instantly rectify” (4:346).” (Willem A. VanGemeren, “Psalms,” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs, ed. Frank E. Gaebelein, vol. 5 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1991), 720.)
Those who call themselves “Deists” believe that there is a supreme god, and that he created the world. But they also believe that he now resides in heaven and is not involved with his creation. This is not the God which is revealed to us in the Bible. Yahweh’s sovereignty extends to the earth and its inhabitants, as well as to the heavens and any other form of created being there as well. God is intimately involved in the affairs of mankind. And it is because of His involvement that we are gathered here today at this very moment.
Note next that,
The Psalmist Expresses Doubt in Other So-Called gods
While Yahweh is trustworthy and worthy of receiving glory and honor, the god’s of the nations are not.
Look at verses 4-8.
4 Their idols are silver and gold, The work of man’s hands.
5 They have mouths, but they do not speak; They have eyes, but they do not see;
6 They have ears, but they do not hear; They have noses, but they do not smell;
7 As for their hands, they do not feel; As for their feet, they do not walk; They do not make a sound with their throat.
8 Those who make them will become like them, Everyone who trusts in them.
Since idols are manmade they do not have any of the five senses which living beings have. They can’t communicate in such a way as to reveal themselves to us as does Yahweh. They cannot see what is going on in the world, nor keep a special eye on their people as does Yahweh. They cannot hear the prayers of their people as does Yahweh. They cannot smell the lovely fragrance of the incense which is offered to them as does Yahweh. They cannot feel, they cannot walk, they cannot even make a sound with their throats.
This reminds me of when Elijah held a contest between Baal and Yahweh.
25 So Elijah said to the prophets of Baal, “Choose one ox for yourselves and prepare it first for you are many, and call on the name of your god, but place no fire under it.”
26 Then they took the ox which was given them and they prepared it and called on the name of Baal from morning until noon saying, “O Baal, answer us.” But there was no voice and no one answered. And they limped about the altar which they had made.
27 Now it happened at noon, that Elijah mocked them and said, “Call out with a loud voice, for he is a god; either he is occupied or relieving himself, or is on a journey, or perhaps he is asleep and needs to be awakened.”
28 So they cried with a loud voice and gashed themselves according to their custom with swords and lances until the blood gushed out on them.
29 Now it happened when noon had passed, that they prophesied until the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice; but there was no voice, no one answered, and no one paid attention.
Look at verse 8.
8 Those who make them will become like them, Everyone who trusts in them.
“False worship is not innocent but demoralizing, and ultimately the worshipers will perish together with their perishable idols.” (Willem A. VanGemeren, “Psalms,” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs, ed. Frank E. Gaebelein, vol. 5 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1991), 721.)
Now let’s look at
The Call for Trust in Yahweh
The Call for Trust in Yahweh
Note that,
Yahweh is the Protector of His People
Look at verse 9.
9 O Israel, trust in Yahweh; He is their help and their shield.
First, the psalmist calls upon the nation of Israel to trust in Yahweh.
While it may seem to the surrounding nations that Yahweh did not protect His people, in truth He did. Remember that the book of Daniel was written during the time of the captivity. And the time frame of it extended until after the time of the return of the remnant back to Israel. God always has a remnant of people who worship Him, and He always protects this remnant.
While God will frequently protect His people physically, He always protects them spiritually.
Note next that,
The Psalmist Calls Upon the Priests of Israel to Trust in Yahweh
Look at verse 10.
10 O house of Aaron, trust in Yahweh; He is their help and their shield.
Note next that,
The Psalmist Calls Upon Gentile Proselytes to Trust in Yahweh
Gentile proselytes to Judaism are often referred to as God fearers, or those who fear God. Look at verse 11.
11 You who fear Yahweh, trust in Yahweh; He is their help and their shield.
The psalmist then moves from the peoples’ trust in Yahweh to the blessings which Yahweh gives to those who trust in Him. Five times in verses 12-15 the psalmist uses the word bless. Let’s look first at verses 12-13 verses.
12 Yahweh remembered us; He will bless! He will bless the house of Israel. He will bless the house of Aaron.
13 He will bless those who fear Yahweh, The small together with the great.
The psalmist called upon the same three people groups which he had admonished to trust in Yahweh. This time he promises them a blessing from Yahweh.
Note that,
Yahweh will Always Bless Those who Trust in Him
But what does it mean to bless? You may find it interesting that the Hebrew word for bless is “Barak.” Even more interesting, the term means both to bless or to curse depending on the context. This may shed a little light on what James was saying in
10 From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so.
But still, what does it mean when we say that God will bless someone? It means that God bestows divine favor, benefits, and abundance upon someone, leading to flourishing, well-being, and spiritual fulfillment.
The earthly benefits of blessing can include good health, prosperity, joy, and protection in daily life, as God shares His life-producing ability with those who trust Him.
The divine benefits refer to an act of giving God's grace, support, and kindness to people, often expressed as a hope for God's continued presence and care in their lives.
God's ultimate blessing involves forgiveness of sins, being seen as holy and blameless, and being adopted as His child through faith in Jesus.
Verses 14-15 almost sound like a benediction. Let’s briefly look at them
14 May Yahweh give you increase, You and your children.
15 May you be blessed of Yahweh, Who made heaven and earth.
Spurgeon wrote, “It is an omnipotent blessing, conveying to us all that an Almighty God can do, whether in heaven or on earth, This fulness is infinite, and the consolation which it brings is unfailing; he that made heaven and earth can give us all things while we dwell below, and bring us safely to his palace above.” (C. H. Spurgeon, The Treasury of David: Psalms 111-119, vol. 5 (London; Edinburgh; New York: Marshall Brothers, n.d.), 56.)
Finally, let’s look at
The Acknowledgment of God’s Complete Sovereignty
The Acknowledgment of God’s Complete Sovereignty
Note that,
Yahweh is the Ruler of the Universe
Look at verse 16.
16 The heavens are the heavens of Yahweh,
Yahweh is Creator, Sustainer, and Ruler of all!
Note next that,
Yahweh has Given Mankind the Responsibility of Stewarding the Earth
Look at the rest of verse 16.
16 The heavens are the heavens of Yahweh, But the earth He has given to the sons of men.
God directed Adam and Eve to cultivate the earth, to take care of the earth, to be a steward of the earth. Sadly, man has not always been faithful to this responsibility.
Note next that,
Those who are Spiritually Dead Cannot Praise Yahweh
Look at verse 17.
17 It is not the dead that praise Yah, And it is none of those who go down to silence;
I take this to be a reference to those who are outside of the covenant community — those who worship idols which are completely lifeless, senseless, and powerless.
Finally, notice that
The People of God will Bless Yahweh Eternally
Look at verse 18.
18 But as for us, we will bless Yah From now until forever. Praise Yah!
Are you a part of the spiritual remnant who has trusted in Yahweh? The only way that you can truly trust in Yahweh is to trust in Jesus Christ. Jesus, who is eternally the Son of God, became man so that He could die to pay the ransom price for our sins. He came to be the true fulfillment of the Passover Lamb who protects His people through His shed blood on the cross. He died, and then rose triumphantly on the third day. And all who place their faith and trust in Him are forgiven for their sins, and brought into a covenant relationship with Him.
As Jesus was finishing His time on earth, He gave instructions to His disciples to remember His work on the cross by participating in the ordinance of the Lord’s table. The bread represents His body which was given for us. The blood represents the new covenant which was inaugurated by His substitutionary death.
After they celebrated this ordinance, and received further instruction from Christ, they sang this hymn that we looked at today, then departed the upper room and journeyed to the Garden of Gethsemane on the Mount of Olives. It was there that our Lord was arrested, which led to His dying on our behalf.
Let’s pray.
Dear Father,
We have looked at Your Word today, and we acknowledge that we often seek the glory which belongs to You alone. Forgive us for receiving glory for ourselves and not directing the glory be given to You.
Lord, help us to fully trust in You through Jesus Christ. Help us to trust You for the big things in life as well as for the little things. Help us to bless You since You have blessed us so much.
Father, I pray for any here who have never embraced Jesus Christ as the way, and the truth, and the life, that this will be the day which Your Spirit enables them to do so.
In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Closing Song: #186
Closing Song: #186
On a hill far away stood an old rugged cross,
The emblem of suff’ring and shame;
And I love that old cross where the dearest and best
For a world of sinners was slain.
So I’ll cherish the old rugged cross,
Till my trophies at last I lay down;
I will cling to the old rugged cross,
And exchange it some day for a crown.
Communion
Communion
23 For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus in the night in which He was being betrayed took bread,
24 and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, “This is My body, which is for you. Do this in remembrance of Me.”
25 In the same way He took the cup also after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood; do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.”
26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the death of the Lord until He comes.
Gary — give thanks for the bread
Mike — give thanks for the cup
Let’s stand together and sing the first verse of
And Can it Be?
#203
And can it be that I should gain
An int’rest in the Savior’s blood?
Died He for me, who caused His pain?
For me, who Him to death pursued?
Amazing love! how can it be
That Thou, my God shouldst die for me?
Amazing love! how can it be
That Thou, my God, shouldst die for me!
And when they had sung a hymn they departed ...
