They that make them are like unto them

Psalm 115 (KJV 1900)

1 Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us, But unto thy name give glory, For thy mercy, and for thy truth’s sake.

2 Wherefore should the heathen say, Where is now their God?

3 But our God is in the heavens: He hath done whatsoever he hath pleased.

4 Their idols are silver and gold, The work of men’s hands.

5 They have mouths, but they speak not: Eyes have they, but they see not:

6 They have ears, but they hear not: Noses have they, but they smell not:

7 They have hands, but they handle not: Feet have they, but they walk not: Neither speak they through their throat.

8 They that make them are like unto them; So is every one that trusteth in them.

9 O Israel, trust thou in the Lord: He is their help and their shield.

10 O house of Aaron, trust in the Lord: He is their help and their shield.

11 Ye that fear the Lord, trust in the Lord: He is their help and their shield.

12 The Lord hath been mindful of us: he will bless us; He will bless the house of Israel; He will bless the house of Aaron.

13 He will bless them that fear the Lord, Both small and great.

14 The Lord shall increase you more and more, You and your children.

15 Ye are blessed of the Lord Which made heaven and earth.

16 The heaven, even the heavens, are the Lord’s: But the earth hath he given to the children of men.

17 The dead praise not the Lord, Neither any that go down into silence.

18 But we will bless the Lord From this time forth and for evermore. Praise the Lord.

Introduction

This Psalm has been cited throughout history as Psalm for those who have found themselves at victory against all odds. My favorite of these occasions involves the resilient William Wilberforce. This famous British statesman fought to abolish slavery for forty-six years. Wilberforce also loved the Psalms. He was known for reciting Psalm 119 by heart. He also loved Psalm 115. After Parliament finally passed a bill to abolish slave trade, this little 5’3 warrior went home to mediate on Psalm 115:1 Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us, But unto thy name give glory, For thy mercy, and for thy truth’s sake.

What an appropriate response to a major victory!

Not to Us, But to His Name Be the Glory

Not to us, but to His name (1-3)

Psalm 115:1-3 “1 Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us, But unto thy name give glory, For thy mercy, and for thy truth’s sake. 2 Wherefore should the heathen say, Where is now their God? 3 But our God is in the heavens: He hath done whatsoever he hath pleased.”

The Psalmist opens with the declaration that God, not men, should receive glory,

This is the decisive decision we must make with our days.

Because of sin, we want to be our own king.

God will not share His glory. Isaiah 48:11 “11 For mine own sake, even for mine own sake, will I do it: For how should my name be polluted? And I will not give my glory unto another.”

Told the MNG the 3rd word of Acts 13:36 brought a real decisive hour in my life.

The Psalmist opens with the declaration that God, not men, should receive glory,

Idols were attractive to Israel because the surrounding nations worshiped them.

They were attractive because idols didn’t speak, like God speaks.

Notice the emphasis on the idols lack of ability to speak (5, 7).

It was much easier to submit to a silent god, then a talking God, who calls you to holiness.

People today may not reject God in theory, but they don’t want a talking God, who makes demands on their lives. They want a silent God.

I estimate their are well over 100 wooden, metal, or concrete idols in our county. New ones have been added each year at a staggering rate. I do not expect to get a transfer letter from one of those places.

Different idols but the same motive; want what the neighbors have.

We want to love, trust, worship, and find satisfaction in things other than the God of the Bible.

There’s a “mental aspect” and a “heart aspect” to idolatry.

Mentally, we indulge in idolatry when we have thoughts about God that are unworthy of Him. 1 John 5:21 “21 Little children, keep yourselves from idols. Amen.”

Heart idolatry involves trusting in anything other than Christ to give us meaning, significance, joy, and salvation.

There can be no spiritual growth without the detection of idols, and the destruction of them.

We become what we behold/worship

Job 25:5 “5 Behold even to the moon, and it shineth not; Yea, the stars are not pure in his sight.”

Rejecting glory is needed to reflect glory

Dad Joke: Look they have a picture of me here.

Regeneration: The shattered glass is restored and pointed toward our God.

1 John 3:2 “2 Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.”

Psalm 115:8 “8 They that make them are like unto them; So is every one that trusteth in them.”

“There’s nothing that makes you more miserable, or less interesting, than self-absorption” Kings Cross

The cure for this is to become “God-absorbed.”

We need a dynamic encounter with God that makes us long for Him, and His glory, rather than our own glory and our selfish desires.

Why should he receive this glory?

Psalm 115:1 “1 Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us, But unto thy name give glory, For thy mercy, and for thy truth’s sake.”

His loyal steadfast love.

For His truth’s sake.

Beholding is becoming

When one worships worthless idols, they will live a spiritually worthless life. In contrast, those who worship the living God, will grow into His image.

Psalm 135:18 “18 They that make them are like unto them: So is every one that trusteth in them.”

By constantly beholding the glory of Christ, we become more like Him. 2 Cor 3:18 “18 But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.”

Not the dead, but we the living (14-16)

Psalm 115:16-18 “16 The heaven, even the heavens, are the Lord’s: But the earth hath he given to the children of men. 17 The dead praise not the Lord, Neither any that go down into silence. 18 But we will bless the Lord From this time forth and for evermore. Praise the Lord.”

Praise God while you have breath and you will praise Him after your breath is gone! Don’t waste your life, living for substitute gods.

The key to understanding difficult passages is hidden in the 3rd stanza of Hymns. Where no one looks.

Then in a nobler, sweeter song, I’ll sing Thy power to save, When this poor lisping, stammering tongue lies silent in the grave. Lies silent in the grave, lies silent in the grave; When this poor lisping, stammering tongue lies silent in the grave.

Lord, I believe Thou hast prepared, unworthy though I be, For me a blood bought free reward, a golden harp for me! ’Tis strung and tuned for endless years, and formed by power divine, To sound in God the Father's ears no other name but Thine.”

What Idols Can’t Do; What God Does

Where is our God?

Question: Psalm 115:2 “2 Wherefore should the heathen say, Where is now their God?”

Answer: Psalm 115:3 “3 But our God is in the heavens: He hath done whatsoever he hath pleased.”

He is in the Heavens

He does whatever He pleases

Idols are worthless

Psalm 115:4-8 “4 Their idols are silver and gold, The work of men’s hands. 5 They have mouths, but they speak not: Eyes have they, but they see not: 6 They have ears, but they hear not: Noses have they, but they smell not: 7 They have hands, but they handle not: Feet have they, but they walk not: Neither speak they through their throat. 8 They that make them are like unto them; So is every one that trusteth in them.”

Jeremiah said that idols were like scarecrows in a cucumber field (Jer 10:5)

Isaiah reminds people to take their idols as they leave because they can’t walk home or call an Uber on their own. Isaiah 46

This concern for the Lord’s reputation among the nations appears throughout the Old Testament Num 14:13-14 “13 And Moses said unto the Lord, Then the Egyptians shall hear it, (for thou broughtest up this people in thy might from among them;) 14 And they will tell it to the inhabitants of this land: for they have heard that thou Lord art among this people, that thou Lord art seen face to face, and that thy cloud standeth over them, and that thou goest before them, by day time in a pillar of a cloud, and in a pillar of fire by night.”

Israel was called not simply to defend their religion, but to make God’s fame know among the nations Joshua 4:24 “24 That all the people of the earth might know the hand of the Lord, that it is mighty: that ye might fear the Lord your God for ever.”

Israel must give an answer to this taunt, not merely to look sensible in the eyes of culture, but to commend this God to unbelieving Gentiles.

The taunts continue.

Luke 23:39 “39 And one of the malefactors which were hanged railed on him, saying, If thou be Christ, save thyself and us.”

Trust in the Lord, He is Our Help and Shield

Psalm 115:9-11 “9 O Israel, trust thou in the Lord: He is their help and their shield. 10 O house of Aaron, trust in the Lord: He is their help and their shield. 11 Ye that fear the Lord, trust in the Lord: He is their help and their shield.”

God blesses His people

Psalm 115:12-15 “12 The Lord hath been mindful of us: he will bless us; He will bless the house of Israel; He will bless the house of Aaron. 13 He will bless them that fear the Lord, Both small and great. 14 The Lord shall increase you more and more, You and your children. 15 Ye are blessed of the Lord Which made heaven and earth.”

Five times He mentions God’s blessing.

The three-fold call to trust the Lord in verses 9-11 is complimented by a three-fold assurance of God’s blessing on each group of people in verses 12-13

Kids are always waiting to know who get to go somewhere. Older kids or the younger kids.

Who get’s blessed? Small & Great!!

We have been abundantly blessed. Ephesians 1:3 “3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:”

What a contrast between the Living God and dead idols! The Living God blesses, fulfills promises, and dispenses grace on both the small and the great. His blessing, fulfilled promises, and abundant grace have been experienced by all who have trusted in the redeeming work of His Son, our Savior.

Dead idols, in contrast, never provide what they promise. They only leave you longing for more. They never bless, only deaden. They never grant grace, only condemnation.

The only logical response is to trust in the Lord, not in created things.

Trust in the Lord

Psalm 115:9 “9 O Israel, trust thou in the Lord: He is their help and their shield.”

Let’s read this together. You respond with “he is their help and their shield.”

Psalm 115:9-11 “9 O Israel, trust thou in the Lord: He is their help and their shield. 10 O house of Aaron, trust in the Lord: He is their help and their shield. 11 Ye that fear the Lord, trust in the Lord: He is their help and their shield.”

This is how we truly say “not unto us”

Proverbs 3:5-6 “5 Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; And lean not unto thine own understanding. 6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, And he shall direct thy paths.”

Let us be glad today! Psalm 33:21 “21 For our heart shall rejoice in him, Because we have trusted in his holy name.”

Conclusion

The Lord’s Prayer, and Psalm 115:1 sounds strange in a self-centered world, but it’s the foundation of the Christian life.

Let’s pray through this passage.

Psalm 115:1 “1 Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us, But unto thy name give glory, For thy mercy, and for thy truth’s sake.”

This central to the Christian life? We must live a“God-centered life” and a less “self-centered life?”

Psalm 115:2 “2 Wherefore should the heathen say, Where is now their God?”

We still hear the taunts today. We must have a response and we should give it.

Psalm 115:3 “3 But our God is in the heavens: He hath done whatsoever he hath pleased.” What does verse 3 teach us about our response to the taunts of unbelievers, and what does it teach us about God’s faithfulness?

Psalm 115:4-7 “4 Their idols are silver and gold, The work of men’s hands. 5 They have mouths, but they speak not: Eyes have they, but they see not: 6 They have ears, but they hear not: Noses have they, but they smell not: 7 They have hands, but they handle not: Feet have they, but they walk not: Neither speak they through their throat.” We still see these idols today and we want them destroyed.

Psalm 115:8 “8 They that make them are like unto them; So is every one that trusteth in them.”

We see our worship determines our character or reflection of who He is.

Psalm 115:9-15 “9 O Israel, trust thou in the Lord: He is their help and their shield. 10 O house of Aaron, trust in the Lord: He is their help and their shield. 11 Ye that fear the Lord, trust in the Lord: He is their help and their shield. 12 The Lord hath been mindful of us: he will bless us; He will bless the house of Israel; He will bless the house of Aaron. 13 He will bless them that fear the Lord, Both small and great. 14 The Lord shall increase you more and more, You and your children. 15 Ye are blessed of the Lord Which made heaven and earth.”

We see the relationship between trusting the Lord and the blessings of the Lord?

Psalm 115: 17-18 “17 The dead praise not the Lord, Neither any that go down into silence. 18 But we will bless the Lord From this time forth and for evermore. Praise the Lord.”

We see that we need to make our days on earth count.