Psalm 115: Lessons to Follow When Others Embrace Worldly Idols and Mock God, His Word, or His Followers
Introduction: Psalm 115 continues the “Hallel” (הַלֵּל) praises that the Jews offered during Passover, with this psalm most likely sung after the Seder. But this psalm was most likely not drafted until the time periods of Ezra and Nehemiah. “This Psalm was probably composed for use in the Temple services after the Return from Babylon, perhaps when the first flush of enthusiasm had died away, and the little community in Jerusalem realized how contemptibly weak it was in the eyes of its neighbors (Ezra 3:3; Ezra 4:1 ff.), perhaps at a later period (Nehemiah 4:1-5); but the sarcastic description of idols in Psalm 115:4 ff. points rather to the earlier time, when the memories of Babylonian idolatry were still fresh. Israel’s sense of its own weakness adds strength to its faith in Jehovah, to whom alone it can look for help and protection.”1 At that time, God was silently working. But the pagan nations failed to see it. Thus, many mocked the Jews who rebuilt the Temple and worshiped Yahweh. God continues to move silently, and many today mock those who follow His Word. Those who reject God instead place their trust in idols like money, power, or the things of the flesh. Here, the Bible reveals seven lessons to follow when others mock God or His Word. God wants you to: (1) pray for His name to be glorified, (2) know that He is sovereign, (3) have faith in His unseen nature, (4) trust Him, (5) be grateful in Him, (6) pray for others, and (7) praise Him before others.
First, at a time when Israel’s enemies mocked the once mighty nation, the psalmist prayed for God’s name to be glorified before the pagan nations. When others mock God, His Word, or those who follow Him, He wants you to pray for His name to be glorified in any outcome. Second, the pagan nations taunted the Jews by mocking their faith in Yahweh. Although grieved, the psalmist professed his faith that God was in control. When God’s people are attacked for their faith, God wants you to also have confidence that He is sovereign and in control. Third, the psalmist lamented that the pagan nations placed their trust in lifeless idols. Any person who rejects God becomes spiritually blind like the idols that they embrace. God wants you to reject the idols of the world and instead place your trust in His unseen nature. Fourth, the psalmist urged God’s people to place their trust in Him. When you place your trust in Him and seek refuge from Him, He will become your shield. Fifth, in the face of ongoing attacks, the psalmist reminded God’s people that He had provided for them. Thus, they could trust Him to be faithful. When God’s people are attacked, God wants you to be grateful and to help others do the same to boost their faith. Sixth, the psalmist prayed as an intercessor for God to bless His people in the face of attacks. When God’s people are attacked, He also wants you to pray as an intercessor to both encourage and bless them. Finally, the psalmist concluded by proclaiming that God’s people would praise Him. When God’s people are attacked, God wants you to encourage others by leading them in praise and worship. This helps both you and others find peace by placing your eyes and your hopes on God instead of yourself.
1. His Glory: When God is Mocked or When His People Are Attacked, Pray for His Name to be Glorified in the Outcome. Ps. 115:1.
Seek to fulfill God’s will and give Him the glory. Following the Babylonian captivity, the psalmist prayed for Israel’s full restoration to bring glory to God: “1 Not to us, Lord, not to us, but to Your name give glory, because of Your mercy, because of Your truth.” (Ps. 115:1) (NASB / NKJ). The Hebrew word “hesed” (חֶסֶד) is translated in the NASB and the NKJ as “mercy”. But it is translated as “love” in the NIV: “Not to us, LORD, not to us but to your name be the glory, because of your love and faithfulness.” (NIV). “Let no opinion of our own merits have any place in our prayers or in our praises. All the good we do, is done by the power of His grace; and all the good we have, is the gift of his mere mercy, and He must have all the praise.” (Matthew Henry on Ps. 115:1-8).2
God raised up and repeatedly saved Israel for His glory. God showed His signs and wonders in Egypt so that all the world would know that He is the one true God: “But indeed, for this reason I have allowed you to remain, in order to show you My power and in order to proclaim My name throughout the earth.” (Ex. 9:16). “Then You performed signs and wonders against Pharaoh, against all his servants and all the people of his land; for You knew that they acted arrogantly toward them, and You made a name for Yourself as it is this day.” (Neh. 9:10). He has remained faithful to Israel so that His faithfulness might be known and become a beacon of light to all the gentile nations of the Earth: “For the LORD will not abandon His people on account of His great name, because the LORD has been pleased to make you a people for Himself.” (1 Sam. 12:22). “Nevertheless He saved them for the sake of His name, so that He might make His power known.” (Ps. 106:8). “For My own sake, for My own sake, I will act; for how can My name be profaned? And I will not give My glory to another.” (Is. 48:11). “Therefore say to the house of Israel, ‘This is what the Lord GOD says: ‘It is not for your sake, house of Israel, that I am about to act, but for My holy name, which you have profaned among the nations where you went.”’’ (Ezek. 36:22). Thus, the Jews had no reason to be prideful in their accomplishments. They instead owed everything to Yahweh’s grace and faithfulness.
Jesus likely sang this song just before He was betrayed for God the Father to be glorified. Because this psalm was sung right after the Seder dinner, Jesus most likely sang this song just before He was betrayed and sent to His crucifixion: “It therefore makes up part of the hymns which would have been sung by Jesus and His disciples on the night He was betrayed and arrested, the night before His crucifixion (Matthew 26:30 and Mark 14:26). It is especially meaningful to consider this psalm in the heart and on the lips of Jesus during those great moments.” (David Guzik on Ps. 115).3 After singing this psalm, Jesus fulfilled the meaning of Psalm 115:1 when He stated that He would be willingly sacrificed to fulfill God the Father’s will and bring Him glory: “saying, ‘Father, if You are willing, remove this cup from Me; yet not My will, but Yours be done.”’ (Lk. 22:42). Jesus submitted His life to bring glory to the Father. Jesus also wants you to humble yourself before Him. Let all of your actions bring glory to Him and not yourself.
Seek to glorify Jesus in all that you do as witness to others4
Seek to bring glory to God’s name in all that you do. Every good and perfect thing in your life comes from Jesus (Jam. 1:17). Thus, to stay humble, the Bible reminds believers that they should always seek to bring glory to God’s name, not their own: “Ascribe to the LORD, you families of the peoples, ascribe to the LORD glory and strength. Ascribe to the LORD the glory due His name; bring an offering, and come before Him; worship the LORD in holy attire.” (1 Chr. 16:28-29). “Ascribe to the LORD the glory due His name; worship the LORD in holy attire.” (Ps. 29:2). “Ascribe to the LORD, you families of the peoples, ascribe to the LORD glory and strength.” (Ps. 96:7). When others praise you, always remember to give God the glory as your testimony.
2. Sovereignty: When God is Mocked or When His People Are Attacked for Their Faith, Know that God is Sovereign and in Control. Ps. 115:2-3.
Non-believers will always mock those who trust in God. When Ezra and Nehemiah rebuilt the Temple and then the walls of Jerusalem, they faced attacks from the pagan nations around them. The psalmist lamented their taunts. But he trusted that God was in control: “2 Why should the nations say, ‘Where, then, is their God?’ 3 But our God is in the heavens; He does whatever He pleases.” (Ps. 115:2-3). “The saddest part of all their trouble was that their God was no longer feared and dreaded by their adversaries. When Israel marched into Canaan, a terror was upon all the people round about, because of Jehovah, the mighty God; but this dread the nations had shaken off since there had been of late no remarkable display of miraculous power. Therefore Israel cried unto her God that he would again make bare his arm as in the day when he cut Rahab and wounded the dragon . . . Why should the nations be allowed with a sneer of contempt to question the existence, the mercy, and faithfulness of Jehovah?” (Charles Spurgeon on Ps. 115:1-2).5
When others mock God or His Word, trust that He is in control6
Your prayers should reflect your burdens for the misguided doubts of nonbelievers. Here, the psalmist was grieved that the pagan nations mocked the Jews’ trust in God (Ps. 115:2). On many other occasions, the psalmists and the prophets expressed sadness and dismay when others taunted the Jews for placing their trust in Yahweh: “My tears have been my food day and night, while they say to me all day long, ‘Where is your God?’ . . . As a shattering of my bones, my adversaries taunt me, while they say to me all day long, ‘Where is your God?’” (Ps. 42:3, 10). “Why should the nations say, ‘Where is their God?’ Let vengeance for the blood of Your servants which has been shed be known among the nations in our sight.” (Ps. 79:10). “. . . ‘Spare Your people, LORD, and do not make Your inheritance a disgrace, with the nations jeering at them. Why should those among the peoples say, ‘Where is their God?’” (Joel 2:17). You should also be burdened for nonbelievers. Pray for their conviction and for God to be glorified.
Trust that God is in control when nonbelievers seem to have greater power or influence. It is easy to look at the declining influence of the Church on society and feel as though nonbelievers are winning the battle for power and influence. But believers can take comfort that: “our God is in the heavens; He does whatever He pleases.” (Ps. 115:3). “Whatever the LORD pleases, He does, in heaven and on earth, in the seas and in all the ocean depths.” (Ps. 135:6). “All the inhabitants of the earth are of no account, but He does according to His will among the army of heaven and among the inhabitants of earth; and no one can fend off His hand Or say to Him, ‘What have You done?’” (Dan. 4:35). “You will say to me then, ‘Why does He still find fault? For who has resisted His will?’ On the contrary, who are you, you foolish person, who answers back to God? The thing molded will not say to the molder, ‘Why did you make me like this,’ will it?” (Ro. 9:19-20). Thus, even when evil feels ramped, trust that God is in control and has a plan.
3. Faith: When Others Embrace Idols, Have Faith in God. Ps. 115:4-8.
Those who reject God are cursed to become like the lifeless idols that they embrace. The psalmist lamented that Israel’s enemies had become spiritually blind, like their idols: “4 Their idols are silver and gold, the work of human hands. 5 They have mouths, but they cannot speak; they have eyes, but they cannot see; 6 they have ears, but they cannot hear; they have noses, but they cannot smell; 7 they have hands, but they cannot feel; they have feet, but they cannot walk; they cannot make a sound with their throat. 8 Those who make them will become like them, everyone who trusts in them.” (Ps. 115:4-8). Idolatry takes a different form today. But modern idolatry is just as deadly for those who embrace it over faith in God and His Word. “The gods people idolize often seem more powerful than the palmist exposes them to be. The temptation of power holds out the hope to do so much good, but those who make it their god inevitably experience its corruption and the viper they nurse to bite them. Money seems to have hands and feet, but it will sprout wings and fly away (Prov. 23:4-5). Sex can be giving, but it makes an enslaving god: those who worship it experience a ‘continual list for more’ (Eph. 4:19, NIV). Along these lines, those who worship beauty find that age exposes the vanity of their idol. Only the worship of the living God produces righteous contentment. The psalmist then asserts in Ps. 115:8 that those who make and trust in idols become like them: dead to the world, lifeless, incompetent, useless.” (James Hamilton on Ps. 115:4-8).7
Idolatry of any kind violates God’s Law. Idolatry of any form is so offensive to God that it violates His Second Commandment. “You shall not make for yourself an idol, or any likeness of what is in heaven above or on the earth beneath, or in the water under the earth.” (Ex. 20:4; 20:23; 34:17). “Do not turn to idols or make for yourselves cast metal gods; I am the LORD your God.” (Lev. 19:4; 26:1). “8 ‘You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of what is in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the water under the earth.” (Dt. 5:8). Those who embrace idols and fail to repent are cursed: ‘“Cursed is the person who makes a carved image or cast metal image, an abomination to the LORD, the work of the hands of a craftsman, and sets it up in secret.’ And all the people shall reply and say, ‘Amen.”’ (Dt. 27:15). Even though the types of idols that people follow today are different, they are just as offensive to God.
The idols of the world are powerless to save you. Idols like wealth, power, or the flesh might at first seem like the answer to worldly problems. But they offer only temporary comfort. In the long term, they are powerless to save you: “They are like a scarecrow in a cucumber field, and they cannot speak; they must be carried, because they cannot walk! Do not fear them, for they can do no harm, nor can they do any good.” (Jer. 10:5). “Then they took the ox which was given them and they prepared it, and they 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.” (1 Kgs. 18:26). Those who trust in worldly idols will ultimately be filled with sorrow when the comfort from their worldly idols disappears and instead becomes a source of bondage.
Those who trust in their idols become spiritually blind like their idols. The psalmist warned that those who trust in idols will become spiritually blind (Ps. 115:8). For emphasis, a different psalmist later repeated this same warning. “Those who make them will become like them, yes, everyone who trusts in them.” (Ps. 135:18). God’s prophets also repeated these warnings: “Bring out the people who are blind, even though they have eyes, and those who are deaf, even though they have ears.” (Is. 43:8). “Now hear this, you foolish and senseless people, who have eyes but do not see, who have ears but do not hear.” (Jer. 5:21). Because many are spiritually blind from their trust in worldly idols, Jesus resorted to using parables to force people to meditate on the hidden meanings behind His Word: “Therefore I speak to them in parables; because while seeing they do not see, and while hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand.” (Matt. 13:13). If others around you are spiritually blind, pray for Jesus to open their eyes.
Those who were spiritually blind failed to understand Jesus’ identity. Ironically, Jesus answered the people’s desire for a visible God that they could worship. But the people preferred their silent, dead idols: “We worship the true and living God, the sovereign over all His creation, and the redeemer of His people. But rather than worship and obey an invisible God the people of the world desired to have a god like them, with hands, ears, eyes, a mouth, and feet. They wanted their god to be like them. But it was more than that, for the Son of God had hands, ears, eyes, a mouth, and feet, but they nailed His body to a cross to silence Him forever. They did not want a God who made demands of them; they wanted a god to serve them. It is the same spiritual blindness of ancient idolatry: those who made gods, or religions, can only make something weaker than they. True believers acknowledge that only a higher power, the God of heaven who made them, can save them, care for them, and take them to glory.” (Allen Ross on Ps. 115).8
All worldly idols will one day perish before God’s power. While worldly idols like beauty, wealth, and power quickly vanish, God will never disappear: “This is what you shall say to them: ‘The gods that did not make the heavens and the earth will perish from the earth and from under these heavens.”’ (Jer. 10:11). “The rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands so as not to worship demons and the idols of gold, silver, brass, stone, and wood, which can neither see nor hear nor walk;” (Rev. 9:20). Every person should pray for Jesus to reveal any hidden idols in their lives. When Jesus reveals a hidden idol, repent and renounce the idol.
4. Trust: When the Enemy Attacks, Trust God to Be Your Shield. Ps. 115:9-11.
Trust in God to be your shield. In the face of ongoing attacks, the psalmist encouraged the Jews to place their trust in God to be their shield: “9 Israel, trust in the Lord; He is their help and their shield. 10 House of Aaron, trust in the Lord; He is their help and their shield. 11 You who fear the Lord, trust in the Lord; He is their help and their shield.” (Ps. 115:9-11). “The idols and the idol-worshippers having been sufficiently scorned; the latter especially, for their ‘trust’ in idols, Israel is exhorted to trust in the only sure Object of confidence, Jehovah.” (Pulpit Commentary on Ps. 115:9-11).9
God is a shield to those who trust Him. Throughout the Bible, God offers to be a shield of protection for those who trust Him: “Blessed are you, Israel; who is like you, a people saved by the LORD, the shield of your help, and He who is the sword of your majesty! So your enemies will cringe before you, and you will trample on their high places.” (Dt. 33:29). “Our soul waits for the LORD; He is our help and our shield.” (Ps. 33:20).
Trust Jesus to be your shield by taking refuge in Him10
God is a shield to those who take refuge in Him. In the NASB and NIV translations, the Bible states that God becomes your shield when you take refuge in Him. “As for God, His way is blameless; the word of the LORD is refined; He is a shield to all who take refuge in Him.” (2 Sam. 22:31). “Every word of God is pure; He is a shield to those who take refuge in Him.” (Prov. 30:5). In the NKJ translation, the word “refuge” is translated as “trust.” These translations are all accurate. But the idea of seeking refuge in God puts actions to your beliefs. Thus, you can show your trust in Him by seeking refuge in Him. “The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my savior, My God, my rock, in whom I take refuge; My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.” (Ps. 18:2).
Trust God and not your own understanding. God wants you to trust in His plans above your own understanding or feelings. “Trust in the LORD with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding.” (Prov. 3:5; 28:26; Ps. 62:8). “Trust in the LORD forever, for in GOD the LORD, we have an everlasting Rock.” (Is. 26:4). When you are facing doubt, you can trust God’s Word and pray for the Holy Spirit to apply it to guide your steps. “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” (Ps. 119:105).
5. Gratitude: When the Enemy Attacks, Be Grateful to God. Ps. 115:12-13.
When you are attacked, be grateful to God. The psalmist also sought to encourage the Jews by reminding them that God had been repeatedly faithful to them. Thus, they could trust Him to continue to bless, protect, and provide for their nation: “12 The Lord has 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 those who fear the Lord, the small together with the great.” (Ps. 115:12-13). Other psalmists also gave thanks for God’s “remembrance” of His promise: “He has remembered His graciousness and His faithfulness to the house of Israel; all the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.” (Ps. 98:3). When you give thanks for God’s faithfulness, you also boost your faith in His promises.
Remember God’s great works as part of your worship. The psalmists frequently vowed to meditate on and praise God’s works: “I shall remember the deeds of the LORD; I will certainly remember Your wonders of old. I will meditate on all Your work, and on Your deeds with thanksgiving.” (Ps. 77:11-12). “Sing to Him, sing praises to Him; tell of all His wonders.” (Ps. 105:2). “Make me understand the way of Your precepts, and I will meditate on Your wonders.” (Ps. 119:27). “I remember the days of old; I meditate on all Your accomplishments; I reflect on the work of Your hands.” (Ps. 143:5). “On the glorious splendor of Your majesty and on Your wonderful works, I will meditate.” (Ps. 145:5). If you fail to remember God’s works, you may take Him for granted.
Praise God for blessing His people out of grace and compassion. God’s works are motivated out of His love for His people: “the Lord is gracious and compassionate.” (Ps. 111:4b). “But You, Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger and abundant in mercy and truth.” (Ps. 86:15; 103:8). “Then the LORD passed by in front of him and proclaimed, ‘The LORD, the LORD God, compassionate and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in faithfulness and truth;”’ (Ex. 34:6; Nu. 14:18). None of your blessings are earned. Thus, God deserves your praise for His grace and compassion.
Remembering God’s works also helps to boost your faith. Remembering God’s works through your worship also helps to boost your faith: “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.” (Ro. 10:17). If you fail to sing praises for God’s amazing works, you are more likely to turn to the world instead of God in a crisis. You can boost your faith and help others by keeping a journal of God’s answered prayers.
6. Prayer: When the Enemy Attacks, Be a Prayer Warrior. Ps. 115:14-15.
When God’s people are attacked, pray for them. The psalmists prayed for God to grow the reborn nation of Israel and to pour out His blessings upon it: “14 May the Lord increase you, You and your children. 15 May you be blessed of the Lord, maker of heaven and earth.” (Ps. 115:14-15). “The Lord shall increase you more and more — In number, power, and in all temporal and spiritual blessings, notwithstanding the efforts of your many enemies to diminish, weaken, and distress you. Hebrew, יסŠ עליכם, the Lord shall add to you, namely, further and greater blessings. Here the psalmist turns himself to them, and assures them of the favour of him who created, and who upholds and governs all things. You and your children — The blessing bestowed on you shall descend on your children with a continual increase.” (Joseph Benson Commentary on Ps. 115:14-15).11
God will respond to your intercessory prayers to help others. God will honor the prayers of those who pray fervently as intercessors for others: “Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed. The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much.” (Ja. 5:16). As our example, Abraham pleaded with God as an intercessor to spare the innocent in Sodom and Gomorra (Gen. 18:23). God spared the Jewish nation in response to Moses’ faithful prayers after they made the golden calf (Ex. 32:11-14). He again spared the Jews in response to Moses’ prayers after they rebelled at the edge of the Promised Land (Nu. 14:18-22). God again spared the Jews in response to the prayers of Moses and Aaron after Korah, 250 men of renown, and then the 14,700 rebelled (Nu. 16:21-24). As an intercessor, Samuel promised to continue to pray for the people’s sins (1 Sam. 12:23). David also prayed as an intercessor for God to spare the Jews after 70,000 men across all of Israel died in a plague that came about because of David’s sins (2 Sam. 24:17). God heard Elijah’s prayers to both stop and later restart the rain in Israel (Ja. 5:17-18). Elijah also cried out to God in faith for God to raise a widow’s son from the dead (1 Kgs. 17:21-22.) Jonah also made a plea as an intercessor when his disobedience caused the men in his boat to suffer (Jo. 1:12). The apostles also continually prayed for others (2 Tim. 1:3; Col. 1:9; Eph. 1:16). “as we night and day keep praying most earnestly that we may see your face, . . .” (1 Thess. 3:10). You are part of Jesus’ holy priesthood (1 Pet. 2:5, 9; Rev. 1:6). As His appointed priest, you too have the power of intercessory prayer. But God is unlikely to respond if you lack faith or pray with doubt in your heart. “But he must ask in faith without any doubting,. . .” (Jam. 1:6). Are you praying as an intercessor for those in need?
When God’s people are attacked, God wants you to cry out to Him. In addition praying for blessings, you are also called to pray for protection when others are attacked: “A Psalm of David. To You, LORD, I call; My rock, do not be deaf to me, for if You are silent to me, I will become like those who go down to the pit.” (Ps. 28:1). “You have seen it, LORD, do not keep silent; Lord, do not be far from me.” (Ps. 35:22). “Arise, Lord; save me, my God! For You have struck all my enemies on the cheek; You have shattered the teeth of the wicked.” (Ps. 3:7). “Arise, Lord, in Your anger; raise Yourself against the rage of my enemies, and stir Yourself for me; You have ordered judgment.” (Ps. 7:6). “Arise, LORD, confront him, make him bow down; save my soul from the wicked with Your sword,” (Ps. 17:13). “Rise up, be our help, and redeem us because of Your mercy.” (Ps. 44:26). “A Psalm of David. A Song. May God arise, may His enemies be scattered, and may those who hate Him flee from His presence.” (Ps. 68:1).
7. Praise: When the Enemy Attacks, Turn to God With Praise. Ps. 115:16-18.
When God’s people are attacked, encourage them by leading them in praises. To encourage others, the psalmist led the people in praises for their true God in heaven: “16 The heavens are the heavens of the Lord, but the earth He has given to the sons of mankind. 17 The dead do not praise the Lord, nor do any who go down into silence; 18 but as for us, we will bless the Lord from this time and forever. Praise the Lord!” (Ps. 115:16-18). “When Jesus sang this with His disciples (Matthew 26:30, Mark 14:26), He sang knowing that He would not sing among His disciples on earth anymore. Consider the depth of feeling in Jesus that would bring!” (David Guzik on Ps. 115:17).12
God was faithful to restore His people. The Jews had no reason to wait for Israel to be fully restored to worship God. The history of the Jews shows that you can trust in God’s promises to redeem you from bondage, affliction, and eternal death: “Say, therefore, to the sons of Israel, ‘I am the LORD, and I will bring you out from under the labors of the Egyptians, and I will rescue you from their bondage. I will also redeem you with an outstretched arm, and with great judgments.” (Ex. 6:6). “but because the LORD loved you and kept the oath which He swore to your forefathers, the LORD brought you out by a mighty hand and redeemed you from the house of slavery, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt.” (Dt. 7:8). “Israel, wait for the LORD; for with the LORD there is mercy, and with Him is abundant redemption.” (Ps. 130:7). Israel would again become a great nation. But the Jews would need to wait for God’s perfect timing (Ro. 8:28; 11:25-32).
Jesus is also faithful to fulfill His New Covenant. Jesus is the promised Messiah, High Priest, and King of Kings (Ps. 110) who will fulfill the Old Testament Abrahamic covenant (Gen. 12:1-3). He will also fulfill the New Covenant of eternal life in the New Testament: “God is faithful, through whom you were called into fellowship with His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.” (1 Cor. 1:9). “Faithful is He who calls you, and He also will do it.” (1 Thess. 5:24). “But the Lord is faithful, and He will strengthen and protect you from the evil one.” (2 Thess. 3:3). Thus, Jesus is worthy of your praise and worship.
Don’t wait to praise and worship God. The psalmist did not have the same understanding of the afterlife as a New Testament believer. The dead in Christ will worship Him. Thus, we can interpret the statement that “The dead do not praise the Lord,” (Ps. 115:17) as a warning to not delay in worship: “We who are still living will take care that the praises of God shall not fail among the sons of men. Our afflictions and depressions of spirit shall not cause us to suspend our praises.” (Charles Spurgeon on Ps. 115:17).13
Alexander Kirpatrick (1906), Regius Professor of Hebrew at Cambridge University (1882-1903) Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges, on Ps. 115; Psalm 115 Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (biblehub.com)↩︎
Image credit: Pin page (pinterest.co.uk)↩︎
James M. Hamilton Jr., Evangelical Bible Theology Commentary Psalms (Vol. II: Psalms 73-150) (Lexham Academic 2021) p. 320-321.↩︎
Allen Ross, A Commentary of the Psalms: Volume 3(90-150), Kregel Academic (2016) p. 419.↩︎
