INTRODUCTION - Read Psalm 115
This is the third of the Hallelu Psalms, which we know to be sung at the Jewish Passover. Again, we remember how Jesus would have sung this Psalm at the end of His Passover Meal with His disciples, on the night of His betrayal. It is also possible that this Psalm in particular was also sung at the time of Ezra, when the Jews were dedicating their new Temple, after returning to Jerusalem from exile.
It was a Lithurgi Psalm , sung by a group of PRIESTS AND WORSHIPPERS - "a single voice leading with the congegraton joining in response". We also know there was a lot of Hebrew REPITITION:
* "Not to us, Lord, not to us"....
* "Trust in the Lord, He is your help and shield."
* "He will bless....."
* "Praise the Lord.....Praise the Lord."
Why? Because these were important statements and promises - not only for the Israelites, but for the Priests to remember, and also the Gentiles - "all those who would fear the Lord" - and of course for us today and our children!!
A GOD OF MERCY, GRACE & TRUTH - Read Psalm 115:1; Exodus 12 - 15
"Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us. But TO YOUR NAME GIVE GLORY." Psalm 115:1a
"This is a Godly man's motto." John TRAPP
Lord, it is not what we can do, but we can do it in YOUR POWER and IN YOUR WILL. We want to serve You, but we can only do it in YOUR STRENGTH AND WISDOM. We are only "participators" in God's work. THE GLORY ALL GOES TO GOD AND HIS NAME!
Back to the first Passover in Egypt, the Israelites were given lots of instructions from God, which THEY FOLLOWED:
* About what they should eat: roasted lamb and unleavened bread.
* Putting the blood of the lamb on the doorposts.
* Dressing for their departure: tucking their cloak in the belt and sandals on their feet.
The Israelites "bowed down and worshipped God" for although they had obeyed His instructions, they knew that it was God, not man, that would save them.
"Obey these instructions as a lasting ordinance for you and your descendents. When you enter the land that the Lord will give you as He promised, observe this ceremony. And when your children ask you: "What does this ceremony mean to you?", then tell them, "It is the Passover sacrifice to the Lord, who passed over the houses of the Israelites in Egypt and spared our homes when He struck down the Egypotians." Then the people bowed down and worshipped." Exodus 12:24-28 (NIV)
After they had been led out of Egypt, through the Red Sea, and had watched the destruction of their Egyptian enemies, Moses and Miriam led God's people in a famous song to the Lord.
"Who among the gods is like you, Lord? Who is like you - MAJESTIC IN HOLINESS, AWESOME IN GLORY, WORKING WONDERS? ......In your UNFAILING LOVE you will lead your people you have redeemed, IN YOUR STRENGTH, you will guide them to your holy dwelling." Exodus 15:11-13 (NIV)
Why do we glorify the Lord? Because of His MERCY, GRACE AND TRUTH. Because of HIS LOVE AND FAITHFULNESS. In the 1st Chapter of John we are reminded of this when we meet with Jesus, who came to earth, the Son of God, "full of grace and truth".
"The Word became flesh and made His dwelling place among us. We have seen His glory, the glory of the One and Only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth."John 1:14 (NIV)
COMPARING OUR SOVEREIGN GOD WITH HEATHEN IDOLS - Read Psalm 115:2-8; Ezra 6:13-22
When the Jews came back to Jerusalem after their exile in Babylon, they rebuilt the Temple and they celebrated the Passover.
"The Temple was completed on the third day of the month of Adar, in the 6th yearof the reign of King Darius. Then the people of Israel - the Priests, the Levites and the rest of the exiles - celebrated the dedication of the House of God with joy." Ezra 6:15-16 (NIV)
"On the 14th day of the first month, the exiles celebrated the Passover.....The Israelites who had returned from exile ate it with all who had seperated themselves from the unclean practices of their Gentile neighbours in order to seek the Lord, the God of Israel." Ezra 6:19 & 21 (NIV)
Most of the Israelites were cured of their idolatry, and even some of the Gentiles met with them in worship at the Temple. But there were still people living in the land who worshipped idols and mocked them, telling them they had no reason to worship their God.
"Why should the Gentiles say: "So where is their God?" Our God is in Heaven, He does whatever He pleases." Psalm 115:2&3
A beautiful contrast is made between ISRAEL'S (OUR) LIVING GOD and the HEATHEN IDOLS.
ISRAEL'S (OUR) LIVING GOD:
- God made everything.
- "God is in Heaven" - Living and Sovereign.
- He sees their distress and answers their needs.
- He "does whatever He wishes".
- He hears their prayers and comes to their assistance.
- God offers salvation and eternal life through His Son Jesus.
GENTILE HEATHEN IDOLS
- They are made by human hands.
- They are on earth and "hard" and "worthless".
- "They have eyes but cannot see" - they are blind.
- "They have ears but can hear", hands and feet but cannot move. They are deaf and motionless.
- Idols are "hard" and "unfeeling" - they never have life, and don't offer life to anyone, "for those who make them will be like them".
"Those who make them will be like them, so will all who trust in them." Psalm 115:8 (NKJV)
Today we still worship idols for security and well being. But they bring us down, rather than CLOSER TO GOD. We spend "worthless time" in their pursuit, rather than IN THE PRESENCE OF OUR HEAVENLY FATHER - praying, reading His Word, doing His service and worshipping Him.
We too become what we WORSHIP, We need to make "ourselves into God's image", taking great care that JESUS CHRIST is the CENTRE of OUR WORSHIP.
"Therefore, I urge you brothers and sisters, in view of GOD'S MERCY, to offer your bodies, as a LIVING SACRIFICE, holy and pleasing to God - this is YOUR TRUE AND PROPER WORSHIP." Romans 12:1 (NIV)
"Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiriutual fervor, SERVING THE LORD." Romans 12:11 (NIV)
TRUST IN THE LORD: OUR HELP AND SHIELD - Read Psalm 115:9-11
This is the first repetitive part of the Psalm, and more than likely the Leader in the Temple is calling the people - the Israelites, Priests and Gentile believers - to "TRUST IN THE LORD, FOR HE IS OUR HELP AND SHIELD".
"We put our HOPE IN THE LORD. HE IS OUR HELP AND SHIELD." Psalm 33:20 (NLT)
So who were these three different groupos of people:
1. THE ISRAELITES (JEWS)
We know them as GOD'S CHOSEN PEOPLE - first of all when God tells Abraham in Genesis 17, that He will make him a father of a great nation, and He made His covenant with Him.
"When Abram was 99years old, the Lord appeared to Him and said: "I am the God Almighty; walk before Me faithfully and be blameless." Abram fell facedown, and God said to him: "As for Me, this is my covenant with you: You willl be the father of many nations. You will no longer be called Abrah, your name will be Abraham. I will make you very fruitful; I will make nations lof you, amd kings will come from you.I will establish an everlasting covenant between me and your descendents after you, for generations to come, to be their God. The whole land of Canaan, where you now reside as a foreigner, I will give as an everlasting possession to you and you descendents after you; AND I WILL BE THEIR GOD." Genesis 17:1, 3-8 (NIV)
In the New Testamentm, Jesus reminds Simon Peter and His disciples that they too are GOD'S "CHOSEN". Simon Peter told Jesus that he would always follow after Him, because HE WAS THE "HOLY ONE OF GOD".
"Simon Peter answered Him: "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of ETERNAL LIFE. We have come to BELIEVE that you are the HOLY ONE OF GOD." Then Jesus replied, "Have I not CHOSEN YOU, the twelve?" Joihn 6:68-70 (NIV)
2. PRIESTS
The Priests were of the Family of Aaron, descendents of Aaron. They, like our Priests, Ministers and Pastors, were all SERVANTS OF THE LORD, whose job it was to "witness", preach and teach God's Word to the People of God.,
"Ministers must be patterns to others, depending on God, living in the faith." John Trapp
3. GENTILE BELIEVERS
These were the Non-Jewish people who still "feared the Lord" and still desired to be a "child of God". In the Old Testament they are mentioned as those who "respected and feared the Lord, but were not of the Jewish faith.". In the New Testament we hear of Gentile believers in the Early Church.
"As for the foreigner who does not belong to your people Israel but has come from a distant land because of your name - for they will hear of your great Name and mighty hand and your outstretched arm - WHEN THEY COME AND PRAY TOWARDS THIS TEMPLE."
1 Kings 8:41&42 (NIV)
"In Caesarea there lived a Roman army officer named Cornelius, who was a Captain of the Italian Regimant. HE WAS A DEVOUT, GOD FEARING MAN, as was everyone in His household. He gave generously to the poor and PRAYED REGULARLY." Acts 10:1&2 (NLT)
"Brothers - you Sons of Abraham and also you GOD-FEARING GENTILES - this message of salvation has been sent to us." Acts 13:26 (NLT)
We too today, as children of God and followers of our Lord Jesus Christ, are just like the Gentiles in the early Church. We too need to TRUST IN THE LORD, because of who HE IS and what HE HAS DONE FOR US, in the past and what we know HE WILL DO in the future - FOR HE IS OUR HOPE AND SHIELD.
"I pray that God the source of our HOPE, will fill you completely with joy and HOPE and peace, because YOU TRUST IN HIM. Then you will overflow with CONFIDENT HOPE through the power of the Holy Spirit." Romans 15:13 (NLT)
THE LORD WILL BLESS US - Read Psalm 115:12-15; Genesis 12:1-3; Matthew 5:3-12
Israel knew that God had remembered them in the past and they would be BLESSED in the future. So did the Priests - Aaron's descendents; and finally, the Gentiles who feared the Lord also knew they would be BLESSED, because they had come to TRUST IN THE LORD.
"It is in HIS NATURE TO BLESS, it is HIS PREROGATIVE TO BLESS; HE PROMISES TO BLESS, and therefore, be sure: HE WILL BLESS, and BLESS and BLESS." Charles Spurgeon
"May the Lord cause you to flourish, both you and your children. May you be blessed by the Lord, the Maker of Heaven and earth." Psalm 1:14&15
What kind of blessings does the Lord give us?
1. CHILDREN AND FAMILY
Most of all in the Bible we read how God blessed people with children and great families. In Genesis 12:1-3, we read how Abraham was blessed by God with a promise that he would have a family. In fact, he would be the father of a great nation, and "all people on the earth would be blessed through him."
"I will make you into a great nation. I WILL BLESS YOU and make you famous, and you will be a blessing to others......All the families on the earth will be blessed through you." Genesis 12:2&3
2. SUCCESS FOR THE FUTURE
As Abraham was promised, we too are promised that we will have a BLESSING WITH SUCCESS in our lives. It may not be what we desire, but we will have WHAT WE NEED. The Hebrew word, "esher" which is again, often used in Psalms is translated as "HAPPINESS". GOD'S CHASTISEMENT IS ALSO A BLESSING, though we may not see it, for it is a DISPLAY OF GOD'S LOVE.
"They disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplined us for our good, in order that we may share in His holiness." Hebrews 12:10 (NIV)
In the New Testament, spoecifically in the Beautitudes, we find the Greek word, "makiarios", is used for the word "happiness", that we can usually find when "when follow God's will in our lives" and endeavouring to live as Jesus would want us too.
"God blesses those who are poor and realize their need for Him, for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs.....God blesses those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied.....God blesses those who are pure, for they will see God......God blesses those who are persecuted for doing right, for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs." Matthew 5:3,6,8-10 (NLT)
3. FORGIVENESS
In the Psalms and the New Testament we also read a lot about those who are BLESSED BY FORGIVENESS (the Greek word "eulego"). The forgiveness (mercy and grace) of God, Jesus Christ through His death on the cross, and even our forgiveness of others.
"BLESSED ARE THOSE WHOSE TRANSGRESSIONS ARE FORGIVEN, whose sins are covered." " Psalm 32:1 (NIV)
"GOD BLESSES THOSE WHO ARE MERCIFUL, for they will be shown mercy."
Matthew 5:7 (NLT)
In all these blessings: PRAISE, HAPPINESS (JOY), CHASTISEMENT and FORGIVENESS, we can have confidence, for God is our Father of all LOVE, MERCY and GRACE, TRUTH and FAITHFULNESS.
"But blessed is are those who trust in the Lord and have made the Lord their hope and confidence." Jeremiah 17:7 (NIV)
CONCLUSION: PRAISE THE LORD - Read Psalm 115:16-18; Genesis 1:26-30
"This Psalm has come full circle back to God and to His people." Pat and David Alexander
The Heavens are the Lords. He is the Sovereign Creator of both the heavens and the earth. In Genesis 1:26-30, we are reminded that even though God is Sovereign, He gave "man dominion over the earth". What does this mean?
* We need to care for it.
* We need to us its resources for the good of humanity.
"Remember that behind the gift, IS THE GIVER." John Trapp
The "GIVER" created us in His image, to be like Him, and as GOD, we know HE CARES FOR THE WORLD, and as the people HE MADE, HE EXPECTS THE SAME OF US.
"Then God looked over all He had made, and He saw that it was very good. And evening passed, and morning, the sixth day." Genesis 1:31 (NLT)
The Psalmist knew that not only God, but His Son Jesus were worthy of OUR PRAISE, became He came to conquer sin and death. And we who have accepted Jesus as our Saviour and Lord, and can now live eternally, CAN "PRAISE HIM FOREVER AND EVER.""
"The GRACE OF OUR LORD was poured out on me abundantly, along with the FAITH AND LOVE OF JESUS CHRIST. Christ Jesus came into the world to SAVE SINNERS.....I WAS SHOWN MERCY so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display His immense patience and an example for those who would BELIEVE IN HIM and RECEIVE ETERNAL LIFE." 1 Timothy 1:14-16
"But we will PRAISE THE LORD, forever and ever. PRAISE THE LORD!" Psalm 115:18
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