Psalm 117 – All Nations!
In Psalm 117 – all nations, all people are called to praise the Lord, a much-needed call for unity. What common ground can be found for unity through this psalm?
Psalm 117
Psalm 117 is the shortest of all the Psalms, with only 2 verses. Yet it is a powerful psalm.
Despite its shortness, Martin Luther wrote thirty-six pages on this psalm. “Martin Luther devoted thirty-six pages to this psalm, expounding it in four important categories: (1) prophecy (the Gentiles will participate in gospel blessings), (2) revelation (the kingdom of Christ is not earthly and temporal but rather heavenly and eternal), (3) instruction (we are saved by faith alone and not by works, wisdom, or holiness), and (4) admonition (we should praise God for such a great salvation).” (James Montgomery Boice) Enduring Word Bible Commentary Psalm 117
It calls for all nations to praise the Lord.
“Praise the Lord, all you nations; extol him, all you peoples.” (1)
Why Invite Gentiles to Praise the Lord?
Unlike previous psalms that called Israel to praise the Lord, Psalm 117 – all nations, invites the gentiles, all people, to join in praise. What could bring them to extend this invitation? Love of God.
“For great is his love toward us, and the faithfulness of the Lord endures forever.
Praise the Lord.” (2)
God’s love is so great that it couldn’t be kept to just one group of people.
“For the most part the Jews looked with little sympathy on their Gentile neighbors, and had no desire that they should laud Jehovah, save as they became proselytes of Judaism. But where the love of God is strong in the heart, it overleaps the bounds of custom and racial prejudice, and yearns that all the world should know and love the Saviour.” (Meyer)
“The Psalm was an intimation to Israel that the grace and mercy of their God were not to be confined to one nation, but would in happier days be extended to all the race of man.” (Spurgeon) Enduring Word Bible Commentary Psalm 117
This is another one of the Hallel psalms which are sung as part of the Jewish Passover serve. As such, Jesus would have sung it with his disciples at the Last supper. “Therefore, on the eve of His crucifixion, we know that Jesus had all the peoples, all the Gentiles in mind. Through His work on the cross and victory over death at the empty tomb, God would call a people to Himself from every tribe and tongue.” Enduring Word Bible Commentary Psalm 117
The King James version translates faithfulness as truth. God’s love and truth endure forever. Another reason to praise God, all people.
Short but Powerful
The shortness of this psalm doesn’t make it any less important. In fact, one of the top ten lessons from this psalm, listed in Bible Hub, is the power of a short message. ‘In our fast-paced world, where attention spans are short, this psalm reminds us that sometimes less is more. A concise message, when filled with truth and love, can resonate deeply and leave a lasting impression.” Top 10 Lessons from Psalm 117
Some preachers would benefit from this lesson.
Other lessons are: The universality of praise, call to unity, enduring love of God, faithfulness of the Lord, simplicity of worship, invitation to all, joy of praise, eternal nature of God’s truth, and the invitation to reflect. (Top 10 Lessons from Psalm 117) That’s a lot for two verses!
Psalm 117 reminds us that we don’t need to multiply word upon word in our prayers and worship of our God. It reminds us of what is most important – God’s love and truth. And these lessons are for all people.
Psalm 117 – All Nations!
In our world so full of divisions can we at least agree on this? God’s great love and enduring truth. Regardless of what name you give to God, isn’t this something we can agree to?
Psalm 117 – all nations, invites all people, Jews and Gentiles, all religions, all nationalities, to unite in acknowledging a God who loves us. What is so hard about that? It is a call to unity in a world that desperately needs common ground.
Where do you find common ground?
(For another take on this psalm, see Psalm 117: The Benefits of Praise – Patricia M Robertson)
This post is part of a series of blog posts on the Psalms. Sign up to follow this blog and receive a free copy of Still Dancing, the second book in my Dancing through Life Series. click here to sign up
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