Calvary Road Baptist Church
“YE THAT FEAR THE LORD, TRUST IN THE LORD”
Psalm 115
We come to the third of the Hallel psalms, a collection of psalms that first-century Jewish Passover celebrants typically chanted or sang during and following the annual Passover celebration.[1] My basis for this conclusion comes from Matthew 26.30 and Mark 14.26 and Alfred Edersheim’s classic The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah:[2]
“And when they had sung an hymn, they went out into the mount of Olives.”
Like Psalm 113 and Psalm 114, Psalm 115 echoes the Exodus of the children of Israel from four centuries of bondage in Egypt and their subjugation to a saturated environment of pagan idolatry. Psalm 115 is a fitting call to praise the LORD, ending with the two Hebrew words translated “Praise the LORD,” and sometimes transliterated in the Old Testament by “Hallelujah.”
The word wllh is an imperative verb directing the reader to praise, and the word hy (Yah) is the shortened name of God, hwhy.[3] The question I have asked and answered before is what is meant by the Hebrew directive to praise God? At its most basic it expresses the instruction to be boastful, to shout, to cry aloud, especially in worship.[4]
I tried to be careful to point out that Psalm 113 was not a psalm that focused attention on the Jewish priesthood, or members of the tribe of Levi tasked with ministry in and around the Tabernacle and later the Temple. This psalm, however, does focus on the house of Israel, narrowing its focus to the house of Aaron (whose male members were the priests), and then expanding to “ye that fear the LORD.” I suggest you took for that as we proceed. My text is 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.
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.
Reflecting on who the psalm is directed to, verses 1 and 2 are a heartfelt plea to the LORD. The rest of the psalm, verses 3-18, are directed to the house of Israel, the house of Aaron, and “ye that fear the LORD.”
With that orientation understood, let us consider the psalm in two main parts:
First, THE PRAYER DIRECTED TO THE LORD
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?
From the outset we see that this psalm is about God’s glory, so let us consciously reorient our attention away from ourselves to the LORD. What are the indications and the implications of these two verses? I will mention five:
First, where not to give glory. The Israelites had experienced four centuries of the Egyptian pagan version of “it is all about me” religion, and the psalmist was sick of it. But it wasn’t just the Egyptian version of idolatrous paganism that is “it is all about me” religion. Anything other than the Gospel is a belief system that seeks to please oneself and reeks of pleasing oneself rather than God, because only God can please God with the sacrifice of His Son on our behalf as payment for sins. This is because “all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags,” Isaiah 64.6. Notice that the psalmist repeats himself to the LORD:
“Not unto us, O LORD, not unto us.”
Not that the LORD needs convincing, but as a way of emphatically endorsing the significance of God and only God being glorified.
Which we see next. Where to give glory:
“not unto us, but unto thy name give glory.”
This is familiar territory for those of you who are regularly here. God’s glory is a matter we attend to with some frequency, because of Revelation 4.11:
“Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.”
You have recently been introduced to the significance in that culture of the concept of one’s name representing the totality of one’s personality and being. Further, you have also been repeatedly exposed to the weighty concept of God’s glory. Therefore, you recognize that any faith system directed to glorifying God’s name must be far superior to any of the shallow notions of selfish-indulgence and fleshly appetites that are represented by any religion that bows to statues and exalts creatures, which is nothing less than virtue signaling.
Third, for what reasons glory is to be given only to God. There must always be reasons for what rational and sensible beings do. So, what are the bases for us glorifying only the LORD?
“for thy mercy, and for thy truth’s sake.”
Why should the name of the LORD be glorified and not us? Not you or me? Because of God’s attributes that reveal of Him Who He is, of which two are mentioned. God is merciful and we need mercy. God is true and we need truth. What the LORD is we desperately need. What He possesses we lack. Therefore, it is only right and proper and good that His name be glorified and not us.
Fourth, concerning the heathen. Idolaters, who are comfortable with their man-made gods, and who rely upon gods fashioned with their hands, gods they can see and touch and bow before, gods they can attach to their dashboards, place on their desk tops, and hang from hooks on their walls, will think themselves clever to ask us,
“Where is now their God?”
But we are mindful of the Savior’s words uttered a thousand years after this psalm was introduced:
“God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.”
One does not place a spirit on a dashboard, hang a spirit from a rear view mirror, or suspend a spirit from a hook on the wall.
Before proceeding, what say we hear from a prophet and two apostles to sum up this imperative? In Isaiah 42.8 we read,
“I am the LORD: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images.”
In Ephesians 3.21, the Apostle Paul wrote,
“Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.”
While both Paul and the Apostle John, to contrast, wrote,
“Wherefore, my dearly beloved, flee from idolatry,”[5]
“Little children, keep yourselves from idols. Amen.”[6]
Next, THREE SOMEWHAT OVERLAPPING GROUPS OF PEOPLE ARE ADDRESSED
As I mentioned before, the psalmist turns his attention from a prayer to the LORD to a proclamation to three groups, the house of Israel, the house of Aaron, and those that fear the LORD. Consider this proclamation divided into five parts:
First, the proclamation about our God. Verse 3:
“But our God is in the heavens: he hath done whatsoever he hath pleased.”
Envision the psalmist speaking to contrast our God from the gods of the heathens. He would not utter these words to the LORD. Neither would he utter these words to the idolaters left behind in Egypt. They wouldn’t listen, anyway. These are words directed to his readers, and we will see who they are beginning in verse 9. What does the psalmist declare to his readers in response to the anticipated question from idolaters who think they need and desperately want a god fashioned by hands they can see, pray to, and bow before?
First, our God is well above the petty sneering of those who worship objects fashioned from wood, stone, metal, or plastic. God is lofty. God is high and lifted up. God is over all. Mr. Spurgeon writes,
“If our God be neither seen nor heard, and is not to be worshipped under any outward symbol, yet is he none the less real and true, for he is where his adversaries can never be -- in the heavens, whence he stretches forth his sceptre, and rules with boundless power.”[7]
Next, the psalmist declares God’s sovereignty. Isn’t the last half of verse three the essence of sovereignty, God doing whatever He pleases? I would only add that He is answerable and accountable to no one. In short, our God reigns! Buck and kick against Him all you want, but you cannot prevail against Him!
Next, the proclamation about their idols. Verses 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.
These are five verses moms and dads will want to spend time driving home to their little ones; the absurdity of idolatry, as illustrated by what even the best idols are made of, as illustrated by who makes the idols, as illustrated by the characteristics of idols, and as illustrated by the similarity that exists between the idols and the idolaters. Of course, silver and gold are precious metals, verse 4. But in the end they are no more than stuff taken from the ground. The idols fashioned from such materials are man-made and handmade. And most idols are made of material of far less value; wood, stone, or plastic.
Verses 5-7 list the anatomical parts of idols, pointing out that they are utterly nonfunctional. They are completely inanimate, possessing no life of any kind, and are really quite useless. What are they good for? What do they do? Those observations need to be rehearsed again and again to children as they are forming their discerning and discriminating faculties.
The final point made in verse eight? As absurd as idols are, so are those people who fashion the idols. Imagine someone fabricating his own god. Making your own god? Nonsense! As stupid as they are who make their own gods, so are those who trust such statues and figurines made by human hands.
Third, the psalmist’s prescription. Following is how one counters the effects of idolatry, verses 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.
Notice three things about these three prescriptions, and the proclamations that immediately follow:
First, notice to whom the prescriptions are addressed. The psalmist begins with “O Israel.” He then narrows his prescription to “the house of Aaron.” Finally, he expands his prescription to “ye that fear the LORD.” Thus, he begins with the covenant nation of Israel. He narrows his prescription to a family within the tribe of Levi, the priestly family descended from Israel’s first high priest, Aaron. Then he expands his prescription to anyone in the human family who fears the LORD. Thus, even Gentiles are included in this prescription.
Next, each of the groups the prescription is directed to is urged to “trust thou in the LORD.” This is no surprise to the student of God’s Word. This is the spiritual medicine for what ails every idolater. Though specifically declared in Habakkuk 2.4 for the first time, “the just shall live by his faith” is the consistent principle underlying all of God’s dealings with members of the human race. It is how Abram was justified in Genesis 15.6, and it is how everyone else is justified, according to the Apostle Paul in Romans 5.1. Notice, also, that within each group mentioned by the psalmist there is the directive to comply with the command to trust in the LORD, be you an Israelite, be you an Aaronic priest, or be you a God-fearer who is a Jew or a Gentile. This is not optional!
Finally, to each individual within each group, Israelite, Aaronite, or God-fearer, “he is their help and their shield.” The question is, what are these things? “Help” is a word that refers to God helping His own the way Eve was to help Adam, Genesis 2.18. Helping is rendering assistance to accomplishing God’s will. Next, remember that the LORD declared Himself to be Abram’s “shield” in Genesis 15.1. So, He is said to be the shield of anyone who trusts Him. Help and shield are words that show God to be the enabler and the protector of those who trust Him. How different from the gods of the heathens, who neither help nor protect their worshipers. And the demons behind the idols of the heathen? They only destroy the lives and the eternities of those who bow before their idols.
Heed the psalmist’s prescription, my friend. Trust in the LORD.
Fourth, the past, the present, and the promise are revealed by the psalmist. Verses 12-16:
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.
Notice the small words used to reveal the past, the present, and the promise to those who trust in the LORD. In verse 12, we notice the word “hath,” the word “will,” the word “will” again, and the word “will” a third time. We see the word “will” once more in verse 13. In verse 14 we see the word “shall.” Verse 15 contains the italicized word “are,” not in the text but conveying the sense of present blessing. And in verse 16 we see the word “hath,” referring to the past.
What do these five verses declare about our past, specifically the children of Israel, but also with application to everyone who trusts the LORD? “The LORD hath been mindful of us,” verse 12. You might feel like you are being ignored. You might think God does not care. But that simply is not true. Verse 16? We see what we do not yet possess, but what we will inherit:
“The heaven, even the heavens, are the LORD’s: but the earth hath he given to the children of men.”
What about our present? Verse 15:
“Ye are blessed of the LORD which made heaven and earth.”
We next see our future. Verse 12 promises, “he will bless us; he will bless the house of Israel; he will bless the house of Aaron.” Verse 13 promises, “He will bless them that fear the LORD, both small and great.” Verse 14 promises, “The LORD shall increase you more and more, you and your children.” Notice how well this harmonizes with Second Peter 1.4:
“Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.”
Finally, the psalm concludes with the call to praise the LORD. Verses 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.
Verse 17 is an interesting example of Hebrew parallelism. The first phrase introduces the unsaved dead literally as “not the dead.” The second phrase further describes the unsaved dead as “that go down in silence.” Back to the first phrase. “Praise not the LORD” is almost our familiar Hebrew word translated “hallelujah,” except the command “hallelujah” is directed at you, second person. You are to praise the LORD. In this verse the word shows they do not praise the LORD, third person. Thus, it is emphasized that no one referred to here as dead was an individual who praised the LORD when they are alive. They have gone down into silence.
Verse 18 begins with the words “But we.” What a contrast between those who did not praise the LORD while they lived this life and those who do praise the LORD in this life. For us, now and forever, the psalmist writes,
“But we will bless the LORD from this time forth and for evermore. Praise the LORD.”
This really is a Gospel in shorthand psalm, is it not? We see in this psalm that there are only two kinds of individuals, and the psalmist pleads with the house of Israel, the house of Aaron, and “ye that fear the LORD,” to trust in the LORD, and not be like the idolaters who trust in their idols, verse 8.
The root issue is not whether or not you are an idolater. That is only one of the presenting features of a lost individual’s condition, even though for the Israelites during the Exodus it was the most obvious presenting feature. The real issue is whether or not, be you of the house of Israel, be you of the house of Aaron, or be you a God-fearing person, you have trusted in the LORD.
If you have trusted in the LORD you will be one who praises the LORD. If you do not praise the LORD, it is only because you have not trusted Him. This is reflected in Psalm 107.2:
“Let the redeemed of the LORD say so.”
You may not be so much like the Jewish people who were redeemed from Egyptian bondage, overwhelmed by idolatry and enslaved. Perhaps you are more like the Gentiles in Thessalonica fifteen hundred years later. Still, the spiritual need of every human being is the same, don’t you see?
To those new Christians, Paul wrote that, “ye turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God.” It is all about idolatry, don’t you see? Either you bow down and worship a carved image or likeness, or you worship the idol of self or career or something else. Everyone who has not trusted Christ is an idolater of some sort. That is intolerable to God, who deserves every person’s worship and praise.
So this psalm, which shows the plea of the psalmist to people who needed to trust the LORD, applies to you as much as to them. Give glory to the LORD for His mercy and His truth’s sake. But you need to trust in the LORD in order to do that. Then how the LORD will bless you as you “Bless the LORD from this time forth and for evermore. Praise the LORD.”
__________
[1] The Hallel psalms are Psalm 113, 114, 115, 116, 117 and 118.
[2] Alfred Edersheim, The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah: New Updated Version, (Peabody, MA: Hendrickson Publishers, Inc., 1993), pages 829 and 842.
[3] John Joseph Owens, Analytical Key to the Old Testament, Volume 3, (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, 1991), page 464.
[4] Francis Brown, S. R. Driver & Charles A. Briggs, The New Brown-Driver-Briggs-Gesenius Hebrew And English Lexicon, (Peabody, MA: Hendrickson Publishers, 1979), page 237-238.
[5] 1 Corinthians 10.14
[6] 1 John 5.21
[7] Charles H. Spurgeon, The Treasury Of David, Volume III, (Peabody, MA: Hendrickson Publishers), page 53.
Would you like to contact Dr. Waldrip about this sermon? Please contact him by clicking on the link below. Please do not change the subject within your email message. Thank you.
Pastor@CalvaryRoadBaptist.Church