Making a Differencewith Pastor Phil Erickson

Jul 9th Not Short on Truth

Today’s Reading – Psalms 115 – 118 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click here to view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)

(Second Milers also read – Matthew 17 – 18; Psalms 41 – 45; Proverbs 9)

Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Psalm 47:1

Read the “0709 Evening and Morning” devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon

“O praise the LORD, all ye nations: praise him, all ye people. For his merciful kindness is great toward us: and the truth of the LORD endureth for ever. Praise ye the LORD.” – (Psalm 117:1-2)

Did you ever notice that some of the most powerful messages in the Bible come out of passages of few words. For instance, Peter’s message at Pentecost, which was used of God to lead 3000 people to Christ, was only 25 verses long. The people at our church are hoping that I would learn to preach some of those short sermons. Anyway, Psalm 117 is the shortest chapter in all the Bible, but it is certainly not short on truth. This Psalm speaks about two very important doctrines in the Bible: God’s mercy, and God’s truth. It really says it all if you think about it. Through God’s mercy a way was made possible for us to receive the forgiveness of our sins; and it is because of His truth that we could find out about His mercy. What an awesome little passage of Scripture!

The context of this psalm is unclear, and the writer is unknown.
This is another of the “Halel Psalms” because it ends in “praise ye the Lord”. The Hebrew word for praise in these psalms is “halel” and the word for the Lord is “Yahh” – thus halel Yahh, Halellujah. There is also another word for praise here in the first verse. The first praise is “halel”, but the second praise is “shabach”, which means to boast or to commend.

I. The Candidates for Praise (v. 1)

A.  The Countries

“O praise the LORD, all ye nations:” (Psalm 117:1a)

The word, “Nations” here means the Gentiles (see Psalm 22:23 – 28).

Throughout Israel’s history, most of their neighbors have been unfriendly towards Israel and to Israel’s God. Here, however, the call is for these Gentile nations to praise the Lord. The only way for this to happen is if these nations (Gentiles) were to call upon the name of the Lord.

We know that in the Millenium, all the nations of the earth will be praising God for His kindness and His truth because they will be receivers of them.

Today, we who know God, need to get the good news to the Nations of the world. We may not be able to save entire nations, but we may be able to reach a remnant within each nation.

“ Sing and rejoice, O daughter of Zion: for, lo, I come, and I will dwell in the midst of thee, saith the LORD. And many nations shall be joined to the LORD in that day, and shall be my people: and I will dwell in the midst of thee, and thou shalt know that the LORD of hosts hath sent me unto thee.” (Zechariah 2:10-11)

“And it shall come to pass, that every one that is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall even go up from year to year to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, and to keep the feast of tabernacles. And it shall be, that whoso will not come up of all the families of the earth unto Jerusalem to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, even upon them shall be no rain. And if the family of Egypt go not up, and come not, that have no rain; there shall be the plague, wherewith the LORD will smite the heathen that come not up to keep the feast of tabernacles. This shall be the punishment of Egypt, and the punishment of all nations that come not up to keep the feast of tabernacles.” (Zechariah 14:16-19)

B. The Congregation

“praise him, all ye people.” (Psalm 117:1b)

This word has a similar meaning to the word “Nations.” It means a people, tribe, or nation. I think the reference here is to the nation of Israel.

The bottom line is that the people today who know God need to glorify God in front of the nations by boasting or bragging on Him. Someday, the world will catch up to us. Right now, too many of us are letting the world intimidate us into silence. Our praise, however, may be the very thing that God uses to bring about the salvation of the nations.

II. The Causes for Praise (v. 2)

A.  His Compassion

“For his merciful kindness is great toward us:” (Psalm 117:2a)

“How excellent is thy lovingkindness, O God! therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of thy wings.” (Psalm 36:7)

“Because thy lovingkindness is better than life, my lips shall praise thee.” (Psalm 63:3)

His greatest merciful kindness to us was dying on the Cross for our sins:

“But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared, Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour;” (Titus 3:4-6)

B. His Commandments

“and the truth of the LORD endureth for ever.” (Psalm 117:2b)

The Bible states many times that His mercy endureth for ever.

It also states that His righteousness endures for ever as well as His judgnments.

Here is Psalm 117, we learn that His truth endures forever as well:

“Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever. For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away: But the word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you.” (1 Peter 1:23-25)

“The words of the LORD are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times. Thou shalt keep them, O LORD, thou shalt preserve them from this generation for ever.” (Psalm 12:6-7)

Conclusion

“Praise ye the LORD.” (Psalm 117:2c)

“I will worship toward thy holy temple, and praise thy name for thy lovingkindness and for thy truth: for thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name.” (Psalm 138:2)

Praise the Lord. Ain’t God good.

Revised 07/09/25