Universal Praise to God

Transcription

1 1 Universal Praise to God Psalm 117:1-2

2 2 Universal Praise to God Commentary by Clyde M. Miller Text: 1. Praise the Lord, all you nations; extol him, all you peoples. 2. For great is his love toward us, and the faithfulness of the LORD endures forever. Praise the LORD Introduction: I. As Psalm 119 is the longest chapter in the Bible, so Psalm 117 is the shortest (if these psalms can rightly be called chapters). II. This brief hymn contains no thought that is not found abundantly expressed many times elsewhere in the psalms. III. This psalm must have been composed, or compiled, for some special occasion, but we have no knowledge of what that occasion was. IV. The psalm is great in the scope of its outreach. Commentary:

3 3 Psalm 117:1, Praise the Lord, all you nations; extol him, all you peoples. I. By means of synonymous parallelism, the mind is stayed on a single thought. A. God's praise should be universal. B. Nations and peoples are synonyms, as are praise and extol. Psalm 117:2, For great is his love toward us, and the faithfulness of the LORD endures forever. Praise the LORD. I. The reason all peoples should praise God is that "His love" (covenant loyalty, chesedh) and faithfulness are great and enduring. A. The phrase toward us tempts one to surmise that the psalmist thinks of these two divine qualities as equally distributed toward all men even in his day. B. However, in view of the fact that love and faithfulness are covenant terms regularly applied to God's agreement with Israel, it is not likely that the psalmist had so large a vision. C. He probably means that the nations should see the reality of Israel's God by observing what God does for Israel (Psalm 98:1-3; and Isaiah 52:1-10).

4 Psalm 98:1-3, Sing to the LORD a new song, for he has done marvelous things; his right hand and his holy arm have worked salvation for him. The LORD has made his salvation known and revealed his righteousness to the nations. He has remembered his love and his faithfulness to the house of Israel; all the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God. 2. Isaiah 52:1-10, Awake, awake, O Zion, clothe yourself with strength. Put on your garments of splendor, O Jerusalem, the holy city. The uncircumcised and defiled will not enter you again. Shake off your dust; rise up, sit enthroned, O Jerusalem. Free yourself from the chains on your neck, O captive Daughter of Zion. For this is what the LORD says: "You were sold for nothing, and without money you will be redeemed." For this is what the Sovereign LORD says: "At first my people went down to Egypt to live; lately, Assyria has oppressed them. "And now what do I have here?" declares the LORD. "For my people have been taken away for nothing, and those who rule them mock," declares the LORD. "And all day long my name is constantly blasphemed. Therefore my people will know my name; therefore in that day they will know that it is I who foretold it. Yes, it is I." How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, "Your God reigns!" Listen! Your watchmen lift up their

5 5 voices; together they shout for joy. When the LORD returns to Zion, Application: they will see it with their own eyes. Burst into songs of joy together, you ruins of Jerusalem, for the LORD has comforted his people, he has redeemed Jerusalem. The LORD will lay bare his holy arm in the sight of all the nations, and all the ends of the earth will see the salvation of our God. I. Seldom does one find such great thoughts couched in such few words. A. In Jewish society, it is especially encouraging to see an outreach embracive of the whole world. B. In our age, with New Testament teaching, we should understand more clearly the duty laid on us by the Lord to take the gospel to all the nations and to every creature among mankind (Matthew 28:18-20; and Mark. 16:15-16). 1. Matthew 28:18-20, And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen. (KJV)

6 Mark 16:15-16, And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned. (KJV) Questions Psalm 117: the, you ; him, you. For is his toward us, and the of the. 2. the. 3. is the longest chapter in the Bible while is the chapter in the Bible. 4. In what way(s) is Psalm 117 unique? 5. What is the principal theme of Psalm 117?

7 Why should all peoples praise God? 7. How were the nations to know about God s goodness? 8. What do Isaiah 52:1-10 and Psalm 98:1-3 say on the question 7 posed above? 9. In, it is especially to see an of the. 10. In this respect what is the duty of Christians?

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