A DIFFERENT DYNAMIC DEITY
Opening Prayer
Thank you, Lord God, for the gift of this day and the freedom that is mine to come and study your Word, to worship you, and to serve you in it.
Read PSALM 115
For additional translations of the passage, use this link to Bible Gateway.
1 Not to us, Lord, not to us
but to your name be the glory,
because of your love and faithfulness.
2 Why do the nations say,
“Where is their God?”
3 Our God is in heaven;
he does whatever pleases him.
4 But their idols are silver and gold,
made by human hands.
5 They have mouths, but cannot speak,
eyes, but cannot see.
6 They have ears, but cannot hear,
noses, but cannot smell.
7 They have hands, but cannot feel,
feet, but cannot walk,
nor can they utter a sound with their throats.
8 Those who make them will be like them,
and so will all who trust in them.
9 All you Israelites, trust in the Lord—
he is their help and shield.
10 House of Aaron, trust in the Lord—
he is their help and shield.
11 You who fear him, trust in the Lord—
he is their help and shield.
12 The Lord remembers us and will bless us:
He will bless his people Israel,
he will bless the house of Aaron,
13 he will bless those who fear the Lord—
small and great alike.
14 May the Lord cause you to flourish,
both you and your children.
15 May you be blessed by the Lord,
the Maker of heaven and earth.
16 The highest heavens belong to the Lord,
but the earth he has given to mankind.
17 It is not the dead who praise the Lord,
those who go down to the place of silence;
18 it is we who extol the Lord,
both now and forevermore.
Praise the Lord.[a]
Footnotes
- Psalm 115:18 Hebrew Hallelu Yah
New International Version (NIV)Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Reflect
‘Love divine, all loves excelling, / joy of heaven to earth come down.’1
Psalm 115 is a hymn of praise with a difference. It praises God in the normal ways by celebrating God’s love and faithfulness (v. 1), his help and protection (vv. 9–11), and his blessing (vv. 12–15). However, in verses 2–8, the psalmist extols Israel’s God by comparing him with the idols of other nations. In a lovely self-contained satire, he mocks the idea of worshipping an inanimate object which has all the body parts of a living deity but is unable to use them. It is intended to mock the gods of the nations, who are reduced to becoming statues or figurines. This mocking is not just limited to the idols themselves but applies to all those who trust in them too.
The satire is such a poignant critique that it is repeated in Psalm 135. Highlighting the inadequacy of God’s rivals only goes to strengthen the worthiness of the living, loving Lord. We have a different, dynamic deity who is not just alive but is the author of life itself. This is why verses 9–11 of Psalm 115 exhort us three times to trust in God who brings life to us.
The final verses of the psalm (vv. 16–18) remind us that we are responsible for worship. The Creator of the heavens has given us the earth to dwell in and we have voices which can give God praise. This is in stark contrast to those who have died, who are unable to praise God in the place of silence. The psalm challenges us to worship God because he is living and worthy of praise and not just a piece of metal. We should worship him, in private and in public, in words and actions, individually and corporately.
Apply
Reflect on how you give God praise. In prayer or in song? Alone or with others? Pick one part of God’s character that you want to give thanks for today.
Closing prayer
Lord God, you deserve far above anything I can offer you each day. Help me to make my life a continual expression of praise—in all that I say and do.
1 Charles Wesley, 1747
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