Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us, But to Your name give glory, Because of Your mercy, Because of Your truth. Psalm 115:1
Because of Your Mercy, Because of Your Truth
Psalm 115, a community psalm of praise, focuses on the glory of the Lord in the salvation of His people. The psalmist ridicules Israel’s trust in idols and calls passionately for return to faith in the Lord. Recommitment to God will surely bring blessing.
115:1, 2 Not unto us: People have a natural tendency to divert to themselves glory that belongs to God. This psalm redirects the glory to its proper focus, the Lord Himself. The Gentiles, who do not know God, are prone to insult believers in times of testing when God’s activity is not apparent.
1 Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us, But to Your name give glory, Because of Your mercy, Because of Your truth. 2 Why should the heathen say, “So where is their God?”
115:3, 4 Like the prophets (Is. 40; Jer. 10), the psalms are derisive toward the idols of the nations. The psalmist denies any reality to the false gods created by the people. In contrast to these “gods” that have to be carried about, propped up, and coddled, Israel exalted the God who is in heaven and who does whatever He pleases. He is the only God who can demand our worship.
3 But our God is in heaven; He does whatever He pleases. 4 Their idols are silver and gold, The work of men’s hands.
115:9-11 On the basis of the confession of the reality of God, the psalm commences a litany that encourages trust in God alone.
9 O Israel, trust 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 You who fear the Lord, trust in the Lord; He is their help and their shield.
115:12-15 A second litany focuses on God’s blessing. Not only is He the only God who is trustworthy, He also desires to bless all those who trust in Him.
12 The Lord has 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 those who fear the Lord, Both small and great. 14 May the Lord give you increase more and more, You and your children. 15 May you be blessed by the Lord, Who made heaven and earth.
115:16, 17 The plural heavens may refer to the dwelling place of God (2 Cor. 12:2). The dead: As in 6:5, this is not a theology of death, but of praise. It is the work of the living to praise God. When anyone dies, that voice is lost from the living choir. Praise the Lord: Many of the Passover psalms (Ps. 115-117) conclude with word hallelujah, the Hebrew for “praise the Lord.”
16 The heaven, even the heavens, are the Lord’s; But the earth He has given to the children of men. 17 The dead do not praise the Lord, Nor any who go down into silence. 18 But we will bless the Lord From this time forth and forevermore. Praise the Lord!
** Our default mode is to worship the things that are not God. So, we should pay attention to what we are bowing down to. This psalm warns us that if we worship an idol, we will become like it, a lifeless object. Christian faith is not a blind faith regardless of what people say. We are the ones who are awake and conscious. Our eyes are wide open with surprise and awe when we get to know God.
115 1 Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us, But to Your name give glory, Because of Your mercy, Because of Your truth. 2 Why should the heathen say, “So where is their God?” 3 But our God is in heaven; He does whatever He pleases. 4 Their idols are silver and gold, The work of men’s hands. 5 They have mouths, but they do not speak; Eyes they have, but they do not see; 6 They have ears, but they do not hear; Noses they have, but they do not smell; 7 They have hands, but they do not handle; Feet they have, but they do not walk; Nor do they mutter through their throat. 8 Those who make them are like them; So is everyone who trusts in them. 9 O Israel, trust 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 You who fear the Lord, trust in the Lord; He is their help and their shield. 12 The Lord has 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 those who fear the Lord, Both small and great. 14 May the Lord give you increase more and more, You and your children. 15 May you be blessed by the Lord, Who made heaven and earth. 16 The heaven, even the heavens, are the Lord’s; But the earth He has given to the children of men. 17 The dead do not praise the Lord, Nor any who go down into silence. 18 But we will bless the Lord From this time forth and forevermore. Praise the Lord!