PSALM 117
Merciful LORD deserves praise verse 1- 2
O praise the LORD 0all you nations – praise HIM
all you people for HIS merciful kindness is great toward us
and the truth of the LORD endure forever
Praise you the LORD
COMMENTARY:
DAILY SPIRITUAL BREAKFAST: Young Believers
: 1 “Praise the LORD, all you Gentiles! Laud Him, all you peoples!”
The New King James Version (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1982), Ps 117:1. (Gentiles – 1471 גֹּוי, גֹּויִם [gowy, rarely, goy /go·ee/] n pr m. Apparently from the same root as 1465; TWOT 326e; GK 1580 and 1582; 558 occurrences; AV translates as “nation” 374 times, “heathen” 143 times, “Gentiles” 30 times, and “people” 11 times. 1 nation, people. 1A nation, people. 1A1 usually of non-Hebrew people. 1A2 of descendants of Abraham. 1A3 of Israel. 1B of swarm of locusts, other animals (fig.). 1C Goyim? = “nations”. James Strong, Enhanced Strong’s Lexicon (Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software, 2001).
DEVOTION: The unknown psalmist summoned all people to praise Yahweh. Regardless of their nationality or make up the psalmist desired for people everywhere to praise his Lord! Laud means to glorify and the call is to bring honor and praise from every people, tribe and tongue! As we seek to send missionaries out to evangelize and proclaim the Gospel message to unreached people groups may our prayer be that Revelation 5:9b might become a reality in our lifetime. “…For you were slain, And have redeemed us to God by Your blood out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation,”
CHALLENGE: Pray for our missionaries and evangelists that are actively involved with sharing Christ with unreached people. (Dr. Brian Miller – board member)
DAILY SPIRITUAL SUPPER: Mature Believers
: 2 For his merciful kindness is great toward us: and the truth of the LORD endureth forever. Praise ye the LORD. (2614 “kindness” [checed] means goodness, faithfulness, loving-kindness, kindly, or favor)
DEVOTION: This psalm is quoted in Romans 15: 11. Paul is dealing with the LORD reaching the nations of the world. All the nations of the world were going to be blessed by the descendants of Abraham. That was part of the Abrahamic covenant. In the book of Revelation, we find that there are individuals from every nation in heaven. Salvation is offered to the whole world.
In the Old Testament we find the children of Israel the chosen people of the LORD. They were to teach other nations the truth of the Word of God. They were to be witnesses to the actions of the LORD in their nation and around the world. Israel sent out missionaries to other nations. They had the message of truth.
This is the shortest chapter in the Bible. It tells us to praise the LORD. It repeats the phrase, so that, we realize that our first obligation is to praise HIM each morning and evening of our lives.
Too often we forget all the blessings the LORD gives us from the time we rise from our beds until we return to them. The reason we are blessed is because HE has mercy toward us. HE is not giving us what we do deserve. God has shown us mercy by inviting us into HIS family through Christ. Not only does HE give us mercy but HE shows loving-kindness toward us. We are in HIS favor. We receive HIS goodness each and every day of our lives because we are HIS followers.
HE has allowed us to go to heaven instead of hell. This is the truth. The Bible is God’s truth book. It informs us what is expected of us. As we mature in our knowledge of the Word of God, we can share with others the blessings the LORD has given to us.
Are we sharing the LORD’S blessings with others? Are we praising the LORD each morning and evening? How are we doing today?
CHALLENGE: Understanding all the blessing we have received from the LORD should inspire us to witness to others. How many nations are you reaching with the Word of God through your witness?
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DISCIPLINES OF THE FAITH:
BODY
Chastity (Purity in living)
Fasting (Time alone with LORD without eating or drinking)
Sacrifice (Giving up something we want to serve the LORD)
Submission (Willing to listen to others and LORD)
Solitude (Going to a quiet place without anyone)
SOUL
Fellowship (Gathering together around the Word of God)
Frugality (wise use of resources)
Journalizing (Writing down what you have learned from the LORD)
Study and Meditation (Thinking through your study in the Word)
Secrecy (Doing your good deeds without others knowing but God)
SPIRIT
Celebration (Gathering around a special occasion to worship LORD)
Confession (Tell the LORD we are sorry for our sins on a daily basis)
Prayer (Conversation with God on a personal level)
Silence (Letting the LORD deal with some problems and needs)
Worship (Time to praise the LORD alone or in a group)
Praise verse 1, 2
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DOCTRINES OF THE FAITH:
Scripture (66 inerrant books of the Bible)
God the Father (First person of the Godhead)
LORD – Jehovah (Covenant keeping, Personal) verse 1, 2
Merciful kindness verse 2
Truth of the LORD verse 2
God the Son (Second person of the Godhead –God/man, Messiah)
God the Holy Spirit (Third person of the Godhead – our comforter)
Trinity (Three persons of the Godhead who are co-equal = ONE God)
Angels (Created before the foundation of the world – Good and Evil)
Man (Created on the sixth twenty-four hour period of creation)
Nations verse 1
People verse 1
Sin (Missing the mark set by God on man and angels)
Salvation (Provided by Christ’s death on the cross for our sins)
Praise verse 1- 2
Mercy verse 2
Kindness verse 2
Truth verse 2
Israel (Old Testament people of God)
Merciful kindness is great toward us verse 2
Church (New Testament people of God)
Last Things (Future Events)
Truth endures forever verse 2
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DONATIONS:
Remember that all donations to Small Church Ministries are greatly appreciated. The treasurer will send a receipt, at the end of the year unless otherwise requested. Please be sure to make check out to “Small Church Ministries.” The address for the treasurer is P.O. Box 604, East Amherst, New York 14051. A second way to give to the ministry is through PayPal on the website: www.smallchurchministries.org. Also, if you can support this ministry through your local church, please use that method. Thank you.
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QUOTES regarding passage
Psalm 117 is the fifth of the Egyptian Hallel psalms (113–118; see introduction to Ps 113). It is the shortest psalm, consisting of only two verses. Its genre resembles that of the hymns of descriptive praise. The motif of the praise concerns the love of God, and its cosmic applicability makes this psalm a little jewel. The apostle’s quotation of v. 1 (Rom 15:11) reveals that the love and plan of God has always included Gentiles, as promised to the patriarchs (Gen 12:3; Gal 3:8). (VanGemeren, W. A. (1991). Psalms. In F. E. Gaebelein (Ed.), The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs (Vol. 5, p. 729). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House.)
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Psalm 117 is an invitation to people everywhere to praise the Lord for His loyal love and faithfulness. (Ross, A. P. (1985). Psalms. In J. F. Walvoord & R. B. Zuck (Eds.), The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (Vol. 1, p. 877). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.)
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An anonymous writer composed the shortest psalm and in three brief sentences encompassed the whole world. The psalm is an invitation to people everywhere to turn to the Lord and join with believers everywhere in praising Him. A proper understanding of this psalm will help us appreciate at least four privileges that belong to God’s people.
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Yes, God’s people are saved by faith and live by faith, but our faith would mean nothing were it not for His faithfulness that “endures forever.” The word translated “truth” or “faithfulness” means in Hebrew “to be firm, to be unshakable.” God’s character cannot change and His promises will not change, so why are we fretting about the feelings within us and the circumstances around us? Why do we hesitate to obey Him when He abounds in faithfulness (Ex. 34:6)? If God calls us to do something, He is faithful to help us do it (1 Thess. 5:24). To rely on our faith is to put faith in faith, but to rely on God’s faithfulness is to put faith in the Lord. Our assurance is in the Word of God and the God of the Word.
(Wiersbe, W. W. (2004). Be exultant (1st ed., pp. 94–95). Colorado Springs, CO: Cook Communications Ministries.)
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117:1, 2 See note on Ps 113:1–9. The seal of redemptive truth is bound up in this diminutive but seminal psalm—its profundity far outdistances its size. This pivotal psalm exhibits 3 distinguishing features: 1) it is the shortest psalm; 2) it is the shortest chapter in the Bible; and 3) it is the middle chapter of the Bible. That God looked redemptively beyond the borders of Israel in the OT is made clear here. The psalm looks back to God’s intent for Adam and Eve in Eden (Ge 1, 2) and looks ahead to the ultimate fulfillment in the new heavens and earth (Rev 21, 22).
I. A Global Invitation (117:1)
II. A Grand Explanation (117:2)
117:1 nations … peoples! Paul quoted this verse in Ro 15:11 to make the point that from the very beginning of time God has pursued a worldwide redemptive purpose (cf. Ro 15:7–13). Other passages quoted by Paul in Ro 15 to make this point include: Dt 32:43, 2Sa 22:50, and Is 11:10. While not as obvious in the OT, the NT makes this point unmistakably clear (cf. Ac. 10:34, 35; Ro 1:16; 1Co 12:13; Gal 3:1–29, esp. 28; Col 3:11).
117:2 The reasons for such exalted praise as that commanded in v. 1 are: 1) because of God’s redemptive kindness, and 2) because of God’s eternal truth. Therefore, what God has promised, He will provide (cf. Jn 6:37–40). (MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (2006). The MacArthur study Bible: New American Standard Bible. (Ps 117:1–2). Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers.)
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FROM MY READING:
(Remember the only author that I totally agree with is the HOLY SPIRIT in the inerrant WORD OF GOD called THE BIBLE! All other I try to gleam what I can to help me grow in the LORD!!)
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Today’s Scripture
Genesis 48-50
We often are excited about the opportunities of life, yet we can be fearful and apprehensive about the end. Looking forward to heaven and the future is truly a blessing that God has given His people. We should anticipate the life to come and not allow difficulties to diminish the reality of eternity!
Jacob was approaching the end of his life while living in Egypt. As he did, he had an opportunity to leave a legacy and bestow a blessing upon several important individuals. Joseph’s sons, Manasseh and Ephraim, were brought first by Joseph to his father’s bedside. By Jacob consecrating his sons, Joseph was given an additional blessing above his brothers.
After the blessing of the sons of Joseph, Jacob called for his own sons to come and be blessed as well! Jacob prayed for each son and prophesied what God would do with their descendants. He then spoke and instructed his sons where and how to bury him. God gave Jacob the strength and clarity of mind necessary to accomplish these final words before his departure.
In all, there are two physical deaths and one emotional death in these chapters. Jacob and Joseph both die at the end of Genesis. This is perhaps fitting to symbolize Jacob’s deep love for Joseph throughout his life. The emotional death is shown between Joseph and his brothers as they finally bury the uncertainty and guilt that had plagued their relationships throughout their adult lives.
As Joseph was able to remove the relational block between himself and his brothers before death, may we also strive to not have discord with family or friends. Paul stated, “Let each one of you speak truth with his neighbor, for we are members of one another. Be angry and do not sin: do not let the sun go down on your wrath, nor give place to the devil” (Ephesians 4:25-27). Keep short accounts of wrong done and long records of forgiveness.
With an Expectant Hope (Pastor Miller)
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THE HOLY SPIRIT GLORIFIES THE SON
He shall glorify me. John 16:14
After the Lord Jesus Christ went back to heaven, He sent upon the church the Holy Spirit, and the business and work of the Holy Spirit is to glorify the Son. Now this is a marvelous statement. We do not see the Holy Spirit—He is invisible, and in a sense that is because His work is to glorify the Son. Indeed, we read about the Holy Spirit in John 16:14 the same thing that we read elsewhere about the Son. Our Lord says that the Holy Spirit does not speak of Himself, but “He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall show it unto you.” We are told precisely the same thing about the Son in relation to the Father. Therefore, the great controlling thought we must hold in our minds is that the chief work of the Holy Spirit is to glorify the Lord Jesus Christ.
In a sense the final glorification of the Lord Jesus Christ was the coming of the Holy Spirit. We are told in John’s Gospel that the Holy Spirit was not yet come because Jesus was not yet glorified. We see this in the great promise our Lord made one day in the Temple when He said, “If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water” (John 7:37-38). And John expounds on that: “But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.” So the Holy Spirit could not be given until Christ had finished the work the Father had given Him to do, until He had died and risen again, until He had ascended and taken His seat at the right hand of God. God then said, in effect, “I give You the promise; You send it upon the people.”
A Thought to Ponder
The chief work of the Holy Spirit is to glorify the Lord Jesus Christ.
(From Saved in Eternity, pp. 86-87, Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones).
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Abel’s Timely Testimony
“By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts: and by it he being dead yet speaketh.” (Hebrews 11:4)
Abel, Adam’s second son, was a faithful, God-honoring man, but he was murdered by his older brother, Cain. From Genesis 4 we know that Cain’s bloodless sacrifice was not accepted by God, while Abel’s animal sacrifice was accepted. Cain’s pride, anger, and rejection of God’s offer of restoration resulted in the murder of obedient Abel. Our text tells us that Abel “being dead yet speaketh.” What does he say? To whom does he speak?
First of all, he spoke to God. “The voice of thy brother’s [Abel’s] blood crieth unto me from the ground” (Genesis 4:10). Many have followed Abel in martyrdom, and they all cry, “How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth?” (Revelation 6:10).
Secondly, he spoke to Cain. “And now art thou cursed from the earth, which hath opened her mouth to receive thy brother’s blood from thy hand” (Genesis 4:11). Cain was banished by God: “a fugitive and a vagabond shalt thou be in the earth” (v. 12), and every spot of ground on which he placed his foot from then on would be crying out to him, indicting him of his sin.
Thirdly, Abel speaks to us. His witness reminds us that men must come to God in obedient faith, for Abel obeyed God’s instructions regarding sacrifice (4:3-4). He offered the sacrifice in faith that God would deem him “righteous” (today’s text). The acceptance of the blood sacrifice and the rewards of his brother’s disobedience speak eloquently of the “wages of sin.” May God give us ears to hear Abel’s timely testimony.
(JDM, The Institute for Creation Research)
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Faith is active confidence in God. ….. This is our definition of faith: Faith is believing the Word of God and acting upon it, no matter how I feel, because God promises a good result. (p. 160)
Rebellion against proper authority reveals a deeper rejection of God’s authority, which brings devastating consequences to our lives. (p. 177)
All of us have areas in our lives where we have chosen not to do what we know to be right. (p. 177)
While these rebels were right in saying that they were equal with Moses on one level, they were wrong in what they meant. They confused equality with sameness. They assumed that equality as children of Israel made them the same as Moses in every way. But equality does not equate to sameness. (p. 183)
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The Gift of Labor
“And the LORD God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it.” (Genesis 2:15)
When God first created man, He gave him work to do. Although “the LORD God planted a garden” for man (Genesis 2:8), it was up to man to take care of it if he would continue to eat its fruits. Thus, having to labor for one’s living is not a divine punishment for man’s sin as people sometimes interpret it, but rather a divine benefit for man’s good.
Similarly, even in the new earth, when sin and suffering will be gone forever, there will still be work to do. “There shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him” (Revelation 22:3).
We don’t know yet what our assignments will be there, but they will somehow be commensurate with our faithfulness in serving the Lordhere. “My reward is with me,” says the Lord Jesus, “to give every man according as his work shall be” (Revelation 22:12).
It is, therefore, a God-given privilege to be able to do useful work, whether that work consists of preaching God’s Word or improving God’s world. “Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do” (whether being paid for it or not), “do it with thy might; for there is no work . . . in the grave, whither thou goest” (Ecclesiastes 9:10). As Jesus said, “The night cometh, when no man can work” (John 9:4).
No matter what the job may be that has been provided for us to do, it is important to remember and obey the admonition: “And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men; Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ” (Colossians 3:23-24) and “your labor is not in vain in the Lord” (1 Corinthians 15:58). (HMM, The Institute for Creation Research)
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Stephen is arrested for preaching the Gospel.
INSIGHT
The New Testament was written in times that, in many ways, seem barbaric to us. That respectable people would clamor for a crucifixion or incite a mob to riot or pick up stones and kill another man is difficult for us to imagine. Yet culture was different then. Today we do not kill a person to get rid of an unwanted message. Instead, we use other tactics. We can kill the message by making it look foolish or by discrediting the messenger. We even attack God Himself, declaring that He is dead or that He has no relevance to our era. But unless we accept the message of salvation that Stephen preached, we are as guilty before God as the ones who threw the stones. (Quiet Walk)
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OLD TESTAMENT PROPHECIES FULFILLED
For all the promises of God in him are yea, and in him Amen, unto the glory of God by us. 2 Corinthians 1:20
What does the Old Testament tell about Christ as it focuses attention upon Him and compels us to consider Him? First, it says that He is the fulfillment of all the Old Testament prophecies and promises. The great central statement of that is in 2 Corinthians 1:20: “For all the promises of God in him are yea, and in him Amen, unto the glory of God by us.” They come to a focus, to a point, in Him.
He is the fulfillment of the promise that was given in the Garden of Eden when God said that the seed of the woman would bruise the serpent’s head (Genesis 3:15). There is also the promise given to Abraham in Genesis 17 about the seed. Paul refers to this in Galatians 3:16: “He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ.”
Take, for instance, the promise given in Genesis 49:10: “The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto him shall the gathering of the people be.” That is a tremendous promise and a most vital statement, and it was literally fulfilled in the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. It is a fact of history that the scepter and lawgiver did remain with Judah until A.D. 70, and since then, with the destruction of Jerusalem and the casting out of the Jewish nation among the
nations, that has no longer been the case. The scepter and the lawgiver remained there until Christ came, and then it departed, in that external sense. And likewise the statement “and unto him shall the gathering of the people be” obviously has been fulfilled and only fulfilled in the Lord Jesus Christ.
A Thought to Ponder: Christ is the fulfillment of all the Old Testament prophecies and promises. (From God the Father, God the Son, p. 248, by Martyn Lloyd-Jones)
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