Psalm
117; antiphon, Psalm 96:6a; 115:18—Psalm 117, the shortest of
the psalms, comprising only two verses, is paired with an antiphon that
announces, Splendor and majesty are before him; we will bless the Lord from this
time forth and forevermore. Praise the Lord. The splendor and majesty of the
Lord are shown chiefly in His steadfast love toward us and in His faithfulness,
which endures forever.
Psalm 117 –
Calling all peoples to praise the LORD
Martin Luther devoted thirty-six pages to this psalm,
expounding it in four important categories: (1) prophecy (the Gentiles will
participate in gospel blessings), (2) revelation (the kingdom of Christ is not
earthly and temporal but rather heavenly and eternal), (3) instruction (we are
saved by faith alone and not by works, wisdom, or holiness), and (4) admonition
(we should praise God for such a great salvation).”
A. The call
to praise.
Gentiles called to praise the LORD.
Laud Him, all you peoples!
a. Praise the LORD: Previous psalms called on Israel to give praise to Yahweh, but here all the Gentiles are called to praise Him. This showed a largeness of heart that God intended Israel to have from the beginning, pointing to the truth that in Abraham all the peoples of the world were to be blessed (Genesis 12:3).
Since this is one of the six Egyptian Hallel Psalms (113-118), sung as part of the Passover service, Jesus would have sung Psalm 117 with His disciples (Matthew 26:30, Mark 14:26). Therefore, on the eve of His crucifixion, we know that Jesus had all the peoples, all the Gentiles in mind. Through His work on the cross and victory over death at the empty tomb, God would call a people to Himself from every tribe and tongue.
b.
Laud Him, all you
peoples: To laud is to say praiseworthy things about a person. The psalmist
called upon all peoples to praise God intelligently, and he provided reasons
why He is worthy of worship.
B. The
reasons for praise.
Praising God for His mercy and truth.
And the truth of the LORD endures forever.
Praise the LORD!
a. For His
merciful kindness is great: In thinking of reasons to praise God, the
psalmist first lists, because of His great hesed (merciful kindness). The
Hebrew actually has His hesed is great, with the idea of God’s loyal, covenant
love repeated twice for emphasis.
b. Great toward
us: This is further reason for praise; not only does God have great loving-kindness,
but that merciful kindness is toward us. By us the psalmist has in mind Israel
and the all peoples as mentioned in the previous verse.[2]
The Cross
of Christ is the Way into the Kingdom of God
With the cross of Christ, the time has come “to
gather all nations and tongues” (Isaiah 66:18). The sign of the cross is
set forth in the preaching of the Gospel, the declaration of the Lord’s glory “among
the nations” (Isaiah 66:19). Many “will come from east and west, and
from north and south, and will recline at the table in the kingdom of God”
(Luke 13:29), but only by the narrow way of the cross. Those who refuse to
follow Christ crucified will ultimately find only “weeping and gnashing of
teeth” (Luke 13:28), whereas Christ’s disciples, called from all the
nations, will eat and drink with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of
God. They will come into “the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem”
(Hebrews 12:22).
Collect for Psalm 117: Lord God, you have revealed your kindness to all people. Gather all nations into your Church, that in all the various tongues of this world one hymn of praise may be offered to you; through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. [3]
Collect for
Monday of the week of Pentecost 10: God our Father, gifts without measure flow
from your goodness to bring us your peace. Our life is your gifts. Guide our
life’s journey, for only your love makes us whole. Keep us strong in your love.
We ask this through Christ our Lord, Amen [4]
-15 August, 2022
[3] Collect for Psalm 117, For All the Saints, A Prayer Book For and By the Church, Vol. II © 1995 The American Lutheran Publicity Bureau, Delhi, NY
[4] ibid
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