Psalm 115--To Your Name Give Glory

Psalm 115
English Standard Version

To Your Name Give Glory
115 Not to us, O LORD, not to us, but to your name give glory,
    for the sake of your steadfast love and your faithfulness!

2 Why should the nations say,
    “Where is their God?”
3 Our God is in the heavens;
    he does all that he pleases.

4 Their idols are silver and gold,
    the work of human hands.
5 They have mouths, but do not speak;
    eyes, but do not see.
6 They have ears, but do not hear;
    noses, but do not smell.
7 They have hands, but do not feel;
    feet, but do not walk;
    and they do not make a sound in their throat.
8 Those who make them become like them;
    so do all who trust 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 remembered 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 the small and the great.

14 May the LORD give you increase,
    you and your children!
15 May you be blessed by the LORD,
    who made heaven and earth!

​16 The heavens are the LORD's heavens,
    but the earth he has given to the children of man.
17 The dead do not praise the LORD,
    nor do any who go down into silence.
18 But we will bless the LORD
    from this time forth and forevermore.
Praise the LORD!

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We are to be glorifying the LORD, reflecting His glory for others to see and singing and telling of His awesome works and steadfast covenant love.  This should be the theme of our lives--from morning to evening, for all eternity.  Everything we do and everything we are unto the LORD and should bring Him glory.  Everything the LORD does is right, and He does whatever pleases Him--including redeeming a people unto Himself for His good pleasure.  (See Phillipians 2:12-13).

​The LORD is the True and Living God!  He is categorically different than the idols that the world calls "gods."  They are deaf, dumb, blind, and impotent--unable to save those that worship them. Those who worship them are fools and do so because they are in rebellion against the LORD, the Creator and His Righteous One.  The text tells us that those who worship them become like these useless idols and will have the same end as the demons that are the "power" behind those idols--eternal separation from God.  As physical death is separation of the soul from the body, so the second death or eternal death is separation of the soul from God and His dwelling place that He created for Himself and His children and citizens of His kingdom to dwell with Him.  Those who don't want to dwell with the LORD to be His subjects, servants, children and citizens will be a part of the kingdom that is defeated and cast into the Lake of Fire that was created for the devil and his angels.  This is the end of all those who put their trust and hope in idols and the demons they represent.

The psalmist calls on the people of the LORD and the priests who mediate His covenant to trust in the LORD alone (and not turn to the idols of the nations around them).  The LORD alone is their Shield and Defender, a mighty warrior who girds Himself for battle to defend His people and defeat His enemies.  He goes out to battle in front of them.  For this reason, the people of Israel "fought" their battles in an unconventional.  The priests led with the Ark of the Covenant in front, and they played their trumpets and sang praises to the LORD, leading the armies of Israel in praise as they knew the LORD Himself would be the one to fight for them and provide the victory.  All the LORD asked was that His people consecrate themselves and treat going into battle the same was as if they were going to worship Him at the altar.  It was therefore obvious to the nations that the LORD fought for them and anyone who wanted to try to do harm to His people or try to take the Land that was given to them as an eternal inheritance would have to do battle with the LORD (and that was going to be a losing battle for anyone who made the LORD their enemy).  All those who fear the LORD are to trust in Him--Jews and Gentiles alike, for He is their Shield and Defender as well.  He is their Redeemer and Savior, and the one who will keep them until the Day of the LORD and deliver them safely through it to the Promised Land of the New Heaven and the New Earth.  He has already given us the Holy Spirit and access to every spiritual blessing, and He has given us life eternal and abundant, yet we still have a glorious hope of seeing Him face to face and living in perfect communion with Him where we will fully know Him.  As He knows us, we will know Him.

The LORD will remember the House of Israel and the house of Aaron, and they will worship Him and praise His name.  Yes, God will also save a people from among the nations and make them a holy priesthood, but they will not take the place of Israel or the Aaronic priests that God has made a covenant with.  God intends for them to lead others in lives of obedience and worship, and the LORD plans to bless them greatly with many children and with every good and perfect gift that comes from His hand.  We should not be jealous of this but see how this is just another sign of His great love for those He has chosen.

All the angels and angelic creatures of heaven serve the LORD and praise Him all day, every day, but man has a choice in serving the LORD.  We are not robots programed to praise the LORD, though we were definitely made for those purpose and it is the chief and of man--to worship the LORD and enjoy Him forever.  The psalmist therefore encourages us to make the choice now to fear the LORD, obey him, and worship Him, because once we die, we are stuck with the choice we have made.  Those who die in rebellion to the LORD will only glorify the LORD with the sounds of their torment as they will be eternally tortured for their rebellion against the LORD while the people of God will worship Him for all eternity.  Choose life and choose the LORD and worship Him forever and ever.  One way or another we will bring glory to Him whether it is through His giving of good things to His children, or whether it is Him pouring out His wrath on those who were children of the devil.  Choose to serve, obey, and praise the Living God who has the power to redeem and save you from physical and spiritual enemies alike and deliver your soul from spiritual death to eternal and abundant life found only in Jesus Christ.