Psalm 115: Praise Yahweh

Psalm 115 is found in book 5 of the Psalms. We have no annotation as to who wrote it, but Psalm 115 finds itself in a a string of Hallel Psalms, a string of Psalms that is devoted to the praise of Yahweh. The first part of Psalm 115 we'll see is devoted to idolatry because the Psalmist recognizes that idolatry is a hindrance to the worship of our Almighty God. So if you're taking notes this evening, the first heading will be the worthlessness of idolatry and we will cover verses 1 through 8 in this section. Verse 1 of Psalm 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." Why should the nation say, "Where is their God?" Our God is in the heavens. He does all that he pleases. Their idols are silver and gold, the work of human hands. They have mouths but do not speak, eyes but do not see, they have ears but do not hear, noses but do not smell, they have hands but do not feel feet but do not walk and they do not make a sound in their throat. Those who make them become like them so do all who trust in them. So verse 2 we see it's the nations that are coming against the people of God and are taunting them, asking the question, "Where is their God?" Psalm 2 and other places in the Psalms describe the nations as those who set themselves against God and has anointed.

Psalm 2 says that the nations rage and they plot in vain. They raise their fists at God and will not submit to him. Yet we know that any such rage against the Lord is futile. As Psalm 2 goes on to say that the Lord laughs and holds them in derision. They will not win the day and their taunts will fall short. Yet why would the psalmist include this taunt in the midst of a praise psalm? Well one commentator notes that the psalmist raises the question shows that the nations see a disparity between who the people of God claim God is and the circumstances that they are finding themselves in. If God is the God who is supposed to bless you, you don't look that blessed. This kind of question is all too familiar to us from those who do not know Christ. It is meant to provoke shame and is meant to push us towards idolatry. Since Genesis 3, the temptation to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, every provoking to idolatry is similar. Did God really say, is God really who he told you that he is?

No, no, no. Go this way because God knows if you do this your way you will be like him knowing good and evil. Every provoking to idolatry is the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life, the temptation to be like God.

You declare what is right, you declare what is wrong. It is to say to yourself, I am and there is no one besides me. Such idolatry is an affront to God and the psalmist gives reason why this is so. Our God, verse 3, is in the heavens. He is the infinite, eternal, unchanging God. Every erected idol is the work of human hands.

The psalmist uses the language from verses 5 to 7 to describe how they have morphed these idols in such a way where they are trying to be God creating an idol in their own image. They are wanting to give life to something that is dead.

In a sense they are saying speak to me, notice me, listen to me, embrace me. I don't want the true God because when he speaks I run and hide. When he notices me he exposes me therefore I don't want to listen to him or to embrace me. He goes on in verse 8 to say that idolatry has actually become like the very things like they worship. Those who make them become like them. One commentator notes the makers and worshippers of idols renounce their reason and understanding and willingly become as stupid and soulless as the very objects of their worship. I work down in Little Rock and I can't tell you the amount of people that I have seen strung out on meth and it's like their soul is gone. They can't reason, they can't walk straight and by devoting themselves to a drug that they think will deliver actually only brings them closer to death and in most cases actually starting to be a walking dead person. They look like zombies. Now in describing the idols as having mouths but do not speak and eyes but do not see this is very similar language to what Jesus how Jesus described the Pharisees and that's the very reason that he spoke to them in parables. He says I speak to them in parables in Matthew 13 because seeing they do not see and hearing they do not hear nor do they understand but of his disciples he says but blessed are your eyes for they see in your ears they hear. So the question that's raised from the nations unto the people of God is an important question that you need to ask yourself this evening. Where is your God? Who or what are you trusting in? Search for security, significance, satisfaction and the solution to your sin problem. Who or what is the God that you were trusting in? Church family we serve a God who sent his son into the world to save spiritually dead sinners. Colossians 1 says that he has delivered us from the domain of darkness and has transferred us into the kingdom of his beloved son. 1 Thessalonians 1-9 we have turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God and are waiting for his son from heaven whom he raised from the dead Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come. Brothers and sisters we are commanded to flee from idolatry. Jeremiah 2 God says that his people had committed two evils they had forsaken him the fountain of living waters and they had hewn for themselves cisterns broken cisterns that cannot hold water. We must abandon all idolatry. We must rid ourselves of putting our trust in things God created rather than God himself who is forever praised. Abandon the broken cisterns of money, sex, power, the praise of man, the idea of a perfect husband, the idea of a perfect wife, the idea of a perfect child, the possessions that your neighbors have that you don't, perhaps even your own comfort. Abandon and flee from the very things that Christ died to set you free from. Idolatry is worthless but our God is worthy of worship and that's our second point. Our God is worthy of worship. We trust in Yahweh. This is the main focus of Psalm 115 our covenant keeping God. You will see that the name God's personal name that he's given to us Yahweh is used 13 times here in this chapter. First he is worthy of our worship for the sake of his steadfast love and faithfulness as we saw in verse 1. He is Yahweh our God who brought us out of the land of Egypt and out of the house of slavery. He passed before Moses and proclaimed himself Yahweh, Yahweh a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness. Secondly he is also worthy of our worship because he is our only help and our shield. Look at verses 9 through 11. O Israel trust in the Lord, trust in Yahweh, he is their help and their shield. O house of Aaron, trust in Yahweh, he is their help and their shield. You who feel the Lord, trust in the Lord, he is their help and their shield. There is no refuge apart from God, there is only refuge in God. Second Samuel 22 verse 31. This God his way is perfect. The word of Yahweh proves true.

2 Samuel 22:31

He is a shield for all those who take refuge in him. Third he is worthy of our worship because he has remembered us. The beginning part of verse 12. The Lord has remembered us. The Lord has not forgotten you. Christian do you feel as though our covenant keeping God has forgotten you? In Psalm 42 the writer asks God why have you forgotten me? Why do I go mourning because of the oppression of the enemy? As a deadly wound in my bones my adversaries taunt me while they say to me all day long where is your God? Do not feel as though that you are the only one that's ever wondered where God is in the midst of your trial. Christian if you were in Christ this morning the only thing the Lord has forgotten is your sins. With confidence we can draw near to the throne of grace to receive mercy and grace and find grace to help in time of need. Our God is in the heavens as he says in verse 3. Yet he is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit. And fourth he is worthy of our worship because he bestows unmerited favor and blessing on us giving us what we don't deserve. Let's read from verse 12 to the end. The Lord has remembered us and count how many times you see that word bless. He will bless us. He will bless the house of Israel. He will bless the house of Aaron. He will bless those who fear Yahweh both the small and the great. May the Lord give you increase you and your children. May you be blessed by the Lord who made heaven and earth. The heavens and Lord's heavens but the earth he has given to the children of man. The dead do not praise the Lord nor any who go down in silence but we will bless the Lord from this time forth and forevermore. Praise the Lord. He will bless us. We can take him at his word. Vain idolatry only brings ruin but in Christ we are blessed with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places. Every Christian is a beneficiary of his grace from the most well-known Christian to the one who is least known. In verse 16 where he says the heavens of Lord heavens of the Lord's heavens but the earth he has given to the children of man. James Hamilton in his commentary notes that responsibility over creation was not given to man as a playground for idolatry but as a realm in which God's authority character and presence were all to be embodied by the image of the Living God. In verse 17 the dead don't praise the Lord nor nor do those who go down in silence. If you look back at verse 2 this is exactly what the nations aren't doing. They do not praise God even into the grave. They live a life completely devoted to running from God and creating a God in their own image but not us. We will bless our covenant keeping God from this time forth and forevermore.

My friends this evening if you take nothing else away idolatry is worthless.

Flee from idolatry abandon broken sisters that hold no water and come to Christ the fountain of living water. In Yahweh our covenant keeping God who loves us and will never let us go nor will let any body or anything snatch us out of his hand. He is worthy of our worship. Let us pray.

Search us O God and know our hearts. Try us know our thoughts. See if there be any grievous way in us and lead us in the way everlasting. Father you have saved us.

We know that the cross of Christ is foolishness to those who are perishing but to us who are being saved as the power of God. Not only have we been saved and that you that we are being saved we have even the promise that even our very glorification is promised. How can we not abandon everything and worship you rightly. God will you search our hearts and help us to know why it is that we trust in the things that we trust in. Help us to get rid of the sin that so easily entangle so that we can run our race our race well. We ask all this in your son Jesus name. Amen.

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