Unknown
Psalm 115
Unknown
Scripture (KJV)
1Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us, but unto thy name give glory, for thy mercy, and for thy truth’s sake.
2Wherefore should the heathen say, Where is now their God?
3But our God is in the heavens: he hath done whatsoever he hath pleased.
4Their idols are silver and gold, the work of men’s hands.
5They have mouths, but they speak not: eyes have they, but they see not:
6They have ears, but they hear not: noses have they, but they smell not:
7They have hands, but they handle not: feet have they, but they walk not: neither speak they through their throat.
8They that make them are like unto them; so is every one that trusteth in them.
9O Israel, trust thou in the Lord: he is their help and their shield.
10O house of Aaron, trust in the Lord: he is their help and their shield.
11Ye that fear the Lord, trust in the Lord: he is their help and their shield.
12The Lord hath been mindful of us: he will bless us; he will bless the house of Israel; he will bless the house of Aaron.
13He will bless them that fear the Lord, both small and great.
14The Lord shall increase you more and more, you and your children.
15Ye are blessed of the Lord which made heaven and earth.
16The heaven, even the heavens, are the Lord’s: but the earth hath he given to the children of men.
17The dead praise not the Lord, neither any that go down into silence.
18But we will bless the Lord from this time forth and for evermore. Praise the Lord.
Summary
Psalm 115 is a communal hymn that refuses to take glory for itself, directing all praise to the name of the Lord for His mercy and truth. The psalmist confronts the taunt of the nations—“Where is now their God?”—with the confession that our God is in the heavens and does whatever He pleases, in stark contrast to lifeless idols of silver and gold. The satire on idols is sharp: they have mouths but do not speak, eyes but do not see, ears but do not hear, and those who make and trust them become like them—senseless and powerless.
The psalm then turns to a threefold call to trust—“O Israel,” “O house of Aaron,” “Ye that fear the Lord”—because the Lord is their help and shield. He has been mindful of us and will bless us, both small and great, increasing us and our children. The closing verses contrast the dead, who cannot praise, with the living, who will bless the Lord from this time forth and forevermore. The major themes are God’s glory, idolatry, trust, blessing, and praise. Practically, the psalm teaches that we become like what we worship, and that the fitting response to God’s blessing is lifelong praise. The great lesson is “Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us, but unto thy name give glory.”
Key Themes
A Prayer from Psalm 115
Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us, but unto Your name give glory, for Your mercy and for Your truth’s sake. When the nations ask, “Where is now their God?” let me answer that our God is in the heavens and does whatever He pleases. Deliver me from every idol of silver and gold, the work of men’s hands, that has a mouth but cannot speak or eyes but cannot see. Let me not become like the lifeless things I trust. Help me, O Israel, house of Aaron, and all who fear the Lord, to trust in You, for You are our help and shield. You have been mindful of us; bless us, both small and great. Increase us and our children, for we are blessed of the Lord who made heaven and earth. While I have breath, I will bless You from this time forth and forevermore. Praise the Lord! In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Reflection Questions
- 1Where am I tempted to seek glory for myself rather than for God’s name?
- 2What idols of our age have mouths, eyes, and ears but no life, and how do I resemble them?
- 3How does the threefold call to trust speak to my current circumstances?
- 4What does it mean to bless the Lord “from this time forth and for evermore”?
Related Psalms
Psalm 113
“Praise ye the Lord. Praise, O ye servants of the Lord, praise the name of the Lord.”
Psalm 113 is the first of the “Hallel” psalms (113-118) sung at Passover and other Jewish festivals.
Read morePsalm 114
“When Israel went out of Egypt, the house of Jacob from a people of strange language;”
Psalm 114 is a short, vivid Hallel psalm that celebrates the exodus with dramatic personification.
Read morePsalm 116
“I love the Lord, because he hath heard my voice and my supplications.”
Psalm 116 is a personal thanksgiving psalm in which the worshipper declares, “I love the Lord, because he hath heard my voice and my supplications.
Read morePsalm 135
“Praise ye the Lord. Praise ye the name of the Lord; praise him, O ye servants of the Lord.”
Psalm 135 is a call to praise that weaves together themes from Exodus, Numbers, Deuteronomy, and other psalms.
Read morePsalm 134
“Behold, bless ye the Lord, all ye servants of the Lord, which by night stand in the house of the Lord.”
Psalm 134 is the last of the Songs of Ascents and functions as a fitting doxology to the collection.
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