Psalm 115:
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Introduction 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 100 101 102 103 104 105 106 107 108 109 110 111 112 113 114 115 116 117 118 119 120 121 122 123 124 125 126 127 128 129 130 131 132 133 134 135 136 137 138 139 140 141 142 143 144 145 146 147 148 149 150 Job Proverbs
Psalm 115
Complete Concise
Many ancient translations join this psalm to that which goes
next before it, the Septuagint particularly, and the vulgar Latin; but it is, in
the Hebrew, a distinct psalm. In it we are taught to give glory, I. To God, and
not to ourselves (v. 1). II. To God, and not to idols (v. 2-8). We must give
glory to God, 1. By trusting in him, and in his promise and blessing (v. 9-15).
2. By blessing him (v. 16-18). Some think this psalm was penned upon occasion
of some great distress and trouble that the church of God was in, when the
enemies were in insolent and threatening, in which case the church does not so
much pour out her complaint to God as place her confidence in God, and triumph
in doing so; and with such a holy triumph we ought to sing this psalm.
Verses 1-8
Sufficient care is here taken to answer both the pretensions of
self and the reproaches of idolaters.
I. Boasting is here for ever excluded, v. 1. Let no opinion of
our own merits have any room either in our prayers or in our praises, but let
both centre in God's glory. 1. Have we received any mercy, gone through any
service, or gained any success? We must not assume the glory of it to ourselves,
but ascribe it wholly to God. We must not imagine that we do any thing for God
by our own strength, or deserve any thing from God by our own righteousness; but
all the good we do is done by the power of his grace, and all the good we have
is the gift of his mere mercy, and therefore he must have all the praise. Say
not,
The power of my hand has gotten me this wealth, Deu. 8:17. Say not,
For
my righteousness the Lord has done these great and kind things for me, Deu.
9:4. No; all our songs must be sung to this humble tune,
Not unto us, O Lord!
and again,
Not unto us, but to thy name, let all the glory be given; for
whatever good is wrought in us, or wrought for us, it is for his mercy and his
truth's sake, because he will glorify his mercy and fulfil his promise. All
our crowns must be cast at the feet of
him that sits upon the throne, for
that is the proper place for them. 2. Are we in pursuit of any mercy and
wrestling with God for it? We must take our encouragement, in prayer, from God
only, and have an eye to his glory more than to our own benefit in it.
"Lord, do so and so for us, not that we may have the credit and comfort of
it, but that thy mercy and truth may have the glory of it." This must be
our highest and ultimate end in our prayers, and therefore it is made the first
petition in the Lord's prayer, as that which guides all the rest,
Hallowed
be thy name; and, in order to that,
Give us our daily bread, etc.
This also must satisfy us, if our prayers be not answered in the letter of them.
Whatever becomes of us,
unto thy name give glory. See Jn. 12:27, 28.
II. The reproach of the heathen is here for ever silenced and
justly retorted.
1. The psalmist complains of the reproach of the heathen (v. 2):
Wherefore should they say, Where is now their God? (1.) "Why do they
say so? Do they not know that our God is every where by his providence, and
always nigh to us by his promise and grace?" (2.) "Why does God permit
them to say so? Nay, why is Israel brought so low that they have some colour for
saying so? Lord, appear for our relief, that thou mayest vindicate thyself, and
glorify thy own name."
2. He gives a direct answer to their question, v. 3. "Do
they ask where is our God? We can tell where he is." (1.) "In the
upper world is the presence of his glory:
Our God is in the heavens,
where the gods of the heathen never were,
in the heavens, and therefore
out of sight; but, though his majesty be unapproachable, it does not therefore
follow that his being is questionable." (2.) "In the lower world are
the products of his power:
He has done whatsoever he pleased, according
to the counsel of his will; he has a sovereign dominion and a universal
uncontrollable influence. Do you ask where he is? He is at the beginning and end
of every thing,
and not far from any of us."
3. He returns their question upon themselves. They asked, Where
is the God of Israel? because he is not seen. He does in effect ask, What are
the gods of the heathen? because they are seen. (1.) He shows that their gods,
though they are not shapeless things, are senseless things. Idolaters, at first,
worshipped the sun and moon (Job 31:26), which was bad enough, but not so bad as
that which they were now come to (for evil men grow worse and worse), which was
the worshipping of images, v. 4. The matter of them was
silver and gold,
dug out of the earth (
man found them poor and dirty in a mine, Herbert),
proper things to make money of, but not to make gods of. The make of them was
from the artificer; they are creatures of men's vain imaginations and
the
works of men's hands, and therefore can have no divinity in them. If man
is the work of God's hands (as certainly he is, and it was his honour that he
was made
in the image of God) it is absurd to think that that can be God
which is the work of men's hands, or that it can be any other than a dishonour
to God to make him in the image of man. The argument is irrefragable:
The
workmen made it, therefore it is not God, Hos. 8:6. These idols are
represented here as the most ridiculous things, a mere jest, that would seem to
be something, but were really nothing, fitter for a toy shop than a temple, for
children to play with than for men to pray to. The painter, the carver, the
statuary, did their part well enough; they made them with
mouths and
eyes,
ears and
noses, hands and
feet, but they could put no life
into them and therefore no sense. They had better have worshipped a dead carcase
(for that had life in it once) than a dead image, which neither has life nor can
have.
They speak not, in answer to those that consult them; the crafty
priest must speak for them. In Baal's image there was
no voice, neither any
that answered. They see not the prostrations of their worshippers before
them, much less their burdens and wants.
They hear not their prayers,
though ever so loud;
they smell not their incense, though ever so strong,
ever so sweet;
they handle not the gifts presented to them, much less
have they any gifts to bestow on their worshippers; they cannot
stretch forth
their hands to the needy. They walk not, they cannot stir a step for the
relief of those that apply to them. Nay, they do not so much as
breathe
through their throat; they have not the least sign of symptom of life, but
are as dead, after the priest has pretended to consecrate them and call a deity
into them, as they were before. (2.) He thence infers the sottishness of their
worshippers (v. 8):
Those that make them images show their ingenuity, and
doubtless are sensible men; but
those that make them gods show their
stupidity and folly, and
are like unto them, as senseless blockish
things;
they see not the invisible things of the true and living God in
the works of creation;
they hear not the voice of the day and the night,
which in every speech and language declare his glory, Ps. 19:2, 3. By
worshipping these foolish puppets, they make themselves more and more foolish
like them, and set themselves at a greater distance from every thing that is
spiritual, sinking themselves deeper into the mire of sense; and withal they
provoke God to
give them up to a reprobate mind, a mind void of judgment,
Rom. 1:28. Those
that trust in them act very absurdly and very
unreasonably, are senseless, helpless, useless, like them; and they will find it
so themselves, to their own confusion. We shall know where our God is, and so
shall they, to their cost, when their gods are gone, Jer. 10:3-11; Isa. 44:9,
etc.
Verses 9-18
In these verses,
I. We are earnestly exhorted, all of us, to repose our
confidence in God, and not suffer our confidence in him to be shaken by the
heathens' insulting over us upon the account of our present distresses. It is
folly to trust in dead images, but it is wisdom to trust in the living God, for
he is a
help and a shield to those that do
trust in them, a help
to furnish them with and forward them in that which is good, and a shield to
fortify them against and protect them from every thing that is evil. Therefore,
1. Let Israel trust in the Lord; the body of the people, as to their public
interests, and every particular Israelite, as to his own private concerns, let
them leave it to God to dispose of all for them, and believe it will dispose of
all for the best and will be
their help and shield. 2. Let the priests,
the Lord's ministers, and all the families of the
house of Aaron, trust in
the Lord, (v. 10); they are most maligned and struck at by the enemies and
therefore of them God takes particular care. They ought to be examples to others
of a cheerful confidence in God, and a faithful adherence to him in the worst of
times. 3. Let the proselytes, who are not of the seed of Israel, but
fear the
Lord, who worship him and make conscience of their duty to him, let them
trust
in him, for he will not fail nor forsake them, v. 11. Note, Wherever there
is an awful fear of God, there may be a cheerful faith in him: those that
reverence his word may rely upon it.
II. We are greatly encouraged to trust in God, and good reason
is given us why we should stay ourselves upon him with an entire satisfaction.
Consider, 1. What we have experienced (v. 12):
The Lord has been mindful of
us, and never unmindful, has been so constantly, has been so remarkably upon
special occasions. He has been mindful of our case, our wants and burdens,
mindful of our prayers to him, his promises to us, and the covenant-relation
between him and us. All our comforts are derived from God's
thoughts to
us-ward; he
has been mindful of us, though we have forgotten him. Let
this engage us to trust in him, that we have found him faithful. 2. What
we may expect. From what he has done for us we may infer,
He will bless us;
he that has been our
help and our shield will be so; he that has
remembered
us in our low estate will not forget us; for he is still the same, his power
and goodness the same, and his promise inviolable; so that we have reason to
hope that he who has delivered, and does, will yet deliver. Yet this is not all:
He will bless us; he has promised that he will; he has pronounced a
blessing upon all his people. God's blessing us is not only speaking good to
us, but doing well for us; those whom he blesses are blessed indeed. It is
particularly promised that
he will bless the house of Israel, that is, he
will bless the commonwealth, will bless his people in their civil interests.
He
will bless the house of Aaron, that is, the church, the ministry, will bless
his people in their religious concerns. The priests were to bless the people; it
was their office (Num. 6:23); but God blessed them, and so blessed their
blessings. Nay (v. 13),
he will bless those that fear the Lord, though
they be not of the house of Israel or the house of Aaron; for it was a truth,
before Peter perceived it,
That in every nation he that fears God is accepted
or him, and blessed, Acts 10:34, 35.
He will bless them both small and
great, both young and old. God has blessings in store for those that are
good betimes and for those that are old disciples, both those that are poor in
the world and those that make a figure. The greatest need his blessing, and it
shall not be denied to the meanest that fear him. Both the weak in grace and the
strong shall be blessed of God, the lambs and the sheep of his flock. It is
promised (v. 14),
The Lord shall increase you. Whom God blesses he
increases; that was one of the earliest and most ancient blessings,
Be
fruitful and multiply. God's blessing gives an increase—increase in
number, building up the family—increase in wealth, adding to the estate and
honour—especially an increase in spiritual blessings, with the increasings of
God. He will bless you with the increase of knowledge and wisdom, of grace,
holiness, and joy; those are blessed indeed whom God thus increases, who are
made wiser and better, and fitter for God and heaven. It is promised that this
shall be, (1.) A constant continual increase:
"He shall increase you
more and more; so that, as long as you live, you shall be still increasing,
till you come to perfection, as the shining light," Prov. 4:18. (2.) An
hereditary increase:
"You and your children; you in your children."
It is a comfort to parents to see their children increasing in wisdom and
strength. There is a blessing entailed upon the seed of those that fear God even
in their infancy. For (v. 15),
You are blessed of the Lord, you and your
children are so;
all that see them shall acknowledge them, that they are the
seed which the Lord has blessed, Isa. 59:9. Those that are the blessed of
the Lord have encouragement enough to
trust in the Lord, as
their help
and shield, for it is he that
made heaven and earth; therefore his
blessings are free, for he needs not any thing himself; and therefore they are
rich, for he has all things at command for us if we fear him and trust in him.
He that
made heaven and earth can doubtless make those happy that trust
in him, and will do it.
III. We are stirred up to praise God by the psalmist's
example, who concludes the psalm with a resolution to persevere in his praises.
1. God is to be praised, v. 16. He is greatly to be praised; for, (1.) His glory
is high. See how stately his palace is, and the throne he has prepared in the
heavens:
The heaven, even the heavens are the Lord's; he is the
rightful owner of all the treasures of light and bliss in the upper and better
world, and is in the full possession of them, for he is himself infinitely
bright and happy. (2.) His goodness is large, for
the earth he has given to
the children of men, having designed it, when he made it, for their use, to
find them with meat, drink, and lodging. Not but that still he is proprietor in
chief;
the earth is the Lord's, and the fulness thereof; but he has let
out that vineyard to these unthankful husbandmen, and from them he expects the
rents and services; for, though he has given them the earth, his eye is upon
them, and he will call them to render an account how they use it. Calvin
complains that profane wicked people, in his days, perverted this scripture, and
made a jest of it, which some in our days do, arguing, in banter, that God,
having given the earth to the children of men, will no more look after it, nor
after them upon it, but they may do what they will with it, and make the best of
it as their portion; it is as it were thrown like a prey among them, Let him
seize it that can. It is a pity that such an instance as this gives of God's
bounty to man, and such a proof as arises from it of man's obligation to God,
should be thus abused. From the highest heavens, it is certain, God beholds all
the children of men; to them he has given the earth; but to the children of God
heaven is given. 2. The dead are not capable of praising him (v. 17), nor
any
that go into silence. The soul indeed lives in a state of separation from
the body and is capable of praising God; and
the souls of the faithful, after
they are delivered from the burdens of the flesh, do praise God, are still
praising him; for they go up to the land of perfect light and constant business.
But the dead body cannot praise God; death puts an end to our glorifying God in
this world of trial and conflict, to all our services in the field; the grave is
a land of darkness and silence, where there is no work or device. This they
plead with God for deliverance out of the hand of their enemies, "Lord, if
they prevail to cut us off, the idols will carry the day, and there will be none
to praise thee, to bear thy name, and to bear a testimony against the
worshippers of idols."
The dead praise not the Lord, so as we do in
the business and for the comforts of this life. See Ps. 30:9; 88:10. 3.
Therefore it concerns us to praise him (v. 18):
"But we, we that are
alive,
will bless the Lord; we and those that shall come after us, will
do it,
from this time forth and for evermore, to the end of time; we and
those we shall remove to,
from this time forth and to eternity.
The
dead praise not the Lord, therefore we will do it the more diligently."
(1.) Others are dead, and an end is thereby put to their service, and therefore
we will lay out ourselves to do so much the more for God, that we may fill up
the gap.
Moses my servant is dead, now therefore, Joshua, arise. (2.) We
ourselves must shortly go to the land of silence;
but, while we do live, we
will bless the Lord, will improve our time and work that work of him that
sent us into the world to praise him before the night comes, and because
the
night comes, wherein no man can work. The Lord will bless us (v. 12); he
will do well for us, and therefore
we will bless him, we will speak well
of him. Poor returns for such receivings! Nay, we will not only do it ourselves,
but will engage others to do it.
Praise the Lord; praise him with us;
praise him in your places, as we in ours; praise him when we are gone, that he
may be praised
for evermore. Hallelujah.
Psalm 115:
| Darby
| Geneva
| Gill
| Jamieson Faussett Brown
| Matthew Henry
| Matthew Henry Concise
| Spurgeon
| Wesley
| Index
| Bible Gateway |
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