GREAT IS THE LORD
Psalm 117: 1-2 & Romans 15: 5-13
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A PRESBYTERIAN PSALTER - by Pastor Max A Forsythe |
One older Commentator views the place and purpose of this Psalm much in the style and use of our opening Praise to God which we sing to the tune of Old Hundredth every week. Joseph Alexander also writes from the last century, that these short words might also have been attached to the end of many a psalm much as we would attach a short Amen or longer Amen chorus.
How much more usable and versatile is this short chorus in comparison to the "Hallelujah Chorus" of the psalter found just two psalms later in the alphabetical composition of Psalm 119. Just as there are few times of the year when Handel's Hallelujah Chorus is usable in the ordering of worship, so is the whole of that longest psalm. By comparison, this wee psalm, which is the shortest of them all, is much more singable and of much greater utility and ultimately of familiarity as well.
As Derek Kidner observes, the few words contained in this psalm reach clear to the heights of God's purpose and providence. We know this because Paul uses this psalm to illustrate the wideness of God's mercy and the necessary invitation to the worldly nations that they may come into His glorious kingdom.
Praise the Lord, all you nations; extol him, all peoples.
Certainly we know that even in the Old Covenant Church there were some few outsiders who came into the Covenant Community because they appreciated the greatness of Israel's very own God. And by the time of Christ, many of the surrounding nations in Palestine were reduced to mere remnants, many of whom had moved in with Israel to worship our God and King. Unfortunately, that focus was not purposely carried to the gentile nations by plan and program. The Jewish faith could not even expand its faith to include their own Messiah. Therefore, the natural heirs of the promise were put out of that inheritance and outsiders were called into salvation to take their presumed place in the everlasting kingdom of our Christ.
In singing this psalm we are not to presume that the nations and peoples may have Him whatever the secular or sacred form their personal faith assumes. No indeed, the faith is still by necessity focused on One Lord, One Faith, One baptism, and One Father over all. Derek Kidner also challenges us by saying that we are not to measure God's Kingship by the size of His little flock, nor are we to accept the idea that different peoples have a right to different faiths.
His second thought we will consider immediately. The diversity of God's subjects is truly in the words "nations and tribes" rather than in the plurality of the peoples. Yes, we may use different languages, songs and prayers to worship our Triune God, but doctrinal purity of the One God must never be diluted to please the different types of people. I remember well, an assigned book in Seminary which presumed a polytheistic plurality in the various understandings of who and what Jesus really was! The unholy presumption, that we had a right to ask Which Jesus and then be expected to accept the validity of the various assumptions, is not the work of the any holy Spirit, but a worldly digression from the very heart of hell.
Yes, we may assume a wideness in God's mercy but not in our comprehension of who He tells us He is, was and will be! Now firstly, regarding Kidner's observation upon the size of God's flock, it is good to be reminded that we who belong to Christ have a different heart and understanding. This was driven home to me this last week in a profound moment of understanding. I was looking through this week's issue of Time magazine trying to find a suitable article to share with my students. It has been some years since I have given even almost grown teenagers a whole copy of what passes for a news magazine, since they are all so poorly written and so clearly focused on uncivilized behavior and socialist presumptions. As I looked in amazement at what it is permissible to print these days, it struck me that if I had even shared an article or two with a female colleague - given the legal precedents in the country today, I could have put my secular profession at risk!
Now I ask you, if even sharing an article about our president's peccadilloes could risk a white protestant male's means of earning a living, then why are those most likely to take offense so protective of his presumption to redefine perversity and obscenity as morality? I am very disappointed in the worldly response to the whole tawdry affairs of state! From what I have heard, seen and comprehended this week, we are much further from civilization than I had presumed! This fact should help us appreciate why it is so difficult to find people willing to be challenged by even one commandment, let alone ten!
And yet, as we delve into the depths of those ten commandments we find the essential truth that not one of us can come closer to God by means of obedience. Like the psalmist we must comprehend that:
great is his love toward us, and the faithfulness of the Lord endures forever.
We must truly pity the poor nominal atheists within the church, who do not comprehend the necessity of the atonement, nor the particularization of Christ's death on the cross for our very own sins. Too much of the Church today allows a very general death of Christ for the sins of all peoplekin. But those same liberal, evangelical, pentacostal or fundamental churches do not take the death and suffering of our Christ personally. The GREAT NEWS that we comprehend, has become only a fairly good news for every man, woman and child whom it is presumed need only die to access the blessings of eternity. How tragic that the plurality of comprehension demanded by the worldly, leads the many home to hell instead of to that blessed eternity which we may enjoy if we will accept the greater love and sacrifice of God Himself on the cross for the multitude of sins with which we are infected.
Praise the Lord , closes this psalm. Praise indeed is due our God and King if we have truly comprehended the wickedness of our being apart from God. May we show the true doctrine in our hearts as we admit our complete and utter need for the Lord of Grace to show us mercy in and through Jesus Christ. Amen.
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Resources Used: |
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Alexander, Joseph. |
Commentary on Psalms. | |
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Kidner, Derek. |
Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries: Psalms. | |
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The Holy Bible, New International Version. International Bible Society (1973, 1978, 1984) | ||
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Psm 117a |
01 February 98 | |