Commentaries and Other Bible Study Helps - Prayer Tents - Prayer Tents

Psalm 115. This is a hymn urging God's people to trust and worship the Lord alone, by reminding them that he alone is worthy of their deepest loyalty. In the background lurks the temptation to turn to the gods worshiped in other nations, and the congregation must grasp how hopeless it is to serve such deities. Some scholars suppose that the Gentiles' taunt, "Where is their God?" (v. 2), and the description of useless idols (vv. 4-8) is evidence that the psalm arose after the exile, when Israel had close exposure to such taunts and temptations. And some have taken the expression, "you who fear the Lord" (vv. 11, 13), to address Gentiles who worship the Lord (cf. Acts 10:2; 13:16), which began to be a notable feature of Jewish life in the Greek period (i.e., after 330 b.c.). None of these arguments is decisive, however: as the comments show, the taunts and temptations existed at all periods, and the expression "fearing the Lord" readily applies to any of the faithful in Israel at any time. Nevertheless, if the psalm originated before the exile, it certainly took on a renewed relevance in the postexilic period; and the Gentiles attending the synagogue might see themselves included among those who fear the Lord, the true God. Indeed, Christians can sing this psalm for the same purpose of fortifying their loyalty to, and confidence in, the true God.

115:1-8 Only One God Deserves Praise. This section develops the idea that only the Lord deserves glory (i.e., honor): first, because of his steadfast love and faithfulness (cf. Ex. 34:6); and second, because he is in the heavens (in a position of rule over all, cf. Ps. 113:4-5), and in sovereign power he does all that he pleases (cf. 135:6; Isa. 46:10), unlike the gods that the Gentiles worship (Ps. 115:4-8).