Psalm 115 Not Not to us, O LORD, not to us but to Your name give glory, because of Your mercy and faithfulness. 2Why should other nations say, “Where is their God?” 3Our God is in heaven and does anything He wants to do.
The psalmist and those who join him humble themselves before the LORD. They do not seek their own glory and the glory of their name. They ask the LORD to give His name glory. The LORD’s name deserves glory because of His mercy and faithfulness. Indeed, that is part of the name and glory the LORD reveals to Moses when His glory passes by and His name is declared in Ex. 34:6 and Moses is hidden in the cleft of a rock.
We too should realize, believe and confess the LORD, especially as He has revealed Himself in Jesus Christ, is a God of mercy, kindness, steadfast love and forgiveness. The people of the world see Him only as a punishing, wrathful God, and indeed, because of their impenitence and stiffneckedness in their sins, that is the side, the strange and alien side of God that they see. They don’t see His mercy and kindness because they want to continue living in rebellion against Him and His ways. But for those who confess their sins, turn to Him in Christ Jesus for mercy, kindness, forgiveness and steadfast love, these aspects of the LORD are given them without measure.
People then and people now cry out, “Where is their God?” They speak in ignorance. Sometimes they speak in rebellion because He does act as they would act and have Him act. We know the truth. Our God is in heaven and does anything He wants to do. This may cause us some fear and apprehension. I can understand why. But our God is not capricious. He acts according to His revealed will towards us. Mercy and kindness are given to those who love and fear Him: wrath and punishment to those who hate and are in dread of Him.
4Their idols are silver and gold made by human hands. 5They have a mouth but can’t talk, eyes but can’t see, 6ears but can’t hear, a nose but can’t smell, 7hands but can’t feel, feet but can’t walk. They can’t make a sound with their throats. 8Those who make them are like them, and so are all who trust them.
While there are physical idols in many cultures of the world today, we do not see them as much in the western world being used as such, i.e. a figure of Buddha or an ancestor. In the west, our idols may not necessarily be made of gold, silver, rock or wood. Our idols today are just as much false gods as the idols of the people of the Bible. We look to them to provide us with every good. (Note—Some westerners have adopted the idols of their pagan ancestors today.)
Our idols, this list is only illustrative, are our nation, our armies, wealth, happiness, work, marriage, husband, wife, children, political parties, credit cards, shopping, food, sex, drugs, alcohol, church, pastors, self-help gurus, and etc.. Many of these are like the idols of old. They have eyes and can’t see, mouths and can’t talk, etc. as the psalmist describes them. What is for certain, they cannot give us every good as the LORD our God can do and wants to do. Some of our gods, our idols, are good in and of themselves. They are the good things the LORD our God provides for us. We are not to seek them to provide us the good in and of themselves. We look to God, our Father, through our LORD Jesus Christ to provide us these good things. If we treat these things as gods, we will become like them, mere objects that serve these things. James says, “Every good gift comes from the Father of lights.” Let us then look to Him alone for all good things and give thanks for all the good things He provides us.
Merciful God and Father, give us Your Holy Spirit, that we look to You alone for all good things and not to created things, so we may give Your name all praise, honor and glory. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen