Sermon Tone Analysis

Psalm 117

Psalm 117 (KJV 1900)

1 O praise the Lord, all ye nations: Praise him, all ye people.

2 For his merciful kindness is great toward us: And the truth of the Lord endureth for ever.

Praise ye the Lord.

Introduction

How can we take 30 minutes on 2 verses?

Don’t worry about that.

Martin Luther devoted thirty-six pages to this psalm, expounding it in four important categories:

Prophecy (the Gentiles will participate in gospel blessings),

Revelation (the kingdom of Christ is not earthly and temporal but rather heavenly and eternal)

Instruction (we are saved by faith alone and not by works, wisdom, or holiness)

Admonition (we should praise God for such a great salvation).

There are certain topics in the Bible that if you do not understand them they will greatly effect your understanding of the Bible.

God’s love for all people is one of those matters.

The apostle Paul defends his mission to the Gentiles

Take a moment and turn to Romans 15

I may know more about what I need to say, but my wife has helped me greatly learn how people listen.

I need to slow down as I go into references.

Setting:

Let's say, somewhere in the vicinity of Rome and we're gathered in someone's home and teaching is going on.

A very, very famous and faithful Christian teacher is teaching in that gathering of believers in a home.

We’re wrestling with a significant theological problem and the significant theological problem is a very practical one because our assembly of believers is made up both of Jewish believers living in Rome and non-Jewish believers living in Rome who have come to faith through the teaching of this very famous teacher.

And the Jewish believers are struggling because though they believe in Jesus the Messiah and though they believe that there is no other name under heaven whereby a person can be saved except through Him, they come from a religious tradition which for at least fourteen hundred and fifty plus years they have been told to keep strictly distinct from the other nations and the other people.

And even have a ceremonial law that makes it difficult for them to be able to sit down and have a meal with anyone who is not a Jew.

And now, they’re being taught by this teacher that they need to accept Gentile believers as brothers and sisters and equally heirs to the promise that God had given to Abraham over two thousand years ago.

And they’re wrestling with that.

And the Gentile believers are wrestling too with how to relate to these Jewish believers, some of which are wary about even having table fellowship with them, inviting them into their home.

And so on that evening in that Bible study, that great teacher, his name is Paul, turns them to Psalm 117 to explain it.

Jerusalem Council

First big, recorded dispute, the Jerusalem Council.

In the earliest days of the Christian church, the church was comprised predominately of Jews.

Acts 8 the gospel spread to the Samaritans (who were ethnically mixed Jews-Gentiles), and many Samaritans received Jesus Christ as Savior.

Acts 10 the apostle Peter was the first to take the gospel specifically to the Gentiles, and many received Christ as Savior.

Acts 13—14 Paul and Barnabas had a very fruitful ministry among the Gentiles.

All of these Gentiles turning to faith in Christ caused concern among the Jewish believers, first expressed in Acts 11:1–18, and the issues that caused concern were ultimately decided upon at the Jerusalem Council Acts 15)

The issues centered on two questions:

Do Gentiles first have to become Jews before they can become Christians?

Acts 15:1 “1 And certain men which came down from Judaea taught the brethren, and said, Except ye be circumcised after the manner of Moses, ye cannot be saved.”

Do Gentiles have to observe the Mosaic Law after they become Christians?

Acts 15:5 “5 But there rose up certain of the sect of the Pharisees which believed, saying, That it was needful to circumcise them, and to command them to keep the law of Moses.”

Paul defence

Romans 15:7 “7 Wherefore receive ye one another, as Christ also received us to the glory of God.”

Confirm the promises to the patriarchs

Gentiles will glorify God

Romans 15:8–13 (KJV 1900)

8 Now I say that Jesus Christ was a minister (servant) of the circumcision (Jewish people) for the truth of God, to confirm the promises made unto the fathers: (Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, David)

9 And that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy; as it is written,

(these quotations are taken from all three divisions of the Old Testament—“the Law of Moses, the Prophets, and the Psalms” and from three great Jewish heroes: Moses, David, and Isaiah)

For this cause I will confess to thee among the Gentiles, and sing unto thy name.

(David / Psalm 18:49)

10 And again he saith, Rejoice, ye Gentiles, with his people.

(Moses / Deut 32)

11 And again, Praise the Lord, all ye Gentiles; and laud him, all ye people.

(Psalm 117:1)

12 And again, Esaias saith, There shall be a root of Jesse, and he that shall rise to reign over the Gentiles; in him shall the Gentiles trust.

(Isaiah 11:10)

Progression Seen

David praised God among the Gentiles v.9

Moses exhorted the Gentiles, Rejoice … with His people v.10

the psalmist commanded the Gentiles to praise the Lord v.11

Isaiah predicted that the Gentiles will live under the rule of the Root of Jesse (the Messiah) and they will hope in Him v. 12

The Gentile world mission, of which Paul was the most notable representative and missionary, was not the point at which God changed His mind about the Jews.

Rather, the Gentile world mission was the point at which God fulfilled one of His great promises to the Jews, and at which the Jewish leaders changed their mind about Jehovah.

Command to Praise

Psalm 117:1 “1 O praise the Lord, all ye nations: Praise him, all ye people.”

Previous psalms called on Israel to give praise to the Lord, but here all the Gentiles are called to praise Him

The ministry that Jonah had to the Ninevites is the call that all of Israel is to have to all gentile people.

Since this is one of the six Egyptian Hallel Psalms (113-118), sung as part of the Passover service, Jesus would have sung Psalm 117 with His disciples (Matthew 26:30, Mark 14:26).

Therefore, on the eve of His crucifixion, we know that Jesus had all the peoples, all the Gentiles in mind

The fire was gathered in a grate, that it might warm the whole house.

All men have a share in what God does for Israel.”

(Maclaren)

The psalmist called upon all peoples to praise God intelligently, and he provided reasons why He is worthy of worship.

“Are we doing all we can to kindle the nations to praise?

They cannot praise Him whom they do not know.

It is mere hypocrisy to bid them praise Him, if we have never sought to spread, by lip or gift, the mercy and truth revealed in Jesus our Lord.”

(Meyer)

The joy found in praise

I think that we delight to praise what we enjoy because the praise not nearly expresses but completes our enjoyment.

You see, the reason God seeks our praise is not because He won't be complete until we give it; it's because we won't be complete until we give it

And until you have experienced God's gracious and merciful love that prevails and embraced His promises that are always kept, until you are converted, you don't want to worship Him

Gentiles were not the non-Christians of the Old Testament

Melchizedek was a Gentile (Heb.

7:3), and Abraham paid tithes to him (Heb.

7:4).

Ezekiel named three of the godliest men he could think of, two of the three were Gentiles Ezekiel 14:14 “14 Though these three men, Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in it, they should deliver but their own souls by their righteousness, saith the Lord God.”

Noah lived before there were any Jews.

Job was an Edomite.

The inhabitants of Nineveh repented (Jonah 3:5; Matt.

12:41).

Naaman the Syrian became a true worshiper of God (2 Kings 5:17; Luke 4:27).

Jethro was a priest in Midian, and a servant of the true God (Ex.

18:1).

The Queen of Sheba was taught by Solomon (1 Kings 10:5).

(1 Kings 8:60).

Solomon built the Temple with a provision for Gentiles in view (2 Chron.

6:32-33).

Priesthood of the Believer

The fight still continues.

As Jews needed to be convinced that Gentiles could be saved, you may need to be convinced that you and others have access to the throne of God.

In the Old Testament, salvation was not limited to just one nation.

Rather, the priesthood became limited to just one nation.

Isaiah 66:20-21 “20 And they shall bring all your brethren for an offering unto the Lord out of all nations Upon horses, and in chariots, and in litters, and upon mules, and upon swift beasts, To my holy mountain Jerusalem, saith the Lord, As the children of Israel bring an offering In a clean vessel into the house of the Lord.