For those who may wish to ‘study’ this chapter, the following simple resources are provided for you. Each passage has a four-Part approach to help you take in and think further about what you have read.

Passage: Psalm 115

1 Not to us, Lord, not to us
    but to your name be the glory,
    because of your love and faithfulness.

2 Why do the nations say,
    ‘Where is their God?’
3 Our God is in heaven;
    he does whatever pleases him.
4 But their idols are silver and gold,
    made by human hands.
5 They have mouths, but cannot speak,
    eyes, but cannot see.
6 They have ears, but cannot hear,
    noses, but cannot smell.
7 They have hands, but cannot feel,
    feet, but cannot walk,
    nor can they utter a sound with their throats.
8 Those who make them will be like them,
    and so will all who trust in them.

9 All you Israelites, trust in the Lord –
    he is their help and shield.
10 House of Aaron, trust in the Lord –
    he is their help and shield.
11 You who fear him, trust in the Lord –
    he is their help and shield.

12 The Lord remembers us and will bless us:
    he will bless his people Israel,
    he will bless the house of Aaron,
13 he will bless those who fear the Lord –
    small and great alike.

14 May the Lord cause you to flourish,
    both you and your children.
15 May you be blessed by the Lord,
    the Maker of heaven and earth.

16 The highest heavens belong to the Lord,
    but the earth he has given to the human race.
17 It is not the dead who praise the Lord,
    those who go down to the place of silence;
18 it is we who extol the Lord,
    both now and for evermore.

Praise the Lord.

A. Find Out:    

1. What is the psalmist’s intent? v.1
2. What do people say and what does he reply? v.2,3
3. What can’t idols do? v.4-7
4. What does he call Israel to do? v.9-11
5. Who will the Lord bless? v.12,13
6. What blessing does the psalmist bring? v.14,15
7. What observation does he close with? v.16-18

B. Think:

1. Why do you think the psalmist speaks about idols?
2. How is the rest of the psalm an encouraging call?

C. Comment:

  This is a psalm of affirmation of faith. It’s both positive and negative. Let’s take the negative first. The negative isn’t about the Lord, but about idols. He speaks of idols to contrast (implicitly) with the Lord. Idols are purely man-made (v.4) and they can’t speak or see (v.5) or hear or smell (v.6) or feel or walk or utter any sounds (v.7). In other words they are utterly impotent, lifeless wood, silver or gold. They cannot help you in any way! In fact those who rely upon them will end up equally lifeless! (v.8) Now the positive! It starts out with an acknowledgement that any glory is due to the Lord alone, not us (v.1a). His love and faithfulness are alone worthy of praise (v.1b). After the rejection of idols, which others use, come a threefold call to Israel , the priesthood and anyone who calls on the Lord, to put their trust in the Lord for He is both a help and a shield, a provider and a protector in other words (v.9-11)

  This is followed by a declaration of certainty: The Lord WILL bless us, the people of God, whether we are great or small (v.12,13). As an expression of that certainty he declares what amounts to a blessing (v.14,15) because blessing always has a specific content. Look at it. He concludes with a recognition that everything belongs to God and while we are alive, we’re the ones who should be extolling Him (v.16-18).

D. Application:

1. Realise the folly of relying upon the works of our hands.
2. Place your trust in the Lord alone.