August 13 Sermon: Not to Us

Ponder these questions as we dig into Psalm 115:

1. How does the concept of the distinction between the creator and the creature play a significant role in understanding the worship of the triune God? How does this distinction challenge our innate desire for praise and control?

2. In what ways does Psalm 115 emphasize the importance of ascribing praise to the name of the LORD rather than seeking personal glory or acknowledgment? How does the psalmist's perspective on God's steadfast love further reinforce the call to worship?

3. The psalm highlights the futility of idolatry and the limitations of idols made by human hands. How does this contrast with the God of Israel, who is described as being in the heavens and doing as He pleases? How does trusting in God's sovereignty lead to blessing and refuge for His people?

Transcript:

Back when we were going through the Ten Commandments earlier this year I drew out several times how the Ten Commandments and really, Genesis and Exodus, spend a lot of time pointing out the idea of a distinction between the creature and the creator. For example, in the first commandment we saw that God is the creator and he alone is worthy of worship. In the pagan worship of their neighbors there was not a distinction between the creator and his creation. In paganism, all is one, there is no God who is outside of creation but everything is summed into the one.‌

The truth of the triune God who is outside of creation and is all powerful and created by the power of his word is a truth that leads us to worship. We acknowledge that there is a God and that he alone is worthy of glory and praise BUT this runs against our ingrained sinful desire to be praised. We want the glory, we want to be the one who is sovereign over our lives. While most people would never say “I want to be God”, in our lives we want to decide right and wrong, we want to be in control. We see this in our world, right? There is a desire to be autonomous and to be in control. We can see this in multiple areas of our culture but it also something we can struggle with in our own lives.‌

But, as believers in the Lord Jesus Christ, we take those struggles and leave them at the foot of the cross. We acknowledge that we are not gods and that it is God alone who determines truth. It is God alone who determines what is sinful. Our confession of sin and repentance acknowledges this truth at the most personal and basic level and we forfeit praise to ourselves and instead surrender our own glory and offer praise to God alone.‌

As we drop into Psalm 115 this morning we find a statement of praise that acknowledges that the triune God, Yahweh, is the only one who is worthy of praise.

‌The very first words of this Psalm are exactly what we expect to find in a psalm of praise. They offer praise to God but it also blatantly diverts praise away from us as humans. As I mentioned this is hard for us and goes against natural desire to have our name glorified. We desire acknowledgment and praise for our accomplishments but the psalmist gives us the correct attitude here.‌

And we notice here as we look at this psalm that we see something that we have observed several times before as we interpret and apply the psalms and that is the use of repetition. The phrase not to us is used two times here. The psalm moves the emphasis away from humanity and ascribes praise to the name of the LORD. It is his name that is to be praised. Not the our name. Not the name of our family. Not the name of the nation but the name of the one who is over all of those things. His name is to be praised.‌

And as we’ve seen in the psalms many times so far, the praise that we are to ascribe to Yahweh isn’t just praise that we are to give because he is over all things. Of course, that is reason enough to praise him. His power and majesty make him worthy of praise but the psalms so often point us to the most beautiful part of the character of God his steadfast love.‌

We’ve all known someone who is rather impressive on the surface. They have everything going for them and maybe they are attractive and people seem to flock to them and then we meet them and they just aren’t very nice and maybe from afar you really wanted to get to know them or even be their friend but once you get to know their character the last thing you want is a relationship with them.‌

God isn’t like that. His majesty and power show us how amazing he is. His holiness is beyond compare but when we see his character revealed in his word we find out that he is the God who loves his people with a steadfast love that is beyond compare. He is a covenant keeping God who is faithful to his people even though they are covenant breakers. As I mentioned a few weeks ago, I love that the Psalms are in the middle of our Bibles. It causes us to look back at the covenant faithfulness of God and then look forward to his faithfulness in the messiah who is to come. The psalmist looks back on the story of the people of God and knows how they have broken covenant with him and yet, God’s love has been steadfast to them and so there is a trust that his faithfulness to his promises will continue.‌

And as this psalm continues one of the reasons that this God is steadfast in his faithfulness is that he is not like the gods of the nations that are their neighbors.

‌I’ve already brought up the first commandment this morning and now we are going to recall the second commandment as we look at these words today.‌

It seems as though the nations around them don’t understand the worship of the Hebrews. They ask where is their God? Now, as I read this initially, I thought about some of the other Psalms that we have looked at and thought that this was like some of the statements where the psalmist was suffering and people were asking them how can you trust in God when you’re experiencing hardship. We’ve seen that a few times but that isn’t the context for this question here because as we progress down through the psalm we find the context is idolatry.

Remember the second commandment. No images are to be used in worship. This also connects to the idea of the creator/creation distinction. God can’t be represented by the physical stuff of his creation because he is other.‌

But this difference between the worship of the Hebrews and the pagans in the ancient near east would have caused them to ask this question, right? So, the Hebrews have a God, his name is Yahweh, and they worship him, but what does he look like? How do they worship him? If they have a God, why don’t they have idols of silver, gold, and wood that we can see? Where is their God?‌

And I hope you love the answer in verse three here as much as I do. Our God is in the heavens. He does all that he pleases.‌

What an answer to this question from the pagan nations?‌

Where is our God? Well, he isn’t sitting at Joe’s house down the road sitting on the mantle of his fireplace, that’s for sure. There isn’t a big statue of him in the middle of the village either. He not only can’t be represented in that way, he also can’t be confined by your human ideas and limitations. He most assuredly isn’t subjected to you and your demands either.‌

Our God is in the heavens. This statement is saying that he isn’t one with all of creation. He is above it all. Again, that creator/creation that is so important. It is also saying that he is above earthly authorities in that he does all that he pleases. He isn’t moved about by human powers and he isn’t subject to their desires. He is sovereign. He is in control. He is the lord of heaven and earth.‌

As this Psalm continues it is going to decimate the gods of those who are asking where the God of the Hebrews is and it starts with the idea that their idols are just made of materials of the earth and simply creations of people.

‌As valuable as silver and gold are, they are stuff that comes out of the ground. Yahweh is other, he is not material. He is separate from the creation and can’t be represented by a part of it.‌

And not only does the make up of these idols matter but how they are made is pointed out. A human had to not only dig the material out of the earth but their hands had to melt it and mold it. Some guy had to carve it. Yahweh is the LORD of heaven and earth. He is in the heavens. He can’t be represented by material from the earth and no fallen human can mold or carve what he looks like. He does what he pleases and is not shaped by human hands in any way.‌

And for the next several verses the psalmist makes a scathing argument by repeating the idea of the inability of the idols to do anything.

The idols have a mouth on them but no sound comes from them. They even have eyes but they can’t see. The ears that were carved on them can’t hear and their noses can’t smell. Their hand can’t feel and the feet that have do nothing but keep them from tipping over, obviously. They don’t move at all and their is no sound that comes from them.‌

This idea is repeated six times with the same formula. One time is scathing but using it six times drives home the point and completely decimates the idolatry of their neighbors. The reason it is so powerful is because it is turned away from the idol itself to the ones who make them and those who worship them.

‌The point has been driven home and now the psalmist says those who craft the idols and bow down before them will have mouths that won’t speak, ears that won’t hear, eyes that won’t see, noses that don’t smell, hands that don’t feel, and feet that won’t walk.‌

In other words, they are brought to nothing and they have no hope. The implication behind what the psalmist is saying here is that those who trust in Yahweh have hope. The God who is in the heavens and does what he pleases has the power to keep his people and give them life but the path set before the idolaters is nothing but death and the grave.‌

And with that in mind the psalmist calls for the people of God to not be like the surrounding nations.

‌The natural result of making ruin of the gods of the surrounding nations is to call those who are the people of God to trust in the LORD, the one who has called them by name and makes them a people.

And as we look at this call for them to turn to the LORD, we see a set of verses that is not only poetic in nature but it also comes across as rather liturgical as well. This is clearly a song and prayer to be used in the worship of God and as we read it you get a sense of corporate use of this psalm. First Israel as a whole is called to trust in the LORD and then there is a response. Then the priests are called to trust in the LORD and then the same response. Then everyone who fears Yahweh is called to trust in him and once again the He is their help and their shield response. In your mind you can imagine people throughout the ages doing this call and response to the worship of God. In the face of temptations to trust in anyone but God the people call to one another to trust in the one who can actually help them and shield them. Turn to him instead of the idols and trust the one who is your refuge and strength.‌

And the poetic device continues for us into the next couple verses as the psalmist remembers the steadfast love and faithfulness of the God of Israel.

‌God blesses his people. He remembers them and so, when the three previously stated groups trust in the LORD he will bless them. He will bless the people of Israel, he will bless the priests, he will bless all those who fear the LORD. The small and the great. It doesn’t matter your status, if you trust in God alone and ascribe praise to him above all you are blessed.‌

The main points we’ve been considering are repeated again in this psalm and I want us to take a quick look at how this is done before we close up and consider our application for today.

‌At the beginning of the Psalm we saw the contrast between the idols and the God of Israel who is in the heavens and does what he pleases. The psalmist recalls our minds to that comparison once again and acknowledges that the things of the earth are given to men but without the LORD there is no hope in those things. We see this because the psalmist goes back to the idea that those who worship the silent and motionless idols will become like them when he says the dead don’t praise the LORD and so the call on the people of God is to bless the LORD with our mouths because we are not worshiping silent idols, we are worshiping the God who has spoken blessing over his people. We are to trust that God is even able to make his people continue to praise beyond when they go down to the grave. There is a hope here that because we do not worship silent idols, Yahweh will give his people a voice of praise not just now but forever. He is able to save because he is other. He is powerful. He is the one who is in the heaven and does whatever he pleases.‌

And so, it is so fitting that this psalm ends with the words praise the LORD for he is worthy of the praise that we bring to him.‌

As we consider our application from this passage one thing comes through clearly for us, doesn’t it. We have a choice. We can trust in ourselves and the things of this earth but those things are going to fail. It is only the God who is in the heavens who is worthy of not only our praise but of our devotion as well.‌

Each day, you and I are tempted to put our trust in the things of this world. We just need a few more dollars, a new relationship, a new medical advancement, or any new thing that we believe will bring us happiness and fulfilment. But those things are all things of the earth. Sure, we can see them and so it is easy for us to pursue them and think that they can provide what we need. But they are just the stuff of the earth. All the stuff of earth is headed for the grave or the landfill and the psalmist is clear. Those who pursue the things of the earth become like that which we pursue.‌

And this is so, so true. Our hearts are shaped by what we run after and so, may we listen to the words of the psalmist here in Psalm 115 and trust in the LORD. May we be daily convicted of those things that we pursue that are not of God and may we trust in that which is eternal. For the LORD is our help and our shield not the pleasures of this life. May we rise each day with the words of this Psalm and say Not to Us, O LORD, not to us, but to your name be the glory and may we pursue him knowing that he is the one who causes us to praise his name from this time and forevermore.