UNTO THY NAME GIVE GLORY

The psalmist is emphatic that no glory is due to him or to his nation, it all belongs to the Lord. The reason is twofold: “for thy mercy, and for thy truth’s sake”. We might imagine that truth, the truth about God, comes first, but so dependent has the nation been on the mercy of God that if comes to mind first. This psalm was probably written after the exile, when God in great mercy had brought back a remnant from Babylon. He had allowed them to go into captivity, not because He was powerless to stop it, but He had a purpose in doing so. In Babylon, the seat of idolatry, Israel was cured of the idolatry that had previously plagued them. God’s cure was dramatic, but completely effective.

In this psalm, we have a denunciation of the idolatry of the surrounding nations. The taunt of “Where is now their God?” becomes a wonderful opportunity to demolish the case for idols. “Our God is in the heavens: he hath done whatsoever he hath pleased”, v. 3. God is thus sovereign and is the only Person in the universe who has the moral right to please Himself. God is self-existent, but even the best idols (silver and gold, not wood and stone) are only man-made. They have literally all the features of man, but they are lifeless. Those who make and trust them end up in the same state, namely lifeless.

In verses 9-11, there follow a series of statements and responses sung by different parts of the temple choir, emphasizing that trust in the Lord brings help and protection to all in Israel, “both small and great”, v. 13.

One of the great needs of the struggling community in Jerusalem at that time was for numerical increase—this was assured to them, v. 14. God is always promising to increase His people, numerically as in the Acts where we have addition, 5. 14, multiplication, 9. 31, and also spiritually. Notice also the many instances in the N.T. where the word “edify” is used.

Man’s heritage is the earth, given in trust and responsibility. The believer has been given a trust, particularly the gospel and its associated truths, as Paul wrote of himself, “put in trust”, 1 Thess. 2. 4. Much has been entrusted to us by way of truth, talents and things; how well are we using them in the service of, and to the glory of the One who gave them to us?