August 23, 2023 — Psalm 117 

“Praise the LORD, all you nations! Extol him, all you peoples! For great is his steadfast love toward us, and the faithfulness of the LORD endures forever. Praise the LORD!” 

This is the shortest of the Psalms. And, not surprising, it calls on the world to “Praise” the Lord. Here the nations and their peoples are called upon to “Praise” the Lord. They are not called upon to convert to a particular religion — they are not called upon to extol that praise in any particular way. They are simply invited. That says something fundamentally important about our praise “of” the Lord. It is not complete until the world joins in this praise with its inherent faith and joy. Until the praise of and for the Lord arises from every people, all of the people will continue to lack the relationship the Lord wants with each one of us. Moreover, the nations of the world will not have found the glue, the centering foundation that holds the focus of what should be shared values and life.  

Why should the nations praise the LORD? This psalm and the people who sing the praise of the Lord have a single focus for giving this praise — here the theological basis of the call is because of what the Lord has done for us. The steadfast love (hesed) and faithfulness of the LORD are the vocabulary with which the people of God speak as gratitude for the salvation the Lord offers for all people. 

Let us pray: 

Lord God, you have revealed your kindness to every people and nation. Gather the whole world to yourself, that in all the various languages of the earth one hymn of praise may rise to you; through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. 

Amen. 

Pastor Dave

August 22, 2023 — Psalm 116 

“I love the LORD, because he has heard my voice and my supplications. Because he inclined his ear to me, therefore I will call on him as long as I live. The snares of death encompassed me; the pangs of Sheol laid hold on me; I suffered distress and anguish. Then I called on the name of the LORD: “O LORD, I pray, save my life!” Gracious is the LORD, and righteous; our God is merciful. The LORD protects the simple; when I was brought low, he saved me. Return, O my soul, to your rest, for the LORD has dealt bountifully with you. For you have delivered my soul from death, my eyes from tears, my feet from stumbling. I walk before the LORD in the land of the living. I kept my faith, even when I said, “I am greatly afflicted”; I said in my consternation, “Everyone is a liar.” What shall I return to the LORD for all his bounty to me? I will lift up the cup of salvation and call on the name of the LORD, I will pay my vows to the LORD in the presence of all his people. Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his faithful ones.” (Verses 1-15) 

“Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his faithful ones.” 

“What shall I return to the LORD for all his bounty to me?” 

There is an evident tension between these two ways of viewing and speaking about death — death, and final death. If G-d rescues his faithful from the power of death, how can the realm of death lie beyond the help of G-d? The psalm as a song of the Old Testament celebrates the deliverance of life from the snares of death, but it is subject to another reading that will emerge in time, a reading in which it speaks of salvation from the “final death”. 

All people will die — we cannot avoid death. But, we can look forward to eternal life — which, through the cross and the resurrection of Jesus, has defeated “final death”. This is why the Psalmist says “precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his faithful ones.” The ones who continue in the good fight of faith to the end, yes will die, but will not experience final death. This is the promise of the resurrection — the Grace of Jesus Christ.  

So then we consider the question: “What shall I return to the LORD for all his bounty to me?” 

All we can give to G-d is our prayer, praise and thanksgiving — and then live lives of obedience.  

Let us pray: 

God of mercy and compassion, through the passion and resurrection of your Son you have freed us from the bonds of sin and death. Be with us on our pilgrimage, that may we offer you a sacrifice of thanksgiving, fulfill our vows, and glorify you in the presence of all your people; through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. 

Amen. 

Pastor Dave