Psalm 115

What’s Happening?

Psalms 113 through 117 are known as Hallel Psalms, because of how regularly they say, “Hallelujah!” These psalms were traditionally sung by Israel during the Passover feast every year. In Israel’s exodus, on Passover night, Israel and the nations turned into what they trusted. Egypt and Pharaoh trusted in their dead idols and brought death into their homes (Exodus 11:4-7). But all who trusted the living God brought life into their homes. As Israel continued to celebrate Passover, Psalm 115 reminded them of the life and death difference between idols and God. 

God is superior to the nations’ idols because of his unique relationship with his people. He is faithful to his promises to bless them even when Israel was unfaithful to him. Israel went into exile because they had tarnished God’s name among the nations, failing to reflect his goodness and love to the world. Nevertheless, God will vindicate his own name to the nations. They will see God’s goodness in his unique relationship with his people when he lovingly brings them out of exile and back to their homeland (Psalm 115:1; Ezekiel 36:22-24). 

God is also superior to idols because he cannot be seen. To the nations whose gods are visibly enshrined in gold and silver, Israel’s invisible God seems defeated and nowhere to be found (Psalm 115:2). The psalmist responds that while the nations can hold their idols in their hands as they craft them, not even the heavens can contain Israel’s God (Psalm 115:3-4). The idols are confined by their craftsmen, while Israel’s God is free and does as he pleases. The nations have given their idols mouths, eyes, ears, noses, hands, feet, and throats. But unlike their human makers, the idols cannot use any of them (Psalm 115:5-7). They are dead, and the psalmist warns that those who trust in such idols will become just like them (Psalm 115:8). 

In contrast, those who trust Israel’s God become like him. Those who worship Israel’s God are alive and singing, unlike the dead and mute worshippers of the nation’s idols (Psalm 115:9-11). Those who trust the God of life create more life as he blesses them with children who freely run and sing, unlike the stiff and mute idols that cannot even stand on their own (Psalm 115:14).

Everyone turns into what they trust. Those who trust in dead idols create more death as they are made into the image of idols. Those who trust God create families with children made in the living image of God. God’s people will receive a flourishing Promised Land, so they can fill the whole earth with his life and praise (Psalm 115:16-18). Meanwhile, the dead idols can only give the silent grave to those who trust in them.

Where’s the Gospel?

Psalm 115 reminded Israel of the life and death difference between idols that can’t do anything and their God, who does all that he pleases. Ultimately, the unseen God who is in heaven and does whatever he pleases was pleased to become visible in Jesus (John 1:14,18). Whereas humans made idols in their image with deaf ears, blind eyes, and mute tongues, God made himself in our image with hearing ears, seeing eyes, and a speaking tongue. Jesus took on our image so that we could take on his (Romans 8:29). 

Jesus came to make those who had become like dead idols into the image of the living God. Everywhere Jesus went, he gave life to people trapped under idols and death. Throughout his ministry, Jesus opened deaf ears to hear his voice and blind eyes to see him for who he is (Mark 7:32-35; John 9:6-38). He took crippled and stiff limbs and restored them to their proper function (Luke 5:18-25). Jesus was made in our image to heal us from the image of death (Matthew 8:16-17). 

Ultimately, Jesus, the living God, took on our image all the way to death (Philippians 2:6-8). And because he himself rose from the grave, we become like him when we trust him. We can now rise from the deafness, stillness, and muteness of the grave by becoming like Jesus (Romans 6:5). Unlike the dead idols who make the bodies of those who trust in them dead, Jesus makes the bodies of those who trust in him alive. 

God has vindicated his own name to the nations. The nations thought they could kill the God of life. But in his resurrection, the whole world and their gods have seen that, in Jesus, the living God can bring life out of death (Acts 3:15). 

Jesus is not idle. Jesus now reigns from heaven and lives visibly on earth through his church. Those who trust in Jesus become his living body: his mouth, eyes, ears, hands, and feet, in the church (Ephesians 4:10-13; 5:30). Through the church, Jesus’ hands still heal, his mouth still speaks, his feet still move. As he forms us into his image, more and more people leave their dead and silent idols behind to trust and worship Jesus, the living God who is filling the earth with his life.

See for Yourself

I pray that the Holy Spirit would open your eyes to see God, who is far superior to dead and mute idols. And may you see Jesus as the God who became human so that humans can become like him.