Psalm 115:1-8 - Glory to the Name of the Lord

Psalm 115:1-8
1 Not to us, O Lord, not to us,
But to Your name give glory
Because of Your lovingkindness, because of Your truth.
2 Why should the nations say,
“Where, now, is their God?”
3 But our God is in the heavens;
He does whatever He pleases.
4 Their idols are silver and gold,
The work of man’s hands.
5 They have mouths, but they cannot speak;
They have eyes, but they cannot see;
6 They have ears, but they cannot hear;
They have noses, but they cannot smell;
7 They have hands, but they cannot feel;
They have feet, but they cannot walk;
They cannot make a sound with their throat.
8 Those who make them will become like them,
Everyone who trusts in them.

Message: Glory to the Name of the Lord

Time: Based upon authorship and subject matter, Psalms cover a range of centuries. David is mentioned 73 times, Solomon 2, Moses 1, and 50 designate no specific person. It is believed they were compiled around 537 BC. The psalms deal with such subjects as God and His creation, war, worship, wisdom, sin and evil, judgment, justice, and the coming of the Messiah.

What the Lord is Saying:
I believe Chris Tomlin's second album Arriving opens with the song Not to Us. The chorus is:

Not to us, but to Your name be the glory

Wow. That is this verse from Psalm 115.

Overall, this Psalm is about idolatry and exposing it and contrasting it to the worship of the true God.

Appreciation - The Sanctity of God's Name
Our redemption is forever associated with the act of our Great God. Thus, it is His Name that we will forever glorify, not ours. And in this verse, that idea of not to us is repeated, like an exclamation point and further clarification: Not to us, O Lord, not to us, but to Your name give glory. 

Appreciation - The Scoffers of God's Fame
There will always be scoffers of God. There will always be those that call into question his existence, authority, sovereignty. Why should the nations say, “Where, now, is their God?” God's name is cursed more than ever as society looks more and more unlike God and things of God. God remains patient. He understands people and He is kind, waiting for people to come to repentance. His timing is perfect. Those that don't believe in God thing they can somehow call on God to act. When he doesn't respond, they think they are proving that he doesn't exist. They are proving that He remains patient.

Appreciation - The Straightness of God's Aim
But God does as he wishes. He is not under my authority nor the authority of man. I must even remember this that He will act in a way that is best for him and for me. He sees all and knows all. But our God is in the heavens; He does whatever He pleases.

Appraisal - The Form of the Idol
Their idols are silver and gold, the work of man’s hands. They have mouths, but they cannot speak; they have eyes, but they cannot see; they have ears, but they cannot hear; they have noses, but they cannot smell; they have hands, but they cannot feel; they have feet, but they cannot walk; they cannot make a sound with their throat. I suppose from the perspective of God it seems absurd to believe in something that has been crafted by man or is even an animal that is a creation of God. It makes as much sense talking to a garden gate or bench. Why do people elevate these creatures, these objects to the status of God. It doesn't make sense to me, but that is my perspective. And as I know there are other idols in our lives that we erect in place of our worship of God, that I'm sure don't make sense either to God.

Appraisal - The Folly of the Idolator
Those who make them will become like them, everyone who trusts in them. The worship of idols creates this hold on us as we almost habitually allow them to become a part of our lives and then we can't see it anymore as it takes hold of our minds. The only thing that can change this is a change of heart. It's sad to watch this happen. And yet I see it all too often in my boys, more specifically my youngest son and his attachment to a drug in his life.

Promise: This passage begins with a prayer - not to us, O Lord, not to us, but to your name give glory. I need to continue to give praise to the Lord and continue to pray giving glory to his name.

Prayer: Lord, help me to always remember that you are my God in the heavens and you do as you please. It is not to me, but to your name be the Glory. Help me to always realize that people will question you, but you are the unseen personal God. It is sad to see people worshiping idols that are fashioned in the more of a god. Remove this from people's lives, specifically from my families lives. Help us all to be surrendered to you and your ways.