FALSE GODS VS. THE TRUE GOD (Psalm 115)

The Context of Psalm 115

“Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us, but unto thy name give glory, for thy mercy, and for thy truth's sake.”

What a powerful beginning to Psalm 115!

It is believed that Psalm 115 was written when Jehoshaphat and the people of God conquered their enemies in II Chronicles 20. In reality, God conquered them. It is a beautiful story; you should read it to understand the song's context and story.

When did God give them the victory? When they started praising. They did not wait until after the battle but just started praising the Lord. When they did that, He turned everything. There is power in praise, my friends.

Verses 2-3: “Wherefore should the heathen say, Where is now their God? But our God is in the heavens: he hath done whatsoever he hath pleased.”

In other words, only God could have done this, and only God is worthy of glory and praise. All credit should go to the Lord alone. We take far too much credit when good things happen. If anything good happens, it is all because of the Lord. We are just glad to get in on it. We are spectators more than anything else, watching God at work. In His mercy, the Lord allows us to participate and cooperate with Him, but it is all His doing, and He should get the glory.

The rest of Psalm 115 describes false gods versus the true God. Perhaps I should say it this way: the gods you cannot trust versus the God you can trust.

Let’s start with the gods you cannot trust.

Verse 4: “Their idols are silver and gold, the work of men's hands.” These are manmade idols. We are not referring to the Creator but to objects which people have created.

Do you want a god that is in your hands or the One who holds you in His hand? I don’t know about you, but I want a God much larger than me.

Verses 5-8: “They have mouths, but they speak not: eyes have they, but they see not: They have ears, but they hear not: noses have they, but they smell not: They have hands, but they handle not: feet have they, but they walk not: neither speak they through their throat. They that make them are like unto them; so is every one that trusteth in them.”

Those are pretty strong words. If you let anything take the place of the one true God, you are as dumb as the idol you are worshipping. You are being as silly as the thing you are holding in your hands.

Think of this. Many people worship a god they can carry. I’m glad I have a God who carries me.

This passage describes these false gods well. A similar take can be found in Psalm 135, which we will discuss later in this study.

Notice the shift from these idols to the true God that can be trusted.

Verses 9-11: “O Israel, trust thou in the Lord: he is their help and their shield. O house of Aaron, trust in the Lord: he is their help and their shield. Ye that fear the Lord, trust in the Lord: he is their help and their shield.”

This is not just for Israel. It is for everyone who fears the Lord. There is a connection between fear and faith. It is true in any nation and any generation. If you fear God, trust Him.

Why should we trust Him? The answer is given three times in verses 9-11. “He is their [our] help and their [our] shield.” He protects us on the outside and strengthens us on the inside.

Remember, this was written after a great battle was won, but the people recognized that God was the victor. I am reminded of Proverbs 21:31, which says, “The horse is prepared against the day of battle: but safety is of the Lord.” You can prepare and do your best, but in the end, you will only have victory because of God.

Verses 12-13: “The Lord hath been mindful of us: he will bless us; he will bless the house of Israel; he will bless the house of Aaron. He will bless them that fear the Lord, both small and great.”

Aren’t you glad that God thinks of you? It is amazing even to consider that He would be mindful of us. We are created beings, fallen sinners, a speck of lint on the pages of human history. Yet the Lord thinks of us. Have you thought of Him today?

Notice that these verses break down the same way the previous ones did, with the house of Israel, the house of Aaron, and then everyone who fears God. That is the connection between faith and the blessing. God blesses everyone who trusts Him.

Verse 14: “The Lord shall increase you more and more, you and your children.” Here is the God of abundance, who just provides more and more.

Men give their best up front and then weaken with time. The devil gives his best pleasures up front, weakening them as well. But with God, there is only abundance; there is always more to come. He saves the best for last.

Verses 15-18: “Ye are blessed of the Lord which made heaven and earth. The heaven, even the heavens, are the Lord's: but the earth hath he given to the children of men. The dead praise not the Lord, neither any that go down into silence. But we will bless the Lord from this time forth and forevermore. Praise the Lord.”

What an appropriate ending to this psalm. Stop for a moment right now and praise the Lord. Say it aloud. What a great God we have. As He blesses us, we should give blessings to Him as well.

The God described in Psalm 115 is a God you can trust. Let me challenge you today to trust Him right where you are, regardless of what you are facing. The Lord is able to not only help you but also shield you and bless you.

Praise Him now by faith. Don’t wait until the battle is over; do it during the battle. Praise is an act of faith, and in faith, you will see the God of blessing. This is a God you can trust.