Psalm 117

1 Praise the LORD, all nations! Extol him, all peoples!

2 For great is his steadfast love toward us, and the faithfulness of the LORD endures forever. Praise the LORD!

This shortest of psalms and the shortest “chapter” of the Bible could be characterized as the dominant thought of the entire collection of Psalms. It is found within the collection of psalms known as the Egyptian Hallel, or Passover Psalms, and has been used for millennia as a prayer of praise during the meal, perhaps corresponding to the fourth cup of Passover, the cup of praise. The first verse is a command to praise YHWH and it is stated in two parallel lines. “Praise” and “extol” are essentially interchangeable as are “nations” and “tribes” (goyim and ummim). These are referring to the non-Jewish people of the world in their various groupings. The point is that the worship of God should be universal. The LORD of Israel is the lord of everyone, not a regional deity tied to one particular nation and culture. This is good news for everyone: the Creator God is steadfast in his love toward all humanity, and his faithfulness (truth) is unending. This is the reason that He is worthy of universal worship, reverence and obedience. In a way, this is one of those “great commission” passages of the Old Testament. How are the nations and peoples going to worship unless they are told? How will they know of God’s faithful love and truth if we do not go and demonstrate it and communicate it in words? How many are laboring today so that other peoples of the world can sing this song? Bible translators, church planters, benevolence ministries -- the work of God goes on around the world so that more and more voices will join the song. What are you doing today to add another voice to this song? Is there any more important reason to live?