¹Not to us, O Lord, not to us, but to Your name give glory because of Your lovingkindness, because of Your truth.

This psalm is a polemic, that is, an argument that trusting in anything other than Yahweh God is worthless. He alone is a real deity, and He acts in real time and real life to bless those who respect and trust in Him. More importantly, though, this psalm is a call to re-energize our praise for Him for all He has done and will do for us.

Like the other psalms in this Hallel collection (113-118), no inscription is given to indicate the historical background. However, from later secular historical records, we learn this collection was recited at various feasts and celebrations in Israel. Psalm 113 calls God’s people to praise Him for His greatness, especially as He humbles Himself to exalt the poor and needy. This is the characteristic of God that He wants His people always to remember. Psalm 114 reviews the Lord’s superintending the formation of the Jewish nation through Exodus from Egypt and entry into the Promised Land. Psalm 115 now adds to the festive celebrations a call to remember there is one and only one real deity, and His name is Yahweh, God of Israel. All other supposed objects of worship are ridiculously unworthy of any allegiance because, simply put, they are nothing.

The psalm begins with the existence and glory of God. He reveals Himself through the name “Yahweh” (as indicated by the term “Lord” in small caps). His glory is not artificial; it originates from Himself. In contrast, pagan cultures erected wooden and stone statues made by the fanciful, artistic creation of human hands. It was thought the more elaborate and glorious these man-made constructions were, the more the people would be motivated to worship before them. However, that was man-made glory. God’s glory is in an entirely different category of consideration, not only because of His unmatched greatness but because of His outlasting anything human-related.

Notice three keywords in verse 1. God’s glory is His; it is not given to Him but emanates from Him. His glory is independent of human effort. His lovingkindness is central to God’s action towards those who fear Him. His truth (as translated in the NASB and NKJV) is rendered in most other modern versions as faithfulness. The underlying Hebrew word conveys the idea of certainty. This fits with how the NT describes faith: “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. (Heb 11:1). The truth/faithfulness of God in Psalm 115:1 conveys the realness, certainty, and actuality of God’s existence and His activities in the world. This is an essential assertion in contrast to the imaginary pretense of wooden or stone statues, which are nothing more than figments of the artisan’s imagination.

In verse 2, the writer challenges his readers not to fall for the taunting narrative that the God (elohim) of the Jews is no different than the elohims of the many pagan creations; don’t be goaded into answering derisive pseudo-questions like, “Where, now, is their God?” The response, to use the general reference to deity, is essentially, “Our Elohim is in the heavens,” which implies that He is not man-made here on earth.

Further, the God of Israel is not swayed by the bidding of His worshippers, as the pagans tried with their idols, trying to coerce their elohim (vs. 3). Yahweh God acts independently and unmotivated by human desires. His attitude and actions toward believers are based on His character as defined by lovingkindness, that is, His commitment to the covenant He makes to love His people.

Verse 4-8 hammers home the lifelessness of man-made idols. Although they are fashioned with expensive construction materials (like silver and gold), they are man-made, as opposed to God-revealed. No construction, no matter how fanciful and artistic, can adequately represent the true God, and that is, at least in part, why the second commandment is given:

“You shall not make for yourself an idol, or any likeness of what is in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the water under the earth. You shall not worship them or serve them … (Exo. 20:4–5a)

Some today say that pagans were not actually worshipping the wood or stone idols but the spiritual deities those things represent. God didn’t get the memo on that (tongue in cheek), and He doesn’t make that distinction. Even if that were the case, worshipping before idols still falls under God’s judgment.

It seems ridiculous that anyone would think that human-made statues could act like God when these inanimate objects cannot speak, see, hear, smell, feel, walk, or make any sound. We can almost hear the mocking elocution of the writer when he retorts: “Those who make them will become like them, everyone who trusts in them” (vs. 8). It is true that we humans become like what we worship. We were created to know and worship the true God, Creator of the universe, identified by name to Israel as Yahweh. We were made in His image, and our life’s purpose, inherently, is to act in and reflect His image back to Him. Turning worship toward man-made or man-devised replacements from the true and certain God reduces a person to becoming a creature of his own making, just like the false gods he has created.

False idols are not just physical creations, but can be anything that we fear more than God. Idols can be money, prestige, financial security, power, or pride. There is no limit to human creativity to come up with substitutes for God, all of which are ridiculous. Some appeal to the “powers that be” or have a thankful attitude, but do not give sufficient “certainty” to the reality of the one or thing to which they appeal or give thanks. This is just as silly as worshipping physical idols.

The psalm turns from the theological polemic to what we should do with knowing the unassailable reality of God. The call to trust in the Lord goes out in three states: first to Israel (vs. 9), second to the descendants of Aaron, the priestly class, that is, the ones to serve as mediators between Israel and Yahweh (vs. 10), and finally to all “you who fear the Lord” (vs. 10). In each case, the charge is identical: “Trust in the Lord; He is their help and their shield.” This is a reality of God’s certain existence—He protects His people, all those who trust in Him.

The psalmist lays out the matter beautifully in verses 12-13—to all who trust in the Lord (which is parallel to and therefore synonymous with “those who fear the Lord” in vs. 13), God will bless, regardless of our social or societal position here on earth. All the faithful can join the refrain: “The Lord has been mindful of us; He will bless us.”

The final prayer for faithful readers is prosperity (vs. 14). In the ancient world, the social safety net came with having a growing clan with many children, grandchildren, etc. For us today, our prosperity, at its core, is to rest securely in the practical needs of life. Why? Because our blessings come not from man-made efforts but from the Creator God of the universe (vs. 15).

Lord, I trust in You as my God, whose glory and lovingkindness are what I live for. Thank you for being mindful of me and blessing me—something I don’t deserve but fully embrace as Your gift to me.