Hallelujah! The Hymn of Easter--Psalm 115

 

"Not to us, O LORD, not to us, but to Your name give glory, for the sake of Your steadfast love and Your faithfulness!

Why should the nations say 'Where is their God?' Our God is in the heavens; He does all that He pleases.  

Their idols are silver and gold, the work of human hands.  They have mouths, but do not speak; eyes, but not see.

They have ears, but do not hear; noses, but do not smell.

They have hands, but do not feel; feet, but do not walk; and they do not make a sound in their throat.  

Those who make them become like them; so do all who trust in them.  

O Israel, trust 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!

You who fear the LORD, trust in the LORD!  He is their help and their shield.

The LORD has remembered us; He will bless us; He will bless the house of Israel; He will bless the house of Aaron;

He will bless those who fear the LORD, both the small and the great.  

May the LORD give you increase, you and your children!  

May you be blessed by the LORD, who made heaven and earth!

The heavens are the LORD's heavens, but the earth He has given to the children of man.  

The dead do not praise the LORD, nor do any who go down into silence.  

But we will bless the LORD from this time forth and forevermore.

Praise the LORD!"

This third verse of the Hallel would have been recited in it's entirety during every Jewish holiday EXCEPT during the Rosh Chodesh--First of the Month celebration-- and the last six days of Passover.  Only verses 1-11 would be read so, although we will read the whole chapter for context, we will only focus on those verses.  Psalm 115 is the first chapter read after the meal.  

The psalmist makes sure his audience knows that anything Israel has accomplished has been from God, and He should receive the praise!    Other nations have made idols out of precious metals, with their own hands and in their own image.    But these idols do not speak, see, hear, smell, feel, walk, or talk.  The people who worship these created idols become just like them; it's a one way conversation to an idol who has nothing to offer back.  Yet, they look at Israel with pity and confusion,  thinking Israel doesn't have a god because they don't see one.  But they do! He is in heaven, and He does all that He pleases.  And what He "pleases" is to show steadfast, stubborn, unwavering love, mercy, and kindness to His chosen people.  God has a relationship with Israel that is two-sided.  He is their help and their shield, and they put their trust in Him.  

John 13:1-9

After supper, Jesus rose from the table and started removing His outer garments.  He took a towel and wrapped it around His waist.  I can imagine Him singing this hymn, the first hymn sang after supper, as He poured water in a basin and began to wash the disciples feet.  Peter immediately protests, saying "Why would you do this?  You should never wash my feet!"  Not to us, O LORD, not to us, but to your name give glory.  But Jesus replies, "If I don't wash you, you have no share with me."  Jesus is showing His disciples, His chosen people, that He does have a mouth that speaks, ears that hear, a nose that smells, hands that feel, feet that walk.   He has become one of them, God in the flesh, God with them.  In His upside down kingdom, HE kneels before THEM as servant, and shows them steadfast, stubborn, unwavering love, kindness, and mercy.  And He teaches them to do the same to others. 

 

Peter jumped in with both feet (pun intended); but Judas, who already had determined in his heart to betray Jesus, chose the silent, unfeeling, unmoving god made of precious metals, but worth nothing in the end.  Jesus--our help, our shield, our teacher, our Lord--worthy of praise and all of our allegiance. "We will bless the Lord, both now and forever. Hallelujah!!"  (Psalm 115:18 CSB)