Tue, 24 October, 2006: Today’s Bible readings.
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 is the shortest psalm, but its scope is breathtaking. All nations are called to praise the lord, because of His great love to us.
What do we learn from this?
Consider the struggle within the early church about whether to include Gentiles. Some Jews were quite upset about the conversion of Gentiles and their inclusion among the believers. But if they had considered Psalm 117, they should have realized this day of opening the doors to the Gentiles was coming.
The nations are called to praise God. They are called to join with the people of God, singing God’s praise. And the reason for their praise is because of God’s love towards His people (who now include the Gentiles who are worshiping with them). God promises to be faithful forever, and He will display His love to His people. They (both Jews and Gentiles) will in return praise Him. All the nations will praise Him.
Where is Christ in this passage?
Jesus Christ has broken down the barrier that was once between Jews and Gentiles. We are now all one people of God. He has ended the hostility, and we now join as the people of God, worshiping Him together in the church. This psalm foreshadows the New Testament era, with all nations included in the people of God, united under Jesus Christ.
