THE SHORTEST CHAPTER OF THE BIBLE
Did you know that Psalm 117 is the exact middle chapter of the 1,189 chapters which make up the Bible? Did you know also that Psalm 117 is distinguished by being the shortest chapter in the entire Bible? The Psalm consists of just seventeen words in the original Hebrew.
Psalm 117 is part of a group of Psalms known as the ‘Hallel’, from which we get the word ‘Hallelujah’ – praise the Lord. The ‘Hallel’ is always sung as part of the Jewish Passover celebrations. Psalm 117 itself is a clarion call to worship the one, true God. The two verses of Psalm 117 read:-
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 for ever. Praise the LORD!
We see here, first of all The Call to Divine Worship. Praise the LORD, all nations! Extol Him all peoples! Notice that the call to worship is a universal one, for the God of the Bible is the God of the whole human race, not just the God of the Hebrew race. Paul quotes this Psalm in Romans 15:8 ff. He views it in the light of the universal conquest of the Gospel of Christ. God has His elect in every nation, and He will ensure that these people hear the Gospel of Christ crucified and put their trust in Him and so be eternally saved. Says Paul in Romans 15:8 ff.:- I tell you that Christ became a servant … in order to confirm the promise given to the patriarchs and in order that the Gentiles might glorify God for His mercy. As it is written …’Praise the Lord, all Gentiles, and let all the peoples praise Him …
The universal plight and peril of humanity is sin. The universal provision of God for this universal plight is the Gospel of Christ. The Lord Jesus is the Lamb of God Who takes away the sin of the world (John 1:29). The universal response of the redeemed on their reception of God’s saving mercy in Christ can only be that of praise and thanksgiving. To praise and to extol are synonyms. Praise the LORD all nations. Extol Him all peoples. Note then Psalm 117’s call to divine worship:-
Worship is the declaration by the creature of the greatness of his Creator. It is the glad affirmation by the forgiven sinner of the mercy of his Redeemer. It is the united testimony of an adoring congregation to the perfection of their common Lord. It is the summit of the service of the angels and the climax of the eternal purpose of God for His people. It is mans’ supreme goal here and the consummation of his life in heaven (HA Carson).
Secondly, Psalm 117 gives us The Causes of Divine Worship. Praise the Lord … For great is His steadfast love toward us; and the faithfulness of the LORD endures for ever. The Psalmist then is praising God for His steadfast love, sure love and specific love. Great is His steadfast love toward us, he says. ‘Us’ is specific, not general. The Psalmist is saying that he has been ‘loved with everlasting love, led by grace that love to know.’ The wonder of wonders is that the God of the universe actually singles out individual sinners for eternal blessing!
God’s steadfast love is actually just one word in the Hebrew – the word ‘Hesed.’ Hesed is difficult to translate. It refers to God’s covenant faithfulness; His reliable, dependable love; His grace and mercy; His goodwill and kindness – a love that will not let His people go, but will save, keep and satisfy them for ever. Humbly, we can say that we know more about God’s steadfast love than the Psalmist did, as, unlike him, we have a complete Bible. We know what he didn’t know. The crowning expression and demonstration of God’s love was His sending of His Own Son into the world to procure our salvation. God shows His love for us in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us (Romans 5:8). He … did not spare His Own Son but gave Him up for us all (Romans 8:32).
God’s faithfulness cannot be separated from His steadfast love. God’s faithfulness reminds us of the reliability, dependability and loyalty of His love. He will fulfil His everlasting covenant of grace. He will save His people and bring them to glory. We can relay on Him. He cannot be thwarted or frustrated. Great is Thy faithfulness (Lamentations 3:23). ‘His love is as great as His power, and knows neither measure nor end.’
Finally, Psalm 117 ends by giving us The Command to Divine Worship. Its final words are a summons: Praise the LORD!
Divine worship is the highest occupation in which we can engage. For the believer, worship is both a duty and a delight. ‘It is very meet, right and our bounden duty, that we should at all times and in all places give thanks unto Thee, O Lord, Holy Father, Almighty, Everlasting God …’ (Book of Common Prayer). We owe almighty God an infinite obligation. He is our Maker, Sustainer and Saviour. He alone is great and worthy to be praised. He alone is God. For great is the LRD, and greatly to be praised; He is to be feared above all gods (Psalm 96:4).
It is the worship of God which distinguishes humans from animals and Christians from no Christians. Worship depends on worth – and God’s worth is infinite. It is the heartfelt worship of God which unites the church militant on earth, with the church triumphant in heaven.
So there is Psalm 117. It is the shortest chapter in the Bible, but it will never become obsolete or need to be revised. The redeemed in heaven – a great multitude from all nations – are one with the redeemed on earth in their praises of God. Both can fittingly employ the words of Psalm 117 in its brief but pungent clarion call to worship God, and the reasons for so doing:-
Praise the LORD all nations! Extol Him all peoples! For great is His steadfast love toward us; and the faithfulness of the LORD endures for ever. Praise the LORD!
Timothy Cross
