Extol Him, All Peoples – Psalm 117

Shortest psalm in the Bible!

Praise the LORD, all nations!  Extol him, all peoples!  For great is his steadfast love toward us, and the faithfulness of the LORD endures forever.  Praise the LORD!  (Psalm 117 ESV)

Paul quotes this passage in Romans 15:11 after explaining, “For I tell you that Christ became a servant to the circumcised to show God’s truthfulness, in order to confirm the promises given to the patriarchs, and in order that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy” (Romans 15:8-9).  The psalmist’s call for all nations to worship Yahweh was the driving message to Israel that she must seek to bring the Gentiles, the non-Israelites, into the fold of God’s grace and salvation.  God told Abraham that all nations would be blessed in him and God’s missionary mindset must be fulfilled and is being fulfilled in Jesus.  Sadly, now, most of Israel does not believe in Yahweh and the saving of Gentiles is meant to provoke Israel to jealousy. We must not fail to reach out to her as we reach out to all nations with the gospel.