Psalm 117 rings forth the universal imperative for all people to live the way human beings were made to live: as vessels of praise to God. Here is the great vision to which the worship of the psalms naturally looks: that one day all the peoples and nations of the earth would bow the knee in worship to God. The practice of calling the whole earth to worship God is an important ingredient in the worship of the psalms. The worshipper is not content here to worship in a minority whilst around him the world is wholly ignoring its creator. As he perceives God through his worship the natural desire of the worshipper is to see the whole earth join in one universal acknowledgement of the sovereignty of God.
There are many reasons to give praise to God but the greatest theme is the unyielding covenant love of God. God is always faithful to his people and he will keep his covenant of blessing. Those who accept God’s provision for the salvation of their souls, the work of Jesus Christ (prefigured in the Old Testament sacrificial system) will be saved indeed and they will join that great multitude in heaven that is spoken of in the psalms and finally in the book of Revelation (7:9-10):
After this I looked and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. And they cried out in a loud voice:
‘Salvation belongs to our God,
who sits on the throne,
and to the Lamb.’
