In the ancient world the strongest nations were believed to be associated with the strongest gods. If your army defeated my army then that proved that your gods are stronger than mine. So it is that the psalmist here declares the praises of his God, Yahweh, before and therefore in defiance of the other ‘gods’. The statement is not intended as an acknowledgement of the reality of those other gods. The point is rhetorical. In fact, the psalms repeatedly celebrate the fact that Yahweh actually speaks to his people, hears their prayers and acts on their behalf. This is intended to contrast with false gods who say nothing, hear nothing and do nothing (Psalm 115:5-7). Yahweh, in contrast, has made promises to his people and always proves to be faithful to those promises. He is a God who answers prayer. The psalmist then prays that all the kings of the earth would hear God’s words and come to know and praise him. The truth will always win in the end because it is the truth. Lies may frustrate for a time but they cannot be maintained forever. Don’t ever give up celebrating the truth of what God has done for you before those who do not share your faith. Like this psalmist, let your praise be a continual act of defiance of all that is false. Sow seeds of gospel-truth and have confidence in the power of that seed.
Ask God to give you opportunities to share your faith today.
Read Psalm 138
