550_Let all nations praise the Lord

Psalm 117 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!

John G. Paton was a missionary to the New Hebrides Islands—today known as Vanuatu—in the South Pacific, which were peopled by cannibals. Despite the danger of being killed and eaten, he went to preach to the islanders, compelled by a deep conviction that the love of Christ was meant not just for his own people but for all nations. He labored for years, often in danger, often alone. Slowly, one by one, people began to listen to his message. When Paton died, it was said that there wasn’t a single village on the island without a Christian congregation. The gospel had taken root among a people once thought unreachable.

That story captures something of Psalm 117, the shortest psalm in the entire Bible. In just two verses, it contains the length and breadth of God’s redemptive purpose: His love is for all nations, and His faithfulness never ends.

The psalm begins with the words:
“Praise the Lord, all you nations; extol Him, all you peoples.”
This call is to every tribe, every language, every culture, every continent—at a time when Israel saw itself as God’s chosen people—a unique nation called into covenant with Him. Breaking through national boundaries, it speaks a prophetic word: God’s salvation is meant, not for Israel alone, but for the whole earth.

This verse, quoted by Paul in Romans 15, tells us that this has always been God’s plan.
“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.”

In other words, Christ Jesus came first to the Jewish people to confirm God’s promises to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob—but also to open the door for all nations to experience mercy and salvation. God’s covenant love, first revealed to one family, was always meant to expand and embrace the world.

Psalm 117, then, is not a small psalm—it’s the seed of the spread of the gospel worldwide, even as Christ Jesus commanded his apostles, after His resurrection: “Go and make disciples of all nations.”

This psalm was one of the Hallel psalms—Psalms 113 to 118—traditionally sung during the Passover, mentioned as among the last acts of the Lord before he went out to Gethsemane on his journey to the cross. As he sang, “Praise the Lord, all you nations,” he knew that his impending death would make that praise possible. He saw beyond the agony of the cross to the joy of fulfilling God’s will—of redeeming, through his death, people from all the ends of the earth, to be a kingdom of priests to God.

Revelation 5 describes John’s vision of the Lamb “as though slain.” And the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fall down before him and sing a new song:

“Worthy are You to take the scroll and to open its seals,
for You were slain, and by Your blood You ransomed people for God
from every tribe and language and people and nation.”

Psalm 117 has become a glorious chorus resounding through eternity—the anthem of the redeemed multitude from every corner of the earth.

And why?
“For great is His steadfast love toward us,
and the faithfulness of the Lord endures forever.”

Steadfast love, or hesed, describes God’s loyal, covenantal love, while the Hebrew word translated as “great” is gabar, meaning strong, prevailing, overcoming. God’s love is not passive—it is a conquering love, a love that overcomes all resistance, powerful enough to win the hardest heart.

For our redemption required far more than a word. God’s word took on flesh, lived among us, and died as a criminal on the cross. The Creator of life allowed Himself to be crushed by his creatures to make atonement through his death for their sin, that they might thereby enter eternal life. That is the measure of His hesed.

Why did he do this? Because “The truth of the Lord endures forever.” It’s not simply that God tells the truth but that He is the truth—utterly trustworthy, unchanging in character and promise. When he told Eve that her offspring would crush the head of the serpent, he was reflecting his own faithfulness, despite human failure and rebellion. That promise stood for centuries, until he fulfilled it by sending his Son, who embodies his covenant love and faithfulness.

John 1: 17 “For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18 No one has ever seen God; God the only Son, who is at the Father’s side, he has made him known.” As Simeon took the baby Jesus in his arms, described in Luke 2:29 describes, he said, “Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace,
according to your word;
30 for my eyes have seen your salvation
31 that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples,
32 a light for revelation to the Gentiles,
and for glory to your people Israel.”

The mystery spoken of in the psalms and other Old Testament passages predicted the blessing that would come on the Gentiles. This curtain was lifted in the New Testament. Paul says in Eph 3:6 This mystery is that the Gentiles are fellow heirs, members of the same body, and partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.

Human love often falters; human promises often fail. But God’s love and faithfulness never will. This is the anchor of our hearts. Psalm 117 reminds us to gaze at the cross, where the Lord’s steadfast love and eternal faithfulness were demonstrated for all eternity.

And so the psalm ends, as it began: “Praise the Lord.” That’s what our response should be in the face of God’s unending love and unswerving loyalty. When our faith is small, let this psalm remind us that we are not unnoticed, nor our prayers unheard. We are part of God’s salvation plan, something far bigger than ourselves. We are named, and held, by God. He who brings all the earth into his redemption will surely complete the good work he began in us.

John G. Paton, the missionary we mentioned earlier, once said, “I confess to you that if I had the world to do over again, I would go to the same place, and live the same life, and die the same death.” For he knew the steadfast love and enduring faithfulness of God. As the Lamb of God, Christ tasted death for every man; he forgives all our sins; and his blood cleanses from all unrighteousness.

In return, let us “Praise the Lord!”One day, in the new heaven and new earth, the vision of psalm 117 will be complete. Every nation will join the chorus: “Praise the Lord!” But we may begin the song here and now—with our lives, our words, and our worship. For he is great, and his mercy and truth endure forever. God bless.