Psalms 115: Not to Us, but Your Name
A Hallel psalm that exposes the emptiness of idols and calls God's people to trust the living God who is their help and shield.
Psalms 115 (WEB)
1 Not to us, Yahweh, not to us, but to your name give glory, for your loving kindness, and for your truth’s sake.
2 Why should the nations say, “Where is their God, now?”
3 But our God is in the heavens. He does whatever he pleases.
4 Their idols are silver and gold, the work of men’s hands.
5 They have mouths, but they don’t speak. They have eyes, but they don’t see.
6 They have ears, but they don’t hear. They have noses, but they don’t smell.
7 They have hands, but they don’t feel. They have feet, but they don’t walk, neither do they speak through their throat.
8 Those who make them will be like them; yes, everyone who trusts in them.
9 Israel, trust in Yahweh! He is their help and their shield.
10 House of Aaron, trust in Yahweh! He is their help and their shield.
11 You who fear Yahweh, trust in Yahweh! He is their help and their shield.
12 Yahweh remembers us. He will bless us. He will bless the house of Israel. He will bless the house of Aaron.
13 He will bless those who fear Yahweh, both small and great.
14 May Yahweh increase you more and more, you and your children.
15 Blessed are you by Yahweh, who made heaven and earth.
16 The heavens are the heavens of Yahweh; but the earth has he given to the children of men.
17 The dead don’t praise Yah, neither any who go down into silence;
18 But we will bless Yah, from this time forward and forever more. Praise Yah!
Psalms 115 (KJV)
1 Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us, but unto thy name give glory, for thy mercy, and for thy truth’s sake.
2 Wherefore should the heathen say, Where is now their God?
3 But our God is in the heavens: he hath done whatsoever he hath pleased.
4 Their idols are silver and gold, the work of men’s hands.
5 They have mouths, but they speak not: eyes have they, but they see not:
6 They have ears, but they hear not: noses have they, but they smell not:
7 They have hands, but they handle not: feet have they, but they walk not: neither speak they through their throat.
8 They that make them are like unto them; so is every one that trusteth in them.
9 O Israel, trust thou in the Lord: he is their help and their shield.
10 O house of Aaron, trust in the Lord: he is their help and their shield.
11 Ye that fear the Lord, trust in the Lord: he is their help and their shield.
12 The Lord hath been mindful of us: he will bless us; he will bless the house of Israel; he will bless the house of Aaron.
13 He will bless them that fear the Lord, both small and great.
14 The Lord shall increase you more and more, you and your children.
15 Ye are blessed of the Lord which made heaven and earth.
16 The heaven, even the heavens, are the Lord’s: but the earth hath he given to the children of men.
17 The dead praise not the Lord, neither any that go down into silence.
18 But we will bless the Lord from this time forth and for evermore. Praise the Lord.
Psalms 115 (ASV)
1 Not unto us, O Jehovah, not unto us, But unto thy name give glory, For thy lovingkindness, and for thy truth’s sake.
2 Wherefore should the nations say, Where is now their God?
3 But our God is in the heavens: He hath done whatsoever he pleased.
4 Their idols are silver and gold, The work of men’s hands.
5 They have mouths, but they speak not; Eyes have they, but they see not;
6 They have ears, but they hear not; Noses have they, but they smell not;
7 They have hands, but they handle not; Feet have they, but they walk not; Neither speak they through their throat.
8 They that make them shall be like unto them; Yea, every one that trusteth in them.
9 O Israel, trust thou in Jehovah: He is their help and their shield.
10 O house of Aaron, trust ye in Jehovah: He is their help and their shield.
11 Ye that fear Jehovah, trust in Jehovah: He is their help and their shield.
12 Jehovah hath been mindful of us; he will bless us: He will bless the house of Israel; He will bless the house of Aaron.
13 He will bless them that fear Jehovah, Both small and great.
14 Jehovah increase you more and more, You and your children.
15 Blessed are ye of Jehovah, Who made heaven and earth.
16 The heavens are the heavens of Jehovah; But the earth hath he given to the children of men.
17 The dead praise not Jehovah, Neither any that go down into silence;
18 But we will bless Jehovah From this time forth and for evermore. Praise ye Jehovah.
Summary
Psalm 115 begins with one of Scripture's great declarations of God-centered humility: "Not to us, Yahweh, not to us, but to your name give glory." When the nations taunt, "Where is their God?" the psalmist answers that God is in the heavens and does whatever he pleases. He then contrasts the living God with the idols of the nations—silver and gold, the work of human hands, with mouths that cannot speak, eyes that cannot see, and ears that cannot hear. The sobering warning follows: those who make idols become like them, lifeless and useless, and so does everyone who trusts in them. We become like what we worship. Against this emptiness, the psalm issues a threefold call to trust in the Lord, addressed to Israel, the house of Aaron, and all who fear him, declaring that he is their help and shield. God remembers his people and will bless them, both small and great, and he invites them to increase. The psalm ends by affirming that while the dead are silent, the living will bless the Lord forevermore. It is a stirring summons to give God all glory and to fix our trust on him alone.
Voices
- The covenant people — Israel, the house of Aaron, and all who fear the Lord, called to trust him as their help and shield.
- Yahweh (the LORD) — The living God in the heavens who does as he pleases, blesses his people, and deserves all glory.
- The idols and their makers — The lifeless images of silver and gold, and the nations who craft and trust them, becoming as empty as what they worship.
Key Verse
Psalm 115:1 (WEB)
Not to us, Yahweh, not to us, but to your name give glory, for your loving kindness, and for your truth’s sake.
Lessons Learned
- All glory belongs to God, not to ourselves—even for our salvation (Psalm 115:1).
- God is sovereign and free, doing whatever he pleases from the heavens (Psalm 115:3).
- Idols are powerless and empty, and we become like what we worship (Psalm 115:4-8).
- True security is found in trusting the Lord, who is our help and shield (Psalm 115:9-11).
- The living God blesses his people and is to be praised by all who have breath (Psalm 115:12-18).
- Glory belongs to God alone. "Not to us, Yahweh, not to us, but to your name give glory" (Psalm 115:1, WEB). Even our salvation magnifies him, not us.
- God does as he pleases. "Our God is in the heavens. He does whatever he pleases" (Psalm 115:3, WEB). His sovereign freedom is the answer to every taunt.
- We become like what we worship. "Those who make them will be like them" (Psalm 115:8, WEB). Idolatry deadens; true worship gives life.
- Trust the living God. Three times the call rings out, "trust in Yahweh! He is their help and their shield" (Psalm 115:9-11, WEB). Real security rests in him alone.
- The living are made to praise. "But we will bless Yah, from this time forward and forever more" (Psalm 115:18, WEB). Praise is the purpose of our redeemed life.
- What does it mean to pray, "Not to us, but to your name give glory"?
- How does the truth that God "does whatever he pleases" comfort us when others ask, "Where is your God?"
- In what ways might we still "become like" the things we trust instead of God?
- What does it mean that the Lord is our "help" and our "shield"?
- What modern idol are you tempted to trust, and how can you redirect that trust to the living God?
- The opening plea hands all credit to God (115:1). It is a confession that we contribute nothing to our salvation and that God's glory, not our reputation, is the point. Help the group examine where they crave glory for themselves.
- Against the nations' mockery, the psalmist answers with God's sovereignty (115:3). When God seems hidden, his freedom to act as he pleases assures us he is neither absent nor powerless. Encourage members to rest in God's reign.
- Verse 8 warns that worshipers become like their idols—lifeless and empty. We are shaped by what we treasure. Invite honest reflection on what we trust, and how that trust forms us for good or ill.
- A help and shield is a present rescuer and a protector (115:9-11). The threefold call invites everyone, from the whole nation to the individual, to lean on God. Affirm that no one is excluded from this trust.
- This is a personal-application question. Idols today may be money, image, control, or approval. Invite members to name one and to redirect their trust to the living God. As leader, close by giving God the glory together.