Exposition on Psalm 117
St. Augustine exhorts the listeners to praise the Lord, acknowledging His sovereignty over all nations and His merciful kindness, which endures forever.
St. Augustine preaches about the universal praise of the Lord, calling on all nations to worship Him. He emphasizes the significance of God's merciful kindness and enduring truth, urging listeners to remember and internalize these qualities. Augustine highlights how God's kindness continues to increase towards His people, leading even hostile nations to acknowledge His Name. He concludes by affirming the eternal nature of God's truth, whether in His promises to the righteous or His warnings to the ungodly.
Text
1. O praise the Lord, all you heathen: praise Him, all you nations Psalm 116:1. These are the courts of the Lord's house, this all His people, this the true Jerusalem. Let those rather listen who have refused to be the children of this city, since they have cut themselves off from the communion of all nations. For His merciful kindness is ever more and more towards us: and the truth of the Lord endures for ever Psalm 116:2.
These are those two things, loving-kindness and truth, which in the CXVth Psalm I admonished you should be committed to memory.
But the merciful kindness of the Lord is ever more and more towards us, since the furious tongues of hostile nations have yielded to His Name, through which we have been freed: and the truth of the Lord endures for ever, whether in those things which He promised to the righteous, or in those which He has threatened to the ungodly.
Sermon Outline
- The Call to Praise
- Recognize God's sovereignty over all nations
- Acknowledge the true Jerusalem as God's house
Key Quotes
“O praise the Lord, all you heathen: praise Him, all you nations” — St. Augustine
“For His merciful kindness is ever more and more towards us: and the truth of the Lord endures for ever” — St. Augustine
Application Points
- We should recognize God's sovereignty over all nations and acknowledge His true house as the place of worship.
- Remembering God's loving-kindness and truth helps us understand His merciful kindness and enduring truth.
- We should praise the Lord, acknowledging His power and authority, which has freed us from hostility.