Psalm 117:1 ESV
Praise the Lord, all nations! Extol Him, all peoples!
Before Christ, God’s special favor rested on His chosen nation, Israel (Deuteronomy 7:6–7). Other nations were largely condemned or overlooked for their disobedience to their Creator.
Instead of drawing the nations toward God, Israel often drifted after them into disobedience. Time and again, they only turned back to the Lord when they were on the brink of destruction. As soon as God rescued them, they quickly slipped back into rebellion. Centuries later, Christ came to bring salvation to all nations (Acts 15:7), fulfilling what Israel had failed to model.
In this way, Israel’s story mirrors our own lives. Like sheep, we are prone to follow the crowd toward our own ruin, often convinced that we know better than our Shepherd. Our hearts are deceitful and bent toward evil (Jeremiah 17:9). Apart from Christ, our redemption is impossible.
Christ alone can free us from the wickedness within us and empower us to live righteous lives. As Gentiles, we are not part of Israel’s physical lineage. Yet through Christ, God has called us His own and opened a way for all nations to enter into fellowship with Him.
Psalm 117 is the shortest chapter in the Bible and is also at its center. When this psalm was written, Christ had not yet come to redeem the nations. But God was already declaring to the nations that their Savior was coming. Today, that promise has been fulfilled in Jesus, who made a way for every tribe and nation to come into His presence freely.
This season of Lent, let’s remember the Savior’s sacrifice that made this redemption possible. May our worship rise to Him alone. He deserves all glory, honor, and praise, for He is truly Lord of all!
