In its entirety, Psalm 117 reads,
Extol him, all peoples!
For great is his steadfast love towards us,
And the faithfulness of the Lord endures forever.
Praise the Lord!
At first glance it simply seems like a song of praise to God, which it is. Upon closer look, it reveals a good deal about God in only four sentences.
Today, God's name is praised by all nations. No, nations as a whole are not declaring His praise, but representatives from all nations are. Through Christ, God opened the doors of salvation to all nations. And we can travel to India, Africa, China, Iraq, and everywhere else to find all nations praising Him.
Today, God is being extolled by all peoples. No, all people are not extolling Him, and God's Word never suggests all people will in a saving means (but all will bow eventually when they see Him). But just like the nations, every people group is represented in praising God's name. Every race and ethnicity extol Him because in Christ these things don't matter. He burst through those doors declaring God's salvation open to all who come to Him through Christ.
God's steadfast love refers to His covenant love for His people. And it is great! His covenant love resides with Christ who lived as a man, died on the cross, and rose again. He lived the perfect life making Him the perfect sacrifice. His death on the cross satisfied the wrath of God, paying the penalty of sin, therefore enabling us to be reconciled to the Father. His resurrection gives us new life now to live for Him by the power of the Spirit, while giving us hope of the life to come. This love does not end nor is it based on our performance. Its rests in God's grace poured out on us.
God's faithfulness endured generations before (see Israel) and will continue in the generations ahead. He declared salvation for all coming through the Jews thousands of years before Christ came. When Israel seemed to fail again and again, God remained faithful to His promise. In God's perfect timing, Christ came demonstrating the unwavering faithfulness of God. In Christ we share in the same faithfulness. Though we fail again and again, God's promises hold true. We receive forgiveness, mercy, and grace because He is faithful. He will never leave or forsake. In his timing, He will bring those in Christ to Himself to dwell with Him for all eternity.
Praise the Lord!
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