Bird's-eye view
This brief section of Psalm 115 marks a pivotal turn from defense to declaration. Having established the utter vanity of idols and the solitary majesty of the living God who dwells in the heavens, the psalmist now turns to the congregation with a torrent of confident assurance. The core message is this: the God who made everything has not forgotten His people. His memory is not a passive recollection but an active, covenantal commitment that unleashes blessing. This blessing is not vague or ethereal; it is specific, comprehensive, and generational. It flows from God's character as the Creator and is directed toward His covenant people, defined not by status but by their reverent fear of Him. This is a corporate pronouncement of faith, a confident assertion that Yahweh will be faithful to His promises, resulting in the increase of His people for His own glory.
The structure is a beautiful crescendo of blessing. It begins with the foundational statement of God's remembrance, then specifies the recipients of the blessing (all of Israel, the priests, and all who fear Him), and culminates in a priestly benediction for generational increase, grounded in the ultimate authority of the Creator of heaven and earth. It is a robust answer to the pagan taunt from earlier in the psalm, "Where is their God?" The answer is that our God is in the heavens, and He is a God who remembers and blesses.
Outline
- 1. The Foundation and Scope of Covenant Blessing (Ps 115:12-15)
- a. The Foundation: God Remembers (Ps 115:12a)
- b. The Promise: God Will Bless (Ps 115:12b-13)
- i. The Blessing on the Nation (Ps 115:12c)
- ii. The Blessing on the Priesthood (Ps 115:12d)
- iii. The Blessing on All the Faithful (Ps 115:13)
- c. The Benediction: A Prayer for Increase (Ps 115:14)
- d. The Grounding: The Blessing of the Creator (Ps 115:15)
Context In Psalms
Psalm 115 is one of the Hallel psalms (Psalms 113-118), which were sung by Israel at their great festivals, most notably the Passover. This context is crucial. As the Passover lamb was eaten, Israel sang of the God who was utterly distinct from the idols of the nations. The first part of the psalm (vv. 1-8) is a masterful polemic against idolatry, contrasting the mute, blind, and deaf idols of human hands with Yahweh, the God who is in the heavens and does whatever He pleases. Following this, the psalmist exhorts Israel, the house of Aaron, and all who fear the Lord to trust in Him (vv. 9-11). Our passage (vv. 12-15) is the confident result of that trust. Because our God is the living God and not an idol, and because we have placed our trust in Him, we can be absolutely certain of His blessing. The psalm concludes with a call for the living to praise Yahweh, a praise that will extend forever. The entire psalm, therefore, moves from the problem of idolatry to the confidence of blessing and the response of praise.
Key Issues
- The Nature of God's "Remembrance"
- The Comprehensive Scope of the Covenant
- The Fear of Yahweh as the Defining Mark of a Believer
- Generational Blessing and the Covenant
- The Creator/Creature Distinction
The Blessings of a Remembering God
There is a world of difference between a god made of wood and a God who made the wood. The first half of this psalm is dedicated to making that distinction as sharp and as cutting as possible. The idols of the nations are nothing. They have mouths but cannot speak, eyes but cannot see. They are a cosmic joke. But our God is in the heavens; He has done all that He pleased. After driving this point home, the psalmist turns to the implications. What does it mean to be the people of such a God? The answer is found here. It means we are the objects of His active, powerful, and unstoppable blessing.
This is not wishful thinking. It is the logical and theological consequence of who God is. The God who is sovereign over all creation is also sovereign in His love for His people. The taunt of the heathen, "Where now is their God?" is answered not with an argument, but with a benediction. He is right here, remembering us, and preparing to bless us.
Verse by Verse Commentary
12 Yahweh remembered us; He will bless! He will bless the house of Israel. He will bless the house of Aaron.
The psalmist begins with a statement of historical fact that is also a statement of faith: "Yahweh remembered us." In the Bible, when God "remembers," it does not mean He was previously forgetful and something jogged His memory. It is a covenantal term. It means God is now moving to act upon His sworn promises. He remembered Noah, and the floodwaters receded. He remembered His covenant with Abraham, and He delivered Israel from Egypt. For God to remember is for God to act in salvation. This past remembrance becomes the foundation for future confidence: "He will bless!" This is not a question, but a certainty. The blessing is then specified. He will bless the "house of Israel," which refers to the entire covenant people in their civil and national life. He will also bless the "house of Aaron," which refers to the priesthood, the formal worship and ecclesiastical life of the people. This is a comprehensive blessing that touches every part of the covenant community.
13 He will bless those who fear Yahweh, The small together with the great.
After specifying the nation and the priesthood, the psalmist now defines the true recipient of the blessing in spiritual terms. The blessing is for "those who fear Yahweh." This is the heart of the matter. The true Israel is not defined by bloodline alone, but by a heart that reveres God. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and it is also the prerequisite for blessing. It is a posture of awe, reverence, and submission before the living God. And this blessing is radically democratic. It is for "the small together with the great." In God's economy, there is no favoritism based on social status, wealth, or influence. The humble servant girl who fears God is just as much a recipient of this promised blessing as the mighty king on his throne. The only status that matters in the kingdom of God is that of a humble worshiper.
14 May Yahweh give you increase, You and your children.
The tone now shifts from a declaration of what God will do to a direct, priestly benediction upon the congregation. "May Yahweh give you increase." The Hebrew word for increase, yasaph, is a direct echo of the creation mandate to be fruitful and multiply and the Abrahamic promise of countless descendants. This is not simply a prayer for more babies, though it certainly includes that. It is a prayer for the expansion and flourishing of the people of God in every way. It is a postmillennial prayer, a prayer for the steady advance of the kingdom. And notice the explicitly generational nature of it: "You and your children." The covenant is not a one-generation affair. God's promises and blessings are intended to flow down through the family line. Faithfulness is meant to be passed from parent to child, and the blessing of God is meant to rest upon that process.
15 May you be blessed of Yahweh, Who made heaven and earth.
The benediction concludes by grounding the blessing in the ultimate reality: the identity of the Blesser. The blessing has power because of who gives it. It is a blessing from "Yahweh, Who made heaven and earth." This circles back to the beginning of the psalm. The idols are made by men; our God made all men. The idols are stuck on earth; our God made the earth and the heavens too. The one who speaks this blessing into existence is the same one who spoke the entire cosmos into existence. His creative power underwrites His covenantal promises. This is why our faith is not in vain. The blessing is not a flimsy platitude; it is a word of power spoken by the sovereign Lord of all, and what He says, goes.
Application
We live in a world that still taunts the people of God. "Where is your God?" they ask, when they see sickness, or political corruption, or sin in the church. This psalm gives us our answer. Our God is the one who remembers His promises, and He is the one who blesses His people. We must cultivate a deep-seated confidence in the covenant-keeping character of God.
This passage teaches us that the defining mark of God's people is the fear of the Lord. We must therefore fight against all forms of casual, flippant, man-centered Christianity. Our worship should be characterized by reverence and awe. Our lives should be lived in the constant awareness that we serve a holy God who is a consuming fire. This fear is not a cowering terror but a joyful submission that banishes all other fears.
Furthermore, we must recover a generational vision for the faith. The blessing is for "you and your children." We cannot be content with a faith that is only for ourselves. We are called to diligently teach our children the ways of the Lord, to build covenant households that serve as outposts of the kingdom of heaven. We should pray expectantly for God to give us increase, for our families and our churches to grow and flourish for His glory.
Finally, our confidence is anchored in the power of our Creator God. When we feel small and the world seems big, when the idols of our age, be they secularism, scientism, or political power, seem imposing, we must remember that our God made heaven and earth. The blessings He promises are backed by infinite power. He who spoke galaxies into being is more than capable of fulfilling His every promise to you and to your children.