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[1] Psalm 115 begins and ends with an emphasis
on God’s Name. “Yahweh/Yah” occurs a
total of 13x in this Psalm. |
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[2] Lovingkindness and truth are coupled in Genesis 24:27,49; 47:29; Exodus 34:6; Joshua 2:14; 2 Samuel 2:6; 15:20; Psalm 25:10; 61:7; 85:10; 86:15; 89:14; 115:1; Proverbs 3:3; 14:22; 16:6; 20:28. |
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[3] “In the beginning God created man in his own
image and ever since man has sought to return the compliment” (Reinhold
Niebuhr). |
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[4] Before he became Pope, Cardinal Ratzinger wrote a book entitled, The Spirit of the Liturgy. In it he discusses the significance of the tabernacle which is found in every Catholic Church, ‘We must make a proper place
for this Presence.’ And so little by little [over the course of history] the
tabernacle takes shape, and more and more, always in a spontaneous way, it
takes the place previously occupied by the now disappeared “Ark of the
Covenant”. In fact, the tabernacle is
the complete fulfillment of what the Ark of the Covenant represented. It is the place of the “Holy of
Holies”. It is the tent of God, his
throne. Here He is among us. His presence (Shekinah) really does now
dwell among us – in the humblest parish church no less than in the grandest
cathedral…The Eucharistic Presence in the tabernacle does not set another
view of the Eucharist alongside or against the Eucharistic celebration, but
simply signifies its complete fulfillment.
For this Presence has the effect, of course, of keeping the Eucharist
forever in church. The church never
becomes a lifeless space but is always filled with the presence of the Lord,
which comes out of the celebration, leads us into it, and always makes us
participants in the cosmic Eucharist…A church without the Eucharistic Presence
is somehow dead, even when it invites people to pray. But a church in which the eternal light is
burning before the tabernacle is always alive, is always something more than
a building made of stones” (Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger, The Spirit of the Liturgy pp.89,90). This emphasis upon a man made structure is contrary to Old Covenant worship, Psalm 115, and New Covenant worship as explained in the book of Hebrews (see Hebrews 8-10). |
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[5] “Totally unlike the idols who have their own “makers” (מעשׂה, v 4; עשׂיהם, 8), Yahweh is “maker” (עשׂה) of the whole world and so has blessings aplenty to bestow” (Allen, L. C. Vol. 21: Word Biblical Commentary : Psalms 101-150 Revised; p.149). |
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[6]
Question 63 of the Westminster Larger Catechism uses Psalm 115 as a proof
text when it answers the question, What are the special privileges of the
visible church? Answer: “The visible church hath the privilege of being under God’ s special care and government; (Isa. 4:5–6, 1 Tim. 4:10) of being protected and preserved in all ages, notwithstanding the opposition of all enemies; (Ps. 115:1–2,9, Isa. 31:4–5, Zech. 12:2–4,8,9) and of enjoying the communion of saints, the ordinary means of salvation, (Acts 2:39,42) and offers of grace by Christ to all members of it in the ministry of the gospel, testifying, that whosoever believes in him shall be saved, (Ps. 147:19–20, Rom. 9:4, Eph. 4:11–12, Mark 16:15–16) and excluding none that will come unto him (John 6:37).” |
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[7] “The threefold division into Israel, the house of Aaron, and those who fear Jahve is the same as in 118:2–4. In Ps. 135 the “house of Levi” is further added to the house of Aaron.” (Keil, C. F., & Delitzsch, F.; Commentary on the Old Testament [5:711]). |
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[8] Increase is the language of New Testament church growth: Acts 2:41,47; 5:14; 11:24. There is in this regard, an eschatological hope in the Old Testament associated with the creation mandate (Genesis 1:28; cf. 9:1,6-7; 12:2; 17:2,6,8; 22:17-18; 26:3,4,24; 28:3-4; 35:11-12; 47:27; Exodus 1:7; Leviticus 26:9; Isaiah 51:2; 54:1-3; Jeremiah 3:16; 23:3; Ezekiel 36:10-11,29-30; cf. Acts 6:7; 12:24; 19:20; Colossians 1:6,10). |
