Three Lessons from the Shortest Psalm

The shortest man in the world stands at 2 feet 1.6 inches. The shortest day of the year is December 21^st. The shortest war in history was the Anglo-Zanzibar War, which lasted about 38 minutes. The Bible’s shortest verse in the English is John 11:35, but in the Greek it is 1 Thessalonians 5:16. The Bible’s shortest chapter is Psalm 117.

Psalm 117 has 33 words and 2 verses. The Psalm is very short. If a newsletter were this short, many would unsubscribe. If a book only included 33 words, people would not buy it. But this Psalm is different. No author is ascribed and no background is necessarily given. Some say it may have been sung at the beginning or end of a temple service.[1] It is a small insertion with powerful tunes. What does this song tell us?   

God Doesn’t Need Many Words to Be Loud. Think about the high volume these phrases ring:

• “Help!”

• “I love you.”

• “No!”

• “I can do it.”

Similarly, when God speaks, even when it is a small number of words, the whole creation stops to hear. It is like the quiet man in the friend group who does not regularly say much, but when he does, everyone stops talking to listen attentively. Every word of God is precious, and we should listen to God just as much when He writes a pamphlet as when He writes a book. Jesus’ lessons were often brief. Paul’s letters were sometimes short. Roy Deaver said, “A poem does not have to be long to be brilliant. A sermon does not have to be eternal to be immortal. Often it is the case that the shortest is the best.”[2]

This Psalm is Short, But with a BIG Focuses. The main focus of this Psalm is God. He is mentioned three times and every time the name LORD (Jehovah-ASV) is used. His name is wonderful and mightier than any name. It was so great that His name would not even be written down by scribes. The Psalm begins and ends with Him. The Psalm praises Jehovah, what larger task can be done by mere mortals? Second, God’s work is also mentioned. Verse 1 is quoted by Paul in Romans 15:11 in reference to the Gentiles praising God. These small words in Psalm 117 predict a BIG opening of God’s kingdom, by foretelling the entrance of the Gentiles into the Kingdom of Heaven. Third, a note about God’s attributes are given. While we are thankful that God is just and holy, we might be more thankful for His merciful kindness toward us. We are also thankful that His truth endures for ever, which hints at His faithfulness (1 Corinthians 1:9; Titus 1:2). If these were the only words available to show us the beauty of God, they would be enough! It is through His truth that we learn how to obey Him and through His merciful kindness that we can learn to appreciate Him.

"Praise the LORD": Short But Important. There are some powerful applications from this phrase:  

• Proclamation. Praise is a verbal cry to God heard by fellow Christians in worship and sinners who visit. Singing educates (Colossians 3:16) and encourages people to do the same. 

• Obligation. Not “please praise the Lord” or “it would be a good idea to praise the Lord” as if there was a pleading or a suggesting. Every person has the obligation to praise the Lord (See Psalm 66:1, 4; 148).

• Continuation. How often should we praise the Lord? Organizationally and Scripturally, worship is to be done every week. But God loves to hear His children sing, study, and pray throughout the week too. Praise ought to be a way of life and not limited to circumstance.

Don’t forget the short verses, there is much power in them.  

Endnotes

[1]Albert Barnes.

[2]Tom Wacaster, The Songs and Devotions of David Volume 6 Psalm 109-119, (Pulaski: Sain Publications, 2005), 159.