I have lived in California most of my life. In High School my best friends were third-generation Japanese-Americans. I took High School Spanish so I could communicate with my Hispanic friends, and we had just about every other major ethnic group there too. So when I began dating my future wife, I was surprised to learn that she had been in a school in North Dakota where all the students were Caucasian, and half of them had the same last name! Living in California has helped me to realize how God loves all people no matter what their nationality, skin color, or ethnic group. Psalm 117 has a powerful message and a wonderful promise concerning God’s love for all the nations of the world.

This psalm is the shortest chapter in the Bible and it is also located at the very center of God’s word. It is known as one of the Hallelu-yah psalms because of its ending words. The Jews sang this psalm on the Day of Atonement celebrating the time when the Gentiles would also join them in praising God.

Spurgeon remarks, "This Psalm, which is very little in its letter, is exceedingly large in its spirit; for, bursting beyond all bounds of race or nationality, it calls upon all mankind to praise the name of the Lord."

The psalmist is anticipating the time when all the nations of the world will worship God. This psalm doesn’t fit our usual perceptions of the Hebrew attitude of themselves as God’s select and unique people, but there are many examples in scripture of God working in Gentiles and God’s promises to all peoples. There are many Biblical accounts of how God blessed non-Hebrews in the Old Testament. God sent Naaman the Syrian to Elisha for healing, and Elijah to the woman at Zarephath. Job was an Edomite and God sent Jonah to spare the Ninevites. Ruth was a Moabite and Rahab was from Jericho. The three wise men were from Persia or another eastern country. Throughout the Bible we see God using people from all nations – whoever would listen to his voice.

As VanGemeren comments, "...the love and plan of God has always included Gentiles, as promised to the patriarchs. ... In Christ the love of God has been more powerfully demonstrated both to Jews and to Gentiles so that all might praise him for his love."

Martin Luther wrote in 1530, "Now if all heathen are to praise God, this assumes that He has become their God. If He is to be their God, then they must know Him, believe in Him.... Thus we are faced with the fact that God sent His apostles and disciples to all heathen, had the Gospel preached, gave His Holy Spirit, redeemed them from sin, death, and the devil, purified their hearts through faith, and thus accepted them as children and heirs and as His own people."

The psalmist points out that "great is his steadfast love toward us." This is precisely why God has included us heathens in his plan of salvation. His steadfast love is great toward us. His mercy and forgiveness are extended to us. We were not born into God’s family, but we have been adopted into it. His mercy reached out to us to include all the nations in his divine plan.

In 1633 John Donne wrote this poem,

Spurgeon tells us, "[God] has kept his covenant promise that in the seed of Abraham should all nations of the earth be blessed, and he will eternally keep every single promise of that covenant to all those who put their trust in him. This should be a cause of constant and grateful praise...."

When we get to heaven, Revelation 7:9 describes what we will see, "After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no man could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands" Just as Psalm 117 has promised, God will redeem people out of all nations by his steadfast love.

The psalm ends with Hallelu yah praise the Lord just as it begins with Hallelu eth Yahweh also praise the Lord! The message of the psalm is that all peoples will be invited to worship God. This message is framed by two exhortations to praise the Lord. Since we are part of those people who have been included in God’s plan for redemption, perhaps we should join the psalmist in praising the Lord.