Psalms 117:1-2
1 O praise the LORD, all ye nations: praise him, all ye people.
2 For his merciful kindness is great toward us: and the truth of the LORD endureth for ever. Praise ye the LORD.
The fifth song of the Hallel is the shortest in the Psalter. In it in a very deep sense, is fulfilled the saying so common that “Brevity is the soul of wit.” It lives indeed with the wisdom of perfect realisation. It is the pure song of the people of Jehovah. It is the song of Israel, the ideal servant of Jehovah.
It is addressed to all peoples. They are called upon to praise and laud Jehovah because His truth endureth for ever. In the long process of the centuries Israel never fully realised this ideal. At last the purpose was consummated in a Person. All the ancient prophecies found in Him their potential fulfilment. In that upper room the song was a solo as to actual experience. By the union of grace and truth, in and through Jesus, the call to praise went out to all nations and peoples. Those who joined Him in the song that night were made able to sing in following days with meaning and with force; and that is the song with which the Church has gone forth ever since to woo and win the peoples to Jehovah. Ere the work of Jesus be finally completed, the Israel of God herself will sing that song perfectly, and the nations and peoples will respond.