The Lord’s Faithfulness Endures Forever

Commentary

This psalm is short and sweet; I doubt the reason why we sing it so often as we do is for the shortness of it; but, if we rightly understood and considered it, we should sing it oftener for the sweetness of it, especially to us sinners of the Gentiles, on whom it casts a very favorable eye. Here is:
1. A solemn call to all nations to praise God, (v. 1).2. A proper matter for that praise suggested, (v. 2).
We are soon weary indeed of well-doing if, in singing this psalm, we keep not up those pious and devout affections with which the spiritual sacrifice of praise ought to be kindled and kept burning.
There is a great deal of gospel in this psalm. The apostle has furnished us with a key to it (Rom. 15:11), where he quotes it as a proof that the gospel was to be preached, and would be entertained by the Gentile nations, which yet was so great a stumbling-block to the Jews. Why should that offend them when it is said, and they themselves had often sung it, Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles, and laud him, all you people. Some of the Jewish writers confess that this psalm refers to the kingdom of the Messiah; nay, one of them has a fancy that it consists of two verses to signify that in the days of the Messiah God should be glorified by two sorts of people, by the Jews, according to the law of Moses, and by the Gentiles, according to the seven precepts of the sons of Noah, which yet should make one church, as these two verses make one psalm. Not only is Psalm 117 the shortest chapter in the Bible, it is also the middle chapter. 

Application

Psalm 117 give two reasons for praising God (v. 2): (1) His great love toward me and (2) His faithfulness that endures forever. Regardless of circumstances I want to praise the Lord.