they have ears, but cannot hear; they have noses, but cannot smell; they have ears, but cannot hear;Idols are fashioned with the appearance of life, yet remain powerless works of human hands. The God of Israel hears His people, remembers His covenant, and answers according to His wisdom. Israel was summoned to hear the Lord in faith and obedience (Deuteronomy 6:4), while lifeless gods could neither receive prayer nor respond to distress. Jesus likewise warned that physical ears do not guarantee a receptive heart: “He who has ears, let him hear” (Matthew 11:15). Those who trust idols increasingly resemble them in spiritual blindness and deafness (Psalm 115:8). Psa 135:17 they have ears, but cannot hear; nor is there…
Ezk 12:2 “Son of man, you are living in a rebellious house…
Jer 5:21 Hear this, O foolish and senseless people……
they have noses, but cannot smell; Pagan images could not receive or delight in the offerings brought before them. In Scripture, the pleasing aroma of sacrifice portrays God’s acceptance of worship offered in obedience and faith (Genesis 8:21; Leviticus 1:9). The Lord does not need food, incense, or sacrifices, but He graciously receives the worship of His people. Christ’s self-giving sacrifice rose to God as a fragrant offering (Ephesians 5:2), and believers are called to live in a manner pleasing to Him. Deu 4:28 And there you will serve man-made gods of wood and stone,…
Amo 5:21 “I hate, I despise your feasts! I cannot stand the stench”…
Lev 26:31 I will reduce your cities to rubble and lay waste…
Persons / Places / Events 1. PsalmistThe author of Psalm 115, traditionally attributed to David or another Israelite leader, who contrasts the living God with lifeless idols. 2. IdolsThe focus of this verse, representing man-made objects of worship that are powerless and senseless. 3. IsraelThe nation to whom the Psalm is addressed, often tempted by idolatry and called to worship the one true God. 4. Pagan NationsSurrounding cultures that worshipped idols, influencing Israel and providing a backdrop for the Psalmist's warnings. 5. Temple WorshipThe context in which the Psalm would be sung, emphasizing the worship of Yahweh over idols. Teaching Points The Futility of IdolatryIdols are powerless and senseless, unable to respond to human needs. This highlights the futility of placing trust in anything other than God. The Living GodUnlike idols, God is living and active, able to hear, see, and respond to His people. This should encourage believers to seek Him in prayer and worship. Spiritual DiscernmentBelievers are called to discern the difference between the living God and lifeless idols, avoiding modern forms of idolatry such as materialism or self-reliance. Faithfulness in WorshipThe Psalm encourages exclusive worship of God, reminding believers of the importance of faithfulness in their relationship with Him. Witness to the WorldBy rejecting idols and worshiping the true God, believers serve as a testimony to the world of God's power and reality. Bible Study Questions 1. How does the description of idols in Psalm 115:6 challenge our understanding of what we might idolize in today's world? 2. In what ways can we ensure that our worship is directed solely towards the living God and not towards "idols" in our lives? 3. How do the additional scriptures (Isaiah 44, Jeremiah 10, etc.) reinforce the message of Psalm 115:6 about the futility of idol worship? 4. What practical steps can we take to develop spiritual discernment and avoid modern forms of idolatry? 5. How can our faithfulness in worship serve as a witness to those around us who may be caught in idolatry or spiritual blindness? Connections to Other Scriptures Isaiah 44This chapter also mocks the futility of idol worship, describing the process of making idols and their inability to save or respond. Jeremiah 10Similar to Psalm 115, this passage contrasts the living God with lifeless idols, emphasizing God's power and sovereignty. 1 Kings 18The account of Elijah and the prophets of Baal highlights the impotence of idols compared to the living God who answers prayer. Acts 17Paul's speech in Athens addresses the futility of idol worship and introduces the Athenians to the "unknown God" who is living and active. Revelation 9Describes the persistence of idol worship even in the face of divine judgment, underscoring the spiritual blindness associated with idolatry. People Aaron, PsalmistPlaces JerusalemTopics Ears, Hearing, Nose, Noses, Sense, SmellDictionary of Bible Themes Psalm 115:6 5147 deafness
5159 hearing
5171 nose Psalm 115:2-7 1080 God, living Psalm 115:2-8 8780 materialism, and sin Psalm 115:2-11 8023 faith, necessity Psalm 115:3-7 5132 biting Psalm 115:3-8 6708 predestination Psalm 115:4-6 5183 smell Psalm 115:4-7 5136 body Psalm 115:4-8 5973 unreliability Psalm 115:5-8 8032 trust, lack of Library The Warning
"And when they had sung a hymn, they went out into the mount of Olives. And Jesus saith unto them, All ye shall be offended: for it is written, I will smite the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered abroad. Howbeit, after I am raised up, I will go before you into Galilee. But Peter said unto Him, Although all shall be offended, yet will not I. And Jesus saith unto him, Verily I say unto thee, that thou today, even this night, before the cock crow twice, shalt deny me thrice. But he spake exceeding …
G. A. Chadwick—The Gospel of St. MarkLetter xxxiv. To Marcella.
In reply to a request from Marcella for information concerning two phrases in Ps. cxxvii. ("bread of sorrow," v. 2, and "children of the shaken off," A.V. "of the youth," v. 4). Jerome, after lamenting that Origen's notes on the psalm are no longer extant, gives the following explanations: The Hebrew phrase "bread of sorrow" is rendered by the LXX. "bread of idols"; by Aquila, "bread of troubles"; by Symmachus, "bread of misery." Theodotion follows the LXX. So does Origen's Fifth Version. The Sixth …
St. Jerome—The Principal Works of St. Jerome Christian Graces.
FAITH. FAITH! Peter saith, faith, in the very trial of it, is much more precious than gold that perisheth. If so, what is the worth or value that is in the grace itself? Faith is so great an artist in arguing and reasoning with the soul, that it will bring over the hardest heart that it hath to deal with. It will bring to my remembrance at once, both my vileness against God, and his goodness towards me; it will show me, that though I deserve not to breathe in the air, yet God will have me an heir …
John Bunyan—The Riches of Bunyan Impiety of Attributing a visible Form to God. --The Setting up of Idols a Defection from the True God.
1. God is opposed to idols, that all may know he is the only fit witness to himself. He expressly forbids any attempt to represent him by a bodily shape. 2. Reasons for this prohibition from Moses, Isaiah, and Paul. The complaint of a heathen. It should put the worshipers of idols to shame. 3. Consideration of an objection taken from various passages in Moses. The Cherubim and Seraphim show that images are not fit to represent divine mysteries. The Cherubim belonged to the tutelage of the Law. 4. …
John Calvin—The Institutes of the Christian Religion Stedfastness in the Old Paths.
"Thus saith the Lord, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls."--Jer. vi. 16. Reverence for the old paths is a chief Christian duty. We look to the future indeed with hope; yet this need not stand in the way of our dwelling on the past days of the Church with affection and deference. This is the feeling of our own Church, as continually expressed in the Prayer Book;--not to slight what has gone before, …
John Henry Newman—Parochial and Plain Sermons, Vol. VII Messiah Derided Upon the Cross
All they that see me laugh me to scorn: they shoot out the lip, they shake the head saying, He trusted on the LORD that he would deliver him: let him deliver him, seeing he delighted in him. F allen man, though alienated from the life of God, and degraded with respect to many of his propensities and pursuits, to a level with the beasts that perish, is not wholly destitute of kind and compassionate feelings towards his fellow-creatures. While self-interest does not interfere, and the bitter passions …
John Newton—Messiah Vol. 1 Triumph Over Death and the Grave
O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin: and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. T he Christian soldier may with the greatest propriety, be said to war a good warfare (I Timothy 1:18) . He is engaged in a good cause. He fights under the eye of the Captain of his salvation. Though he be weak in himself, and though his enemies are many and mighty, he may do that which in other soldiers …
John Newton—Messiah Vol. 2 Divine Support and Protection
[What shall we say then to these things?] If God be for us, who can be against us? T he passions of joy or grief, of admiration or gratitude, are moderate when we are able to find words which fully describe their emotions. When they rise very high, language is too faint to express them; and the person is either lost in silence, or feels something which, after his most laboured efforts, is too big for utterance. We may often observe the Apostle Paul under this difficulty, when attempting to excite …
John Newton—Messiah Vol. 2 The Last Supper
189. On Thursday Jesus and his disciples returned to Jerusalem for the last time. Knowing the temper of the leaders, and the danger of arrest at any time, Jesus was particularly eager to eat the Passover with his disciples (Luke xxii. 15), and he sent two of them--Luke names them as Peter and John--to prepare for the supper. In a way which would give no information to such a one as Judas, he directed them carefully how to find the house where a friend would provide them the upper room that was needed …
Rush Rhees—The Life of Jesus of Nazareth Psalms
The piety of the Old Testament Church is reflected with more clearness and variety in the Psalter than in any other book of the Old Testament. It constitutes the response of the Church to the divine demands of prophecy, and, in a less degree, of law; or, rather, it expresses those emotions and aspirations of the universal heart which lie deeper than any formal demand. It is the speech of the soul face to face with God. Its words are as simple and unaffected as human words can be, for it is the genius …
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament Links Psalm 115:6 NIVPsalm 115:6 NLTPsalm 115:6 ESVPsalm 115:6 NASBPsalm 115:6 KJV
Psalm 115:6 Commentaries
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