| Psalm 116 — God Met in Our Despair
When we find ourselves under great adversity with our troubles pressing heavy upon us, there are few times we can then say to ourselves, "Return to your rest, O my soul" (v. 3-7). Our appreciation and sincere thankfulness for the good in our lives becomes acute when that good has been removed for a season. No one appreciates clean, refreshing water like a person on the verge of death in a dry and thirsty land. So it is for God. We hear with our ears that God is gracious, righteous, and merciful, but it may be little more than a string of words. No words can describe our gratitude when our minds and emotions—our very lives—are being crushed under the weight of life's troubles and God restores us with His abundant life. Our dull, unthankful hearts often are not awakened by anything less than trouble! Let our troubles become a messenger of God's bountiful riches and the path to abundant joy found in thankful praise to our God. Psalm 117 — God's Riches Revealed
God's mercy and truth are often unseen by both believer and non-believer and the great loss that results is more than can be calculated. As gold is of no value if left in the mine, so God is of no personal value if His riches are neither known nor appreciated by faith. The psalmist therefore asks a Gentile world that had little understanding of God to see Him through the lens of His people. To look at the lives of God's people and see the proof of a merciful, kind God. The truth of God should be on display by all who claim to know Him. His truth not only sets us free to enjoy the riches of God's grace, but is for the world to make such riches their own. Psalm 118 — I Fear No Man for God is with Me
The psalmist found himself in deep and troubled waters. Distress pressed hard against him. At times, such is life for us all. We are visited by troubles that defy any human solution. It is in these moments that what once was only a distant concept of God can become a life-changing reality. For the psalmist, God became close and personal, committed to taking on his troubles. When we turn to God in such times as this, He becomes so real that we too can declare, if God is for me, what can man do to me? (v. 6.) It is clear where our trust must lay. Not in the shifting loyalties and half-promises of man, but in God (v. 8-9). God is the author of each new day and we will find this is more than sufficient to live in hope and rejoicing; "Oh give thanks to the Lord, for He is good!" | |||
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Psalm 116-118 Thanksgiving for Deliverance from Death 1 I love the LORD, because He has heard 2 Because He has inclined His ear to me, 3 The pains of death surrounded me, 4 Then I called upon the name of the LORD: "O LORD, I implore You, deliver my soul!" 5 Gracious is the LORD, and righteous; 6 The LORD preserves the simple; 7 Return to your rest, O my soul, 8 For You have delivered my soul from death, 9 I will walk before the LORD 10 I believed, therefore I spoke, "I am greatly afflicted." 11 I said in my haste, "All men are liars." 12 What shall I render to the LORD 13 I will take up the cup of salvation, 14 I will pay my vows to the LORD 15 Precious in the sight of the LORD 16 O LORD, truly I am Your servant; 17 I will offer to You the sacrifice of thanksgiving, 18 I will pay my vows to the LORD 19 In the courts of the LORD's house, Psalm 117Let All Peoples Praise the LORD1 Praise the LORD, all you Gentiles! 2 For His merciful kindness is great toward us, Psalm 118Praise to God for His Everlasting Mercy1 Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good! 2 Let Israel now say, "His mercy endures forever." 3 Let the house of Aaron now say, "His mercy endures forever." 4 Let those who fear the LORD now say, "His mercy endures forever." 5 I called on the LORD in distress; 6 The LORD is on my side; 7 The LORD is for me among those who help me; 8 It is better to trust in the LORD 9 It is better to trust in the LORD 10 All nations surrounded me, 11 They surrounded me, 12 They surrounded me like bees; 13 You pushed me violently, that I might fall, 14 The LORD is my strength and song, 15 The voice of rejoicing and salvation 16 The right hand of the LORD is exalted; 17 I shall not die, but live, 18 The LORD has chastened me severely, 19 Open to me the gates of righteousness; 20 This is the gate of the LORD, 21 I will praise You, 22 The stone which the builders rejected 23 This was the LORD's doing; 24 This is the day the LORD has made; 25 Save now, I pray, O LORD; 26 Blessed is he who comes in the name of the LORD! 27 God is the LORD, 28 You are my God, and I will praise You; 29 Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good! | |||
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| Psalm 116-118 This "Thanksgiving" psalm is the fourth of the Hallel (see introduction to Psalm 113). v. 2 He has inclined His ear to me – Typically, when possible, Hebrew poetry will choose a concrete expression ("turned His ear") over an abstract one ("heard"). v. 3 pains of death – Or, cords or ropes. In ancient times, ropes and nets were often used as instruments of battle. The poet may have come close to death in battle or through a near-fatal illness. pangs – anguish or agony Sheol – the grave; place of the dead v. 4 "O LORD…deliver my soul!" – This should not be "spiritualized"; the psalmist was not praying that his "soul" be saved, but rather begging for concrete, actual rescue. v. 5 righteous…merciful – Righteous, meaning just. Biblical religion sees these as the two absolute poles of God's character: He personifies absolute justice but is also supremely merciful. This is to be exemplified also in the life of the follower of God; see Micah 6:8: "act justly…love mercy." v. 6 The LORD preserves the simple – This does not mean "simpleminded" but simple or pure in heart. v. 7 Return to your rest, O my soul – In light of who God is and the way He behaves, the poet turns his attention inward and exhorts his deepest inner being to be at peace, even when confronted with dangers and terrors. v. 8 soul…eyes…feet // death…tears…falling – Note again the Hebrew love for concrete expressions. v. 9 I will walk before the LORD – To "walk" before God meant, for the believer in Israel, to represent Him in kingly service (Gen. 17:1, 1 Kings 2:4, 1 John 1:7). v. 10 I believed, therefore I spoke – The poet had faced doubt and uncertainty in his affliction, even to the point of despair. v. 11 I said in my haste, "All men are liars." – In a moment of desperation he declared that there was no one who could be trusted. v. 12 What shall I render to the LORD for all His benefits toward me? – The answer is, of course, "Nothing!" But in humble thanksgiving the psalmist expresses his complete gratitude to the Lord for His aid and help. v. 13 I will take up the cup of salvation – The "cup" is probably the pitcher in which a drink offering is carried to the altar to be poured out in celebration (Ex. 37:16). And call upon the name of the LORD – in joyous celebration in the Temple v. 14 I will pay my vows to the LORD – the vow of the poet to offer a thanksgiving offering (v. 17) Now in the presence of all His people – in the Temple congregation v. 15 Precious in the sight – This verse has been a comfort to bereaved believers through the ages. v. 17 I will offer to You the sacrifice of thanksgiving – in the midst of God's people in the Temple (v. 18) v. 19 In the courts of the LORD's house, in the midst of you, O Jerusalem – The poem ends with the psalmist surrounded by the joyous, worshipping crowd in the courtyard of the Temple. Psalm 117This little psalm, the shortest chapter in the entire Bible (and only two chapters away from the longest!), is the fifth of the Hallel (see introduction to Psalm 113). v. 1 Praise the LORD, all you Gentiles! – The focus of the psalmists challenge to praise God is not just Israel but "all nations" (Matt. 28:18-20). v. 2 For His merciful kindness is great toward us – Better translated: "His kindness overwhelms us!" The dimensions of God's faithful covenant love are almost unimaginable. the truth of the LORD endures forever – the Hebrew words for "faithfulness" and "truth" are closely related, hence the association called up by this verse. Psalm 118This is the closing song or chant of the Hallel (see introduction to Psalm 113). v. 1 Oh, give thanks to the LORD – This entire phrase is compressed into two Hebrew words. The starting imperative "give-thanks," signals the psalm as a "Thanksgiving" song. for He is good! – This is the key characteristic of God that Satan calls into question; "Does God really have the best for YOU in mind?" Giving thanks for what He has done for us is an antidote to this spiritual poison. For His mercy endures forever – He does not deal with us as our sins deserve; His kindness will never fail. v. 2 Let Israel now say…the house of Aaron…those who fear the LORD – The repeated phrase calls different groups in the worshipping congregation gathered in the Temple to proclaim (probably with a responding shout of acclamation): "His mercy endures forever." v. 5 in distress – The Hebrew word has the connotation of "restricted" / "narrow"; hence the contrast in the next sentence with a "broad" or "wide-open" place. v. 6 The LORD is on my side – In Hebrew this phrase is the apex of simplicity: two word = "LORD" + "with-me"; that basically says it all. v. 7 The LORD is for me among those who help me – Most English translations obscure the fact that this verse begins with the same two Hebrew words as v. 6: "LORD" + "with-me." I shall see my desire on those who hate me – Literally: "I will stare at those who hate me." In many cultures, one can only stare directly at someone who is one's inferior. v. 8 It is better to trust in the LORD – Similar to v. 6-7, this verse and the next begin exactly the same: "Better to take refuge in the LORD…" v. 9 than to put confidence in princes – This phrase, in typical Hebrew fashion, amplifies and expands on the parallel phrase in the previous verse (v. 8): misplaced confidence in man in general is expanded to include even the most powerful on earth, princes. v. 10 All nations – In v. 10-12 the poet plays on the word "surround." He is encircled by foreign armies like a man in the midst of a swarm of angry hornets, but he will destroy them (Literally translated, cut them off…cut them off…cut them off). v. 12 They were quenched like a fire of thorns – Meaning either that the enemies involved died out as quickly as the sputtering flame of a burning thorn branch or, keying off the image of hornets or bees surrounding the speaker, like bees caught in the flames of a burning torch. v. 13 You pushed me violently, that I might fall – The poet now speaks directly to his enemies. v. 14 strength…song…salvation – A classic Hebrew elaboration: God is even more than my "strength," He is my "song." But it doesn't end there: He is my deliverance from all the things attacking me. v. 15 the tents of the righteous – "Tents" is probably a hint pointing toward the time when Israel was in the wilderness, encamped around the "tent" of the Lord (the tabernacle; Num. 24:2-9) just as the "righteous" (God's men and women who act justly) are gathered in worship around the sanctuary in the temple (v. 19). The right hand of the LORD – A common Hebrew phrase. Someone's right hand was their sword-arm, the symbol of their strength. v. 17 declare – recount or remunerate all that God has done v. 18 The LORD has chastened me severely – The Hebrew words "chastened" and "severely" sound alike; "chastening" is the experience of every believer, as God "child-trains" us (Heb. 12:5-11). v. 19 Open to me the gates of righteousness – The psalmist is going into the Temple courtyard with a loud shout, "Open the gates for me…" righteousness – justice and equity; it is likely that justice was spoken in the gates of the Temple v. 20 righteous – God's people who "act justly" (Micah 6:8) v. 21 You have…become my salvation – This is the deepest level of God's mercy to us: He Himself has intervened to deliver us from death. v. 22 The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone – This is an important verse for Jesus' understanding of Himself and His mission (Luke 20:17). It became a favorite verse of the early church as it explained His rejection by the leaders of the nation and ensuing exaltation by God (Acts 4:11, 1 Peter 2:4). In the context of the psalm itself, it expresses the wonder that the poet feels as he looks around at the huge stones of the Temple and realizes his fate is similar to that of a block of limestone initially rejected by the quarrymen but, in the end, put in the most important position of all in the majestic edifice of the Temple. v. 23 the LORD's doing – The psalmist realizes, with all God's people: Only the Lord could have done this! v. 24 This is the day the LORD has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it – His troubles behind him, the psalmist realizes, "This is God's day…He has made it possible; we should rejoice and ‘dance' ("exult") through it!" v. 25 Save now – This begins a new section of the psalm, a communal prayer for continued deliverance and prosperity v. 26 Blessed is he who comes in the name of the LORD! – Recalled by the crowds greeting Jesus on His final entry into Jerusalem as they shouted "Hosanna!" on His way to the Temple (Mark 11:8-10). v. 27 He has given us light – Probably suggests the priestly blessing of Israel by Aaron, repeated each Sabbath in the synagogue: "The LORD…make His face shine upon you" (Num. 6:25). Bind the sacrifice with cords – the animal about to be offered in thanksgiving the horns of the altar – The square altar in the Temple had a "horn" jutting up from each corner; probably for literally tying down the ropes holding the sacrifice and, poetically symbols of strength. v. 28 You are my God…You are my God – Two different titles are used in Hebrew: El and Elohim; literally: "My-God You are…my-Majestic-God You are." v. 29 give thanks – Closes the psalm with the same call to worship it began with in v. 1. | |||
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| "I called on the LORD in distress; The LORD answered me and set me in a broad place. The LORD is on my side; I will not fear. What can man do to me?" –Psalm 118:5-6 Too often, God, we are afraid of what man can do to us. Too often, God, we compromise our faith in You because of our fear of man. We pray today to take the truth of this verse to heart. What can man do to us when You are on our side? Nothing. We praise You, Lord! | |||
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116:5-6 Gracious is the LORD, and righteous; Yes, our God is merciful. The LORD preserves the simple; I was brought low, and He saved me.
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