Happy New Year!!!! We are
going to start off the New Year by looking at Psalm 118. This psalm is the last
of the Hallel psalms or the Hallelujah Chorus in the Jewish hymn book. Psalm
113 to Psalm 118 were psalms that were to be sung or read at the major Jewish
celebrations such as Passover or the Feast of Tabernacles. Psalm 118 was most
likely sung after the Passover meal. Many believe that the Lord Himself sang
this psalm on Thursday evening after the meal in the upper room with His disciples
just before His crucifixion.
We are not sure who wrote this
Psalm, but some believe that it is possible that David wrote it, and it was
passed down and specifically used as a song of celebration and praise when the
foundation of the rebuilt temple was laid in Ezra 3:10-11. “When the
builders laid the foundation of the temple of the LORD, the priests stood in
their apparel with trumpets, and the Levites, the sons of Asaph, with cymbals,
to praise the LORD, according to the ordinance of David king of Israel. And
they sang responsively, praising and giving thanks to the LORD: "For He is
good, For His mercy endures forever toward Israel." Then all the people
shouted with a great shout, when they praised the LORD...." The words mentioned in Ezra are the
first and last sentences of this Psalm, and we therefore conclude that the
people chanted the whole of this magnificent song.
The psalm mentions gates (vv. 19-20) and building (vv. 22) and certainly expresses the joy the people
experienced as they beheld what the Lord had done. The repeated phrases in
verses 2-4, 10-12, and 15-16 suggest that the psalm was written for public worship.
The pronouns "I" and "me" in verses 5-21 refer to the
nation of Israel and not to the psalmist. But the psalm speaks to all believers
in every age and gives them four practical instructions.
Today we live in a very messy world. As a pastor for now for over 50 years, I have observed and concluded
that every family has some kind of mess in it. Every church experiences a mess
of some sort. As were enter a brand-new year we have to live with the reality
that the possibility is very high that in some way we are going to encounter some
kind of mess or have to deal with a seemingly impossible situation. Psalm 118
is a great psalm to keep handy to read and meditate on as you face these
difficult times.
In verses 1-4, the first thing we learn to do is the give thanks to the Lord at all times, because He is
always good and His mercy endures forever! The psalm is bracketed by
thanksgiving (vv. 1-4, 28-29), for this is one of the purposes of the
"hallelujah" psalms, and we have met the threefold address before (Psalm
115:9-11). The human situation may change many times, but God's merciful
lovingkindness endures forever.
“Let Israel now say…” (v.2). The nation of Israel certainly ought to praise God for all the blessings
and privileges God has bestowed on her (Rom. 9:1-5). “Let the house of Aaron
now say…” (v. 3). The house of Aaron ought to thank God for the great
privilege of serving in the sanctuary and at the altar. In verse 4, "Let those
who fear the Lord now say…", would include all of God's faithful
people, Jews and Gentiles. Those who are "the upright in heart"
and who faithfully obeyed His Word and feared His name.
We should never forget this year that God's people today “can now say”, “Blessed be the God and Father
of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in
the heavenly places in Christ… to the praise of the glory of His grace, by
which He has made us accepted in the Beloved.” (Ephesians 1:3 & 6)
Please take the time on this first day of the new year to “give thanks to the LORD because He is good,
and for His mercy that endures forever”.
And every day take comfort knowing that, “Surely goodness and
mercy shall follow me all the days of my life and I will dwell in the house of
the LORD forever” (Psalm 23:6).
Happy New Year and God bless!
