SPIRITUAL
DIARY FOR 8/25/2012 8:55:17 AM
My Worship Time Focus: Psalm
118 PT-1
Bible Reading & Meditation Reference: Psalm
118:1-4
Message
of the verses: In Today’s SD we will
begin to look at the 118th Psalm by looking at introductions by
different Bible commentators.
“It is probable that David penned
this psalm when he had, after many a story, weathered his point at last, and
gained a full possession of the kingdom to which he had been anointed. He then
invites and stirs up his friends to join with him, not only in a cheerful
acknowledgment of God’s goodness and a cheerful dependence upon that goodness
for the future, but in a believing expectation of the promised Messiah, of
whose kingdom and his exaltation to it his were typical. To him, it is certain;
the prophet here bears witness, in the latter part of the psalm. Christ himself
applies it to himself (#Mt 21:42), and the former part of the psalm may fairly,
and without forcing, be accommodated to him and his undertaking. Some think it
was first calculated for the solemnity of the bringing of the ark to the city
of David, and was afterwards sung at the feast of tabernacles.” (Matthew Henry)
“In the book #Ezr 3:10-11, we read
that "when the builders laid the foundation of the temple of the Lord,
they set the priests in their apparel with trumpets, and the Levites the sons
of Asaph with cymbals, to praise he Lord, after the ordinance of David king of
Israel. And they sang together by course in praising and giving thanks unto the
Lord; because he is good, for his mercy endureth for ever toward Israel. And all the people shouted with a great
shout, when they praised the Lord, because the foundation of the house of the
Lord was laid." Now 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 sublime song; and, moreover, that the use of this composition on
such occasions was ordained by David, whom we conceive to be its author. The
next step leads us to believe that he is its subject, at least in some degree;
for it is clear that the writer is speaking concerning himself in the first
place, though he may not have strictly confined himself to all the details of
his our personal experience. That the Psalmist had a prophetic view of our Lord
Jesus is very manifest; the frequent quotations from this song in the New
Testament prove this beyond all questions; but at the same time it could not
have been intended that every particular line and sentence should be read in
reference to the Messiah, for this requires very great ingenuity, and ingenious
interpretations are seldom true. Certain devout expositors have managed to
twist the expression of #Ps 118:17, "I shall not die, but live," so
as to make it applicable to our Lord, who did actually die, and whose glory it
is that he died; but we cannot bring our minds to do such violence to the words
of holy writ.
“The Psalm, seems to us to describe either
David or some other man of God who was appointed by the divine choice to a high
and honourable office in Israel. This elect champion found himself rejected by
his friends and fellow countrymen, and at the same time violently opposed by
his enemies. In faith in God he battles for his appointed place, and in due
time he obtains it in such a way as greatly to display the power and goodness
of the Lord. He then goes up to the house of the Lord to offer sacrifice, and
to express his gratitude for the divine interposition, all the people blessing
him, and wishing him abundant prosperity.
This heroic personage, whom we cannot help thinking to be David himself,
broadly typified our Lord, but not in such a manner that in all the minutiae of
his struggles and prayers we are to hunt for parallels. The suggestion of
Alexander that the speaker is a typical individual representing the nation, is
exceedingly well worthy of attention, but it is not inconsistent with the idea
that a personal leader may be intended, since that which describes the leader
will be in a great measure true of his followers. The experience of the Head is
that of the members, and both may be spoken of in much the same terms.
Alexander thinks that the deliverance celebrated cannot be identified with any
one so exactly as with that from the Babylonian exile; but we judge it best to
refer it to no one incident in particular, but to regard it as a national song,
adapted alike for the rise of a chosen here, and the building of a temple.
Whether a nation is founded again by a conquering prince, or a temple founded
by the laying of its cornerstone in joyful state, the Psalm is equally
applicable.” (Charles H. Spurgeon)
We will first look at what is found
in the John MacArthur Study Bible from Psalm 113 before looking at the introduction
to Psalm 118. “Psalm 113-118 comprises a
rich 6-psalm praise to God commonly called the ‘Egyptian Hallel’ (‘hallel’
meaning praise in Heb.).”
“This psalm, along with Ps. 110, is
intensely messianic and thus the most quoted by the NT (Mt. 21: 9, 42; 23:39,
Mk. 11:9, 10; 12:10, 11; Lk. 13:35, 19:38; 20:17; Jn. 12:13, Ac. 4:11; Heb.
13:6; 1Pe. 2:7). Neither the author nor the specific circumstances of the psalm
are identified. Two reasonable
possibilities could be entertained: 1) it was written during Moses’ day in the
Exodus, or 2) it was written sometime after the Jews returned to Jerusalem from
Exile. Probably it was the former, given
1) the nature of the Egyptian Hallel (esp. Ps. 114); 2) its use by the Jewish
community especially at Passover; 3) the close similarity to Moses experience
in the Exodus; 4) the striking similarity in language (Ps. 118:14 with Ex.
15:2; 118:15, 16 with Ex. 15:6, 12; 118:28 with Ex. 15:2); and 5) the
particularly pointed messianic significance as it relates to the redemption
provided by Christ our Passover (1Cor. 5:7).
It seems reasonable to propose that Moses possibly wrote this beautiful
psalm to look back in worship at the historical Passover and look ahead in
wonder to the spiritual Passover in Christ.”
(The John MacArthur Study Bible)
“Sandwiched between the shortest
psalm and the longest, this is the last song in the Egyptian Hallel. The background is probably the dedication of
the restored walls and gates of Jerusalem during the Feast of Tabernacles in
444 B.C., in the time of Ezra and Nehemiah.
The Jews in the city were surrounded by enemies who first ridiculed them
and then threatened to attack them and stop the work (vv. 10-14; Neh. 2:19-20;
4:1-9; 6:1-9). The rebuilding project
took fifty-two days, and the report of this remarkable accomplishment astounded
the nations (vv. 15-16, 23-24; Neh. 6:15-16).
The psalm mentions gates (vv. 19-20) and buildings (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.” (Warren Wiersbe)
I have to say that the introduction
to this psalm (118) has the most varied possibilities of who wrote it and when
it was written of any of the introductions that I have looked at thus far in
the book of Psalms. I suppose it is
important to understand who wrote it and at what time it was written, but
probably the most important thing that can be gotten out of Psalm 118 is how we
can apply it to our walk with the Lord.
Give
Thanks to the Lord at All Times (vv. 1-4):
“1 Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; For His lovingkindness
is everlasting. 2 Oh let Israel say, "His lovingkindness is
everlasting." 3 Oh let the house of Aaron say, "His lovingkindness is
everlasting." 4 Oh let those who fear the LORD say, "His
lovingkindness is everlasting.’”
We see the phrase “His
lovingkindness is everlasting” four times in these first four verses of Psalm
118. I wrote that it is important for
believers to take from this psalm something that will help them in their walk
with the Lord, and to remember that the loving kindness of the Lord is
everlasting is an important thing to remember.
We know as we walk through life that our circumstances will change, but
the encouraging thing to remember is that no matter what we are going through
the lovingkindness of the Lord never changes and that it is everlasting,
meaning it will last forever and ever for us to depend upon it.
Paul writes the following in Romans
9:1-5 to show how much the children of Israel have to praise the Lord for: “1 I am telling the truth in Christ, I am not
lying, my conscience testifies with me in the Holy Spirit, 2 that I have great
sorrow and unceasing grief in my heart. 3 For I could wish that I myself were
accursed, separated from Christ for the sake of my brethren, my kinsmen
according to the flesh, 4 who are Israelites, to whom belongs the adoption as
sons, and the glory and the covenants and the giving of the Law and the temple
service and the promises, 5 whose are the fathers, and from whom is the Christ
according to the flesh, who is over all, God blessed forever. Amen.” He goes on latter in his letter to the Romans
to say that true believers today are grafted into the “tree” of Israel, and
uses an olive tree to demonstrate this, so we as NT believers have so very much
to praise the Lord for too.
In these verses we see the house of
Aaron mentioned, and they were the priests who had the privilege of serving the
Lord in first the tabernacle and then the temple. In verse four the psalmist speaks of all
those who fear the Lord say “His lovingkindness is everlasting.” Dr. Wiersbe writes “Those who fear the Lord
would include all of God’s faithful people, Jews and Gentiles—‘the upright in
heart’—who faithfully obeyed His Word and feared His name. God’s people today have every spiritual
blessing in Jesus Christ (Eph. 1:3) and certainly ought to praise His
name.”
Spiritual
meaning for my life today: Being
reminded that the lovingkindness of the Lord is everlasting to me was a great
reminder that the Lord loves me with an everlasting love and no matter what
decision I have to make or what I have to do in life He will be with me
demonstrating His everlasting lovingkindness.
My Steps of Faith for Today:
Trust the Lord to guide me with His attribute of wisdom in something
that I have to decide upon.
Memory
verses for the week: 2Peter 1:8-11
8
For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they render you neither
useless nor unfruitful in the true knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 For he who lacks these qualities is blind
or short-sighted, having forgotten his purifications from his former sins. 10 Therefore, brethren, be all the more diligent
to make certain about His calling and choosing you; for as long as you practice
these things you will never stumble, for in this way the entrance into the
eternal kingdom of or Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will be abundantly supplied
to you.
8/25/2012
10:08:02 AM
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