Sermon series: A SUMMER IN THE PSALMS

Psalm 118
"Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good!
For His mercy endures forever.
Let Israel now say, "His mercy endures forever."
Let the house of Aaron now say, "His mercy endures forever."
Let those who fear the Lord now say, "His mercy endures forever."
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?
The Lord is for me among those who help me; therefore I shall see my desire on those who hate me.
It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in princes. All nations surrounded me, but in the name of the Lord I will destroy them. They surrounded me, yes, they surrounded me, but in the name of the Lord, I will destroy them. They surrounded me like bees; they were quenched like a fire of thorns; for in the name of the Lord I will destroy them.
You pushed me violently, that I might fall, but the Lord helped me. The Lord is my strength and song, and He has become my salvation. The voice of rejoicing and salvation is in the tents of the righteous; the right hand of the Lord does valiantly, the right hand of the Lord is exalted; the right hand of the Lord does valiantly.
I shall not die, but live, and declare the works of the Lord. The Lord has chastened me severely but He has not given me over to death.
Open to me the gates of righteousness; I will go through them, and I will praise the Lord. This is the gate of the Lord, through which the righteous shall enter.
I will praise You, for You have answered me, and have become my salvation.
The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone. This is the Lord's doing; it is marvelous in our eyes. This is the day the Lord has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.
Save now, I pray, O Lord; O Lord, I pray, send now prosperity. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!
We have blessed you from the house of the Lord. God is the Lord, and He has given us light; bind the sacrifice with cords to the horns of the altar. You are my God, and I will praise You; You are my God, and I will exalt You. Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for His is good! For His mercy endures forever."

No one really knows who wrote this psalm, although the common opinion has been that it is a psalm of David, and that it was composed when his troubles with Saul ceased, and when he was recognized as king of Israel. Some, however, have referred it to Hezekiah on the occasion of his restoration from sickness; others to the time of the return of the Babylonish exile, but all suggestions are mere conjecture.

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What is apparent on the face of the psalm is, that it was a psalm of thanksgiving, to be employed in the temple when an offering or sacrifice was led up to the altar (v. 27). ("bind the sacrifice with cords to the horns of the altar")
The sacrifice was being presented as an acknowledgement of mercy from God, on some occasion of deliverance from danger, by some one whose claim to rule had been rejected, but who was now victorious over his enemies, and recognized as the rightful leader and ruler of the people.
This psalm can be connected with the celebration of the Feast of the Tabernacles recorded in Nehemiah 8. The walls of Jerusalem had been completed in spite of fierce opposition from Samaritans and others. The work was completed in the 21st year of Artaxerxes (444 B.C.), and a month later the joyful feast of Tabernacles was kept with exceptional national rejoicing. The psalm may well have been composed for that occasion.
About this psalm, Martin Luther wrote: "This psalm has been of special service to me. It has helped me out of many great troubles, when neither emperor nor kings nor wise men nor saints could help."
It is the last of the Hallel psalms (113-118) and it was sung at the close of the Paschal Feast. In all probability this 118th Psalm was sung by the Lord Jesus Himself. We can picture Him, His last supper with His disciples...His voice ringing out in perfect time and tune, filling the upper room as He poured out His heart in its words.
The psalm is clearly liturgical, arranged to be sung in answering parts, choir answering choir. It was sung antiphonally at the feast of Tabernacles as the worshipers drew near to the gates of the temple proclaiming the miracle of God's magnificent deliverance of His people.
This Psalm is not only frequently quoted in the New Testament, but it was also partially applied at one period of our Saviour's sojourn on earth, and thus we are afforded decisive testimony to the purpose for which it is originally and prophetically destined. It was partially used at the time when Messiah, in the days of His humiliation, was received with triumph and acclamation into Jerusalem; and we may conclude it will be fully enacted, when our glorified and triumphant Lord, coming with ten thousand of His saints, will again stand upon the earth and receive the promised salutation, "Blessed be the King that cometh in the name of Jehovah." This dramatic representation of Messiah coming in glory, to take His great power and reign among us, is apportioned to the chief character, "the King of kings and Lord of lords," to His saints following Him in procession, and to priests and Levites, representing the Jewish nation.
Psalm 118 is long, consisting of ten stanzas plus an opening theme verse and two closing ones (according to the NIV). It begins with a summons to Israel to praise God, repeating the second line of verse 1 ("His love endures forever," vv. 2-4). Next it describes the anguish of one who was enslaved ("In my anguish I cried to the Lord, and He answered by setting me free," v.5) and the danger he faced from the nearby hostile nations ("All the nations surround me," v. 10; "I was pushed back and about to fall," v. 13).

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This is followed by remembrance of victories given to Israel by God ("Shouts of joy and victory resound in the tents of the righteous" v. l5).
There is a call for opening the temple gates for the righteous to enter ("Open for me the gates of righteousness," v. l9), a grateful recognition that those who had been rejected have been heard and delivered from their foreign oppression ("The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone" v. 22), then a final festive procession ("With bough in hand, join in the festal procession up to the horns of the altar," v. 27).
When we trace this progression we understand why Psalm 118 is the last and climactic psalm in the Egyptian Hallel. Its parts suggest the passage of Israel from slavery in Egypt to the security and joy of Mount Zion.
Parts of the psalm echo the Exodus narrative. For example, verse 14 is a direct quote of Exodus 15:2, from Moses’ victory song after the deliverance of the people from Pharaoh and his armies at the Red Sea. "The Lord is my strength and my song; He has become my salvation." We can appreciate how the Jews used this psalm to remember their deliverance from bondage and their birth as a nation.
Our psalm begins with an invitation to praise God!
"O give thanks unto the Lord; for He is good; because His mercy endures forever."
Exodus 15:1-2
"I will sing unto the Lord, for He is highly exalted. The horse and its rider He has hurled into the sea. The Lord is my strength and my song; and He has become my salvation. He is my God and I will praise Him, my father's God and I will exalt Him."
Deuteronomy 32:3-4
"I will proclaim the name of the Lord. Oh, praise the greatness of our God. He is the Rock, His works are perfect, and all His ways are just. A faithful God who does no wrong, upright and just is He."
1 Samuel 2:1-2
"My heart rejoices in the Lord; in the Lord my horn is lifted high. My mouth boasts over my enemies, for I delight in Your deliverance. There is no one holy like the Lord; there is no one like You; there is no Rock like our God."
2 Samuel 22:2-3
"The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation. He is my stronghold and my Saviour."
1 Chronicles 16:8-10
"Give thanks to the Lord, call on His name; make known among the nations what He has done. Sing to Him, sing praise to Him; tell of all His wonderful acts. Glory in His holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice!"
1 Chronicles 29:10-11
"Praise to You, O Lord, God of our father, Israel, from everlasting to everlasting. Yours, O Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and the splendor, for everything in heaven and earth is Yours. Yours O Lord, is the kingdom; You are ruler of all things!"

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Psalm 8:1-2
"O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is Your name in all the earth! You have set Your glory above the heavens. From the lips of children and infants You have ordained praise because of Your enemies, to silence the foe and the avenger."
Psalm 28:6-8
"Praise be to the Lord for He has heard my cry for mercy. The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in Him and I am helped. My heart leaps for joy and I will give thanks to Him in song. The Lord is the strength of His people, a fortress of salvation for His anointed One."
Ah! Think and thank with me!
There is a throne at the center of the universe and upon that throne sits none other than our Mighty God! The earth was girded in praise when, for His own pleasure, God created all that is. As we stand on the summit of Sovereignty we note that eternity past was characterized by an atmosphere of praise. The stars sang together in glad anticipation of what was coming to pass. The angels shouted over the soon-to-be-revealed glory of God in His dealings with humankind. Praise filled the world in the days of its beginnings!
In Revelation 4:11 the twenty-four elders, having witnessed the worship of the four living creatures, laid their crowns before the great throne of God and cried, "You are worthy, Our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power. For You created all things, and by Your will they were created and have their being."
The King James Version declares, "For Thy pleasure they were and are created." The whole of creation, angels, and stars witnessed the gladness of God over the creation, and they sang and shouted in praise to God.
When history, as we know it, closes on earth, praise will saturate the astrosphere! Just as history began with praise, so will it close. No book aside from the Psalms discloses more praises than the Book of Revelation.
Praise is where God lives! In Psalm 22:3 we read, "Yet You are enthroned as the Holy One; You are the praise of Israel." The King James says it more distinctly, "But Thou art holy, O Thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel." In other words, praise is where God lives. It is His permanent address! Praise is His home element...He is at home in praise.
Praise, with thanksgiving, is the only access into the presence of God. The psalmist suggests in Psalm 100:4 "Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise." Since praise is God's home element and He dwells in praises, as we praise we are visiting His presence, standing in His courts.
The gate is thanksgiving, and it ushers us into the midcourt of God's glorious presence.
Praise is a God-given garment to ward off the spirit of heaviness!
Isaiah 61:1-3 says: "The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is upon Me, because the Lord has anointed Me to preach

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good news to the poor. He has sent Me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives, and release for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor, and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion...to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair." No exercise or medicine will cure the ill of discouragement like praise. Depression and praise cannot long live in the same heart!
And so...our psalm begins with the theme of praise and it should be the first lesson we learn today...PRAISE IS THE SECRET TO A JOYOUS LIFE IN CHRIST AS WE MAKE OUR JOURNEY HEAVENWARD.
Many commentators suggest that this psalm sets before us a journey—-a journey home, and we are going to consider it from that perspective. It is not just our journey home, or Israel's journey to their promised land, but our Lord's journey home. It takes us by way of Calvary to the land beyond the skies...to His eternal home!
As we have already noted...the theme of the journey is the continual expression of gratitude and praise for the MERCIES OF GOD. Psalm 117, the proceeding psalm, says: "Praise, the Lord, all you Gentiles! Laud Him, all you peoples! For His merciful kindness is great toward us, and the truth of the Lord endures forever."
BECAUSE HIS MERCY ENDURES FOREVER! Mercy is a great part of the goodness of God...God is good! And it is mercy which should bring joy to our hearts continually because we are sinners, falling frequently, failing often, missing the mark daily. But..."The Lord is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in mercy. He will not always strive with us, nor will He keep His anger forever. He has not dealt with us according to our sins, nor punished us according to our iniquities. For as the heavens are high above the earth, so great is His mercy toward those who fear Him; As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us. As a father pities his children, so the Lord pities those who fear Him. For He knows our frame; He remembers that we are dust. As for man, his days are like grass; as a flower of the field, so he flourishes. For the wind passes over it, and it is gone and its place remembers it no more. But the mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear Him, and His righteousness to children's children." (Psalm 103:8-17)
WHAT A BLESSING TO FIND SOMETHING THAT ENDURES FOREVER!
Auto makers don't want to build a car that will last forever...no manufacturer, in fact, wants to build such a product. It would not be good for business! More and more things today are built to be disposable. Nothing down here lasts forever. BUT OUR GOD IS GOOD AND HIS MERCY LASTS FOREVER! The best of earthly joys pass away, and even the world itself grows old and hastens to decay, but there is no change in the mercy of God; He was faithful to our forefathers and He will be faithful to us!

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The Lord Jesus Christ, who is the grand incarnation of the mercy of God, calls upon us at every remembrance of Him to give thanks unto the Lord, for He is good!
LET ISRAEL NOW SAY, THAT HIS MERCY ENDURETH FOREVER.
God had made a covenant with their forefathers, a covenant of mercy and love, and to that covenant He was faithful evermore. Israel sinned in Egypt, provoked the Lord in the wilderness, went astray again and again under the judges, and transgressed at all times; and yet the Lord continued to regard them as His people, to favor them with His oracles, and to forgive their sins! He speedily ceased from the chastisements which they so richly deserved, because He had a favor and love for them!
He put away his rod of correction as soon as they repented...because He loved them and was merciful. Israel had every reason to sing of the mercies of God...and so do we! Our transgressions are just as numerous as theirs. LET THE HOUSE OF AARON NOW SAY, THAT HIS MERCY ENDURES FOR EVER. The sons of Aaron were specially set apart to come nearest to God, and it was only because of His mercy that they were enabled to live in the presence of the thrice-holy God, who is a consuming fire. Every time the morning and evening lamb was sacrificed, the priests saw the continual mercy of the Lord, and in all the holy vessels of the sanctuary, and all its services from hour to hour, they had renewed witness of the goodness of the Most High. When the high priest went in unto the holy place and came forth accepted, he might, above all men, sing of God's eternal mercies.
If Aaron and his sons could sing of the mercies of God...so can we! John writes in Revelation..."Grace to you and peace from Him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven Spirits who are before His throne, and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler over the kings of the earth.
To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood, and has made us kings and priests to His God and Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen." (Revelation 1:4-6) "But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy." (1 Peter 2:9-10) "You also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ" (1 Peter 2:5)
"Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, His body, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water" (Hebrews 10:19-22)
EVERY TIME WE BOW OUR HEARTS IN PRAYER...WE SHOULD THRILL IN KNOWLEDGE THAT BECAUSE OF GOD'S MERCIES, WE HAVE ACCESS INTO THE VERY PRESENCE OF GOD! His throne is open to us, His ear is open to our cry, His tender mercies are poured out upon us!

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In our spiritual journey heavenward...WHY SHOULD WE CONSTANTLY BE PRAISING OUR GOD AND REJOICING IN HIS WONDROUS MERCIES? Our psalm tells us: "In my anguish I cried to the Lord, and He answered by setting me free. The Lord is with me; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me? The Lord is with me; He is my helper. I will look in triumph on my enemies."
As I have already suggested, this was a psalm sung by our Lord Jesus as He was coming to the conclusion of His earthly journey with the cross before Him. The way home for the Lord Jesus was a long way, beset with difficulty and danger. It was no flower or palm-strewn path. In Gethsemane, Jesus was faced with a distress so intense that He sweat great drops of blood. Yet Satan did not succeed in turning the Lord Jesus aside from His ultimate goal. He was DELIVERED—-for that is the force of the expression..."setting me free." "He set Me in a large place." How large that place is we shall never know until we will stand at last with Him on the vast shores of eternity and look out over the unborn ages, over the breathtaking wonders of God's new creation.
THE LORD IS ON MY SIDE, I WILL NOT FEAR: WHAT CAN MAN DO UNTO ME? For Jesus...men thought they could arrest Him, try Him, and crucify Him. Led by Judas, the mob came into the garden. Jesus met them possessed of a peace that passes all understanding. He stood there calmly...His soul filled with quiet confidence. He could say, "No man taketh [My Life] from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it up again. This commandment have I received of My Father" (JOHN 10:18). The writer of the Book of Hebrews reminds us that on our journey, we too can possess this same confidence. "For He Himself has said, I will never leave you nor forsake you. So we may boldly say: "The Lord is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?" (Hebrews 13:5-6)
"When you pass through the waters, I will be with you, and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze" (Isaiah 43:2).
AND HERE IS WONDERFUL WISDOM FOR THE JOURNEY..."It is better to trust in the Lord, than to put confidence in man." It is better in all ways, for first of all it is wiser. God is infinitely more able to help, and more likely to help, than man, and therefore prudence suggests that we put our confidence in Him above all others. It is also morally better to do so, for it is the duty of the creature to trust in the Creator! God has a claim upon His creatures' faith. He deserves to be trusted; and to place our confidence or reliance upon another rather than upon Himself, is a direct insult to His faithfulness. When His Word says it, let's believe it and follow its direction. It is not important what the psychologists of our day say...it is eternally more important what the BOOK says!
During the earthly journey of Jesus, He was totally attentive to the word of His Father, and He did just what He was told!
"Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not

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on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths. Do not be wise in your eyes; Fear the Lord and depart from evil. It will be health to your flesh, and strength to your bones."
(Proverbs 3:5-8).
DURING OUR EARTHLY JOURNEY TO HEAVEN, WE MUST NEVER FORGET THAT THE LORD IS OUR STRENGTH AND OUR SONG. (v. l4)
He is the source of strength...He is the subject of our praise. There is no ground of praise in ourselves for anything that we have done...all praise is due to Him!
"Blessed be the Lord, because He has heard the voice of my supplications! The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in Him, and I am helped; therefore my heart greatly rejoices, and with my song I will praise Him. The Lord is their strength, and He is the saving refuge of His anointed." (Psalm 28:6-8) "God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, even though the earth be removed, and through the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; though its waters roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with its swelling...the Lord of hosts is with us; The God of Jacob is our refuge!" (Psalm 46).
"Whom have I in heaven but You? And there is none upon earth that I desire besides You. My flesh and my heart fail; but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever" (Psalm 73:25-26).
We are running out of space and time, but there is one additional observation that will cause us to rejoice!
Verses 22 to 24 says: "The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone. This was the Lord's doing; it is marvelous in our eyes. This is the day the Lord has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it."
There are six references to this statement in the New Testament, three of them (parallel references in the Gospels) made by the Lord Jesus Himself. Peter quoted this Scripture when he and John were arrested by the Sanhedrin for healing the lame man and for preaching Christ to the crowds. The cornerstone or headstone was the most important stone in the building. It was a strong stone made to cap the building and to bond the walls together.
One suggestion has been made that the cornerstone can be likened to the capstone of a pyramid which, itself a perfect pyramid, brings to an apex all the lines and planes of the pyramid. The Lord Jesus is the chief cornerstone! The Lord Jesus was cast aside by the builders of rabbinic Judaism, and whom they have consistently rejected ever since, is yet to be given His rightful place in God's divine plan for the ages! What a marvelous day when Jesus completed His earthly journey, hanging there on that cross, completing God's redemption plan for all mankind...a day we shall ever rejoice in throughout all eternity!
As Jesus joined His disciples at the Last Supper...listen as He sings! "Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord! We have blessed you from the house of the Lord. God is the Lord, and He has given us light; Bind the sacrifice with cords to the horns of the altar. You are my God, and I will praise You; You are my God, I will exalt You." THE SACRIFICE WAS HIMSELF AND THE CORDS WERE THE NAILS THAT SECURED HIS BODY TO THE CROSS!