Psalm 118

Psalm 118 – Steadfast love of the LORD endures forever

It’s a noticeable thing – the psalm begins and ends with “catchy phrase” (vv. 1 and 29):

“Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good

For His steadfast love endures forever” 

vv. 2-4 Then there are three groups of people who say it:

(1) Israel, (2) house of Aaron (priests), (3) those who fear the LORD.

 Almost the whole psalm is in the first-person singular, only by the end the psalmist shifts to “we” (vv. 25-27) but then returns to “I” statements (v. 28). 

 

What kind of troubles the psalmist goes through to see and acknowledge the steadfast love of the Lord?

vv. 5-9 – personal distress. We do not know the reasons for his troubles yet (see below). Whatever it is, the psalmist acknowledges that the LORD is the helper, the LORD is at the right hand – this is the reason for the triumph. We saw something similar in psalm 23 when the LORD prepared a table and poured out the drinks before the battle – anticipating the victory.

So, LORD’s help is better (mightier) than help of the men and princes (vv. 8,9).        

 

vv. 10-13 – all nations surround me. Three times he repeats: I cut them off! Not on his own accord or strength but in the Name of the LORD, just as we discussed above. Concluding this paragraph with a confession – “the LORD helped me”.  

 

vv. 14-16 – the Lord is my strength – over years this became a famous Biblical slogan. It first appears in Exodus 15:2 – song of Red sea. Right after crossing of the sea and God’s victory over the armies of Egypt. Later Isaiah used it in his song of promise (Isaiah 12).    

 

vv. 17-18 – the psalmist takes upon the ultimate enemy – death. The discipline of the LORD does not need that He deserted us. The discipline of dying (which started with Adam) should not be seen as a disconnect with God. On the contrary, knowing that we are following the One Who went through death into resurrection, we understand this dying experience as a door into the eternity.     

 

vv. 19-24 – gates of righteousness (here, through the church, and then – eschatologically, in heaven), based on cornerstone – Jesus, see Luke 20:17, 1 Peter 2:7. Jesus used these verses when He was in the Temple during the days of the Holy Week (from Palm Sunday to Good Friday). He stated that the words of the psalm apply to Him in a prophetic way. 

Collective is a gathering of individuals – therefore, Save us, WE pray! (vv. 25-27), being blessed in the presence of the one who comes in the NAME of the LORD. – triumphant entry to Jerusalem, v. 27 sacrifice (!) [didn’t notice that before].

 

v. 28 – return to a personal confession. Interesting that the psalmist commits to very personal relationship with God and then thanks Him right away. There is no list of complaints, petitions, and such – give thanks. Even though we know that he went through a troublesome time. See above.

Then he repeats the confession and goes to exaltation – I will extol You! As my online dictionary put it: praise enthusiastically! Literally, the word means to elevate or to be or get high (not in a Californian way). It contrasts with pride and haughtiness that should be brought low (Isaiah 2:11,17).  

Overview of the Bible: Psalms

 Psalms  

Title: Psalms - from Greek, usually translated as “instrumental music”. Hebrew – Tehilim – praises (though more than 30% of psalms are the psalms of sorrow and distress).    

Date of writing: goes between 1450 BC to 586-536 BC

Authors: from Moses to David, sons of Korah, Asaph and others   

Structure: Five books

Book I: 1 – 41 [41:13] (9+10 and 32+33) = 39 total = 22+17

Book II: 42 – 72 [72:18-19, 20] (42+43) = 29 total = 12+17

Book III: 73 – 89 = 17

Book IV: 90 – 106 = 17

Book V: 107 – 150 = 44 = 22+22

22 – number of the letters in Hebrew Alphabet (cp. Ps 111, 112, 119)

17 – number related to the nations of the world

12 – tribes of Israel     

Main themes: First two psalms lay out the landscape of the psalter: the word of God, ways of righteousness and wickedness, God’s creation as an image and reflection of life, spiritual warfare – distress and victories, worship of the Son, surrender of the earthly authorities to the King of kings.      

Main Characters: godly man, Son of God, wicked ones, stars, trees, rocks, Levites.    

Reflection in other parts of the Bible: Singing hymns on semi-regular basis became a part of Israel’s life during exodus – Ex. 15, Num. 21, Deut. 32 and 33. But, overall, the worship was “silent”, we have prescribed ritual, but not a prescribed “liturgy”. Only with the coming of king David we get “songs”. Interesting to see this development in the Book of Revelation ch. 4 the throne is empty; therefore, four living creatures say the words of Holy, holy, holy (4:8). Then in ch. 5 we see the ascension on the throne of Lion-Lamb – then the four living creatures and the elders immediately begin to sing (5:9-10).   

The Book of Psalms is the most quoted OT book n the New Testament. The liturgical usage of psalms made it very familiar for the people of God. Lex orandi – lex credendi.

Lutheran teaching: The Book of Psalms holds one of the longest list of quotations in the Book of Concord (the Confessions of the Lutheran Church). Therefore, I’ll point out only a few themes: godly rulers, human bodies as God’s creation.

Reflecting on the Ps. 2:10 A treatise on the Power and Primacy of the Pope states: the chief members of the Church, the kings and princes, should especially guard the interest of the Church [54]. This statement anole shows that the relationship between the civil and spiritual authorities is more complicated than a simple “separation of the church and state”.  

Based on the creation of any human (139:14-16) Formula of Concord states: Scripture testifies that God has created human nature not only before the fall, but that it is God’s creature and work also since the fall (SD, I:34-36).   

NB: the first lectures of Luther on the Bible were not lectures on Romans and Galatians, but the lectures on Psalms (1512,13 – 1515), discovering the Gospel.  

Lutheran hymnody:

LSB 656, 657 – A Mighty Fortress is our God. 

LSB 709 – The King of Love My Shepherd is. 

Relevancy of the Book: Epistles of Paul (Eph. 5:18-19; Col.3:16) teach that it is important to sing psalms to overcome the spiritual, emotional, and communal struggles. The “psalms and hymns and spiritual songs” – are types that can be found in the inscription of the psalms.

Peter (Acts 2:34-35) and the author of the Letter to Hebrews (1:13; 5:5,6) base their Christology on psalms – especially Ps. 2 and 110.     

Memory verses:

1:1-2: Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, not stands in the way of the sinners, not sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law (Torah, teaching) of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night.

119:105: Your word is a lamp to feet and a light to my path.

Overview of the Bible: Exodus

 

Overview of the Bible: Book of Exodus

Title: English: Exodus – leaving of Egypt          Hebrew: Sh’mot – the names (of)  

Date of writing: 1446 – 1406 BC

Date of Narrative: about 1600 – 1444 BC

Structure: Following structure adapted from Keil and Delitzsch [K&D] I:416-417

	Part I 1:1 – 15:21	Part II
1	Israel in Egypt, 1 – 2	March from the Red Sea to mountain Sinai, 15:22 – 17:7
2	Call of Moses, 3 – 4	Gentiles: Amalek (enemy) and Jethro (friend), 17:8 – 18
3	Mission of Moses to Pharaoh, 5 – 7:7	Establishment of the Covenant, 19 – 24:11
4	Negotiations between Moses and Pharaoh, 7:8 – 11	Arrangement of the Sanctuary – Tabernacle, 24:12 – 31
5	Consecration of Israel as the covenant nation	The rebellion of Israelites and the renewal, 32 – 34
6	Exodus of Israel, 12 – 13:16	The building of the Tabernacle, 35 - 39
7	Passage of Israel through the Red sea, 13:17 – 15:21	Consecration of the Tabernacle, 40

1. A. 1 – 6, Preparation of Israel for Exodus

2.  B. 7 – 10, 9 plagues

3.    C. 11 – 18, Exodus and arrival to Sinai

4.       D. 19 – 24, Covenant 

5.    C’. 25 – 31, Plan for Tabernacle

6.   B’. 32 – 34, Golden calf

7. A’. 35 – 40, Building and consecration of the Sanctuary

Main themes:

* Life under pressure, ch. 1-2

* Faithfulness of God, ch. 2:24 – 4 (2:24 to 3:6)

* Sanctuary, ch. 25 – 40; the setting undergoes three stages: forming (25-31), filling (35-39), “lighting”/glorification (40).  

* Both Tabernacle and the desert are the reflections on the Firmament (2 day of Creation motive)   

Main Characters:

Pharaoh(s), Moses, Aaron, people of Israel - Shiphrah and Puah (ch. 1), Jethro    

Reflection in other parts of the Bible:

Exodus as a theme – Ps. 90, 106, Lk. 9:30 (ESV “departure”, Greek “exodus”)

Songs of Moses and Israel – Num. 21:16-18; Deut. 32; Rev. 15:3-4

Sanctuary – 1 Kings 6 – 8, The structure of John   

Lutheran teaching:

Sacraments: [Private] Confession – Smalcald Articles, 3:VIII, based on Ex. 3:2-15  

The Law of God – Small and Large Catechism, part I, based on Ex. 20

Theology of worship – Ap. of Augsburg Conf., XXIV (XII):35, based on Ex. 29:38-39 

Lutheran hymnody:   

Ex. 3-4 & 33-34 – Swiftly pass the Clouds of Glory (LSB, 416)

Ex. 12:5 – A Lamb goes Uncomplaining Forth (LBS, 438)  

Relevancy of the Book:

The Book of Exodus tells us that God is faithful always – when the people of God undergo suffering, He sends His servants to support them and resist the evil.

Also, the structure of traditional church buildings follows/resembles the structure of the Tabernacle (Ch. 25 – 31).   

Memory verses:

3:14-15 God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM” And He said, “Say this to the people of Israel, I AM sent me to you.” God also said to Moses, “Say this to the people of Israel, ‘The LORD, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you.’ This is my name forever, and thus I am to be remembered throughout all generations.

15:11 Who is like you, o LORD, among the gods? Who is like, majestic in holiness, awesome in glorious deeds, doing wonders?