Hallelujah! The Hymn of Easter--Psalm 118

 

"Oh give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; for His steadfast love endures forever!

Let Israel say, 'His steadfast love endures forever.'

Let the house of Aaron say, 'His steadfast love endures forever.'

Let those who fear the LORD say, 'His steadfast love endures forever.'

Out of my distress I called on the LORD; the LORD answered me and set me free.

The LORD is on my side; I will not fear.  

What can man do to me? The LORD is on my side as my helper;  

I shall look in triumph on those who hate me.

It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in man.

It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in princes.

All nations surrounded me; in the name of the LORD I cut them off!

They surrounded me, surrounded me on every side; in the name of the LORD I cut them off!  

They surrounded me like bees; they went out like a fire among thorns; in the name of the LORD I cut them off!

I was pushed hard, so that I was falling, but the LORD helped me.

The LORD is my strength and my song; He has become my salvation.

Glad songs of salvation are in the tents of the righteous: 

The right hand of the LORD does valiantly, 

the right hand of the LORD exalts,

the right hand of the LORD does valiantly!"

I shall not die, but I shall live, and recount the deeds of the LORD.  

The LORD has disciplined me severely, but He has not given me over to death.

Open to me the gates of righteousness, that I may enter through them

and give thanks to the LORD.  

This is the gate of the LORD; the righteous shall enter through it.

I thank you that you have answered me and have become my salvation.

The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone.  

This is LORD's doing; it is marvelous in our eyes.  

This is the day that the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.

Save us, we pray, O LORD!  

O LORD, we pray, give us success!

Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD!

We bless you from the house of the LORD. 

The LORD is God, and He has made His light to shine upon us.

Bind the festal sacrifice with cords, up to the horns of the altar!

You are my God, and I will give thanks to You;

You are my God; I will extol You.

Oh give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; for His steadfast love endures forever!

The last verse of the Hallel. This chapter is sandwiched between the shortest and longest chapters in the Bible.   Psalm 118:8 is the middle verse of the whole Bible! (They actually sat down and did the math.) The recurring theme has been praise and glory to the Great Name of God, who has no rival and no equal.  The psalmist has rehearsed the many works God has done on behalf of His people, for their good and for His glory.  He invites the country of Israel and it's priests to recognize that God's faithful, stubborn love withstands the test of time.  He invites those who fear the LORD, who will be drawn in through God's Son, Christ Jesus, under the new covenant, to recognize that God's ardent love withstands the test of time. The psalmist calls on God and God sets him free (The word is "a broad place", wide open freedom!! vs 5)   The hope of Christ was the salvation for the psalmist, and the work of Christ is the salvation for us. Everything points to Him-- Plan A from the beginning of time with no need for a plan b.    The psalmist finishes what would become a famous, pivotal song in the "Jewish songbook" for his descendants the same way he started--with praise!!

I wonder if Jesus saw this last song as a checklist--has He told His followers everything?  Has He equipped them with what they will need in the next few days, months, years?

  

• Wide open freedom?  ✅ "So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed." John 8:36 
• Comfort from fear? ✅ "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you.  Not as the world gives do I give to you.  Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid."  John 14:27 
• Strength, help, and peace? ✅ "I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace.  In the world you will have tribulation.  But take heart; I have overcomes the world." John 16:33
•  Light? ✅ "I have come in the world as light, so that whoever believes in me may not remain in darkness." John 12:46 
• A cornerstone on which to build His church? ✅ "Jesus said to them, 'Have you never read in the Scriptures: The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; this was the Lord's doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes'?" Matthew 21:42  

Jesus knew what was going to happen.  He would be surrounded by His enemies.  He would be the sacrifice, bound by cords on the altar, crucified.  But He also knew a fence built of sin, our intentional sin--from the garden until then until now--separated us from God.  We needed a way in, so He proved Himself to be the gate. 

“I am the door.  If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture.” John 10:9

So, with Hosanna still echoing  

“Save us, we pray O LORD!  O LORD, we pray, give us success!”  Psalm 118:25 

they sang a hymn and went out to the Mount of Olives.  💓