PSALM 118
Give thanks to the LORD verse 1
O give thanks to the LORD – for HE is good
BECAUSE HIS mercy endures forever
Brag on the mercy of the LORD verse 2- 4
Let Israel now say – that HIS mercy endures forever
let the house of Aaron now say
that HIS mercy endures forever
let them now that fear the LORD say
that HIS mercy endures forever
Confidence in the LORD alone verse 5- 9
I called upon the LORD in distress
the LORD answered me
and set me in a large place
The LORD is on my side
I will not fear – what can man do to me?
The LORD takes my part with them that help me
THEREFORE, shall I see my desire upon them that hate me
it is better to TRUST in the LORD
than to put confidence in man
it better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence
in princes
Name of the LORD powerful verse 10- 14
All nations compassed me about
but in the name of the LORD will I destroy them
They compassed me about – yea – they compassed me about
but in the name of the LORD, I will destroy them
They compassed me about like bees
they are quenched as the fire of thorns
for in the name of the LORD, I will destroy them
You have thrust sore at me that I might fall
but the LORD helped me
The LORD is my strength and song – and is become my salvation
Songs of deliverance verse 15- 18
The voice of rejoicing and salvation is in the tabernacles 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 sore
BUT HE has not given me over to death
Gates of righteousness opened to worship verse 19- 21
Open to me the gates of righteousness – will go into them
and I will praise the LORD – this gate of the LORD
into which the righteous shall enter
I will praise YOU – for YOU have heard me
and are become my salvation
Coming Messiah introduced verse 22- 28
The stone which the builders refused is
become the head stone of the corner
This is the LORD’S doing
it is marvelous in our eyes
This is the day which the LORD has made
we will rejoice and be glad in it
Save now – I beseech YOU – O LORD – O LORD – I beseech YOU
send NOW prosperity
Blessed be he that comes in the name of the LORD
we have blessed you out of the house of the LORD
God is the LORD – which has shown us LIGHT
bind the sacrifice with cords
even to the horns of the altar
YOU are my God – and I will praise YOU
YOU are my God – I will exalt YOU
Give thanks to the LORD verse 29
O give thanks to the LORD – for HE is GOOD
for HIS mercy endures forever
COMMENTARY:
DAILY SPIRITUAL BREAKFAST: Young Believers
:4 “Let those who fear the LORD now say, ‘His mercy endures forever.’” The New King James Version (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1982).
Forever – 5769 עֹולָם [ʿowlam, ʿolam /o·lawm/] n m. From 5956; TWOT 1631a; GK 6409; 439 occurrences; AV translates as “ever” 272 times, “everlasting” 63 times, “old” 22 times, “perpetual” 22 times, “evermore” 15 times, “never” 13 times, “time” six times, “ancient” five times, “world” four times, “always” three times, “alway” twice, “long” twice, “more” twice, “never + 408” twice, and translated miscellaneously six times. 1 long duration, antiquity, futurity, for ever, ever, everlasting, evermore, perpetual, old, ancient, world. 1A ancient time, long time (of past). 1B (of future). 1B1 for ever, always. 1B2 continuous existence, perpetual. 1B3 everlasting, indefinite or unending future, eternity. James Strong, Enhanced Strong’s Lexicon (Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software, 2001).
DEVOTION: God’s love to us is an everlasting love! Although at times He loves us with tough love he nevertheless continues to love us! This psalm in its Old Testament setting, however, was a song for praising the Lord’s loyal love. The psalmist recounted how the Lord triumphed over all the nations surrounding Israel. God’s love is continual, unending and the psalmist wanted the people to meditate upon that as they entered the city and the temple to celebrate Passover.
Because the song was sung at the festivals, expressions in the psalm were on the lips of the people at Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem at the beginning of the Passion Week (118:25–26; Matt. 21:9). Also this psalm may have been sung in the Upper Room after the Lord’s Supper (Matt. 26:30).
As such, the Lord Jesus desired to exhibit his love relationship to the people of Israel and the world by being the sacrifice for them. His death, burial and resurrection distinctly shows the unending, perpetual love he has for the world.
CHALLENGE: Consider anew what Christ willingly did for you as an act of love. He gave himself so that we might live eternally with Him! Should we not give thanks to the Lord every day? (Dr. Brian Miller- board member)
DAILY SPIRITUAL LUNCH: Transitional Believers
: 5 I called on the LORD in distress: the LORD answered me, and set me in a large place. (4712 “distress” [metsar] means psychological suffering, straits, hardship, anguish, pains, a state or condition of having trouble, or terrors)
DEVOTION: The LORD does answer prayer. HE does it in HIS timing. Too often we think that we should have an instead answer to pray but the LORD answers when HE knows it is best.
Our times of hardship are sometimes times when HE wants us to get closer to HIM. HE wants us to know that HE is there and will give us what we need when we need it. HIS timing is always perfect.
We need to be calling on the LORD daily to help us understand what is happening in our lives. If we call on HIM even when we are not in a time of hardship we can learn to trust HIM with all of our needs.
Sometimes HE puts us in a “large place” but most of the time we are in the place where we can grow the most. Keep looking to HIM for strength and guidance. HE will comfort you.
CHALLENGE: Remember to call on HIM not only in times of hardship but also in times of blessing.
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: 8 It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in man. (982 “confidence” [batach] means to trust, to have a strong reliance on someone or something, to set one’s hope, to be secure, relay on, or to believe in a person or object to the point of reliance upon.)
DEVOTION: Too often we trust in our own strength rather than looking to the LORD for HIS strength to face our challenges in live.
If we depend on our own strength in lives challenges we might find out that the struggles last longer because we are doing it in our own power instead of HIM.
Independence is good at times but when it comes to times of testing we need HIS help to conquer the world, the flesh and the devil. These three enemies are real and they are strong influences in our lives.
Our security is in the LORD alone. Our trust in HIM helps us to understand that HE is the answer to all of the situations we face each day. Remember if we do it in our own strength it might not be the right answer.
Call on the LORD each day as you face the challenges HE allows into your life. With each victory that HE provides we will know that HE is the answer and will share more truth with others about HIM.
CHALLENGE: Who have you been trusting in when you face life’s problems? Are you leaning on your own understanding or on HIS?
DAILY SPIRITUAL SUPPER: Mature Believers
: 18 The LORD has chastened me sore: but HE has not given me over unto death. (3256 “chastened me sore” [yacar] means instruct, correct, taught, reproved, discipline, to punish in order to gain control or enforce obedience.)
DEVOTION: The LORD uses two methods to help us grow in our relationship with HIM. HE uses pruning or discipline. HE prunes us to make us more usable to HIM. HE disciplines us when we are out of line in our behavior. They both seem to hurt the individual who is going through them but one is because of sin in their life and the other is because they need to grow more in their faith.
Sometimes it is hard to tell the difference but the one receiving it from the LORD knows the difference. If we are walking away from the LORD after being genuinely saved HE knows how to bring us back into a proper relationship with HIM. The New Testament informs us that sometime HE uses weakness, sickness or death to get our attention. Of course, the last is HIS final step. We also have to remember that weakness and sickness and death can mean nothing in relationship to our sin. Only the person going through these events knows where they are with HIM.
So here is the Psalmist knowing that the LORD is correcting him for his sins and that he needs to ask the LORD’S forgiveness and the LORD will restore him to a proper relationship with HIM.
Sometimes the LORD uses serious events in our life to get our attention to cause to understand HIS love for us. One of the great things about this happening is that the Psalmist was not given over to death. He learned from the time of chastening and returned to obedience.
If you know you are sinning and you are not being chastened of the LORD it can mean that you have never made a genuine commitment to the LORD.
CHALLENGE: What is going on in our life? Are we being chastened of the LORD or pruned? Only we know what is going on spiritually in our own life. If you have any questions you need to go to the LORD in prayer and ask HIM for an answer.
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: 27 God is the LORD, which hath shown us light: bind the sacrifice with cords, even unto the horns of the altar. (215 “light” [‘owr] means shine, give sight, build a fire, to become bright, or to be illuminated)
DEVOTION: Our responsibility to the LORD is to give thanks to HIM for all the blessing HE gives us each day. The children of Israel were to praise the LORD for HIS mercy. Those who fear the LORD are to thank the LORD for HIS mercy continually.
When the children of Israel faced those who hated them, they were to trust only in the LORD. They were not to put their confidence in men or world leaders. When they were surrounded by an enemy, they were to call on the name of the LORD. HE was their help. HE was their deliverer. HIS right hand was strong enough to defeat any enemy.
The Word of God describes Christ as the Light of the world. The Word of God describes Christians as light in the world. When Moses saw the backside of the glory of God on Mount Sinai, his face shone so that he had to wear a veil when he talked to the people.
The psalmist here tells us that Elohim (our Creator) is the Jehovah (Covenant keeping, Personal) person. This is not two Gods but a two-fold description of the ONE GOD of the Bible. HE is in control. HE gives light to HIS people.
This is not only Christ or the Word of God but the ministry of the Holy Spirit in the lives of HIS followers, so that, they can discern HIS will in their daily lives. The Old Testament saints were to bring blood sacrifices to the LORD.
Christ shed HIS blood once for all, so that, we are not bring a blood sacrifice but other sacrifices of worship to HIM. We are to offer sacrifices of praise and thanksgiving to the LORD.
Our God is powerful as the psalm shows us. Are we depending on HIM? Are we manifesting HIS light to our world? Are we walking in HIS light?
The more we grow in the LORD we should show that we have confidence in HIM to deliver us from all of our circumstances.
CHALLENGE: HE wants us to go to HIM first and last in all situations. Once we practice this principle, then we can teach others.
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DISCIPLINES OF THE FAITH:
BODY
Chastity (Purity in living)
Fasting (Time alone with LORD without eating or drinking)
Sacrifice (Giving up something we want to serve the LORD)
Submission (Willing to listen to others and LORD)
Solitude (Going to a quiet place without anyone)
SOUL
Fellowship (Gathering together around the Word of God)
Frugality (wise use of resources)
Journalizing (Writing down what you have learned from the LORD)
Study and Meditation (Thinking through your study in the Word)
Secrecy (Doing your good deeds without others knowing but God)
SPIRIT
Celebration (Gathering around a special occasion to worship LORD)
Confession (Tell the LORD we are sorry for our sins on a daily basis)
Prayer (Conversation with God on a personal level)
Give thanks verse 1, 29
Prayer verse 5, 25
Answered prayer verse 5
Silence (Letting the LORD deal with some problems and needs)
Worship (Time to praise the LORD alone or in a group)
Song verse 14
Rejoicing verse 15, 24
Praise verse 19, 21, 28
Sacrifice verse 27
Horns of the altar verse 27
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DOCTRINES OF THE FAITH:
Scripture (66 inerrant books of the Bible)
God the Father (First person of the Godhead)
LORD – Jehovah (Covenant keeping, Personal) verse 1, 4- 20, 23- 27,
29
LORD is good verse 1, 29
Fear of the LORD verse 4
Name of the LORD verse 10- 12, 26
Right hand of the LORD verse 15, 16
House of the LORD verse 26
God – Elohim (Creator, Sovereign) verse 27, 28
God is the LORD verse 27
God the Son (Second person of the Godhead –God/man, Messiah)
Stone which the builders refused verse 22
Head stone verse 22
God the Holy Spirit (Third person of the Godhead – our comforter)
Trinity (Three persons of the Godhead who are co-equal = ONE God)
Angels (Created before the foundation of the world – Good and Evil)
Man (Created on the sixth twenty-four hour period of creation)
All nations verse 10
Stone the builders rejected verse 22
Sin (Missing the mark set by God on man and angels)
Fear verse 6
Hate verse 7
Confidence in man verse 8
Confidence in princes verse 9
Salvation (Provided by Christ’s death on the cross for our sins)
Thanks verse 1, 29
Mercy verse 1- 4, 29
Fear of the LORD verse 4
Distress verse 5
Prayer verse 5, 25
Answered prayer verse 5
Help verse 7, 13
Trust verse 8, 9
Strength verse 14
Song verse 14
Salvation verse 14, 15, 21, 25
Rejoicing verse 15, 24
Righteous verse 15, 20
Declare works of the LORD verse 17, 23
Chastened verse 18
Praise verse 19, 21, 28
Glad verse 24
Prosperity verse 25
Blessed verse 26
Shown us light verse 27
Exalt the LORD verse 28
Israel (Old Testament people of God)
Israel verse 2
House of Aaron verse 3
Tabernacles of the righteous verse 15
Gates of righteousness verse 19
Church (New Testament people of God)
Last Things (Future Events)
Mercy endures for ever verse 1- 4
Death verse 18
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QUOTES regarding passage
17–18 Thanksgiving begins with the individual. The psalmist has individually experienced the Lord’s power to restore and sustain life by having been delivered out of his troubles. The troubles are likened to “death” (v. 18; cf. 116:3, 15), but the Lord’s favor is “life.” The meaning of “live” (v. 17) signifies here the joyful proclamation of “what the Lord has done”: his acts of discipline (“the Lord has chastened me severely” and in his controlled discipline: “he has not given me over to death,” v. 18; cf. 66:9–10; Jer 30:11; 46:28; Hab 1:12; 2 Cor 6:9). His discipline is fatherly in nature, harsh though it may seem (cf. Heb 12:5–11). (See the appendix to Ps 78: The Mighty Acts of Yahweh.) (VanGemeren, W. A. (1991). Psalms. In F. E. Gaebelein (Ed.), The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs (Vol. 5, p. 733). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House.)
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18 The fourth reason of thanksgiving, is the Lord’s moderating all chastisements, so that the psalmist is not destroyed by them. Whence learn, 1. As Christ our Head was chastised for our peace, and tasted of death, but was not given over to it; so his servants, albeit not exempted from chastisements, yet shall not be destroyed by them: the Lord hath chastened me sore, yet he hath not given me over unto death, saith the type of Christ, speaking history of himself and prophecy of Christ. 2. The moderation of chastisements and salvation wrought by them, should swallow up the grief of them, and make them the matter of our song, as here we are taught: the Lord hath chastened me sore, yet he hath not given me over unto death. 3. It is wisdom to observe the moderation of chastisements, as well as their sharpness and weight, and to remember that when adversaries trouble us, and would destroy us, God is about only to correct us, and do us good: as here is observed. (Dickson, D. (1834). A Brief Explication of the Psalms (Vol. 2, pp. 337–338). Glasgow; Edinburgh; London: John Dow; Waugh and Innes; R. Ogle; James Darling; Richard Baynes.)
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18. The Lord hath chastened me sore. Heb., “The Lord has chastened—has chastened me.” See Notes on ver. 13. The psalmist had been greatly afflicted, and he now looked upon his affliction in the light of a fatherly chastisement or correction. It had been a severe trial, and he was not insensible to its severity, though he regarded it as designed for his own good.
But he hath not given me over unto death. He interposed when I was in danger; he rescued me when I was on the verge of the grave. This is the close of the psalmist’s statement in regard to the Divine dealings with him. He had passed through great danger; he had been sorely afflicted; but he had been rescued and spared, and he came now to express his thanks to God for his recovery. In the following verse he addresses those who had the care of the sanctuary, and asks that he might be permitted to enter and offer his thanks to God. (Barnes, A. (1870–1872). Notes on the Old Testament: Psalms (Vol. 3, p. 172). London: Blackie & Son.)
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18. “The Lord hath chastened me sore.” This is faith’s version of the former passage, “Thou hast thrust sore at me;” for the attacks of the enemy are chastisements from the hand of God. The devil tormented Job for his own purposes, but in reality, the sorrows of the patriarch were chastisements from the Lord. “Chastening, Jah hath chastened me,” says our poet: as much as to say that the Lord had smitten him very severely, and made him sorrowfully to know the full weight of his rod. The Lord frequently appears to save his heaviest blows for his best-beloved ones; if any one affliction be more painful than another it falls to the lot of those whom he most distinguishes in his service. The gardener prunes his best roses with most care. Chastisement is sent to keep successful saints humble, to make them tender towards others, and to enable them to bear the high honours which their heavenly Friend puts upon them. “But he hath not given me over unto death.” This verse, like the thirteenth, concludes with a blessed “but,” which constitutes a saving clause. The Psalmist felt as if he had been beaten within an inch of his life, but yet death did not actually ensue. There is always a merciful limit to the scourging of the sons of God. Forty stripes save one were all that an Israelite might receive, and the Lord will never allow that one, that killing stroke, to fall upon his children. They are “chastened, but not killed”; their pains are for their instruction, not for their destruction. By these things the ungodly die, but gracious Hezekiah could say, “By these things men live, and in all these things is the life of my spirit.” No, blessed be the name of God, he may chastise us, but he will not condemn us; we must feel the smarting rod, but we shall not feel the killing sword. He does not give us over unto death at any time, and we may be quite sure that he has not done so while he condescends to chasten us, for if he intended our final rejection he would not take the pains to place us under his fatherly discipline. It may seem hard to be under the afflicting rod, but it would be a far more dreadful thing if the Lord were to say, “He is given unto idols, let him alone.” Even from our griefs we may distil consolation, and gather sweet flowers from the garden in which the Lord has planted salutary rue and wormwood. It is a cheering fact that if we endure chastening God deals with us as with sons, and we may well be satisfied with the common lot of his beloved family.
The hero, restored to health, and rescued from the dangers of battle, now lifts up his own song unto the Lord, and asks all Israel, led on by the goodly fellowship of the priests, to assist him in chanting a joyful Te Deum. (Spurgeon, C. H. (2009). The treasury of David: Psalms 111-119 (Vol. 5, p. 108). Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software.)
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FROM MY READING:
(Remember the only author that I totally agree with is the HOLY SPIRIT in the inerrant WORD OF GOD called THE BIBLE! All other I try to gleam what I can to help me grow in the LORD!!)
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Here’s my challenge to husbands: If your wife is not flourishing – if she is not blossoming like a rose – under your leadership, it’s not righteous leadership. (p. 202)
The biblical teaching on submission does not encourage staying in a relationship that’s destroying you and others you love. (p. 204)
The world is a very cold place and will do all it can to push and pressure you into a miserable attitude. There will always be enough injustice and irritation to keep you in the wilderness if you choose to murmur and complain and criticize and covet and doubt and rebel. (p. 211)
The only thing we can always control is our attitude. (p. 212)
You can’t think in critical, negative, faultfinding, complaining ways without becoming that person. People say, “You are what you eat.” Well, to some degree that’s true, but in a deeper, more spiritual and eternal way, you are what you think! God is very concerned about our attitudes, because you become what you think about; your attitude predict the future. (p.213) (LORD, CHANGE My Attitude (Before It’s Too Late) by James MacDonald)
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Daily Hope
Today’s Scripture
Exodus 1-3
Have you ever felt like something you worked extremely hard to make, ended as a failure? The anticipation of a job well done is replaced with the reality of disappointment. That was true once when I was trying to do a ceramic piece and I placed it in the kiln to bake and when it came out it was not what I had envisioned. Instead of a centerpiece it was more like a paper weight!
Israel had served the Pharaoh of Egypt well for many years. The people of Israel were fruitful, grew prosperous and mighty while serving Pharaoh to the point that they had become a liability to residents of Egypt. A new king came to power who did not know or remember the ways Joseph had assisted and provided for the throne. All he knew was that the people of Israel posed a threat to him because of their numbers and strength.
While the king of Egypt had one plan and agenda, God had another which would bring the people of Israel out of Egypt to become their own nation once again. The process was slow and the people groaned under the struggle of serving a tyrannical master and a seemingly silent God. While Pharaoh attempted to beat down the Israelites, God was toughening and increasing their stamina for the journey and eventual conquest of the promised land. The apparent wrongs were exactly God’s plans!
God’s ways are often difficult to discern and understand. We can be told by God that a certain event or work is to be done and we cannot comprehend how it will be brought to fulfillment. In the present, we cannot see the future in the midst of a catastrophic event. Instead, God’s kiln is actually preparing us for the future.
Some examples of this are Noah and the ark, the Israeli exile to Babylon, the persecution of the early church and even the refugees fleeing Europe to come to America to begin anew. God uses unique people and circumstances that initially appear difficult, laborious, and extreme to position His people for His next work!
We are not always privy to God’s next step but we are never to doubt that He is at work for His people! The darkest day on earth was when Christ suffered and hung upon the cross. The perception was God had failed and Satan was victorious. The story was not complete and ours is not either. Like Joshua, “Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go” (Joshua 1:9).
With an Expectant Hope, by Pastor Miller
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THE HOLY SPIRIT REVEALS THE PERSON OF CHRIST
No man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost.
1 Corinthians 12:3
How does the Holy Spirit glorify Christ? It seems to me that the best way to look at this is to divide it into three main headings. First of all, He reveals the Lord Jesus Christ and His person. Paul in his letter to the Corinthians talks about the Lord of glory. Paul writes: “But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery . . . which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory” (1 Corinthians 2:7-8). But we, he says, have received the Spirit, and “the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God” (verse 10).
Do you see what that means? When the Lord Jesus was here as man, the Pharisees and the doctors of the law did not recognize Him; it was they who incited the people to cry out, “Away with Him, crucify Him.” The Greeks did not know Him either, nor did the great philosophers; they all rejected Him. They said it was nonsense and impossible that a carpenter like that should be the Son of God. And the reason they did not know Him was they had not received the Holy Spirit. Paul says in 1 Corinthians 12:3, “No man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost.”
Have you not often been perplexed by the fact that many able men in this modern world of ours do not believe in the deity of Jesus Christ? They say that He was only a man. They praise Him and say He is the greatest man or teacher the world has ever known, but they do not see in Him the Son of God. We should never be happy about that. To recognize the Lord Jesus Christ is not a matter of intellect, but the greatest brain can never come to see it and believe it. It is a spiritual truth and something that is spiritually discerned. The Holy Spirit alone can reveal the person of Christ, but He can do it, and He can do it to anybody and to everybody.
A Thought to Ponder
The Holy Spirit alone can reveal the person of Christ.
(From Saved in Eternity, pp. 88-89, by Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones)
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