Psalm 118
This is the last of the series of praise psalms which began with the 111Th. The new Israel will never weary of telling the praise of Him whose mercy (or loving kindness) endureth forever. Israel; the house of Aaron, and “them that fear Jehovah,” in verses 2, 3 and 4 are linked together in His praise just as in Psalm 114, verses 9-11. They were besought to confide in Him.
In verses 5 to 28 is the voice of the redeemed of Israel. What can man do unto him who has Jehovah on his side? (Verse 6). It is better to trust in Him than to put confidence in man, or in princes or nobles (verses 8, 9).
In verses 10 to 18 Israel looks back to the time of persecution, of severe trial, only lately experienced. All nations sought their destruction, and were near to success when the mighty Deliverer came; then came their destruction (verses 10-12).
Verse 13 introduces another enemy, the old Serpent, the Devil; he had tried his best to destroy all that trust in Jehovah.
Notice the three ‘s’ in verse 14: my strength, my song, my salvation: He is all of these for all who, whether Jew or Gentile, put their trust in the Lord. Do we know Him in all these ways, satisfyingly?
Verse 18 brings in the third side, or aspect, of Israel’s distresses: God has chastened them sore, though He had not given them up to death. There was a cause for this chastening, as Israel will well know: a long course of departure from God, crowned with the murder of the Son of God.
Sometimes we who know the Lord Jesus as our Saviour, pass through circumstances in which we too feel the full character of trial—both the enmity of man and of Satan, and the chastening hand of God upon us. This psalm is instructive and comforting in such a case.
Having owned God’s hand, not only in chastening but in deliverance, as expressed in the preceding verses, the precious result of trial is revealed in verses 19, 20, and 21.
The Psalm would not be complete without the Messiah’s being brought in. And this is done in a striking way, —The Stone which the (Jewish) builders rejected, has become the head of the corner, or the corner stone (verse 22). This passage is quoted four times: Matthew 21: 42; Mark 12:10,10And have ye not read this scripture; The stone which the builders rejected is become the head of the corner: (Mark 12:10) and Luke 20:17,17And he beheld them, and said, What is this then that is written, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner? (Luke 20:17) when the Lord brought it before the religious leaders who were plotting to kill Him; and in Acts 4:11,11This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner. (Acts 4:11) when the apostle Peter told the same men a few weeks later that Jesus of Nazareth is the stone rejected by “you the builders.”
With entirely changed feelings and repentant hearts, the Israel of God shall say (verse 23), “This is of Jehovah, it is wonderful in our eyes.” Verse 26, too. will be on their lips, as the Lord foretold in Matthew 23:3939For I say unto you, Ye shall not see me henceforth, till ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord. (Matthew 23:39).
How plainly these passages (not to speak of many others) show who it is that wrote the Psalms: None other than the Holy Spirit; and also how plainly do they show the time to which the Psalms refer: the coming day of Jacob’s trouble, the great tribulation.
Psalm 118 closes with the words with which it began, —of thankfulness and of praise to Jehovah for His unchangeable ways of grace.
ML 11/01/1931