PSA. 118:14.
“THE Lord is my strength and song, and is become my salvation.” Such is the utterance of the writer of this Psalm. Of whom, then, does the psalmist thus speak? “The Lord is my strength and song.” Generally where Lord is printed in capital letters in our Bible it means “Jehovah.” But in this verse as well as in verses 5, 17, 18 and 19 of this same Psalm, it is not Jehovah but “Jah.” “Jehovah” is the name by which He is known to His chosen people Israel as the One who has placed Himself in covenant relationship to them (Exod. 6:2-4). But “Jah” is “the assertion of the necessary, continuous, eternal, personal existence of God,” apart from any such special relationship to a peculiar people. Here we have what He is in His own essential eternal being. And so it is His catholic or general relationship to every creature, rather than to a favored few.
“Jah is my strength and song.” This is not an expression peculiar to the pious Israelite as was the writer of this Psalm. It is the language of faith, and God is no respecter of persons. Have you, then, whether Jew or Gentile—for all mankind are divided into these two classes, so that—to one or the other you belong—have you, whichever you be, “called upon Jah in distress” (verse 5)? Have you cried to God as a helpless, guilty sinner? “To this man will I look even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word” (Isa. 66:2). “Jehovah is nigh unto all them that call upon him, to all that call upon him in Truth” (Psa. 145:18). The psalmist cried and was answered. “Jah answered me and set me in a large place” (ver. 5).
Now in this fourteenth verse we have more. “Jah is my strength and song.” Have you ever felt how helpless you are? When we were “without strength... Christ died for the ungodly.”
How often have you tried to do better—to turn over a new leaf, as men say! But all in vain. You have not been able to please yourself even, much less to please God. For “without faith it is impossible to please him,” and you have not yet turned to God, believing in Him. Oh, will you not then cease from your own works, which are powerless to save or even to make you better? You are without strength, because you are a sinner, a guilty sinner. Turn, believingly, to God, and you will find Him to be your strength; and not only your strength, but song. No longer trusting to self and your efforts, see a work already done for you. Christ has died; and by His death He has made purification for sins. You could not aid in this work in any way. He did it “by Himself” (Heb. 1:3), and because of its accomplishment He has taken His seat on high— “on the right hand of the Majesty on high.” No higher place could He take. And “God has highly exalted Him and given him a name that is above every name.” For He is worthy.
How good of God to send this Saviour, for nothing less than a Saviour could possibly avail, so utterly ruined and strengthless were we. But (Psa.130) with Him is “forgiveness” (ver. 4), and “mercy” and “plenteous redemption” (ver. 7). “Jah is my strength and song, and he is become my salvation.” When were these words first uttered? When Israel had crossed the Red Sea and seen all their enemies “dead upon the sea shore.” “Then sang Moses and the children of Israel this song unto Jehovah, and spake, saying, I will sing unto Jehovah, for he hath triumphed gloriously: the horse and his rider hath he thrown into the sea. Jah is my strength and song,” etc. (Ex. 15:1, 2). And these four words—Jah, strength, song, salvation—are here brought together and occur for the first time in Scripture.
Why this significance? Because the shelter or the blood, and redemption from the power of the enemy had now been set forth and experienced; and the redeemed soul can now therefore sing to, and of, the Lord. So we, also, who believe, resting on an eternal redemption found on Calvary, now sing a “new song” which shall never cease. We give “thanks to the Father who hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light; who hath delivered us from the power of darkness,” and “in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins”—for, like pious Simeon, we by faith can say, “Mine eyes have seen thy salvation.”
Truly, this Jah, the everlasting God, has become our salvation. The sinner who believes on God who raised up the Lord Jesus from the dead, —exalted now by God’s right hand a Prince and a Saviour, is justified; and being justified by faith, he has peace with, and boasts in, God through our Lord Jesus Christ. God is for us. And if God be for us who can be against us? is the language of the rejoicing and triumphant soul.
Exod. 15 speaks of a salvation once in the past celebrated by Israel, and they sang. Psalm 66 tells us that “praise is silent for thee, O God, in Zion,” and so it now is. Driven out of their land (Matt. 22:7) because of their sins, and their crowning guilt of rejecting the Deliverer who came to His own, but His own received Him not, there is now, alas! no song on the lips of the Jews. But a day is coming when, repentant, they shall say, “O Jehovah, I will praise thee... Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid: for Jah Jehovah is my strength and song; and he is become my salvation” (Isai. 12).
To you, my reader, is the word of salvation sent. Hear it then, believe it, and you shall find God to be your strength, and song, and your salvation.