04/03/2025 – Day 277 – Psalm – Chapters 117 – 118 (Universal Call to Praise and Thanksgiving to Victory, respectively) // Indeed! Keep repeating: “His faithful love endures forever.”
“Praise the LORD, all nations! Glorify Him, all peoples! For great is His faithful love to us; the LORD’s faithfulness endures forever. Hallelujah!” Psalm 117
This is commentary from “The Apologetics Study Bible”:
“Psalm 117. “This, the shortest chapter in the Bible, is a complete hymn of praise. It includes the invitation for all people – not just Israel – to celebrate the Lord. It also gives the reason for praise: the Lord has been faithful to His covenant with His people. (“faithful love” translates Hebrew hesed, loyalty based on a covenant relationship). Finally, it speaks of His enduring ‘faithfulness’ (Hebrew emanah, “truth” in the sense of reliability, the root of the English word “amen”). All of this is bracketed between the cries of praise. “Hallelujah!” “
“Psalm 118”. “The psalm has no superscription posting a historical occasion for its composition. In one view, it fits the return from Babylonians captivity. The nation (represented by the speaker) had been severely disciplined for sin, being surrounded almost to extinction by the nations. But the Lord delivered His people, and the nation returned to building God’s program and came to praise Him for letting them live. In another view, this psalm was a ceremony, celebrating a victory of the king in battle; the flavor is that of the Davidic psalms. The king, who represented the entire nation, had been in great danger, but was delivered from death and vowed to tell of the Lord’s great deeds (vv 10-17). An “entrance rite followed (Psalm 15). In a dialogue between the sanitary doorkeepers or choir (vv 19-20,26) and the speaker and those in procession (v. 27) with him. The worshiper confessed his loyalty to the Lord (v. 28) and reiterated his promise to praise Him. The entire psalm is framed by a traditional hymn celebrating Yahweh’s hesed, His faithfulness to the covenant (vv. 1-4, 29: see 1 Ch 16:34,41; 2 Ch 5:13; 7:3,6; 20:21; Psalm 107:1; 136; 138:8). Much of this psalm became part of the liturgy of church worship, and remains so to this day.
The psalm is part of the “Great Hallel” (see Psalm 113) designated for use at the festivals of Israel. Psalms 117-118 were sung after the Passover meal. These would have been the psalms (“hymn” in many English versions) that Jesus and the disciples sang in the Upper Room after the institution of the Lord’s Supper, before they went out to the Mount of Olives (Matthew 26:30).”
_____________________
And this verse commentary in Chapter 118 is from “The Evidence Bible – NKJV”:
“118:6 Remember that courage isn’t the absence of fear, but the conquering it. If we really care for the lost , each of us must learn to push aside fear and replace it with faith in God. You do your part, and God will do His.”
______________
“The stone which the builders rejected Has become the chief cornerstone.” Psalm 118:22
“118:22. This is a direct reference to the Messiah. See 1 Peter 2: 7.8
______________
“118:27 We must “bind” our bodies as living sacrifices on the alter of service for God (see Romans 12:1)”
__________________________________________
Soli Deo Gloria!
Questions for fellowship generation, the lifelong sanctification process:
- What does the text reveal about God’s character?
- How has this reading generated prayer for you and/or us?
- What themes stand out to you in this bible study?
- How does our reading fit into the bigger picture (creation, the fall, restoration, etc.)?
- What verse(s) jumped out at you like never before? Is it explainable at this point?
- Do you have any questions you would like to put before the group as to how to interpret any particular verse(s) in our reading. Let scripture testify to scripture: Share with us where you sense contradiction between passages elsewhere.
- What did you find convicting and inspiring at the same time? Share with us how the Spirit of God is working within you as a messenger, both within and outside of our fellowship group.
- Share with the group how our study is calling or confirming to you a new mission to glorify God in our times.