Luther's Psalm

Luther’s Psalm

Psalm 118

If you don’t know who Martin Luther is you certainly know his famous hymn. He wrote A Mighty Fortress is our God. He was a tormented man who fought hard for a return to Biblical Christianity during the reformation. Luther said that Psalm 118 was his favorite Psalm. He called it his “own beloved Psalm”. He said this about the Psalm:

“When emperors and kings, the wise and the learned, and even saints could not aid me, this Psalm proved a friend and helped me out of many great troubles.”

Luther even had verse 17 written on the wall of his study.

The Psalm is also loved by many of the New Testament writers. There are nine different authors of the New Testament books. Six of those quoted this Psalm. It wasn’t one verse they quoted. At least six of the verses in this Psalm are quoted in the New Testament:

Matthew 21:42, Mark 12:10-11 quoted verses 22-23

Luke 20:17, 1 Peter 2:7 quoted verse 22

Matthew 21:9, 39; Luke 13:35; 19:38, Mark 11:9-10, John 12:13 quoted verses 25-26

Hebrews 13:6 quoted verses 6-7.

This is the last of the Egyptian Hallel Psalms. Verse 14 is a quote from the song Moses sang after God led Israel through the Red Sea (Exodus 15:2).

It is a Thanksgiving Psalm. It praises both personally and corporately. It is also a Messianic Psalm. Verses 21-29 are filled with prophecies of Christ and the salvation He brings.

Here is our outline for the Psalm:

An invitation to worship the Lord (1-4)

An individual praises God (5-21)

Corporate praise for the Messiah (22-28)

1. An invitation to worship the Lord (1-4).

The Nation of Israel

The Priests (House of Aaron)

The Gentiles (those who fear the Lord)

They are to all worship God for the same reasons:

He is good

His steadfast love endures forever

Everyone is to recognize and confess that the love of God endures forever.

There are those who question the love of God. They have their reasons:

The state of the world

Their own misfortunes/sufferings

The suffering of others

If God loves us then why….

We live in a fallen world. The consequences of sin are all around us. We are reaping what we have sown. However, there is no reason to question the love of God. The love of God for us is settled. Look at the cross and you will see it. All the world should proclaim the goodness and love of God.

2. An individual praises God (5-21).

The situation (5, 10-13)

He was in distress (5)

He was surrounded by nations (10)

He was surrounded on every side (11)

He was surrounded by many people (12) They were like a swarm of bees.

He was pushed hard to the point of falling (13).

It sounds like a military situation. Maybe this is a soldier who was in battle.

His response to the situation.

He called on the Lord (5)

He did not fear (6) He asked himself “What can man do to me?”

Jesus said we should not fear man because all they can do is kill the body. When you trust your soul with God you have no reason to fear what man may do to your body.

He looked on triumph in those who hated him (7). He looked at his enemy as defeated during the battle.

He took refuge in God and not man (8-9).

What God did concerning the situation.

The Lord answered him and set him free (5).

The Lord gave him victory in battle (11)

The Lord helped him (13)

I want to point out something in verse 12. He said, “they went out like a fire among thorns.”

Thorns can be painful. But when a thorn bush is thrown into a fire it burns up quickly. It doesn’t take long for a fire to completely consume a thorn bush. The enemies of God were defeated easily. They were no match for the power of God.

In verse 13 it looks as if our warrior is going to be defeated. The Lord intervened in t8ime. This reality pushes him to worship. We see wonderful worship in verses 14-18.

He recognizes God for who He is (14).

The Lord is my strength. Whatever I accomplish is because of the Lord.

The Lord is my song. He is the reason I have joy.

The Lord is my salvation. He is the reason I am saved.

He celebrates the power of God (15-16).

The reference to the right hand of God can also be found in Moses’ song after the crossing of the Red Sea (Exodus 15:6). Three times the right hand of the Lord is mentioned in verses 15-16. We see the right hand of the Lord accomplishes two things:

1) It does valiantly. (Mighty works)

2) It exalts. (Gives God people the victory)

The righteous sing a glad song in their tents. The song is “The right hand of the Lord does valiantly, the right hand of the Lord exalts, the right hand of the Lord does valiantly!”

You can imagine an army that was on the brink of defeat. By God’s grace they overcome their enemy. They live another day. They recognize God gave them the victory. In each dwelling place individuals praise God.

Do we celebrate the power of God in our homes?

He reflects on what has happened (17-18).

He thought he would die. God spared him. He will live and he will tell others what the Lord has done.

Have you ever been close to what you thought was death? Many have been there. If you can think, it is a time of sober reflection. When the Lord brings you back from such a place you walk with a limp. What I mean is there is a newfound humility. It’s a time to praise God. It’s a time to tell others how the Lord spared you.

He recognized that what happened to him was the Lord’s discipline (18). We don’t know who this soldier was. It does appear that the Lord got his attention through a near death experience. It forever changed this man.

Had he strayed from the Lord?

Had he become cold in the things of God?

Had he embraced a sinful lifestyle?

We don’t know. All we know is the Lord used this near-death experience as a tool of discipline. It woke him up. He praised God that the discipline stopped short of death.

He returns to the place of worship (19-21).

He asks that the Temple gates be opened to him (19). Imagine this warrior returning home. His first thought is the Temple. Why? He wants to give thanks to the Lord.

When God does something great for you go to church. Go to where the people of God gather. Worship the Lord with His people.

Verse 20 appears to be the doorkeeper of the temple speaking. He makes it clear that only the righteous shall enter this gate. Under the Old Covenant the Temple was a holy place. Worshippers were required to prepare themselves before entering. The same is true for us. We may enter the church unholy, but we will not enter the presence of the Lord that way. No matter what we have accomplished, it is our own personal integrity that matters when we worship. Worship must be in Spirit and Truth.

Verse 21 returns to the soldier. He thanks the Lord for hearing his prayer and saving him. This is probably what he said once he entered the Temple. What do we do when we come to worship? Is there humility about us? Do we thank the Lord for saving us when we come to church?

3. Corporate praise for the Messiah (22-29).

Notice the Psalm changes from personal to corporate. In verses 5-21 it is “I, me, my”. Now it is “our, us, we”. Collectively the nation is praising the victorious warrior. The New Testament makes it clear that these verses are speaking of Christ. Jesus Himself told the people that He was the fulfillment of these prophecies (Matt. 21:42, Mark 12:10-11, Luke 20:17).

What is prophesied in this Psalm is:

The rejection of Christ by the Jewish religious leaders and His exaltation (22).

The Triumphal Entry of Jesus into Jerusalem (25-26).

We’re going to pull some truths about Jesus from this section.

1. Christ though rejected by His own people is exalted above all people (22).

A cornerstone was the most important stone laid in a building. It was a foundational stone setting the course for the rest of the building. Therefore, it was the most important.

Imagine builders searching for the perfect stone. They are tossing stones to the side. The religious leaders were looking for the Messiah. When they saw Him (Jesus) they tossed Him to the side. In the end Christ proved to be the cornerstone.

The most glorious institution on earth is the church. It has withstood persecution, the passing of time, and heresy. Yet the church stands. Ephesians 2:20 says of the church that Jesus Christ is Himself the Cornerstone. Without Christ the greatest institution on earth would crumble to the ground.

The religious leaders tossed Jesus to the side. God exalted Him. One day every knee will bow, and every tongue will confess that Jesus is Lord.

Look at verse 23.

“This is the Lord’s doing: it is marvelous in our eyes.”

2. The victory of Christ is to be celebrated (24).

Verse 24 is a well-known verse. The “day” probably refers to the gospel age. This isn’t a single day to celebrate. Our day is a day of salvation because of the work of Christ. We should celebrate the gospel. We should rejoice. We should be glad. God has made this day for us through the cross and the resurrection.

3. Christ is to be praised as our great King (25-26).

When Jesus came into Jerusalem just before His crucifixion the crowd shouted these verses (Matthew 21:9. They saw Him as the Messiah who would save His people. Their understanding was limited. They saw Him merely as an earthly King.

Jesus has come to save us. He has come to give us success and prosperity. But that is not fully experienced in this world. It is experienced in the next world. Our great King will usher in a kingdom for His people. We do not wait until then to praise Him.

4. Christ is our sacrifice (27).

The light of the Lord is His blessing. Through salvation God has blessed us with light.

Life

Illumination

A picture is painted in verse 27 of a group of worshippers headed to the Temple with a sacrifice. The sacrifice would be bound because it was a living animal. It was to be taken to the altar. Christ, as our sacrifice was taken up Calvary’s hill but He went willingly.

5. The work of Christ should move all to worship Him (28-29).

The Psalm ends like it begins.

God is good.

His steadfast love endures forever.

We are to give thanks to God.

We are to extol God (117:1)- speak of Him in a magnificent way.

How can we not praise God when we see what Christ has done for us? Let us close by peeking into the worship of heaven. We find this recorded in Revelation 7:9-12:

After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!” And all the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures, and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, saying, “Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever! Amen.”