He is Worthy!
Notes
Transcript
Reading
3 Know that the Lord, he is God! It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.
4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise! Give thanks to him; bless his name!
5 For the Lord is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations.
Introduction:
Psalm 118 is sandwiched right between the shortest Psalm at 2 verses and the longest Psalm at 176 verses.
It is supposed that this Psalm was written around the dedication of the restored walls and gates of Jerusalem during the feast of tabernacles in 444 B.C. in the time of Ezra and Nehemiah.
If you recall from reading Ezra Jerusalem was surrounded by their enemies, which set up much opposition to the rebuilding.
The surrounding leaders appealed to the “higher-ups” to stop the construction of the city.
They requested that they read history and see the great opposition that Jerusalem was to all the kings and that when it was finished Jerusalem wouldn’t pay tribute to the kings and would outright oppose them.
This is why I don’t like politics.
When people don’t get what they want they begin manipulating people, relationships, and anything they can to get what they want. It brings out the worst in humans.
It is fair to say that Israel was facing strong opposition to the reconstruction of the walls and gates to Jerusalem.
The rebuilding of took 52 days, which was a miracle in itself.
15 So the wall was finished on the twenty-fifth day of the month Elul, in fifty-two days.
16 And when all our enemies heard of it, all the nations around us were afraid and fell greatly in their own esteem, for they perceived that this work had been accomplished with the help of our God.
Notice what the other nations admitted: It could only be accomplished by the help of God!
This wasn’t the first time the world saw God’s hand in Israel.
Remember when they came into the promised land, the battles they were in taking cities with no weapons of war; only the tools of a farmer?
Bringing down high walls by having faith in the Lord and walking around the city 7 days?
All the nations were afraid of Israel coming to their cities because they knew God was on their side and nothing could stop Him.
Here we learn that all of Israel rejoiced at what the Lord had done.
Illustration:
The organization I went to Rwanda with is called Builders without Borders.
In 2 weeks there are typically built 3-4 buildings approximately 40’x150’
Foundation
Frame
Roof
Structure
Shell
Trusses
The excitement!
The Organization of Africa New Life rejoiced at the finishing of the buildings because it means more children can be reached with the gospel and educated simultaneously.
Transition:
Israel had no other reaction for what God had done in 52 days but to rejoice and:
Give Thanks (1-4)
Give Thanks (1-4)
1 Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever!
2 Let Israel say, “His steadfast love endures forever.”
3 Let the house of Aaron say, “His steadfast love endures forever.”
4 Let those who fear the Lord say, “His steadfast love endures forever.”
The Psalmist makes a request in the opening lines:
Give Thanks to God.
Why does God deserve the thanks?
The re-building of it all was by decree of non-Jewish leaders, the materials were provided by non-Jewish leaders, and everyone did the work.
Only God could orchestrate all of this.
On top of all that: God deserves it for this reason alone!
1 Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever!
God is good, and because He is good thanks should be given.
He alone is worthy of all thanks that could ever be offered.
The Psalmist asked for everyone to give thanks to God for being God.
In verse 2 the Psalmist categorized the groups who should be thankful.
2 Let Israel say, “His steadfast love endures forever.”
Israel.
The whole nation who is named by God Himself.
The nation chosen as God’s people who represent Him to the world.
The nation who is entrusted with God’s word for the world.
The whole nation must rejoice at all the privileges God has given them.
1 I am speaking the truth in Christ—I am not lying; my conscience bears me witness in the Holy Spirit—
2 that I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart.
3 For I could wish that I myself were accursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers, my kinsmen according to the flesh.
4 They are Israelites, and to them belong the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the worship, and the promises.
5 To them belong the patriarchs, and from their race, according to the flesh, is the Christ, who is God over all, blessed forever. Amen.
God is revealed because of the rebuilding:
His steadfast love endures forever!
A call to another group by the Psalmist:
3 Let the house of Aaron say, “His steadfast love endures forever.”
What is the house of Aaron?
The house of Aaron is all of those who are entrusted the priestly duties.
Aaron was the high priest, a descendent of Levi Moses’ brother.
They had the privilege of representing God to the people and the people to God.
They got to serve in the sanctuary and at the altar.
They were “closer” to God’s presence than the general public.
The Psalmist is reminding them and asking them to believe and recognize:
His steadfast love endures forever!
Then the psalmist had one more group to call on to rejoice:
4 Let those who fear the Lord say, “His steadfast love endures forever.”
This category of a nation are those who as the passage says: Fear the Lord.
Anyone who feared the Lord, Jew and Gentile alike!
One commentator says: Anyone who was upright in heart, who faithfully obeyed His Word and feared His name.
For the Gentile to be called on to rejoice over the Lord was to realize they were not God’s chosen nation, yet were included to take part in the blessings God poured out on Israel.
As a consequence the Gentiles enjoyed in those blessings as well.
The Psalmist reminds all who are believers to rejoice because:
His steadfast love endures forever!
We hear the request and who is called on to rejoice; but the same phrase was repeated three times:
“His steadfast love endures forever”
What does it mean?
Let’s break it down.
Evaluate the sentence:
What is the subject?
Love!
We know God’s love:
16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
The adjective which is Steadfast describes what kind of love the Psalmist is describing:
Steadfast can be defined as Loyal!
We should rejoice at God’s loyal love.
Thankfully the Psalmist isn’t done with his statement about love, we have what kind of love but then we are given the actions to His love.
It “endures”.
Endures is to last, or continue no matter the difficulties and suffering.
How long will His loyal love last?
Forever!
This should be a reminder for each and every one of us to remember what we don’t deserve but have received: His grace and the forgiveness of our sins.
Rejoice because Jesus’ love is loyal and will continue through any amount of suffering forever!
Transition:
The God who loves us in this way, it is fair to say: earns and demands that we:
Trust Him (5-14)
Trust Him (5-14)
The King figure for this instance calls out to the Lord for help, he gives us the problem and follows it with the answer.
5 Out of my distress I called on the Lord; the Lord answered me and set me free.
The Psalmist did what many others did:
He went to the one who was in control of it all and asked for help.
We can find confidence in His protection for times of crisis.
Psalm 91 instills this confidence and among what it proclaims in verse 15 we can believe a truth:
15 When he calls to me, I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will rescue him and honor him.
The Lord will answer those who seek Him as a refuge in time of need.
We are told in many scriptures to find shelter from our enemies at the feet of our Father.
We are even instructed on what we ask of the Lord.
5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.
We don’t always know what is happening; but we can seek the one who does, and we are instructed to.
The wisdom He gives will instill confidence!
The Psalmist expresses that his confidence is in the Lord.
6 The Lord is on my side; I will not fear. What can man do to me?
7 The Lord is on my side as my helper; I shall look in triumph on those who hate me.
We can be confident in the Lord since our trust is in the Lord, the real authority!
8 It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in man.
9 It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in princes.
Illustration:
Put it this way:
If a part on your car, which is metal and when it is used requires that it hold up under great pressure and torque, breaks into 2 pieces.
Would you use JB weld, an expoxy, on the 2 parts and feel confident next time you drive it?
The JB weld is what man and those in power (Princes) have to offer; but in comparison to what the Lord has to offer it doesn’t meet the standard.
God instills complete confidence, where the JB weld doesn’t.
Take refuge in the real power and authority!
The Psalmist reveals a tactic here for us to learn about how to deal with those who are against us:
10 All nations surrounded me; in the name of the Lord I cut them off!
11 They surrounded me, surrounded me on every side; in the name of the Lord I cut them off!
12 They surrounded me like bees; they went out like a fire among thorns; in the name of the Lord I cut them off!
13 I was pushed hard, so that I was falling, but the Lord helped me.
He cut off his enemies from taking up space in his mind.
When they are evicted from his thoughts there is no reason to worry about their efforts to stop the building.
He could do this because he had faith that the Lord is in control and His will, will be done!
How many people oppose you or what circumstances surround you as an enemy?
Are you allowing your fear of their projected authority to take up a great deal of your mental space?
Evict them!
Seek refuge in the Lord and believe what the Psalmist is saying:
14 The Lord is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation.
Trust that God is in control and seek what it is He is teaching you or how He is using you through the struggles.
Transition:
Your life, as a believer, is to:
Glorify Him (15-21)
Glorify Him (15-21)
Singing was a public way to praise the Lord.
It could be done individually and be between only you and the Lord, which is individual worship.
It could be done collectively with a group, which is considered corporate worship.
Israel was doing this collectively and in their families.
14 The Lord is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation.
15 Glad songs of salvation are in the tents of the righteous: “The right hand of the Lord does valiantly,
16 the right hand of the Lord exalts, the right hand of the Lord does valiantly!”
They praised what the Lord was doing in their midst!
He was revealing Himself for all to see!
Through the struggles from surrounding enemies and their ineffective assaults God was showing the world that in 52 days an impossible thing was done!
No better time to sing praises to the Lord.
In your struggles sing praises to the Lord for all He has done before.
Get your mind focused on the right thing.
I imagine that this moment in the Psalmists life wasn’t the first time he had encountered strife or opposition from the enemy.
I believe that God had prepared him for this exact moment.
Through much struggle and strengthening of his faith he was ready for this task.
Just hear what he says:
17 I shall not die, but I shall live, and recount the deeds of the Lord.
18 The Lord has disciplined me severely, but he has not given me over to death.
God prepared him through a lot of struggle to faithfully trust all God was doing.
He wasn’t as concerned with the struggles around him, his focus was on the Lord.
He desired that God allow him into His presence to bring assurance.
19 Open to me the gates of righteousness, that I may enter through them and give thanks to the Lord.
20 This is the gate of the Lord; the righteous shall enter through it.
21 I thank you that you have answered me and have become my salvation.
God alone is worthy of our praise, there is none other who deserve it.
The Psalmist is publicly proclaiming that he is proud of YHWH’s hand in all that is happening.
He was given entrance through the gates; since he was in a right standing with God, and qualified to worship Him.
(?) Are we in a right standing before God?
If you have been saved by grace through the faith you have in Him, You are; but if not, then you are not in a good standing with Him.
Your worship of Him isn’t accepted.
Change that! (Believe in Jesus and His sacrifice)
Then join us as we glorify Him.
Transition:
Warren Wiersbe can prepare us for the next 8 verses:
“The Gentile nations had despised and rejected Israel, but God had spared them to finish the work He gave them to do.” -Warren Wiersbe
When God does a thing, all people will:
See Him (22-29)
See Him (22-29)
22 The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone.
23 This is the Lord’s doing; it is marvelous in our eyes.
24 This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.
The most important part of the building, the cornerstone, was rejected by builders.
Jesus is the measurement we use to measure our hearts, minds, and souls to.
The perfect metric.
Yet He was cast aside because He didn’t fit into the preconceived box the “religious” leaders had crafted.
It is normal to want Jesus to fit into the thoughts you have for Him; but we need to allow Him to change our perspective or so that we become all He is crafting us to be.
Adopt the plea the Psalmist leaves us:
25 Save us, we pray, O Lord! O Lord, we pray, give us success!
Are you in a place where you are pleading for the Lord to bring the success?
Are you asking for His salvation?
See how He is providing it for you today.
Accept it!
26 Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! We bless you from the house of the Lord.
27 The Lord is God, and he has made his light to shine upon us. Bind the festal sacrifice with cords, up to the horns of the altar!
28 You are my God, and I will give thanks to you; you are my God; I will extol you.
29 Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever!
See who comes into your life because God places them there.
See the blessings God provides for you, even though you don’t deserve it.
See where you are unthankful, and thank Him!
The psalmist resorts back to the same sentence he began with:
29 Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever!
Conclusion
You may find yourself surrounded by all the things trying to ruin your faith.
The enemies who want you to give up and deny your faith.
The Psalmist gave us, through terrible circumstances how and why we should praise Jesus:
He is worthy!
Give thanks
Trust Him
Glorify Him
Recognize all He is doing for you, which requires you to evaluate His actions towards your life.
Then thank Him for being God in your life who orchestrates it all for you!
Today with our observance of communion I pray that you are appreciative for the sacrifice He made for us.
After Communion today: believe that He is worthy.
Offer praise and let all the world see Him through you!
Communion.
