The Day the Lord Hath Made

Service Notes

Read Psalm 118.

Sing 118:24

Introduction

Psalm 118 is quoted often in the NT

This verse would be a top 10 most commonly memorized verses. Let’s work at memorizing it together.

Psalm 118:24 “24 This is the day which the Lord hath made; We will rejoice and be glad in it.”

God is in the day-making business. The Ancient of Days is the Manufacturer of Days.

Summary of this Psalm “God chose the weak things of the world, that he might put to shame the things that are strong.”

Context of the Passage

To properly value of verse you need to understand the context

For Psalm 118:24 we have the surrounding verses and we have NT application as our guide

Things to be aware of when interpreting the Bible

Eisegesis

Exegesis - is extracting the true meaning from a Text

Eisegesis - is when you impose your own meaning upon a text

This often happens when we say “what does this mean to me instead of asking what does it mean.”

Spiritualization

Looking for a deeper meaning or different meaning then the one presented.

Example: Youth pastor telling young men to march around the girl he wants to marry 7 times until the walls of her heart come down

Over-Personalization

The proactive of reading your own personal situation into the passage.

Different then application.

This is making us the focus of the passage.

It is important to seek comfort in God’s Word but we should treat Scripture fairly and not read into the text something that was not intended.

Example: Woman praying about a situation and belieivng the act the word Mark was in this verse was her answer about her son Mark’s innocence. Psalm 37:37 “37 Mark the perfect man, and behold the upright: For the end of that man is peace.”

This is the day of God’s Love shown towards us.

Psalm 118:1-4 “1 O give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good: Because his mercy endureth for ever. 2 Let Israel now say, That his mercy endureth for ever. 3 Let the house of Aaron now say, That his mercy endureth for ever. 4 Let them now that fear the Lord say, That his mercy endureth for ever.”

Several different groups join in the singing.  

We’re all to sing it in Ps 118:1.  

Israel is to sing it in Ps 118:2.  

The House of Aaron, being the priests, is to sing it in Ps 118:3.  

And everyone who fears the Lord is to sing it in Ps 118:4.  This should be us!

This should produce gratefulness in our lives

Illustration - A story is told about a vendor who sold bagels for 50 cents each at a street corner food stand. A jogger ran past and threw a couple of quarters into the bucket but didn’t take a bagel. He did the same thing every day for months. One day, as the jogger was passing by, the vendor stopped him. The jogger asked, “You probably want to know why I always put money in but never take a bagel, don’t you?” “No,” said the vendor. “I just wanted to tell you that the bagels have gone up to 60 cents.” Too often, as believers, we treat God with that same kind of attitude. Not only are we ungrateful for what He’s given us—but we want more.

Are hearts should be more as the writer who rightfully said at the end of the day ““Here dies another day, during which I have had eyes, ears, hands, and the great world round me. And with tomorrow begins another. Why am I allowed two?”

This is the day of God’s help

We learn of the situation that David was in when he wrote this Psalm. Psalm 118:5-8 “5 I called upon the Lord in distress: The Lord answered me, and set me in a large place. 6 The Lord is on my side; I will not fear: What can man do unto me? 7 The Lord taketh my part with them that help me: Therefore shall I see my desire upon them that hate me. 8 It is better to trust in the Lord Than to put confidence in man.”

Now he’s going to get specific.  

This man has been in a war.

Been surrounded by all nations. v.10

They compassed me about (2) v.11

They compassed me like bees v.12

They just keep coming at him. v. 13

The Lord helped him

Psalm 118:13 “13 Thou hast thrust sore at me that I might fall: But the Lord helped me.”

The Lord does so with His right hand

This calls for rejoicing. Psalm 118:14-18 “14 The Lord is my strength and song, And is become my salvation. 15 The voice of rejoicing and salvation is in the tabernacles of the righteous: The right hand of the Lord doeth valiantly. 16 The right hand of the Lord is exalted: The right hand of the Lord doeth valiantly. 17 I shall not die, but live, And declare the works of the Lord. 18 The Lord hath chastened me sore: But he hath not given me over unto death.”

Illustration: My step brother would always show up to help with a can of coke in his hand. He would help however he could but wasn’t putting down his drink.

Such great comfort in knowing these wonderful truths.

•        I cried to the Lord, and He answered me. •        The Lord is with me; I will not be afraid. •        The Lord is with me; He is my helper. •        It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to put confidence in men. •        I was pushed back and about to fall, but the Lord helped me. •        The Lord is my strength and my song; He has become my salvation. •        The Lord’s right hand has done mighty things!

This should produce gratefulness in our lives

Enjoy your day - “Today should be savored, not gulped down. If you don’t learn how to stop and enjoy today, you’ll never enjoy one day of the future either.”

Charles Swindoll—Chuck Swindoll—said this: "Have you ever noticed that man never earns enough; a woman is never beautiful enough; clothes are not fashionable enough; cars are not nice enough; gadgets are never modern enough; homes are never furnished enough; food is never fancy enough; relationships are never romantic enough; life is never full enough?" And friend, it never will be for you, unless you realize, "To whom little is not enough, nothing is enough." God gives you these things to rejoice. Not only is it a shame, it is a sin not to enjoy life. You need to say, "This is the day the Lord hath made; I will rejoice and be glad in it" (Psalm 118:24).

This is the day of God’s Son

Review: First section speaks of the enduring mercy of the Lord. The we saw God’s help to David when he was in great need.

Now, we have a Messianic Psalm that prophetically points to Jesus Christ.

This portion of Psalm 118 is quoted five times in the New Testament as relating to Jesus Christ.  It’s found in Matthew, Mark, Luke, Acts, and Peter.

Psalm 118:19-29 “19 Open to me the gates of righteousness: I will go into them, and I will praise the Lord: 20 This gate of the Lord, Into which the righteous shall enter. 21 I will praise thee: for thou hast heard me, And art become my salvation. 22 The stone which the builders refused Is become the head stone of the corner. 23 This is the Lord’s doing; It is marvellous in our eyes. 24 This is the day which the Lord hath made; We will rejoice and be glad in it. 25 Save now, I beseech thee, O Lord: O Lord, I beseech thee, send now prosperity. 26 Blessed be he that cometh in the name of the Lord: We have blessed you out of the house of the Lord. 27 God is the Lord, which hath shewed us light: Bind the sacrifice with cords, Even unto the horns of the altar. 28 Thou art my God, and I will praise thee: Thou art my God, I will exalt thee. 29 O give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good: For his mercy endureth for ever.”

This is the Psalm they were singing on Palm Sunday as Jesus rode into Jerusalem at the beginning of Passion (suffering) Week.

Psalm 118:25 “25 Save now, I beseech thee, O Lord: O Lord, I beseech thee, send now prosperity.”

Save now is where we get the word Hosanna -

“13 Took branches of palm trees, and went forth to meet him, and cried, Hosanna: Blessed is the King of Israel that cometh in the name of the Lord.”

Need understanding of a cap or corner stone

We have a better understanding of foundations

Corner stones is what would have held everything together.

Those who visited the Hindu Temple in Lilburn recently would have seen one

Jesus commentary on Psalm 118.

Jesus addresses the chief priests Matthew 21:23 “23 And when he was come into the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came unto him as he was teaching, and said, By what authority doest thou these things? and who gave thee this authority?”

Jesus quote Psalm 118 to ask a question Matthew 21:42 “42 Jesus saith unto them, Did ye never read in the scriptures, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner: this is the Lord’s doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes?”

Again Jesus references Psalm 118 in Luke 20:17-18 “17 And 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? 18 Whosoever shall fall upon that stone shall be broken; but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder.”

The Lord’s Doing

Psalm 118:23 “23 This is the Lord’s doing; It is marvellous in our eyes.”

From the context this day is marvelous and is related to the Stone that became the Chief Corner Stone

David reference a personal day of deliverance but here we see the day of deliverance/salvation from bondage and sin from Jesus

"The whole gospel day (which) is the day of God's making, and its blessings come to us through our Lord's being placed as the Head of the corner. We will rejoice and be glad in it. What else can we do?" - Spurgeon

This is a day when Christ arose / Speaking of Sunday

This is the day when Christ arose So early from the dead: Why should I my eyelids close, And waste my hours in bed?

This is the day when Jesus broke The powers of death and hell; And shall I still wear Satan’s yoke, And love my sins so well?

To–day, with pleasure, Christians meet, To pray, and hear thy Word; And I would go with cheerful feet To learn thy will, O Lord!

I’ll leave my sport, to read and pray, And so prepare for heaven: O may I love this blessed day The best of all the seven! --Isaac Watts

How to wake up in the morning.

The Psalms gives us some ways in which we should wake up and start our day.

Psalm 118:24 “24 This is the day which the Lord hath made; We will rejoice and be glad in it.”

1.  Wake up with the habit of setting your mind on His enduring love

Psalm 5:3 “3 My voice shalt thou hear in the morning, O Lord; In the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee, and will look up.”

Psalm 88:13 “13 But unto thee have I cried, O Lord; And in the morning shall my prayer prevent thee.”

Psalm 143:8 “8 Cause me to hear thy lovingkindness in the morning; For in thee do I trust: Cause me to know the way wherein I should walk; For I lift up my soul unto thee.”

Jesus gave this example in Mark 1:35 “35 And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, he went out, and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed.”

2.  Wake up rejoicing knowing His help is sufficient.

Moses asks the Lord to satisfy him early with mercy so that he can rejoice all day. Psalm 90:14 “14 O satisfy us early with thy mercy; That we may rejoice and be glad all our days.”

Psalm 57:8 “8 Awake up, my glory; awake, psaltery and harp: I myself will awake early.”

3. Wake up with an understanding that His death has given your life purpose

Psalm 104:22-23 “22 The sun ariseth, they gather themselves together, And lay them down in their dens. 23 Man goeth forth unto his work And to his labour until the evening.”