Psalm 118:1-4 - "His Mercy Endures Forever"

Happy New Year!!!! We are going to start off the New Year by looking at Psalm 118. This psalm is the last of the Hallel psalms or the Hallelujah Chorus in the Jewish hymn book. Psalm 113 to Psalm 118 were psalms that were to be sung or read at the major Jewish celebrations such as Passover or the Feast of Tabernacles. Psalm 118 was most likely sung after the Passover meal. Many believe that the Lord Himself sang this psalm on Thursday evening after the meal in the upper room with His disciples just before His crucifixion.

We are not sure who wrote this Psalm, but some believe that it is possible that David wrote it, and it was passed down and specifically used as a song of celebration and praise when the foundation of the rebuilt temple was laid in Ezra 3:10-11. “When the builders laid the foundation of the temple of the LORD, the priests stood in their apparel with trumpets, and the Levites, the sons of Asaph, with cymbals, to praise the LORD, according to the ordinance of David king of Israel. And they sang responsively, praising and giving thanks to the LORD: "For He is good, For His mercy endures forever toward Israel." Then all the people shouted with a great shout, when they praised the LORD...." The words mentioned in Ezra are the first and last sentences of this Psalm, and we therefore conclude that the people chanted the whole of this magnificent song.

The psalm mentions gates (vv. 19-20) and building (vv. 22) and certainly expresses the joy the people experienced as they beheld what the Lord had done. The repeated phrases in verses 2-4, 10-12, and 15-16 suggest that the psalm was written for public worship. The pronouns "I" and "me" in verses 5-21 refer to the nation of Israel and not to the psalmist. But the psalm speaks to all believers in every age and gives them four practical instructions.

Today we live in a very messy world. As a pastor for now for over 50 years, I have observed and concluded that every family has some kind of mess in it. Every church experiences a mess of some sort. As were enter a brand-new year we have to live with the reality that the possibility is very high that in some way we are going to encounter some kind of mess or have to deal with a seemingly impossible situation. Psalm 118 is a great psalm to keep handy to read and meditate on as you face these difficult times.

 In verses 1-4, the first thing we learn to do is the give thanks to the Lord at all times, because He is always good and His mercy endures forever! The psalm is bracketed by thanksgiving (vv. 1-4, 28-29), for this is one of the purposes of the "hallelujah" psalms, and we have met the threefold address before (Psalm 115:9-11). The human situation may change many times, but God's merciful lovingkindness endures forever.

“Let Israel now say…” (v.2). The nation of Israel certainly ought to praise God for all the blessings and privileges God has bestowed on her (Rom. 9:1-5). “Let the house of Aaron now say…” (v. 3). The house of Aaron ought to thank God for the great privilege of serving in the sanctuary and at the altar. In verse 4, "Let those who fear the Lord now say…", would include all of God's faithful people, Jews and Gentiles. Those who are "the upright in heart" and who faithfully obeyed His Word and feared His name.

We should never forget this year that God's people today “can now say”, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ… to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He has made us accepted in the Beloved.” (Ephesians 1:3 & 6)

Please take the time on this first day of the new year to “give thanks to the LORD because He is good, and for His mercy that endures forever”.  And every day take comfort knowing that, “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever” (Psalm 23:6).

Happy New Year and God bless!