Sunday
Morning Bible Study
March 21, 2004
Introduction
Psalm 118 is the last of the five “Hallel” psalms
(Ps. 113-118), songs of praise that were sung at the various feasts of Israel,
including the Passover. At Passover, the first two were sung before the meal,
the last three (including Ps. 118) were sung after the meal. After
the Last Supper …
(Mark 14:26 KJV) And when they had sung an hymn, they went out into the mount of Olives.
It’s very possible that this might have been one of the songs Jesus and His
disciples sang. It would have been very appropriate. Especially
for that very moment.
Some have suggested that this Psalm was written for the dedication of the
second Temple, after the Jews
returned from captivity in Babylon.
Others suggest, and I would agree with them, that it may have been written by
David. It certainly contains phrases and ideas that would hint at David.
:1-4 Eternal mercy
:1 O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good …
This full phrase appears seven times in the Old Testament. The phrase “his
mercy endureth for ever” appears about 50 times in the Old Testament. This is
one of Israel’s
“theme songs”.
:2 Let Israel
now say, that his mercy endureth for ever.
It has been suggested that this was sung “antiphonally”, meaning that one
person would say the first part, “Let Israel now say” and then the group would
answer with “that his mercy endureth for ever”
:4 Let them now that fear the LORD say, that his
mercy endureth for ever.
Do you now fear the Lord? Then say it … (“his mercy endureth for ever”)
:5-9 God delivers
:5 I called upon the LORD in distress: the LORD
answered me, and set me in a large place.
distress – metsar – straits, distress. A “strait” is a narrow place with very little
room, a place that is filled with distress or difficulty.
large place – merchab – broad or roomy place, wide, expanses
Lesson
Large places
God answers prayers from people in tough situations.
Sometimes He answers by taking the difficulty away.
Hezekiah and the people of Jerusalem
were surrounded by the Assyrian army. Hezekiah prayed, and God responded by
sending a single angel who killed 185,000 Assyrians in one night.
Sometimes He answers by giving us the strength to get through the tough
time.
When Paul prayed for God to take away the thorn in his flesh, God answered:
(2 Cor 12:9 KJV) And he
said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my
strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory
in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
When Jesus was in the Garden,
(Mat 26:37-39 KJV) And he took with him Peter and
the two sons of Zebedee, and began to be sorrowful
and very heavy. {38} Then saith he unto them, My soul
is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death: tarry ye here, and watch with me. {39}
And he went a little farther, and fell on his face,
and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me:
nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.
God didn’t take the cross away from Jesus. But after praying,
Jesus was ready to face the cross.
When you are in a tough spot – pray. Pray it
through to the large place.
:6 The LORD is on my side
(Psa 118:6 NASB) The LORD is for me
(Rom 8:31
KJV) What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be
against us?
:8 It is better to trust in the LORD than to put
confidence in man.
I’ve heard it said that Psalm 118 is the middle chapter of the Bible – but
it’s not. Psalm 117 is the middle with 594 chapters on either side of it. I’ve
heard it said that Psalm 118:8 is the middle verse of the entire Bible, it’s
not – if you count verses, Psalm 103:2 is the middle verse of the Bible (as
close as I can come; there are 1189 chapters in the Bible with 31,103 verses)
That having been said, this is still a very important verse in the Bible.
Lesson
Counting on God alone
Illustration
The Dead Mule
A Preacher went to his church office on Monday morning and discovered a
dead mule in the church yard. He called the police. Since there did not appear
to be any foul play, the police referred the Preacher to the health department.
They said since there was no health threat that he should call the sanitation
department. The manager said he could not pick up the mule without
authorization from the mayor. Now the Preacher knew the mayor and was not to eager to call him. The mayor had a bad temper and was
generally hard to deal with, but the Preacher called him anyway. The mayor did
not disappoint. He immediately began to rant & rave at the pastor and
finally said, “Why did you call me any way? Isn’t it your job to bury the
dead?” The preacher paused for a brief prayer and asked the Lord to direct his
response. He was led to say, “Yes, Mayor, it is my job to bury the dead, but I
always like to notify the next of kin first!”
People will let you down. There will be times that people will disappoint
you, and for a very good reason, because they are sinful and flawed.
Some of you are learning that in all your relationships, including your
marriage, you are going to be disappointed at times. That doesn’t mean you
shouldn’t get close to people. It means that you are counting on the Lord to be
your strength, not your spouse.
God will not let you down. He will not always do things the way you want
Him to, or expect Him to, but He will never let you down. Even if things don’t
go the way you want them to, God allows disappointment for very good reasons. He
only does what’s best for us.
:10-13 The troubles
:14-19 God’s strength
:14 The LORD is my strength and song, and is
become my salvation.
Lesson
Parting the sea
David is quoting from another famous song, the song that Moses wrote after
God had delivered the people by parting the Red Sea.
God had already worked in a way for the nation of Israel
to leave their slavery in Egypt. Two million people were making their way out
of Egypt when
Pharaoh had second thoughts and sent his army to bring the slaves back. When the Egyptian army caught up with the
people, they were trapped against the Red Sea.
(Exo 14:10-16 KJV) And when Pharaoh drew nigh, the children of Israel
lifted up their eyes, and, behold, the Egyptians marched after them; and they
were sore afraid: and the children of Israel
cried out unto the LORD. {11} And they said unto
Moses, Because there were no graves in Egypt,
hast thou taken us away to die in the wilderness? wherefore
hast thou dealt thus with us, to carry us forth out of Egypt?
{12} Is not this the word that we did tell thee in Egypt,
saying, Let us alone, that we may serve the Egyptians? For it had been better
for us to serve the Egyptians, than that we should die in the wilderness. {13}
And Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation
of the LORD, which he will show to you to day: for the Egyptians whom ye have
seen to day, ye shall see them again no more for ever. {14} The LORD shall
fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace. {15} And the LORD said unto Moses,
Wherefore criest thou unto me? speak
unto the children of Israel,
that they go forward: {16} But lift thou up thy rod, and stretch out thine hand
over the sea, and divide it: and the children of Israel
shall go on dry ground through the midst of the sea.
(Exo 14:19-22 KJV) And the angel of God, which went before the
camp of Israel, removed and went behind them; and the pillar of the cloud went
from before their face, and stood behind them: {20} And it came between the
camp of the Egyptians and the camp of Israel; and it was a cloud and darkness
to them, but it gave light by night to these: so that the one came not near the
other all the night. {21} And Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and
the LORD caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all that night, and
made the sea dry land, and the waters were divided. {22} And
the children of Israel
went into the midst of the sea upon the dry ground: and the waters were a wall
unto them on their right hand, and on their left.
Israel made
it through the Red Sea with the Egyptian army following
them. Then God closed the waters of the
sea over the Egyptians and the Egyptians were wiped out.
(Exo 14:30 KJV) Thus the LORD saved Israel
that day out of the hand of the Egyptians; and Israel
saw the Egyptians dead upon the sea shore.
It’s at this point that Moses writes a song and says,
(Exo 15:2 KJV) The LORD is my strength and
song, and he is become my salvation: he is my God, and I will prepare him an habitation; my father's God, and I will exalt him.
You too can look at the marvelous thing God did back at the Red
Sea and know that God wants to part “Red
Seas” in your life as well.
God is not only awesome and powerful, but when we learn to trust Him and do
what He says, He becomes our salvation. He has the answers to the impossible
situations. You may not see it right now, but you just watch and see.
:19-29 Triumphal Entry
:19 Open to me the gates of righteousness
I believe this verse starts a distinct prophetic section in the Psalm. I
believe it describes events that would happen on a particular day in Jesus’
life as He entered into the city of Jerusalem.
:22 The stone which the builders refused …
There was a story told by the Jews about the building of the temple by
Solomon. We don’t know if it’s true or not, but it’s an interesting thought. With
Solomon’s temple, the stone was all cut to specifications at the quarry. There
was to be no sound of cutting tools on the temple sight. After a stone was cut
to specifications, it would be sent to the temple, where it would be placed
into the building. One particular stone arrived, and the builders couldn’t
figure out where it went, so they threw it away, down the hill. Much later, the
builders were wondering when the quarry was going to send the most important
stone, the corner stone. All the other stones were in place except for it. The
quarry answered that they had already sent it a long time ago. That’s when they
realized that the stone they had throne away and rejected was in fact the most
important of them all, the corner stone.
Jesus applied this verse to Himself. He told a story about a man who rented
out his vineyard to a bunch of farmers. When it came time to collect rent, the
farmers ran one bill collector out of town after another. Finally the landlord
sent his son to collect the rent. The tenants killed the son. When Jesus asked
the people listening to Him what would happen to the tenants, they replied that
they would be killed.
(Mat 21:42-46 KJV) 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? {43} Therefore say I unto you,
The kingdom of God
shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits
thereof. {44} And whosoever shall fall on this stone
shall be broken: but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder.
{45} And when the chief priests and Pharisees had
heard his parables, they perceived that he spake of them. {46} But when they
sought to lay hands on him, they feared the multitude, because they took him
for a prophet.
cornerstone – (NIV – “capstone”) the
cornerstone is supposed to be the first stone laid down in the foundation of a
building. It’s supposed to be what the whole building lines up with. It’s what
the building is built upon.
Even though Jesus was rejected by the Jews (the “builders”), God made Him
the very foundation of the universe.
:24 This is the day which the LORD hath made
People will often use this verse as a way of starting the day, getting up
and looking at a beautiful sunrise and saying, “This is the day which the Lord
hath made …”
That is a neat sentiment, but I don’t think that’s what this verse is
talking about.
David is talking about a specific day, a day hinted at in this Psalm, a
specific day that God had ordained.
Daniel’s Seventy Weeks.
The prophet Daniel predicted the day that Messiah would appear.
(Dan 9:25-26 KJV) Know therefore and understand, that from the going
forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the
Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks: the street shall be
built again, and the wall, even in troublous times. {26} And after threescore
and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: and the people of
the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the
end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are
determined.
It starts with a commandment, or, a decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem.
The command came from King Artaxerxes to Nehemiah (Neh.
2:1,5), and can be traced historically to March 14, 445 B.C.
After this commandment there would be a space of time consisting of periods
of “weeks”. These “weeks” are groups of
seven years. There would be a total of
69 of these “weeks” between the decree and the Messiah.
Daniel worked off of the Babylonian calendar, which had 360 day years, also
consistent with the prophetic year in Scripture (Prophetic year = 360 days; compare
Dan.9:27, 7:24,25;
Rev.13:4-7; Rev. 12:13,14; Rev.12:6)
69 weeks x 7 years x 360 days = 173,880 days
March 14, 445 B.C. + 173,880 days = April
6, 32 A.D.
Luke records what happened on April
6, 32 AD, a day we have labeled “Palm Sunday”:
(Luke 19:36-42 KJV) And
as he went, they spread their clothes in the way. {37} And when he was come
nigh, even now at the descent of the mount of Olives, the whole multitude of
the disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the
mighty works that they had seen; {38} Saying, Blessed be the King that cometh
in the name of the Lord: peace in heaven, and glory in the highest. {39} And some of the Pharisees from among the multitude said unto
him, Master, rebuke thy disciples. {40} And he
answered and said unto them, I tell you that, if these should hold their peace,
the stones would immediately cry out. {41} And when he
was come near, he beheld the city, and wept over it, {42} Saying, If thou hadst
known, even thou, at least in this thy
day, the things which belong unto thy peace! but
now they are hid from thine eyes.
As you’re going to see, the things that the people were
shouting came from Psalm 118:25-26. Not a small coincidence.
Jesus wept over Jerusalem
because His triumphal entry occurred right on time. He showed up just when He
said He would, but the nation would reject Him.
:25 Save now, I beseech thee, O LORD
The Hebrew phrase translated “Save now” is “Hosanna”.
When Jesus entered Jerusalem on
Palm Sunday, this is what the crowds were crying out:
Mt 21:9 And the multitudes that went
before, and that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna
to the Son of David: Blessed [is] he that cometh in the name of the Lord;
Hosanna in the highest.
:26 Blessed be he that cometh in the name of the
LORD
After
His triumphal entry, and because of His rejection by the nation of Israel,
Jesus taught that this verse would be applied a second time when He comes back
the second time:
(Mat 23:37-39 KJV) O
Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets,
and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often
would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her
chickens under her wings, and ye would not! {38} Behold, your house is left
unto you desolate. {39} For I say unto you, Ye shall
not see me henceforth, till ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name
of the Lord.
Because Jesus Himself gives this Psalm a second prophetic significance, I
think it’s possible almost to do a “rerun” of the Psalm, and see more
connections, things that follow chronologically after what Jesus says in Mat.
23
Being in a distress (vs. 5) – Jesus in Gethsemane
Not trusting men (vs. 8) – Jesus going to Calvary
when all turned against Him
All nations compassing Him (vs. 10) – Jesus hanging on the cross
Not dying by living (vs. 17) – Jesus rising from the dead
Open the gates (vs. 19) – Jesus coming again
This is the day (vs. 24) – Jesus’ return to earth
Save now (vs. 25) – the Jews’ cry to be rescued from the antichrist
Blessed is He (vs. 26) – when Jesus returns
:27 bind the sacrifice with cords …
I wonder if it isn’t talking about Jesus dying for our sins.
:29 for his mercy endureth for ever.
God’s mercy is found clearly in one person, Jesus Christ.
He is the sacrifice for our sins.
He is the stone that the builders rejected. Don’t let Him be one that you
reject.
Even if you reject Him, that doesn’t change the fact that God has made
Jesus the cornerstone of the universe.
He is the One who wants to be the cornerstone in your life.