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Psalms 117-118

Thursday Evening Bible Study

March 2, 2017

Introduction

Do people see Jesus? Is the gospel preached? Does it address the person who is: Empty, lonely, guilty, or afraid to die? Does it speak to the broken hearted? Does it build up the church? Milk – Meat – Manna Preach for a decision Is the church loved? Target 3300 words Video = 75 wpm

The English word psalm comes from a Greek word that means “a poem sung to musical accompaniment”, or in particular, “stringed instruments”.

The Hebrew name is tehillim, which means “praises.”

The book of Psalms is the hymnbook of God’s people.

It’s also the “Him” book as well. It’s all about Jesus.

The writer of Hebrews quotes from Psalm 40:8 when he writes,

(Hebrews 10:7 NKJV) Then I said, ‘Behold, I have come— In the volume of the book it is written of Me— To do Your will, O God.’ ”

The author was talking about Jesus.

We’re going to see a lot of Jesus in the Psalms.

Soul Music

Music touches the soul. It’s “soulish” in nature. It touches the emotions.

We’re going to find every kind of emotion possible expressed in the Psalms.

For every sigh there is a Psalm.

For most of us, this is what makes the Psalms so wonderful. We can identify. We can relate.

If we were honest, even darkest most depressing Psalms describe the very things we go through day by day.

It is my prayer that as we continue on this journey through the Psalms, we won’t just look at these songs academically, with our mind, but that we may also grow as worshippers.

We have been looking at the “Hallel” (“praise”) psalms (Ps. 113-118)

These songs were sung at the various feasts in Israel, but especially at the Passover.

At the Passover, the first two psalms were sung before the meal, and the last three were sung after the meal.

Psalm 117 – Everybody Praise!

Psalm 117 is the middle chapter of the Bible.

It’s also the shortest chapter of the Bible.

:1 Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles! Laud Him, all you peoples!

Praise – halal – to shine; to praise, boast, be boastful

Laud – shabach – to soothe, still, stroke; to laud, praise, commend

peoples – ‘ummah – people, tribe, nation

:1 Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles!

Gentiles – gowy – nation, people; usually of non-Hebrew people

Back in the first century, Jewish theology pretty much held that the only people who would make it into God’s kingdom would be Jews.

This same thinking carried on to the early church.

At first, the church was made up completely of Jews who had come to believe in Jesus as Messiah.

Until God began to blow people’s minds and save Gentiles, beginning with a centurion in Caesarea named Cornelius.

Eventually the church began to realize that the Old Testament Scriptures were filled with references to Gentiles following after Yahweh.

Though Paul was raised to be a ultra-orthodox Jew, his life was so turned around by Jesus that he became known as the apostle to the Gentiles.

Listen to what Paul wrote to the church at Rome:

(Romans 15:8–12 NKJV) —8 Now I say that Jesus Christ has become a servant to the circumcision for the truth of God, to confirm the promises made to the fathers,

The “circumcision” refers to the Jewish people. What’s the “truth” that God promised?

9 and that the Gentiles might glorify God for His mercy, as it is written: “For this reason I will confess to You among the Gentiles, And sing to Your name.”

The “truth” was that one day even Gentiles would be saved.

Here Paul quotes from Psalm 18:49.

10 And again he says: “Rejoice, O Gentiles, with His people!”

From Deuteronomy 32:43

11 And again: “Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles! Laud Him, all you peoples!”

This is from our passage, Psalm 117:1

12 And again, Isaiah says: “There shall be a root of Jesse; And He who shall rise to reign over the Gentiles, In Him the Gentiles shall hope.”

From Isaiah 11:10.

God had always planned that one day Gentiles would be saved.

Aren’t you glad?

:2 For His merciful kindness is great toward us, And the truth of the Lord endures forever. Praise the Lord!

truth – ‘emeth – firmness, faithfulness, truth

:2 His merciful kindness is great toward us

merciful kindness – checed – goodness, kindness, faithfulness

Lesson

Praise for Mercy

As a song for Gentiles, this song is amazingly close to what we might call the “theme song” of the nation of Israel.

(1 Chronicles 16:34 NKJV) Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever.

We’ll talk more on this in Psalm 118.

Whether it’s to Jews or Gentiles, God is a God of mercy.

Peter wrote,

(2 Peter 3:3–15 NKJV) —3 knowing this first: that scoffers will come in the last days, walking according to their own lusts, 4 and saying, “Where is the promise of His coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation.” 5 For this they willfully forget: that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of water and in the water, 6 by which the world that then existed perished, being flooded with water.

People like to think that the world has just gone on for millions and millions of years – uniformitarianism – yet men are ignoring the fact that there once was a flood in the days of Noah that wiped out the entire world. Worldwide judgment happened once, it can happen again.

7 But the heavens and the earth which are now preserved by the same word, are reserved for fire until the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.

There will be a day of judgment coming to the world. God will judge mankind.

8 But, beloved, do not forget this one thing, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.

God’s idea of time isn’t the same as ours.

9 The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.

God isn’t slow to keep His promise and send Jesus back. God is being patient (merciful kindness) with mankind, giving people a chance to repent.

10 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up. 11 Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, 12 looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be dissolved, being on fire, and the elements will melt with fervent heat?

The thought of the coming judgment ought to make us want to live for Jesus 100%. We can “hasten” the Lord’s coming by talking to people about Jesus, giving people a chance to find Jesus, when that last person will say yes to Jesus and we’ll be out of here.

13 Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells. 14 Therefore, beloved, looking forward to these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, without spot and blameless; 15 and consider that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation…

For now, we ought to be grateful that the Lord hasn’t come back yet. There is time for a few more to be saved.

:2 Praise the Lord!

The Hebrew here is hallelu-jah

Discussion

The Jews found it incomprehensible that a Gentile could be saved.

Have you ever thought it would be impossible for someone to be saved, and then they got saved?

Psalm 118 – The Last Week

Again, this is the last of the “Hallel” (“praise”) psalms.

This was one of the psalms sung after the Passover meal.

After Jesus’ Last Supper, a Passover meal …

(Mark 14:26 NKJV) And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.

It’s very possible that this might have been one of the songs Jesus and His disciples sang.

When you look at the content of this psalm, you can see why it would have fit the 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 Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever.

:1 He is good! For His mercy endures forever

This full phrase is found eleven times in the Old Testament.

(1Chr. 16:34; 2Chr 5:13; 7:3; Ezr 3:11; Ps. 100:5; 106:1; 107:1; 118:1, 29; 136:1; Jer. 33:11)

We’ve talked before about this being one of Israel’s “theme songs”. In looking at the historical passages where this is found, I found a distinct pattern.

The first time it was used was when David brought the Ark of the Covenant into Jerusalem. David wrote a song at that time, including the line,

(1 Chronicles 16:34 NKJV) Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever.

Solomon had the people sing that same line at the dedication of the first Temple:

(2 Chronicles 5:13 NKJV) indeed it came to pass, when the trumpeters and singers were as one, to make one sound to be heard in praising and thanking the Lord, and when they lifted up their voice with the trumpets and cymbals and instruments of music, and praised the Lord, saying: “For He is good, For His mercy endures forever,” that the house, the house of the Lord, was filled with a cloud

(1 Chronicles 16:34 NKJV) —34 Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever.

(2 Chronicles 5:13 NKJV) —13 indeed it came to pass, when the trumpeters and singers were as one, to make one sound to be heard in praising and thanking the Lord, and when they lifted up their voice with the trumpets and cymbals and instruments of music, and praised the Lord, saying: “For He is good, For His mercy endures forever,” that the house, the house of the Lord, was filled with a cloud,

(2 Chronicles 7:3 NKJV) —3 When all the children of Israel saw how the fire came down, and the glory of the Lord on the temple, they bowed their faces to the ground on the pavement, and worshiped and praised the Lord, saying: “For He is good, For His mercy endures forever.”

(Psalm 100:5 NKJV) —5 For the Lord is good; His mercy is everlasting, And His truth endures to all generations.

(Psalm 106:1 NKJV) —1 Praise the Lord! Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever.

(Psalm 107:1 NKJV) —1 Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever.

(Psalm 118:1 NKJV) —1 Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever.

(Psalm 118:29 NKJV) —29 Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever.

(Psalm 136:1 NKJV) —1 Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever.

When the foundation was laid for the Second Temple, after returning from Babylon, they sang the song.

(Ezra 3:11 NKJV) 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, because the foundation of the house of the Lord was laid.

Jeremiah prophesied that there would be a day of restoration for Israel.

(Jeremiah 33:11 NKJV) the voice of joy and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride, the voice of those who will say: “Praise the Lord of hosts, For the Lord is good, For His mercy endures forever”— and of those who will bring the sacrifice of praise into the house of the Lord. For I will cause the captives of the land to return as at the first,’ says the Lord.

Though this can apply to their return from Babylon, it ultimately speaks of the New Covenant, brought about by Jesus.

Do you see a pattern? At times when God is doing a new work in Israel, they have sung this song.

I find it significant that this might have been sung Jesus and His disciples as He was about to institute the New Covenant, building a new kind of spiritual Temple, a new way for man to connect with God.

:2 Let Israel now say, “His mercy endures forever.”

:3 Let the house of Aaron now say, “His mercy endures forever.”

:4 Let those who fear the Lord now say, “His mercy endures forever.”

:2 His mercy endures forever

The phrase, “his mercy endures forever” appears about 50 times in the Old Testament.

Did you notice the progression of who is saying this?

We saw this same progression last week (Israel, Aaron, God fearers) in Psalm 115.

(Psalm 115:9–11 NKJV) —9 O Israel, trust in the Lord; He is their help and their shield. 10 O house of Aaron, trust in the Lord; He is their help and their shield. 11 You who fear the Lord, trust in the Lord; He is their help and their shield.

It has been suggested that this part was sung antiphonally, meaning that one group would sing, “Let Israel now say”, and then the second group would answer, “His mercy endures forever”.

:5 I called on the Lord in distress; The Lord answered me and set me in a broad place.

:5 set me in a broad place

distress – metsar – straits, distress.

A “strait” is a narrow place with very little room, a place that is filled with distress or difficulty.

broad place – merchab – broad or roomy place, wide, expanses

Being in “distress” speaks of being caught between a rock and a hard place, while God answers and puts us into a wide place.

Lesson

Broad Places

Too often when we face challenges in life we respond with panic and fear. Fear cripples us.

David wrote,

(Psalm 34:4 NKJV) I sought the Lord, and He heard me, And delivered me from all my fears.

Don’t be telling yourself that prayer isn’t going to help.

Don’t wait until the crisis is overwhelming before you pray.

Prayer is the place to start.

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 Corinthians 12:9 NKJV) And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

When you are in a tough spot – pray. Pray it through to the large place.

:6 The Lord is on my side; I will not fear. What can man do to me?

:6 The Lord is on my side

(Romans 8:31 NKJV) What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?

:7 The Lord is for me among those who help me; Therefore I shall see my desire on those who hate me.

:8 It is better to trust in the Lord Than to put confidence in man.

:8 It is better to trust in the Lord

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

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 too 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 anyway? 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 should count on the Lord to be your strength, not your spouse.

:9 It is better to trust in the Lord Than to put confidence in princes.

:9 Than to put confidence in princes

It’s good to be involved in politics because in America, we have a say in our government. We ought to make our vote count.

But don’t be surprised when politicians let you down.

When all your hopes are in a politician or a political party, you are going to be disappointed.

:10 All nations surrounded me, But in the name of the Lord I will destroy them.

:11 They surrounded me, Yes, they surrounded me; But in the name of the Lord I will destroy them.

:12 They surrounded me like bees; They were quenched like a fire of thorns; For in the name of the Lord I will destroy them.

:13 You pushed me violently, that I might fall, But the Lord helped me.

:10 in the name of the Lord I will destroy them

Three times the Psalmist talks about his enemies surrounding them and how he dealt with it.

He dealt with it “in the name of the LORD”.

In vs. 10 the word “nations” (gowy) speaks of uncircumcised Gentiles

destroy – muwl – to circumcise, cut, be cut off; of destruction (fig.)

Though the Psalmist could certainly be talking about physical battles with enemies, it’s at least possible there is a spiritual battle going on as well.

It could be talking about taking an enemy from being “uncircumcised”, or living after the flesh, to becoming “circumcised”, learning to live after the Spirit.

:14 The Lord is my strength and song, And He has become my salvation.

:14 The Lord is my strength and song

As the Psalmist is talking about dealing with enemies, he now quotes from another famous song, written by Moses after God delivered the people by parting the Red Sea.

The parting of the Red Sea is just one example of how God can take an impossible situation, and make a way out.

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.

(Exodus 14:10–16 NKJV) —10 And when Pharaoh drew near, the children of Israel lifted their eyes, and behold, the Egyptians marched after them. So they were very afraid, and the children of Israel cried out to the Lord. 11 Then they said to Moses, “Because there were no graves in Egypt, have you taken us away to die in the wilderness? Why have you so dealt with us, to bring us up out of Egypt? 12 Is this not the word that we told you in Egypt, saying, ‘Let us alone that we may serve the Egyptians’? For it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than that we should die in the wilderness.” 13 And Moses said to the people, “Do not be afraid. Stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord, which He will accomplish for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall see again no more forever. 14 The Lord will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace.” 15 And the Lord said to Moses, “Why do you cry to Me? Tell the children of Israel to go forward. 16 But lift up your rod, and stretch out your hand over the sea and divide it. And the children of Israel shall go on dry ground through the midst of the sea.

While the pillar of cloud stayed between the Egyptians and the Israelites, Moses raised his staff, and God parted the Red Sea.

After Israel made it through the Red Sea, the Egyptian army followed them, but were wiped out when the waters closed over them.

It was then that Moses wrote a song with the line,

(Exodus 15:2 NKJV) The Lord is my strength and song, And He has become my salvation; He is my God, and I will praise Him; My father’s God, and I will exalt Him.

When the Psalmist quotes Moses’ song, the people get this picture in their head of how God was faithful to deliver them from their enemies at the Red Sea.

Remember our song was sung at the Passover, when they remembered these incredible miracles of God.

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.

:15 The voice of rejoicing and salvation Is in the tents of the righteous; The right hand of the Lord does valiantly.

:16 The right hand of the Lord is exalted; The right hand of the Lord does valiantly.

:17 I shall not die, but live, And declare the works of the Lord.

:18 The Lord has chastened me severely, But He has not given me over to death.

:17 I shall not die, but live

The Psalmist is reminding himself of what salvation is all about.

God will keep him safe. He will survive this.

We are beginning to cross into the prophetic part of the Psalm, relating to the last couple of days of Jesus’ life.

I wonder if Jesus was encouraged by this promise.

Even though He would be delivered to the Romans and put to death, He would be raised from the dead.

:19 Open to me the gates of righteousness; I will go through them, And I will praise the Lord.

:20 This is the gate of the Lord, Through which the righteous shall enter.

:21 I will praise You, For You have answered me, And have become my salvation.

:19 Open to me the gates of righteousness

At this point, the Psalm takes a clear turn into the prophetic.

Perhaps this is speaking of Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem.

:22 The stone which the builders rejected Has become the chief cornerstone.

:22 the chief cornerstone

The cornerstone is the most important stone laid 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.

Yet it somehow was the thing rejected by the builders. Huh? Who would do such a thing?

:23 The stone which the builders rejected

There is an old Jewish tradition about the building of the temple by Solomon.

The stones used to build Solomon’s temple were not cut at the temple site, but at the stone 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 according to the plans.

Everything worked well until one particular stone arrived, and the builders couldn’t figure out where it went so they tossed it aside.

Much later, the builders began to wonder 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 tossed aside was in fact the most important of them all, the corner stone.

We’ve seen in our study in Luke 20 that Jesus applied this verse to Himself.

He told a story about a man who rented out his vineyard to a bunch of ungrateful farmers. When it came time to collect rent, the farmers ran one bill collector after another out of town.

Finally the landlord sent his son to collect the rent. Yet the stupid farmers went and killed the son thinking they were going to take over the vineyard. When Jesus said that the landlord would then destroy those farmers, the people couldn’t believe it. But Jesus used this Scripture:

(Luke 20:17 NKJV) Then He looked at them and said, “What then is this that is written: ‘The stone which the builders rejected Has become the chief cornerstone’?

Even though Jesus was rejected by the Jews (the “builders”), God made Him the very foundation of the universe.

:23 This was the Lord’s doing; It is marvelous in our eyes.

:23 It is marvelous in our eyes

marvelous – pala’ – to be marvelous, be wonderful; to be difficult to understand

Even though Jesus’ ultimate sacrifice for us is a “marvelous” thing, His rejection is certainly “difficult to understand”.

Who could imagine that builders would reject the very cornerstone?

:24 This is the day the Lord has made; We will rejoice and be glad in it.

:24 This is the day the Lord has made

Though people like to quote this verse as a nice sentiment, waking up to a beautiful sunrise and exclaiming, “This is the day the Lorde has made…”, I think there is more to this verse than that.

The Psalmist is speaking of a specific day, a day on God’s great calendar.

There has been some discrepancy over the years on the following dates. It boils down to the difference in calculations between Sir Robert Anderson (who started with 445 BC) and Harold Hoehner (who advocates 444 BC). You can see the two sides compared here.

You can look at a more recent, detailed study on this here.

The prophet Daniel wrote around 530 BC and predicted the day the Messiah would appear to Israel.

(Daniel 9:25 NKJV) “Know therefore and understand, That from the going forth of the command To restore and build Jerusalem Until Messiah the Prince, There shall be seven weeks and sixty-two weeks…

The decree to rebuild Jerusalem came from King Artaxerxes on March 5, 444 BC (Neh. 2).

Though the calculations are a little complex, taking into account ancient dates and prophetic calendar systems, you can calculate that Daniel is speaking of a length of 173,880 days from Artaxerxes’ decree to the time of the Messiah.

When you add 173,880 days to March 5, 444 BC, you arrive at the date of March 30, AD 33.

That was the Sunday when Jesus entered into Jerusalem riding on a donkey to the shouts of “Hosanna”.

Would you say that this particular day would be special in God’s eyes? This was Israel’s day.

There will be more in this Psalm about that specific day.

Even though the Psalmist says, “We will rejoice and be glad in it”, I believe that this verse caused Jesus to weep over Jerusalem. This is why He said,

(Luke 19:42 NKJV) saying, “If you had known, even you, especially in this your day, the things that make for your peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes.

:25 Save now, I pray, O Lord; O Lord, I pray, send now prosperity.

:25 Save now, I pray

The Hebrew phrase translated “Save now” is “Hosanna”.

When Jesus entered Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, on “THAT DAY”, this is what the crowds were crying out:

(Matthew 21:9 NKJV) Then the multitudes who went before and those who followed cried out, saying: “Hosanna to the Son of David! ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!’ Hosanna in the highest!”

Isn’t it strange that the crowd knew the very words to say?

When Jesus was told to make the crowd be quiet, He said that if the people were quiet, the very stones would cry it out.

Why? Because that was indeed “THE DAY”.

:26 Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! We have blessed you from the house of the Lord.

:26 Blessed is he who comes

Though the people did shout this on Palm Sunday, after His triumphal entry and His rejection by the nation of Israel, Jesus taught that this verse would be applied a second time when He came back … at His Second Coming:

(Matthew 23:37–39 NKJV) —37 “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing! 38 See! Your house is left to you desolate; 39 for I say to you, you shall see Me no more till you say, ‘Blessed is He who comes 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 surrounding 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, the second time, maybe even going through the Eastern Gate.

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) – The Jews greet Him when He returns

:27 God is the Lord, And He has given us light; Bind the sacrifice with cords to the horns of the altar.

:27 Bind the sacrifice with cords

I see this hinting at Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross, dying for our sins.

:28 You are my God, and I will praise You; You are my God, I will exalt You.

:29 Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever.

:29 His mercy endures forever

Israel’s theme song once again.

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 needs to be “your” God.

He is the One who wants to be the cornerstone in your life.

Discussion

vs. 5 talked about praying and God putting us in a “broad place”

Can you recall a time when God rescued you miraculously from a difficult time by making it go away?

Can you recall a time when God rescued you by helping you endure a difficult time?

Songs

from vs. 1

Forever

Intro: G Em D C G Em D C

G

Give thanks to the Lord

Our God and King

His love endures forever

C

For He is good

He is above all things

G

His love endures forever

D C/E

Sing praise, sing praise

G

With a mighty hand

And outstretched arm

His love endures forever

C

For the life that's been reborn

G

His love endures forever

D C/E

Sing praise, sing praise

D C/E

Sing praise, sing praise

G

Forever God is faithful

Em7

Forever God is strong

D

Forever God is with us

C G

Forever,(and ever) forever

From the rising

To the setting sun

His love endures forever

And by the grace of God

We will carry on

His love endures forever

Sing praise, sing praise

Sing praise, sing praise

G

Forever God is faithful

Em7

Forever God is strong

D

Forever God is with us

C G

Forever,(and ever) forever (2x)

G

His love endures forever(4x)

D C/E

Sing praise, sing praise

D C/E

Sing praise, sing praise

Forever You are faithful

Forever You are strong

Forever You are with us

Forever (and ever) (3x)

Forever / Words & Music by Chris Tomlin / © 2000 Worshiptogether.com songs / Forever3.doc

from vs. 14

Exodus 15

D C

The Lord is my strength

G

And my song

D C G

And He is become my salvation

D

He is my God

C G D

And I shall prepare Him my heart

(3x)

The Lord, He shall reign

Forever and ever

Amen (2x)

Exodus Xv / Words & Music by Frank Gallio / © 1982 Mercy Publishing / LordsMyS.doc

from vs. 19

Gates Of Righteousness

tran: G D C G D C

Am D

Open unto me

G

The Gates of Righteousness

Cmaj7

That I might enter in

Em D

And I will praise You

Em D

(I will praise You)

Am D

Open unto me

G

The Gates of Righteousness

Cmaj7

That I might enter in

Em D

And I will praise You

Em D

(I will praise You)

Em /D Cmaj7 C Am/D D

I will praise You, praise You

Cmaj7 D

I will praise You Lord

Em

With all my heart

Cmaj7 D

I will praise You Lord

Em

With all my mind

Cmaj7 D

I will praise You Lord

Em

With all my soul

Am G/B

With my strength will I praise You

C D G DC

With my life will I praise You Lord

Gates Of Righteousness / Words & Music by Bruce Muller, Dave Messenger / © 1984 Maranatha! Music / Gates.doc

from vs. 24

This Is The Day

D

M: This is the day

(W: This is the day)

A

That the Lord hath made

(That the Lord hath made)

A

We will rejoice (We will rejoice)

D D7

And be glad in it (And be glad in it)

G

Both: This is the day

D

That the Lord hath made

G D A

We will rejoice and be glad in it

D

M: This is the day

(W: This is the day)

A A7 D

Both: That the Lord hath made

This Is The Day / Words & Music by Les Garret / © 1967 Scripture In Song / ThisIs.doc

from vs. 25

Step By Step

E B

O God You are my God

A B E (A B)

And I will ever praise You (repeat)

C#m B

I will seek You in the morning

A F#m

And I will learn to walk in Your ways

E B

And step by step You'll lead me

A E

And I will follow You all of my days

Ending:

C#m B

And I will follow You all of my days

A F#m

I will follow You all of my days

E B

And step by step You'll lead me

A E

And I will follow You all of my days

Words & Music by Beaker

© 1991 Kid Brothers of St. Frank Publishing