Psalm 118
Psalm 118, The Chief Cornerstone
Psalm 118 does not name its author in the title, but there is strong reason to connect it with David. Ezra 3:10 to 11 suggests that this psalm, or at least its familiar refrain, was used when the foundation of the second temple was laid, and that the worship was conducted “after the ordinance of David king of Israel.” The language, tone, conflict, deliverance, public procession, kingly triumph, and confidence in the LORD all fit David’s experience and spirit.
Yet Psalm 118 is not only David’s psalm. It is also one of the clearest messianic psalms in the Psalter. It is part of the Egyptian Hallel, Psalms 113 to 118, which was sung during the Passover. This means Jesus likely sang Psalm 118 with His disciples on the night He was betrayed, just before Gethsemane and the cross.
Matthew 26:30, “And when they had sung an hymn, they went out into the mount of Olives.”
Mark 14:26, “And when they had sung an hymn, they went out into the mount of Olives.”
This makes the psalm overwhelming in its prophetic force. Jesus sang, “The stone which the builders refused is become the head stone of the corner,” knowing He would soon be rejected by Israel’s leaders. He sang, “Bind the sacrifice with cords, even unto the horns of the altar,” knowing He Himself would be bound, condemned, and nailed to the cross as the final sacrifice for sin. He sang, “I shall not die, but live,” knowing death would not hold Him. He sang, “Blessed be he that cometh in the name of the LORD,” knowing the crowds had recently shouted those very words at His triumphal entry, and that many would soon cry for His crucifixion.
Psalm 118 is therefore a psalm of thanksgiving, distress, deliverance, confidence, victory, rejection, exaltation, sacrifice, and final praise. It begins and ends with the same declaration, the LORD is good, and His mercy endureth for ever.
A. Praising God for His Great Mercy and Deliverance
Psalm 118:1 to Psalm 118:4, Calling a Congregation to Declare Yahweh’s Never Ending Mercy
Psalm 118:1, “O give thanks unto the LORD, for he is good: because his mercy endureth for ever.”
Psalm 118:2, “Let Israel now say, that his mercy endureth for ever.”
Psalm 118:3, “Let the house of Aaron now say, that his mercy endureth for ever.”
Psalm 118:4, “Let them now that fear the LORD say, that his mercy endureth for ever.”
The psalm opens with an emphatic call, “O give thanks unto the LORD.” The word “O” gives force and urgency to the command. The people of God are not invited to mild acknowledgment, but to earnest thanksgiving. The LORD has acted, delivered, preserved, and shown mercy. Therefore, thanksgiving is required.
The first reason for thanksgiving is, “for he is good.” God is not merely good because He gives good things. He gives good things because He is good. Goodness belongs to His nature. His goodness is not temporary, circumstantial, or dependent upon human perception. He is good when He blesses, good when He chastens, good when He delivers, good when He delays, good when He gives, and good when He withholds.
The second reason is, “because his mercy endureth for ever.” This phrase frames the psalm, appearing at the beginning and again at the end. The mercy of the LORD is His covenant lovingkindness, His loyal love, His steadfast grace toward His people. It has no beginning in human merit and no ending in human weakness. His mercy endures because He endures.
This refrain was familiar in Israel’s worship.
Psalm 106:1, “Praise ye the LORD. O give thanks unto the LORD, for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.”
Psalm 136:1, “O give thanks unto the LORD, for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.”
When Jesus sang this psalm before the cross, He sang of mercy that would be tested to the utmost the next day. At Calvary, the mercy of God would be displayed through the suffering of the Son. The endurance of God’s mercy would not be sentimental language. It would be sealed in blood.
Verse 2 calls Israel to confess it, “Let Israel now say, that his mercy endureth for ever.” Israel had experienced God’s mercy from Abraham to the Exodus, from the wilderness to Canaan, from the judges to David, from discipline to restoration. Israel had no history apart from mercy.
Verse 3 calls “the house of Aaron” to say the same. The priests had special reason to declare God’s mercy. They ministered at the altar, handled sacrifices, taught the law, and stood between holy God and sinful people in priestly service. Every sacrifice testified that mercy was needed. Every accepted sacrifice testified that God provided mercy.
Verse 4 expands the call, “Let them now that fear the LORD say, that his mercy endureth for ever.” This likely includes all reverent worshipers of the LORD, including Gentile God fearers who had taken refuge under Israel’s God. The call moves from Israel, to the priests, to all who fear the LORD. The mercy of God is to be confessed by all who know Him.
Psalm 118:1 to 4 teaches that thanksgiving begins with God’s goodness and enduring mercy. Israel, the house of Aaron, and all who fear the LORD must confess together that His mercy endureth for ever.
Psalm 118:5 to Psalm 118:9, A Testimony to His Enduring Mercy
Psalm 118:5, “I called upon the LORD in distress: the LORD answered me, and set me in a large place.”
Psalm 118:6, “The LORD is on my side; I will not fear: what can man do unto me?”
Psalm 118:7, “The LORD taketh my part with them that help me: therefore shall I see my desire upon them that hate me.”
Psalm 118:8, “It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in man.”
Psalm 118:9, “It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in princes.”
The testimony begins, “I called upon the LORD in distress.” The psalmist had not merely studied mercy in theory. He had experienced it in trouble. Distress pressed him, narrowed him, threatened him, and drove him to prayer. Trouble becomes spiritually useful when it sends a man to the LORD instead of into despair, bitterness, or self reliance.
“The LORD answered me, and set me in a large place.” The contrast is powerful. Distress is a narrow place, a place of pressure, confinement, fear, and limitation. God answered by setting him in a large place, a place of freedom, security, relief, and firm standing. The LORD did not merely hear, He answered. He did not merely sympathize, He delivered.
This is a pattern throughout Scripture. God’s people cry in distress, and the LORD delivers.
Psalm 18:6, “In my distress I called upon the LORD, and cried unto my God: he heard my voice out of his temple, and my cry came before him, even into his ears.”
When Jesus sang these words before His betrayal, He sang them with perfect faith. He would soon enter the deepest distress any man has ever known. He would call upon the Father with strong crying and tears. Yet He also knew that the Father would answer Him through resurrection and exaltation.
Hebrews 5:7, “Who in the days of his flesh, when he had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto him that was able to save him from death, and was heard in that he feared;”
Verse 6 declares, “The LORD is on my side; I will not fear: what can man do unto me?” This is not arrogance. It is confidence in divine favor. If the LORD stands with His servant, man’s hostility cannot have the final word. Men can oppose, slander, imprison, wound, and even kill the body, but they cannot overthrow the purpose of God.
This same confidence appears in the New Testament.
Romans 8:31, “What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?”
Verse 7 says, “The LORD taketh my part with them that help me.” The LORD is not distant from the battle. He stands with His servant and works through those who help him. Therefore, the psalmist can say, “therefore shall I see my desire upon them that hate me.” This does not mean petty revenge. It means final vindication. God will not allow hatred against His servant to triumph forever.
Verses 8 and 9 give one of the great lessons of the psalm, “It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in man. It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in princes.” The psalmist has learned this through experience. Man can fail because of weakness, fear, betrayal, ignorance, selfishness, mortality, or lack of power. Princes can fail just as easily. Rank does not make a man reliable. A golden weathervane turns in the wind like a tin one.
This does not mean human help is always evil. God may use men. But ultimate confidence must never rest in man. It must rest in the LORD.
Psalm 146:3, “Put not your trust in princes, nor in the son of man, in whom there is no help.”
Psalm 146:4, “His breath goeth forth, he returneth to his earth; in that very day his thoughts perish.”
Psalm 146:5, “Happy is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help, whose hope is in the LORD his God:”
Jesus knew this perfectly. His disciples forsook Him. Peter denied Him. Judas betrayed Him. The leaders rejected Him. Pilate condemned Him. The crowds turned on Him. Yet He trusted the Father fully.
Psalm 118:5 to 9 teaches that the LORD answers distress, sets His servant in a large place, stands with His people, removes the fear of man, vindicates against hatred, and proves that trust in the LORD is better than confidence in any man or prince.
Psalm 118:10 to Psalm 118:14, Surrounded by Enemies but Helped by God
Psalm 118:10, “All nations compassed me about: but in the name of the LORD will I destroy them.”
Psalm 118:11, “They compassed me about; yea, they compassed me about: but in the name of the LORD I will destroy them.”
Psalm 118:12, “They compassed me about like bees; they are quenched as the fire of thorns: for in the name of the LORD I will destroy them.”
Psalm 118:13, “Thou hast thrust sore at me that I might fall: but the LORD helped me.”
Psalm 118:14, “The LORD is my strength and song, and is become my salvation.”
The psalmist now describes being surrounded by enemies. “All nations compassed me about.” The language is intense and repeated. He was encircled, pressed, and threatened. This may reflect David’s experience with surrounding enemies, but it also reaches prophetically toward Messiah, who would be surrounded by hostile rulers, religious leaders, Roman soldiers, mocking crowds, and spiritual powers.
The answer is repeated three times, “in the name of the LORD will I destroy them.” The confidence is not in self. It is in the name of the LORD. The name of the LORD represents His revealed character, covenant faithfulness, authority, and power. Victory comes only through Him.
The enemies “compassed me about like bees.” Bees can swarm, sting, and attack fiercely. The image shows intensity, irritation, and danger. Yet their power is temporary. “They are quenched as the fire of thorns.” Thorn fires flare quickly and fiercely, but they also burn out quickly. The rage of the wicked may blaze hot, but it is short lived before God.
Verse 13 becomes personal, “Thou hast thrust sore at me that I might fall: but the LORD helped me.” The enemy pushed hard with the goal of overthrowing the psalmist. The attack was real. The danger was real. But the LORD helped him. That is the decisive fact.
Verse 14 quotes the ancient song of Moses, “The LORD is my strength and song, and is become my salvation.” This was first sung after the LORD delivered Israel through the Red Sea.
Exodus 15:1, “Then sang Moses and the children of Israel this song unto the LORD, and spake, saying, I will sing unto the LORD, for he hath triumphed gloriously: the horse and his rider hath he thrown into the sea.”
Exodus 15:2, “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.”
The psalmist takes the song of the Exodus and makes it his own. God was not only Israel’s strength at the Red Sea. He is still the strength of His people. He is not only the giver of strength, He is strength. He is not only the giver of songs, He is song. He is not only the giver of salvation, He is salvation.
This is crucial. The believer must seek the LORD Himself, not merely gifts detached from Him. When the LORD is our strength, He is our resource and refuge. When the LORD is our song, He is our joy and gladness. When the LORD is our salvation, He is our rescue and rest.
This line will be sung again by the redeemed in final victory.
Revelation 15:2, “And I saw as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire, and them that had gotten the victory over the beast, and over his image, and over his mark, and over the number of his name, stand on the sea of glass, having the harps of God.”
Revelation 15:3, “And they sing the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, Great and marvellous are thy works, Lord God Almighty, just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints.”
Psalm 118:10 to 14 teaches that enemies may surround God’s servant, swarm like bees, and push hard to make him fall, but victory comes in the name of the LORD. The LORD Himself is strength, song, and salvation.
Psalm 118:15 to Psalm 118:18, Rejoicing in Deliverance From Death
Psalm 118:15, “The voice of rejoicing and salvation is in the tabernacles of the righteous: the right hand of the LORD doeth valiantly.”
Psalm 118:16, “The right hand of the LORD is exalted: the right hand of the LORD doeth valiantly.”
Psalm 118:17, “I shall not die, but live, and declare the works of the LORD.”
Psalm 118:18, “The LORD hath chastened me sore: but he hath not given me over unto death.”
The deliverance now produces public joy. “The voice of rejoicing and salvation is in the tabernacles of the righteous.” The homes, tents, and dwelling places of the righteous are filled with the sound of salvation. God’s deliverance should not produce silence. Those rescued by the LORD should speak, sing, and rejoice.
The phrase may also connect with the Feast of Tabernacles, where temporary booths reminded Israel of God’s care in the wilderness. Whether in homes, tents, or worship gatherings, the righteous rejoice because salvation belongs to the LORD.
Three times the psalmist refers to “the right hand of the LORD.” The right hand represents strength, skill, authority, and action. “The right hand of the LORD doeth valiantly.” God does not rescue weakly. He acts with strength. His hand is not shortened that it cannot save.
Isaiah 59:1, “Behold, the LORD's hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear:”
Verse 17 is one of the great declarations of resurrection confidence, “I shall not die, but live, and declare the works of the LORD.” In its original setting, the psalmist believed God would preserve him through the present crisis. Death threatened, but it would not take him yet. God had more for him to do, especially the declaration of His works.
For Jesus, these words carried the deepest meaning. He would die, yet death would not hold Him. He could sing, “I shall not die, but live,” because resurrection was certain. He would rise and declare the works of the LORD. The cross would not be the end. The tomb would not be the final word.
Acts 2:24, “Whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death: because it was not possible that he should be holden of it.”
Verse 18 says, “The LORD hath chastened me sore: but he hath not given me over unto death.” The psalmist recognizes that God allowed severe chastening. The crisis was not meaningless. God had a corrective, refining, and training purpose in it. Yet chastening was not destruction. God did not give him over to death.
For believers, chastening is part of God’s fatherly discipline.
Hebrews 12:6, “For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.”
Hebrews 12:7, “If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons, for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not?”
In Christ’s case, He was not chastened for personal sin, because He had none. Yet He bore suffering according to the Father’s will and as the substitute for His people. The Father did not abandon Him to death forever. He raised Him.
Psalm 118:15 to 18 teaches that deliverance produces rejoicing among the righteous, the right hand of the LORD acts valiantly, God’s servant will live to declare His works, and severe chastening does not mean God has given His servant over to death.
B. The Song of the Great Deliverer
Psalm 118:19 to Psalm 118:20, The Open Gates of Righteousness
Psalm 118:19, “Open to me the gates of righteousness: I will go into them, and I will praise the LORD:”
Psalm 118:20, “This gate of the LORD, into which the righteous shall enter.”
The scene now shifts to entrance through gates. “Open to me the gates of righteousness.” The psalmist likely pictures a triumphal entrance into the holy city or into the temple courts after deliverance. The rescued servant comes to worship, praise, and publicly give thanks.
The gates are called “the gates of righteousness” because only the righteous may enter rightly. This is not righteousness in self boasting, but covenant righteousness, the righteousness of those who belong to the LORD, trust Him, and walk in His ways. The wicked may approach outwardly, but only the righteous enter acceptably.
The psalmist says, “I will go into them, and I will praise the LORD.” Deliverance leads to worship. The goal of rescue is not merely relief, but praise. God opens the way so His servant may enter and glorify Him.
For Jesus, this language points beyond earthly Jerusalem to His entrance into glory after His finished work. After the cross, resurrection, and ascension, the true righteous One entered the heavenly sanctuary.
Hebrews 9:24, “For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us:”
Christ is also the forerunner of His people. Because He entered, the redeemed may enter through Him.
Hebrews 10:19, “Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus,”
Hebrews 10:20, “By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh;”
Hebrews 10:21, “And having an high priest over the house of God;”
Hebrews 10:22, “Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.”
Verse 20 says, “This gate of the LORD, into which the righteous shall enter.” There is a gate of the LORD. Entrance to God is not through human invention, works, idols, or religious pride. There is a God appointed way.
Ultimately, Christ Himself is the gate, the door, and the way.
John 10:9, “I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.”
John 14:6, “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”
Psalm 118:19 to 20 teaches that deliverance brings the righteous through the gate of the LORD into worship. Prophetically, it points to Christ’s entrance into glory and the believer’s access to God through Him.
Psalm 118:21 to Psalm 118:24, The Chief Cornerstone
Psalm 118:21, “I will praise thee: for thou hast heard me, and art become my salvation.”
Psalm 118:22, “The stone which the builders refused is become the head stone of the corner.”
Psalm 118:23, “This is the LORD's doing; it is marvellous in our eyes.”
Psalm 118:24, “This is the day which the LORD hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.”
The psalmist gives praise, “I will praise thee: for thou hast heard me, and art become my salvation.” This repeats the earlier testimony. God answered prayer and became salvation. Praise is the rightful response to answered prayer and deliverance.
Verse 22 then gives one of the most important messianic prophecies in the Old Testament, “The stone which the builders refused is become the head stone of the corner.” In its historical setting, this may refer to David himself. The leaders, rulers, or builders of Israel may have rejected him, despised him, and considered him unfit. Yet God chose him and exalted him.
But the fullest meaning is in Jesus Christ. The builders are the leaders of Israel, especially the religious leaders who should have recognized the Messiah. They examined Him and rejected Him. They refused the stone God had chosen.
Jesus applied this verse directly to Himself.
Matthew 21:42, “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?”
Matthew 21:43, “Therefore say I unto you, The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof.”
Matthew 21:44, “And whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken, but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder.”
Peter also preached this to the leaders of Israel after the resurrection.
Acts 4:10, “Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you whole.”
Acts 4:11, “This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner.”
Acts 4:12, “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.”
The rejected stone became the chief cornerstone. The cornerstone is essential to the building. It establishes alignment, unity, stability, and foundation. Christ is the chosen stone upon whom God builds everything. Jew and Gentile are joined in Him. Heaven and earth meet in Him. Time and eternity are held together in Him. God and man are reconciled through Him.
Paul uses this same truth in Ephesians.
Ephesians 2:19, “Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God;”
Ephesians 2:20, “And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone;”
Ephesians 2:21, “In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord:”
Peter also applies it to Christ and to the believer’s union with Him.
1 Peter 2:6, “Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious, and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded.”
1 Peter 2:7, “Unto you therefore which believe he is precious, but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner,”
1 Peter 2:8, “And a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence, even to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient, whereunto also they were appointed.”
The builders rejected Jesus for many reasons. They rejected His origin, His lack of formal rabbinic training, His disregard for man made traditions, His association with sinners, His claims of authority, His exposure of hypocrisy, and His identity as the Son of God. Yet their rejection did not defeat God’s purpose. It fulfilled it.
Verse 23 says, “This is the LORD's doing; it is marvellous in our eyes.” The exaltation of Christ is God’s work. The religious leaders rejected Him. Rome crucified Him. The crowds chose Barabbas. The disciples fled. Joseph and Nicodemus buried Him. The women mourned. But God raised Him.
Acts 2:32, “This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses.”
Philippians 2:9, “Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name:”
Philippians 2:10, “That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;”
Philippians 2:11, “And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”
It is marvelous because the rejected One becomes the foundation of salvation. The crucified One becomes the risen Lord. The condemned One becomes the Judge. The stone thrown away by the builders becomes the chief cornerstone of God’s eternal house.
Verse 24 says, “This is the day which the LORD hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.” This verse is often applied generally to every day, and it is true that every day is made by the LORD. But in context, the specific day is the day of the rejected stone’s exaltation and public recognition. It is especially connected with the triumphal entry, when Jesus formally presented Himself to Israel as Messiah and King.
The crowds used Psalm 118 language when Jesus entered Jerusalem.
Matthew 21:8, “And a very great multitude spread their garments in the way, others cut down branches from the trees, and strawed them in the way.”
Matthew 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.”
Jesus declared that if the people were silent, the stones would cry out.
Luke 19:39, “And some of the Pharisees from among the multitude said unto him, Master, rebuke thy disciples.”
Luke 19:40, “And he answered and said unto them, I tell you that, if these should hold their peace, the stones would immediately cry out.”
Psalm 118:21 to 24 teaches that God hears His servant, becomes salvation, takes the rejected stone and makes Him the chief cornerstone, and calls His people to rejoice in the day of His appointed triumph. In its fullest meaning, this is fulfilled in Jesus Christ.
Psalm 118:25 to Psalm 118:28, The Sacrifice Bound to the Altar
Psalm 118:25, “Save now, I beseech thee, O LORD: O LORD, I beseech thee, send now prosperity.”
Psalm 118:26, “Blessed be he that cometh in the name of the LORD: we have blessed you out of the house of the LORD.”
Psalm 118:27, “God is the LORD, which hath shewed us light: bind the sacrifice with cords, even unto the horns of the altar.”
Psalm 118:28, “Thou art my God, and I will praise thee: thou art my God, I will exalt thee.”
Verse 25 cries, “Save now, I beseech thee, O LORD.” In Hebrew, “save now” is the root of the word Hosanna. Originally, it was a cry for salvation. By the time of Jesus’ triumphal entry, it had also become an expression of praise and messianic hope.
“O LORD, I beseech thee, send now prosperity.” Prosperity here means success, blessing, preservation, and the favor of God upon His deliverer and people. The psalmist is praying for God’s saving work to come to full success.
Verse 26 says, “Blessed be he that cometh in the name of the LORD.” This is the welcome of the deliverer entering the holy city. He comes not in his own name, but in the name of the LORD. He is God’s appointed representative, servant, king, and deliverer.
This was fulfilled when Jesus entered Jerusalem.
Mark 11:7, “And they brought the colt to Jesus, and cast their garments on him, and he sat upon him.”
Mark 11:8, “And many spread their garments in the way, and others cut down branches off the trees, and strawed them in the way.”
Mark 11:9, “And they that went before, and they that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord:”
Mark 11:10, “Blessed be the kingdom of our father David, that cometh in the name of the Lord, Hosanna in the highest.”
The prophecy is precise in spirit. The deliverer is welcomed with open gates, Hosanna, and blessing, yet He is also the rejected stone. Jesus was received with public praise and then rejected and crucified only days later.
“We have blessed you out of the house of the LORD.” This sounds like priestly blessing from those within the temple courts to those arriving in procession. The worshiping community blesses the one who comes in the LORD’s name.
Verse 27 says, “God is the LORD, which hath shewed us light.” The LORD is the true God, and He has given light. Light means revelation, favor, guidance, joy, and salvation. God has not left His people in darkness.
Then comes one of the most powerful lines in the psalm, “bind the sacrifice with cords, even unto the horns of the altar.” In its immediate setting, this likely refers to a festal sacrifice brought to the altar in thanksgiving. But in the messianic fulfillment, the deliverer Himself becomes the sacrifice.
Jesus sang this line only hours before He was bound, arrested, tried, condemned, and nailed to the cross. He was not merely bringing a sacrifice. He was the sacrifice. He willingly submitted to the Father’s will and became the Lamb of God.
John 1:29, “The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.”
Hebrews 13:10, “We have an altar, whereof they have no right to eat which serve the tabernacle.”
Hebrews 13:11, “For the bodies of those beasts, whose blood is brought into the sanctuary by the high priest for sin, are burned without the camp.”
Hebrews 13:12, “Wherefore Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people with his own blood, suffered without the gate.”
The altar for Christ was the cross. The cords were not only the physical restraints of His arrest and crucifixion, but the eternal cords of love, obedience, covenant purpose, and submission to the Father. No man took His life from Him against His will. He laid it down.
John 10:17, “Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again.”
John 10:18, “No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father.”
The believer also follows Christ in sacrificial devotion. We do not offer ourselves as atoning sacrifices, because Christ alone atones for sin. But we do offer ourselves as living sacrifices in gratitude.
Romans 12:1, “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.”
Romans 12:2, “And be not conformed to this world, but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.”
Verse 28 says, “Thou art my God, and I will praise thee: thou art my God, I will exalt thee.” This is personal faith, personal worship, and personal surrender. The deliverer speaks as one who belongs to God. The rescued worshiper also speaks this way. The true response to God’s salvation is praise and exaltation.
When Jesus sang this, His obedience was perfect. He could say to the Father, “Thou art my God, and I will praise thee,” even as He moved toward the cross. His submission was not reluctant. He exalted the Father in the very act of giving Himself.
Psalm 118:25 to 28 teaches that God’s people cry Hosanna, welcome the One who comes in the name of the LORD, receive light from the true God, see the sacrifice bound to the altar, and respond with personal praise. In its fullness, this points directly to Jesus Christ, the welcomed King, rejected stone, and willing sacrifice.
Psalm 118:29, Ending With Praise
Psalm 118:29, “O give thanks unto the LORD, for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.”
The psalm ends where it began, with thanksgiving. “O give thanks unto the LORD, for he is good.” After distress, enemies, deliverance, gates, the rejected stone, the day the LORD made, Hosanna, blessing, sacrifice, and praise, the final word returns to the goodness of God.
The last phrase repeats the covenant refrain, “for his mercy endureth for ever.” This is the foundation under the whole psalm. David needed this mercy. Israel needed this mercy. The house of Aaron needed this mercy. Those who fear the LORD needed this mercy. Luther loved this mercy. Every believer needs this mercy. Jesus sang of this mercy before He secured it at the cross for His people.
The mercy of the LORD endured through betrayal, false accusation, scourging, crucifixion, darkness, death, burial, and resurrection. It endures still. The same covenant mercy that did not fail Christ will not fail those who are in Christ.
Psalm 118 teaches that the LORD is good and His mercy endures forever. His people must call upon Him in distress, trust Him more than man or princes, stand in His name when surrounded by enemies, rejoice in His salvation, declare that they shall live and not die, enter the gates of righteousness, praise Him for becoming salvation, recognize Jesus Christ as the rejected stone made the chief cornerstone, rejoice in the day the LORD has made, cry Hosanna to the coming King, behold the sacrifice bound to the altar, and end where they began, giving thanks to the LORD whose mercy endureth forever.
