Spurgeon Verse Expositions - Psalms 118:1 - 118:29

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Spurgeon Verse Expositions - Psalms 118:1 - 118:29


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This Chapter Verse Commentaries:

May the Good Spirit, who taught the psalmist to indite these words help us to feel their inward meaning!

Psa_118:1. O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good: because his mercy endureth for ever.

Now, do that, dear friends. Before we read another verse let us do that. In your hearts think of the goodness and mercy of God to you-to each one as an individual, and give him thanks now: no murmuring, no coldness of heart. Cast out everything, and give God thanks at this moment. It is the least we can do. It is to our own benefit to be grateful. How can we be holy if we are deficient in that simple matter? “ Oh give thanks unto Jehovah, for he is good, because his mercy endureth for ever.”

Psa_118:2. Let Israel now say, that his mercy endureth for ever.

And if there be an elect out of the elect, who live still nearer to God and are doubly consecrated to his service-

Psa_118:3. Let the house of Aaron now say, that his mercy endureth for ever.

But let not the praise be confined to these joyous ones. Let the whole church take it up.

Psa_118:4. Let them now that fear the LORD say, that his mercy endureth for ever.

You have tried it: you have proved it. The mercy of God has followed you in all your devious paths. It will follow you even to the end. “His mercy endureth for ever.”

Psa_118:5. I called upon the LORD in distress:

“I” nothing like coming to particulars and personalities. “ I.”

Psa_118:5-6. The LORD answered me, and set me in a large place. The LORD is on my side; I will not fear: what can man do unto me?

“What is man? He is but as the dust before God, and, when God is with us and takes care of us, what can man, that is as a moth, do to God’s preserved ones?

Psa_118:7-9. The LORD taketh my part with them that help me: therefore shall I see my desire upon them that hate me. 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.

Now he goes on to detail his experience of trouble and of deliverance.

Psa_118:10. All nations compassed me about: but in the name of the LORD will I destroy them.

David was a warrior. His business was to fight; and he was attacked on every side by all sorts of people. He was shut in, and the Lord was with him; and he broke his way through.

Psa_118:11-12. They compassed me about; yea, they compassed me about: but in the name of the LORD I will destroy them. They compassed me about like bees; they are quenched as the fire of thorns:

Thorns crackle and blaze, and then it is all over with them. So it shall be with the adversaries of the believer. “ They are quenched as the fire of thorns, for in the name of the Lord will I destroy them.”

Psa_118:12-13. For in the name of the LORD I will destroy them. Thou hast thrust sore at me that I might fall:

“ Thou “: the same great and leading name.

Psa_118:13-14. But the LORD helped me. The LORD is my strength and song, and is become my salvation.

What a poet this man is. Thanksgiving is the tone of a true poet. When a man’s heart gets warm, and he begins to adore his God for his boundless mercy, the strain cannot grovel. Gratitude lends its wings better than the fabled Pegasus, and up the mind rises in a majesty of glory. “Jehovah is my strength and song, and he has become my salvation.”

Psa_118:15-16. The voice of rejoicing and salvation is in the tabernacle of the righteous: the right hand of the LORD doeth valiantly. The right hand of the LORD is exalted: the right hand of the LORD doeth valiantly.

He drops into triplets. This is no accident. We meet with these triplets often in the Old Testament. Why three? Why not four? Ah, you know, who can sing, “ Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning is now and ever shall be, world without end.”

Psa_118:17-18. I shall not die, but live, and declare the works of the Lord. The LORD hath chastened me sore:

You notice David’s rendering of the 13th verse. To the enemy he says, “ Thou hast thrust sore at me, that I might fall.” When he thinks it over he says, “The chastening hand of God is in this, even in my enemy’s wicked and malicious attacks. And so he reads it over again, “ The Lord hath chastened me sore, but he hath not given me over unto death.” The Roman magistrates had a bundle of rods with an axe tied up in the middle. The children felt the rod, but not the axe. “ Thou hast chastened me sore, but thou hast not given me over unto death.”

Psa_118:18-21. But he hath not given me over unto death. Open to me the gates of righteousness: I will go into them, and I will praise the LORD: this gate of the LORD, into which the righteous shall enter. I will praise thee: for thou hast heard me, and art become my salvation.

Another grand verse. Answers to prayer are the notes of our music. If God has heard thee pray, take care that he hear thee praise. Mercies for which we are not thankful will curdle into curses. Take care that thou praise God when he fills thee with his good things, ay, and praise him if he does not.

Bless a taking God as well as a giving God. Is he not equally God whatever he does? Now David sings of himself, but the Spirit of God inspired him to sing of the Lord Jesus Christ the Son of David.

Psa_118:22-23. The stone which the builders refused is become the head stone of the corner This is the LORD’S doing; it is marvelous in our eyes.

The Jewish rulers would not have Christ. They cast him aside as a stone which would not fit their wall, especially because he was a corner stone. They wanted to stand as a lone solitary wall. They did not want to have the corner turned even for the Samaritan-much less for the poor Gentile. But you and I must bless God that, whilst Christ is laid upon the wall of the Jew as a corner stone, he turns a corner for us poor Gentiles that we may be built into the same temple of God. He has become the head stone of the corner.

Psa_118:24. This is the day which the LORD hath made;

This Sabbath day-this gospel day-“the day that Jehovah hath made.”

Psa_118:24. We will rejoice and be glad in it.

Now, heavy hearts, try and rise to that. This is not the day of doom: this is not the day of curses. It is the day of mercy and of love. We will rejoice and be glad in it. Hosanna. Let us cry Hosanna.

Psa_118:25-26. Save now, I beseech thee, O LORD: O LORD, I beseech thee, send now prosperity. Blessed be he that cometh in the name of the LORD:

And again Hosannah.

Psa_118:26-27. We have blessed you out of the house of the LORD. God is the LORD, which hath shewed us light:

Blessed be his name. We were in the dark before, but he has brought light to our spirit. The light of knowledge, the light of joy, the light of delight, he has brought to us.

Psa_118:27. Bind the sacrifice with cords, even unto the horns of the altar.

Do that, beloved. Give yourself up to Christ again. Bind yourselves again.

Tis done; the great transaction’s done.

I am my Lord’s, and he is mine.

High heaven that heard the solemn vow

That vow renewed this day shall hear.”

Present it to your God. “ Bind the sacrifice with cords, even with cords unto the horns of the altar.”

Psa_118:28-29. Thou art my God, and I will praise them: thou art my God, I will exalt thee. O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.



Psa_118:1. O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good: because his mercy endureth for ever.

Here is a standing reason for thanksgiving. Although we may not always be healthy, nor always prosperous yet God is always good, and, therefore, there is always a sufficient argument for giving thanks unto Jehovah. That he is a good God essentially, that he cannot be otherwise than good, should be a fountain out of which the richest praises should perpetually flow.

Psa_118:2-3. Let Israel now say, that his mercy endureth for ever. Let the house of Aaron now say, that his mercy endureth for ever.

These were specially set apart for God’s service, and, therefore, where much is given, much is expected. The house of Aaron, therefore, must have a special note of thanksgiving, and though we who preach the gospel claim no sort of priesthood, yet if any ought to lead the strain of thankfulness, it should be those who minister for God continually.

Psa_118:4. Let them now that fear the LORD say, that his mercy endureth for ever.

Let them all say it: let them all say it now: let every one of us say it for himself, “His mercy endureth for every.”

Psa_118:5. I called upon the LORD in distress: the LORD answered me, and set me in a large place.

I think many of us could make just such a record as that and not once but many times in our lives, we could say, “I called upon the Lord in distress.” We have had many trials, but we have a mercy-seat always to fly to, and a God always ready to hear the cries of his distressed ones.

Psa_118:6. The LORD is on my side; I will not fear: what can man do unto me?

The past always gives us assurance for the future, for we are dealing with the same unchangeable God, and, therefore, we may expect to have the same dealings from him.

Psa_118:7-8. The LORD taketh my part with them that help me: therefore shall I see my desire upon them that hate me. It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in man.

There is one text which I have never seen put up anywhere. You have illuminated texts in your houses and schoolrooms, and so on, but I think I have never seen this, “Cursed is he that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm” or this other one, “Cease, ye, from man whose breath is in his nostrils, for wherein is he to be accounted of?” and I am sure there is no teaching of Scripture more necessary than that, whether it refers to great men or to little men, whether it refers to men of eminence, or to those of your own family circle. “It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence, in man.”

Psa_118:9. It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in princes.

It is nobler, it is more agreeable to sound reason, it will lead to better results. God better deserves our confidence than the princes of the earth do — even the best of them.

Psa_118:10. All nations compassed me about: but in the name of the LORD will I destroy them.

This may apply to David, but it applied better to Christ, around whom Jews and Gentiles came, but he won the victory over them.

Psa_118:11-12. They compassed me about; yea, they compassed me about: but in the name of the LORD I will destroy them. 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.

The thorn makes a good blaze and crackle, and sputter, but it is soon out altogether. “For in the name of the Lord will I destroy them.” In this way we may meet our spiritual foes, temptations, trials, the world, sin, death, hell, the name of Jehovah shall be our strength. “In hoc signo vincit,” said one of old — “By this sign thou conquerest,” and so by this sign we also overcome through the blood of the Lamb.

Psa_118:13. Thou hast thrust sore at me that I might fall: but the Lord helped me.

This will rebut all the attacks of our fiercest foes — “But the Lord helped me.”

Psa_118:14-15. The LORD is my strength and song, and is become my salvation. The voice of rejoicing and salvation is in the tabernacles of the righteous: the right hand of the LORD doeth valiatly.

Where God’s people dwell, there is the voice of joy. Their family prayer sanctifies the house with its joyous notes. Even then there is trouble and sorrow in the house, yet resignation makes joy and rejoicing there still; and if rejoicing for a moment should go, yet salvation never does. “This day is salvation come to thine house.” If thou be now a converted man, it will never go away again. It is an abiding being: it is in the tabernacles of the righteous.

Psa_118:16-17. The right hand of the LORD is exalted: the right hand of the LORD doeth valiantly. I shall not die, but live, and declare the works of the LORD.

Some have thought this psalm was composed by Hezekiah after his sickness, and after the destruction of Senacherib’s host. It may be so. It has been used by many besides Hezekiah, who have not forgotten that these are the words of Wickliffe, used when monks came round his dying bed with prayers, Paternosters, and crucifixes, and urged him to repent, and he said, “I shall not die, but live and declare the works of the Lord.” And so, indeed, he did.

Psa_118:18. The LORD hath chastened me sore: but he hath not given me over unto death.

Many of his best children can say this, for “whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth.” “The Lord hath chastened me sore, but he hath not given me over unto death.” You that have recovered from sickness, here is a song for you. You who above all were not given over to your sins and to the just punishment of them, here is music for you, “He hath not given me over to the second death, which he might have done.”

Psa_118:19-20. Open to me the gates of righteousness: I will go into them, and I will praise the LORD: This gate of the LORD, into which the righteous shall enter.

I suppose he who uttered these words has passed through the beautiful gates of the temple.

Psa_118:21. I will praise thee: for thou hast heard me, and art become my salvation.

Future, past, present — all full of blessing.

Psa_118:22-24. The stone which the builders refused is become the head stone of the corner. This is the LORD’S doing; it is marvellous in our eyes. This is the day which the LORD hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.

Though this is applicable to the Sabbath, yet it is also applicable to any day, and to every day which God especially makes glorious by delivering many.

Psa_118:25-27. Save now, I beseech thee, O LORD: O LORD, I beseech thee, send now prosperity. Blessed be he that cometh in the name of the LORD: we have blessed you out of the house of the LORD. God is the LORD, which hath shewed us light: bind the sacrifice with cords, even unto the horns of the altar.

It is the king returning from victory and recovered from sickness. He brings his sacrifice with thanksgiving, as every child of God should, and there it is ready bound to the altar horns.

Psa_118:28-29. Thou art my God, and I will praise thee: thou art my God, I will exalt thee. O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.