The Lord is Always Merciful

Psalms 118:1–14
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This psalm contains both history and prophesy. Its human author is unknown. It is set in the period when the remnant returned from Babylon to the promised land. It is considered a messianic psalm in which certain verses are associated with the Lord Jesus Himself and with His earthly life and ministry. It is prophetic, looking beyond the Lord’s first coming to His second coming when He will deliver Israel from its enemies at Armageddon and lead the world into the millennial reign. 

The Psalm begins with praise to God for His amazing goodness and grace. “O give thanks unto the Lord, for He is good, because His mercy endures forever” (v. 1). Next, the writer gives three groups of people who should proclaim the steadfast love of the Lord. The first group is obvious. The people of Israel, as God’s chosen people, should have an accurate understanding of God’s steadfast love displayed on their behalf throughout their history and a heartfelt desire to proclaim it. The second group is more specific. The house of Aaron were the priests who served in the temple of God. A priest who doesn’t understand (and get excited about) the steadfast love of God would not be a very good priest. The third group is broader. Those who fear the Lord includes both Jews and God-fearing Gentiles (like you and me). A healthy fear of the Lord is necessary for an accurate understanding of God’s steadfast love for us.  

There is a constant contrast in this Psalm between the very real distress that man is capable of inflicting upon God’s servants and the confidence of God’s servant in the face of distress. The God we serve will certainly be victorious over our oppressors. It’s as if distress is constantly being backed into a corner by the sheer volume of God’s presence and love on our behalf (vv. 5-7 & vv. 10-13). Such was the mindset of Jesus when he was on the cross. His confidence in the Father’s divine plan kept him on the cross when anyone else would have quit. It’s better to trust in God then to trust in men or princes (vv. 8-9). Our faith is in God, not the current president or any other elected official. “The Lord is my strength and song; he has become my salvation.” (v. 14). 

Application

Each day I must put my confidence in something or someone. How futile it is to put my trust in anything or anyone more than the Lord.