Psalm 118

Psalm Category: Public praises to God

Central Thought: Christ leads us in His glory!

Key words: distress, salvation, cornerstone

This psalm is the finale of the (Egyptian) Hallel which begins with Psalm 113. This series of psalms was sung at the major feasts including, especially, Passover. Psalm 118 was the “hymn” that Jesus sang after His last supper and before going to His final sufferings and death (Matt. 26:30; Mark 14:26). The Psalms are fulfilled in Christ (Luke 24:44; Acts 2:25f, 34f), so we sing them with their full meaning, significance, and blessing. The Psalms are even more appropriate for new covenant praise than for old!

This psalm begins and ends with the classic expression of praise to God for His covenant faithfulness (vv. 1, 29) and is public, corporate praise (vv. 2-4), as is the rest of the series. There is even some suggestion of antiphony among the singers (vv. 2-4; 8-9; 10-12; 15-16; 19-20) as well as of a procession into Jerusalem (19f; see Jer. 33:10-11). The main body of the psalm indicates the experience of an individual on behalf of the people (vv. 5-21) followed by corporate reflection on this by the people (vv. 22-28). That experience can be summarized as humiliation, deliverance, and exaltation in obedience to God and service to His people. So it is no surprise that this psalm preaches Christ very clearly.

The Glory of Christ. Christ was in distress (v. 5f) and surrounded by enemies, which He conquered completely (10f; Col. 3:15). He was disciplined severely for our sins (v. 18; Isa. 53:5; 1 Pet. 2:24). It was impossible that death would hold Him (vv. 17-18; Acts 2:24). Rather, He told, through His Spirit and witnesses, the works of the Lord in raising Him from the dead (v. 17; Acts 2:32f). As it was His righteousness that necessitated His resurrection, so it was His righteousness that gave Him entrance into the gates of the city and tabernacle of God (vv. 19-20; Heb. 9:11f).

Those who were responsible to build the city and temple had rejected Christ (v. 22; Matt. 21:42), but God made Him the chief cornerstone upon which absolutely everything depends (v. 22f; Eph. 2:20). Building on this stone is salvation (v. 22f; 1 Pet. 2:6f); not building on this stone is destruction (v. 22f; Matt. 21:42, 44). The Lord Himself has done this, and it is astonishingly wonderful (v. 23; Rom. 6:4).

There were many who led the people of God into salvation and blessing: Moses out of Egypt, Joshua into the Promised Land, David bringing the ark and returning from his brief exile, and Zerubbabel and others leading the people back from their long exile. But Jesus is the One who comes in the name of the Lord (v. 26; Matt. 21:9) and leads us in His righteousness through the gates of the city and temple (v. 19f) into the very presence of God in heaven. There He leads us in giving thanks to God (v. 27-28; Heb. 10:19ff; 13:15) and in receiving the blessing of the light of His presence (v. 27; Num. 6:24f).

The Glory of Christians. As we sing this psalm of Christ in these ways, we also sing it in Him. In Christ, we are distressed and surrounded by enemies (vv. 5, 10f; Matt. 10:16). In Him, we suffer as a consequence of the sins of others (v. 18; 1 Pet. 2:24) so that Christ’s death may be proclaimed in us and others may see it and be saved in Him. In Him, we die to our sins in order to live in His righteousness (vv. 17-18; Rom. 6:4, 11) so that others would see Him in us and be saved. In Him we are rejected and in Him we are exalted (v. 22; 1 Pet. 2:4f; Rom.8:17). All of this is the Lord’s doing and astonishingly wonderful for us (v. 23; Eph. 2:4, 5). In His shed blood our sins are forgiven, and in His broken body our righteousness is given such that, in Him, we enter the very presence of God to worship Him and receive His blessing (vv. 19f, 26f; Heb. 9:11f; 10:19f).

The Glory of God. What can we say in response to such a great salvation? Only one thing: “Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; For His lovingkindness is everlasting” (vv. 1, 29; Rom. 11:33f).

—Kit Swartz