Psalm Devotional
For the Glory of Christ!
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 responsive singing (vv. 2-4; 8-9; 10-12; 15-16; 19-20) as well as of a procession into Jerusalem (v. 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.
