Psalm116 is one of the most famous psalms which forms part of what is called by theJews, the “Egyptian Hallel.” The “Egyptian Hallel” is so-called because of itallusions and references to the Exodus of God’s people from Egypt. It wasduring the Exodus that God instituted the Passover. Therefore, these psalmswere commonly sung by God’s people in olden days whenever they observed thePassover. They would be the hymns that the Lord sang with His disciples in theupper room when He instituted the Lord’s Supper on the night He was betrayed.

The content of the psalmsuggests that it is a song of thanksgiving and resolution for deliverance froma great trial. We don’t really know who wrote it, or what was the trial thatoccasioned the deliverance. What we do know is that our Jewish fathers found itmost suitable for use in meditating on God’s work of redeeming His people fromEgypt. We also know that the apostle Paul apparently understood this psalm ascontaining the words of Christ as He anticipated His death and resurrection.

Paulis quoting verse 10 of Psalm 116, when he says in 2 Corinthians 4:13-14—

“¹³ We having the same spirit of faith,according as it is written, I believed, and therefore have I spoken; we alsobelieve, and therefore speak; ¹⁴ Knowing that he which raised up theLord Jesus shall raise up us also by Jesus, and shall present us with you.”

Although he does not say explicitly, it is apparent that he is saying: “As Christ believed and He spoke (in the words of Psalm 116), and His faith was vindicated; so we believe and we speak, knowing that we shall be raised in union with Christ.”

Indeed, if you study this psalm judiciously, you will see that although it can be applied to all the saints of God who are going through life-threatening trials, including David and Hezekiah, yet no one would fit most closely to the experience expressed in it than the Lord Jesus Christ himself! It is no wonder that most of the church fathers, including Chrysostom, Jerome and Augustine, think that this psalm relates wholly to the passion, death and triumph of Christ. And so this psalm may indeed be entitled, in the words of Andrew Bonar as: “The Redeemer’s Resurrection-Song of Thanksgiving.”

This psalm has a rather complex structure known by scholars as “Overlapping Concentric Symmetries.” But we can look at it simply as having four parts, each beginning with a resolution of gratitude.

·  Thefirst part, verses 1-8, may be subtitled, “I love because He has delivered.”

·  The second part, verses 9-12is: “I believe because He is trustworthy.”

·  Thethird part, verses 13-16, may be subtitled, “I give my life for He is Worthy.”

·  Finally, verses 17-19 may besubtitled, “I worship because He is LORD.”

1. I LoveBecause He has Delivered

Thepsalm begins with the famous words:

¹ I love the LORD, because he hath heard my voice and my supplications.

Somecommentators believe that what is being expressed is: “I know I love the LORDbecause He answered my prayers.” But really a plain reading of the textsuggests the idea that our love for the LORD is deepened when we experience theLord’s answer to our prayers.

Remember the unnamed woman who washed theLord’s feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. The Lord saidconcerning her:

“Her sins, which are many, are forgiven; forshe loved much: but to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little” (Lk7:47).

TheLord is saying: “She was so sinful, she needed much forgiveness, and so whenshe knew she was forgiven, her love for the LORD was so much deepened.”

Sotoo beloved brethren, let us love the LORD who has delivered us with so great asalvation, for our Lord Jesus rose for our justification in answer to Hissupplications.

Asthe “sorrows of death compassed [Him],and the pains of hell gat hold upon [Him]” (v. 3), our Lord Jesus  “offered up prayers and supplications withstrong crying and tears unto him that was able to save him from death” (Heb5:7a).

Whatwas His prayer? His prayer was, verse 4—“OLORD, I beseech thee, deliver my soul.” He “was heard in that he feared” (Heb 5:7b). For that, our Lord resolvedto call upon the Father as long as He lives (v. 2). He will call upon theFather in love for all eternity. He will lead His people to trust the Father byreminding us of how He was delivered from death:

⁵ Gracious is the LORD, and righteous; yea, our God is merciful. ⁶ The LORD preserveth the simple: Iwas brought low, and he helped me. ⁷ Return unto thy rest, O mysoul; for the LORD hath dealt bountifully with thee. ⁸ For thou hastdelivered my soul from death, mine eyes from tears, and my feet from falling.

Notice the plural first personpronoun in verse 5. The Lord is speaking to us as a people united to Him. OurGod is merciful indeed.

Therefore in times of trials,let us learn to look to the Father and to the Son, knowing how our Lordsuffered while bearing our sin and was preserved and helped.

And when we are beset byanxieties, let us exhort ourselves by talking to our soul and remindingourselves to return unto rest to wait upon the Father (v. 7).

And let us learn to pray withgratitude and hope founded upon how the Father has answered the prayers of ourLord and of ourselves (v. 8). Yes, let us pray with hope and faith, for we musthave the same attitude of the Lord, who essentially teaches in the second partof this psalm…

2. IBelieve Because He is Trustworthy

Our Lord spoke about Hisresurrection throughout His earthly ministry: “Destroy this temple, and inthree days I will raise it up” He said very early on (Jn 2:19).

Now,this agrees with the words of our Lord recorded in v. 9-12—

⁹ I will walk before the LORD in the land of the living. ¹⁰ Ibelieved, therefore have I spoken: I was greatly afflicted: ¹¹ Isaid in my haste, All men are liars. ¹² What shall I render unto theLORD for all his benefits toward me?

TheLord spoke because He believed. As fully man He needed faith, and He had faith.He believed. And so He spoke. His faith was well-founded because it was foundedon God.

Experience teaches us, on theother hand, that we cannot put our trust fully in men. As Hengstenberg puts itin his comment on verse 11—“All men disappoint the trust placed in them, leavein the lurch those who hope in them.” Our Lord experienced that when hisdisciples fled from Him.

But the Father proves faithful.He would never leave Him nor forsake Him. He would not suffer His body to beleft in the grave. Therefore, He would confidently render His all unto theFather.

Let us, beloved brethren andyouths, learn from our Lord’s example to speak with faith and confidence whenwe go through the most difficult trials. The apostle Paul found strength toimitate the Lord Jesus and was able speak with confidence in regard to thetrials and sufferings he was going through. Shall we not seek the Lord’s graceto have the same confidence?

But consider how the Lordasserts His resolve to do what He was appointed to do as the Lamb of God.

3. I Give my Life for He is Worthy

Thiswhole section should really be read together. But let us consider it verse byverse as it is so rich. First, the Lord says, v. 13—

¹³ I will take the cup of salvation, and call upon the name of the LORD.

The Lord Jesus came to die onbehalf of His people. He came to drink the bitter cup of God’s wrath for thesalvation of His people. Remember how He prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane: “Omy Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as Iwill, but as thou wilt” (Mt 26:39).

He came to do what is written of Him in theOld Testament. He came to keep the covenant promise He made on behalf of Hispeople. So, He resolved—

¹⁴ I will pay my vows unto the LORD now in the presence of all his people.

Our Lord paid His vows on the Cross, in fullview of all the people. As the wages of sin is death, so He died for His people that they might have life. His vows involvethe ultimate sacrifice: death. Though man may not take notice, God will takecareful notice, for…

¹⁵ Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints.

Indeed, how much more precious in the sight ofthe LORD is the death of His Son?

¹⁶ O LORD, truly I am thy servant; I am thy servant, and the son of thinehandmaid: thou hast loosed my bonds.

Thehandmaid is no doubt referring to the virgin Mary. Remember how she calledherself “handmaid of the Lord” (Lk 1:38).

TheLord Jesus, the eternal Son of God, could die because He took on human flesh inthe womb of the virgin Mary.

His death and suffering was, therefore, real. Butthanks be to the Father, He did not leave Him in the grave. He loosed His bond(v. 16b) three days later. He rose for our justification!

Forthat reason, the church today can worship the Father in gratitude and love inunion with His Son, who declares in the final section of this psalm…

4. I Worship Because He is the LORD

 ¹⁷ I will offer to thee thesacrifice of thanksgiving, and will call upon the name of the LORD. ¹⁸I will pay my vows unto the LORD now in the presence of all his people, ¹⁹In the courts of the LORD’S house, in the midst of thee, O Jerusalem. Praise yethe LORD.

Now, verse 18 is word for wordthe same as in verse 14, but I believe they refer to a different aspect of thesame vow. In verse 14, the Lord paid His vow by dying for us. In verse 18, theLord pays His vow by worshipping the Father in union with His redeemed people.

Theworship of the Church, we must remember, is not just a worship of a people. Itis the worship of Christ and His redeemed people.

Ourworship is essentially an expression of thanksgiving unto the Father forsalvation so rich and free in Christ. May the Lord grant us that we may havethe mind of Christ to seek to express our gratitude often in worship,especially, in the congregation of God’s people.

Conclusion

Psalm 116 is a beloved psalm.But as you can see, it is actually not an easy psalm to grasp in its fullness.Nevertheless, I trust that we can see how our Lord is teaching us by exampleand exhortation, how we must always worship the Lord in gratitude and love forall that He has done for us.

We will, of course, never beable to pay the debt we owe to God. But shall we not diligently remember ourobligation and seek to give expression of our gratitude and love at everyopportunity. Only in this way can we be said to be imitators of Christ as thosewho are truly united to Him. Amen. Ω