Memory Verses

Praise the Lord! (Hallelujah!) I will give thanks to the Lord with all my heart,
In the company of the upright and in the congregation. Psalm 111:1 AMP

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The [reverent] fear of the Lord is the beginning (the prerequisite, the absolute essential, the alphabet) of wisdom; A good understanding and a teachable heart are possessed by all those who do the will of the Lord; His praise endures forever. Psalm 111:10 AMP

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From the rising of the sun to its setting The name of the Lord is to be praised [with awe-inspired reverence]. Psalm 113:3 AMP

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¹² What will I give to the Lord [in return] For all His benefits toward me? [How can I repay Him for His precious blessings?] ¹³ I will lift up the cup of salvation And call on the name of the Lord. ¹⁴ I will pay my vows to the Lord, Yes, in the presence of all His people. Psalm 116:12-14 AMP

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O give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; For His lovingkindness endures forever. Psalm 118:1 AMP

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This [day in which God has saved me] is the day which the Lord has made; Let us rejoice and be glad in it. Psalm 118:24 AMP

Key people

Here is a list of key people found in today’s reading (in order of appearance) with bios from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

David. A young shepherd who gains fame first as a musician and later by killing the enemy champion Goliath.

Today’s Devotional Reading: Psalm 108 – 118

Psalm 108 Amplified Version (AMP)
Psalm 109 Amplified Version (AMP)
Psalm 110 Amplified Version (AMP)
Psalm 111 Amplified Version (AMP)
Psalm 112 Amplified Version (AMP)
Psalm 113 Amplified Version (AMP)
Psalm 114 Amplified Version (AMP)
Psalm 115 Amplified Version (AMP)
Psalm 116 Amplified Version (AMP)
Psalm 117 Amplified Version (AMP)
Psalm 118 Amplified Version (AMP)

From Matthew Henry’s Commentary

This psalm begins with praise and concludes with prayer, and faith is at work in both. I. David here gives thanks to God for mercies to himself, Ps. 108:1-5. II. He prays to God for mercies for the land, pleading the promises of God and putting them in suit, Ps. 108:6-13. The former part it taken out of Ps. 57:7-11; 108:1-5, the latter out of Ps. 60:5-12; 108:6-13, and both with very little variation, to teach us that we may in prayer use the same words that we have formerly used, provided it be with new affections. It intimates likewise that it is not only allowable, but sometimes convenient, to gather some verses out of one psalm and some out of another, and to put them together, to be sung to the glory of God. In singing this psalm we must give glory to God and take comfort to ourselves. (Chapter 108).

Whether David penned this psalm when he was persecuted by Saul, or when his son Absalom rebelled against him, or upon occasion of some other trouble that was given him, is uncertain; and whether the particular enemy he prays against was Saul, or Doeg, or Ahithophel, or some other not mentioned in the story, we cannot determine; but it is certain that in penning it he had an eye to Christ, his sufferings and his persecutors, for that imprecation (Ps. 109:8) is applied to Judas, Acts 1:20. The rest of the prayers here against his enemies were the expressions, not of passion, but of the Spirit of prophecy. I. He lodges a complaint in the court of heaven of the malice and base ingratitude of his enemies and with it an appeal to the righteous God, Ps. 109:1-5. II. He prays against his enemies, and devotes them to destruction, Ps. 109:6-20. III. He prays for himself, that God would help and succour him in his low condition, Ps. 109:21-29. IV. He concludes with a joyful expectation that God would appear for him, Ps. 109:30, 31. In singing this psalm we must comfort ourselves with the believing foresight of the certain destruction of all the enemies of Christ and his church, and the certain salvation of all those that trust in God and keep close to him (Chapter 109).

This psalm is pure gospel; it is only, and wholly, concerning Christ, the Messiah promised to the fathers and expected by them. It is plain that the Jews of old, even the worst of them, so understood it, however the modern Jews have endeavoured to pervert it and to rob us of it; for when the Lord Jesus proposed a question to the Pharisees upon the first words of this psalm, where he takes it for granted that David, in spirit, calls Christ his Lord though he was his Son, they chose rather to say nothing, and to own themselves gravelled, than to make it a question whether David does indeed speak of the Messiah or no; for they freely yield so plain a truth, though they foresee it will turn to their own disgrace, Matt. 22:41-46 Of him therefore, no doubt, the prophet here speaks of him and of no other man. Christ, as our Redeemer, executes the office of a prophet, of a priest, and of a king, with reference both to his humiliation and his exaltation; and of each of these we have here an account. I. His prophetical office, Ps. 110:2. II. His priestly office, Ps. 110:4. III. His kingly office, Ps. 110:1, 3, 5, 6. IV. His estates of humiliation and exaltation, Ps. 110:7. In singing this psalm we must act faith upon Christ, submit ourselves entirely to him, to his grace and government, and triumph in him as our prophet, priest, and king, by whom we hope to be ruled, and taught, and saved, for ever, and as the prophet, priest, and king, of the whole church, who shall reign till he has put down all opposing rule, principality, and power, and delivered up the kingdom to God the Father (Chapter 110).

This and divers of the psalms that follow it seem to have been penned by David for the service of the church in their solemn feasts, and not upon any particular occasion. This is a psalm of praise. The title of it is “Hallelujah—Praise you the Lord,” intimating that we must address ourselves to the use of this psalm with hearts disposed to praise God. It is composed alphabetically, each sentence beginning with a several letter of the Hebrew alphabet, in order exactly, two sentences to each verse, and three a piece to the last two. The psalmist, exhorting to praise God, I. Sets himself for an example, Ps. 111:1. II. Furnishes us with matter for praise from the works of God. 1. The greatness of his works and the glory of them. 2. The righteousness of them. 3. The goodness of them. 4. The power of them. 5. The conformity of them to his word of promise. 6. The perpetuity of them. These observations are intermixed, Ps. 111:2-9. III. He recommends the holy fear of God, and conscientious obedience to his commands, as the most acceptable way of praising God, Ps. 111:10 (Chapter 111).

This psalm is composed alphabetically, as the former is, and is (like the former) entitled “Hallelujah,” though it treats of the happiness of the saints, because it redounds to the glory of God, and whatever we have the pleasure of he must have the praise of. It is a comment upon the Ps. 111:10 of the foregoing psalm, and fully shows how much it is our wisdom to fear God and do his commandments. We have here, I. The character of the righteous, Ps. 112:1. II. The blessedness of the righteous. 1. There is a blessing entailed upon their posterity, Ps. 112:2. 2. There is a blessing conferred upon themselves. (1.) Prosperity outward and inward, Ps. 112:3. (2.) Comfort, Ps. 112:4. (3.) Wisdom, Ps. 112:5. (4.) Stability, Ps. 112:6-8. (5.) Honour, Ps. 112:6, 9. III. The misery of the wicked, Ps. 112:10. So that good and evil are set before us, the blessing and the curse. In singing this psalm we must not only teach and admonish ourselves and one another to answer to the characters here given of the happy, but comfort and encourage ourselves and one another with the privileges and comforts here secured to the holy (Chapter 112).

This psalm begins and ends with “Hallelujah;” for, as many others, it is designed to promote the great and good work of praising God. I. We are here called upon and urged to praise God, Ps. 113:1-3. II. We are here furnished with matter for praise, and words are put into our mouths, in singing which we must with holy fear and love give to God the glory of, 1. The elevations of his glory and greatness, Ps. 113:4, 5. 2. The condescensions of his grace and goodness (Ps. 113:6-9), which very much illustrate one another, that we may be duly affected with both (Chapter 113).

The deliverance of Israel out of Egypt gave birth to their church and nation, which were then founded, then formed; that work of wonder ought therefore to be had in everlasting remembrance. God gloried in it, in the preface to the ten commandments, and Hos. 11:1; “Out of Egypt have I called my son.” In this psalm it is celebrated in lively strains of praise; it was fitly therefore made a part of the great Hallelujah, or song of praise, which the Jews were wont to sing at the close of the passover-supper. It must never be forgotten, I. That they were brought out of slavery, Ps. 114:1. II. That God set up his tabernacle among them, Ps. 114:2. III. That the sea and Jordan were divided before them, Ps. 114:3, 5. IV. That the earth shook at the giving of the law, when God came down on Mount Sinai, Ps. 114:4, 6, 7. V. That God gave them water out of the rock, Ps. 114:8. In singing this psalm we must acknowledge God’s power and goodness in what he did for Israel, applying it to the much greater work of wonder, our redemption by Christ, and encouraging ourselves and others to trust in God in the greatest straits (Chapter 114).

Many ancient translations join this psalm to that which goes next before it, the Septuagint particularly, and the vulgar Latin; but it is, in the Hebrew, a distinct psalm. In it we are taught to give glory, I. To God, and not to ourselves, Ps. 115:1. II. To God, and not to idols, Ps. 115:2-8. We must give glory to God, 1. By trusting in him, and in his promise and blessing, Ps. 115:9-15. 2. By blessing him, Ps. 115:16-18. Some think this psalm was penned upon occasion of some great distress and trouble that the church of God was in, when the enemies were in insolent and threatening, in which case the church does not so much pour out her complaint to God as place her confidence in God, and triumph in doing so; and with such a holy triumph we ought to sing this psalm (Chapter 115).

This is a thanksgiving psalm; it is not certain whether David penned it upon any particular occasion or upon a general review of the many gracious deliverances God had wrought for him, out of six troubles and seven, which deliverances draw from him many very lively expressions of devotion, love, and gratitude; and with similar pious affections our souls should be lifted up to God in singing it. Observe, I. The great distress and danger that the psalmist was in, which almost drove him to despair, Ps. 116:3, 10, 11. II. The application he made to God in that distress, Ps. 116:4. III. The experience he had of God’s goodness to him, in answer to prayer; God heard him (Ps. 116:1, 2), pitied him (Ps. 116:5, 6), delivered him, Ps. 116:8. IV His care respecting the acknowledgments he should make of the goodness of God to him, Ps. 116:12. 1. He will love God, Ps. 116:1. 2. He will continue to call upon him, Ps. 116:2, 13, 17. 3. He will rest in him, Ps. 116:7. 4. He will walk before him, Ps. 116:9. 5. He will pay his vows of thanksgiving, in which he will own the tender regard God had to him, and this publicly, Ps. 116:13-15, 17-19. Lastly, He will continue God’s faithful servant to his life’s end, Ps. 116:16. These are such breathings of a holy soul as bespeak it very happy (Chapter 116).

This psalm is short and sweet; I doubt the reason why we sing it so often as we do is for the shortness of it; but, if we rightly understood and considered it, we should sing it oftener for the sweetness of it, especially to us sinners of the Gentiles, on whom it casts a very favourable eye. Here is, I. A solemn call to all nations to praise God, Ps. 117:1. II. Proper matter for that praise suggested, Ps. 117:2. We are soon weary indeed of well-doing if, in singing this psalm, we keep not up those pious and devout affections with which the spiritual sacrifice of praise ought to be kindled and kept burning (Chapter 117).

It is probable that David penned this psalm when he had, after many a story, weathered his point at last, and gained a full possession of the kingdom to which he had been anointed. He then invites and stirs up his friends to join with him, not only in a cheerful acknowledgment of God’s goodness and a cheerful dependence upon that goodness for the future, but in a believing expectation of the promised Messiah, of whose kingdom and his exaltation to it his were typical. To him, it is certain, the prophet here bears witness, in the latter part of the psalm. Christ himself applies it to himself (Matt. 21:42), and the former part of the psalm may fairly, and without forcing, be accommodated to him and his undertaking. Some think it was first calculated for the solemnity of the bringing of the ark to the city of David, and was afterwards sung at the feast of tabernacles. In it, I. David calls upon all about him to give to God the glory of his goodness, Ps. 118:1-4. II. He encourages himself and others to trust in God, from the experience he had had of God’s power and pity in the great and kind things he had done for him, Ps. 118:5-8. III. He gives thanks for his advancement to the throne, as it was a figure of the exaltation of Christ, Ps. 118:19-23. IV. The people, the priests, and the psalmist himself, triumph in the prospect of the Redeemer’s kingdom, Ps. 118:24-29. In singing this psalm we must glorify God for his goodness, his goodness to us, and especially his goodness to us in Jesus Christ (Chapter 118).

Reflection

My aunt (the one who accepted Christ at age 2) used to say, “I wouldn’t serve a god that I couldn’t feel.” Psalm 15:4-8 explains the idol gods of the nations of Israel and others in existence then and now.

⁴ The idols [of the nations] are silver and gold, The work of man’s hands. ⁵ They have mouths, but they cannot speak; They have eyes, but they cannot see; ⁶ They have ears, but they cannot hear; They have noses, but they cannot smell; ⁷ They have hands, but they cannot feel; They have feet, but they cannot walk; Nor can they make a sound with their throats. ⁸ Those who make them will become like them, Everyone who trusts in them.

I don’t want to be like them. My God is alive. He is a way maker, a miracle worker, a light in the darkness… just like the song says (Way Maker by Paul McClure & Moment).

References

« The Amplified Bible
« The King James Bible
« Matthew Henry’s Commentary

« Songs of Praise
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Image Source: 365 Seeds of Promise by Shenica Graham.

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