There’s something about a first-person account of an event that grips us. The words, “there I was” immediately catch our attention and teach us to expect drama, at least on some scale. Psalm 118 begins by inviting everyone who knows and fears the LORD to praise Him for His never-ending mercy, and then gives a first-person report about what that mercy looks like in action. “There I was: surrounded by enemies, swarmed by troubles, and then the LORD showed up!” Listen as the psalmist tells his story, and ours, too.
“I will not fear, because the LORD is for me” (v. 5-9). The psalmist remembers how confident he was as he prayed for help, not because he didn’t really need help—he was in deep distress—but because he knew that the LORD was front and center among those helping him. If the LORD is on my side, “what can man do to me?” As Paul puts it later, “If God is for us, who can be against us” (Rom. 8:31)? Obviously, lots of people can fight against us—a quick look at the lives of David, Paul, and Jesus can resolve any questions we might have (if we didn’t figure it out by our own experience already). But what enemy—what horde of enemies—will be able to prevail against the ever-merciful, ever-faithful God of the nations? Men may (will) fail us; princes may (will) run out of power or be outmaneuvered, but our trust in the LORD will never prove to be misplaced. We need not fear, whatever comes our way.
“I was surrounded—they never stood a chance” (v. 10-14)! “You have me surrounded; I suggest you surrender before it’s too late” sounds like a line either from a comedy or from the start of a major fight scene in a bad kung fu movie. But here the psalmist is telling us of what actually happened to him. The nations surrounded him—but by the LORD’s power he won (v. 10, and again in v. 11). Enemies swarmed like bees (v. 12), but they didn’t win. The psalmist doesn’t say it was a walk in the park—picture someone stepping into a hornet’s nest and being covered in vicious, stinging, potentially deadly insects! What he does say is that when the LORD is involved, we have every reason to expect unexpected reversals, with God saving us at the critical moment, just as He did by bringing Israel through the Red Sea.[1] Our enemies may come after us, but when we are holding to the hand of YHWH they will not stand.
“The LORD is mighty to save the righteous—so make me righteous” (v. 15-24)! God may use our troubles to discipline us and teach us to trust Him, but He will not finally hand us over to death (v. 18). Instead, He shows us His valiant, exalted works, rescuing us so that we can turn and tell everyone what He’s been up to (v. 15-17). If this is the lot of the righteous, who would not want to enter those gates and come into the saving presence of the LORD (v. 19-20)?
But how? The wages of sin is death, and I’ve most certainly sinned. I don’t deserve not to be given over to death. I haven’t been righteous, so how will I enter the gate of the LORD instead of being struck down like the psalmist’s enemies? Notice v. 21. The LORD answered the psalmist’s prayer to open the gates of righteousness, the gate of the LORD. In light of the rest of Scripture, we see that the LORD becomes our salvation, not only from enemies, but from our own unrighteousness and from eternal death.
And what is this gate of the LORD? He’s the stone which the builders rejected as unfit, but whom God has made central to His saving plan (v. 22). Jesus was hated, surrounded by enemies, swarmed by tormentors, even killed—but not finally delivered to death, because He trusted His Father to judge righteously (1 Pet. 2:23), and because He truly is perfectly righteous. By His death and resurrection we may enter into Jesus’ righteousness and find life. This is a day of offered salvation, a day of the LORD’s mercy, rejoice and be glad in it (v. 24)!
“Save and prosper us—and You have” (v. 25-29)! As the psalmist finishes the story, he asks God to keep saving and blessing His people. And in due time, God answered by sending one to whom they would cry, “Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD!”—one who has given us light (v. 27; see 2 Cor. 4:6). Worship, praise, exalt, and thank Him (v. 28-29)—His mercy endures forever.
Grace and peace, Mike Yates
[1] Derek Kidner points out that v. 14 quotes Moses’ song in Exod. 15:2 (Kidner, Psalms 73-150 [Downers Grove: InterVarsity, 1973], 414). That hymn, sung on a beach as drowned soldiers washed up on shore who wanted the heads of Hebrew ex-slaves, is exactly the kind of thankful praise for unexpected deliverance that Psalm 118 invites us to.
Life and Godliness 