Psalm 118 … Consider the Marvelous Works of His Marvelous Messiah

Originally posted: 12/02/2020

This is the Lord’s doing;
It is marvelous in our eyes, (118:23).

Psalm 118 is a psalm of praise that was included in the Jewish liturgy during religious festivals.

From The Egyptian Hallel Psalms: An Exposition of Psalms 113-118 by Win Groseclose:

“Psalms 113-118 are known as “Egyptian Hallel” psalms (Hallel simply means “Praise Yahweh!”), thus they were written as praises that were sung in connection with the Passover meal and other Hebrew festivals and reflect upon God’s redemption of his people, particularly from their bondage in Egypt. In the context of the Passover celebration, Psalms 113 and 114 typically would have been sung before the Passover meal and Psalms 115-118 would have been sung afterward. It is most likely these were the psalms that Jesus and his disciples sung after the Last Supper, a Passover meal, before their retirement to the Garden of Gethsemane and Jesus’ subsequent arrest (Matthew 26:30). These psalms are designed not only to aid the Hebrews in their worship, but they were also designed with an evangelistic flavor to them. Imagine the impact that these psalms must have had on visitors to Jerusalem during these festival times. You would have streams of people entering into the city singing praises to God for his wondrous works and inviting others to sing along with them. It was meant to be an exciting time—a time that might bring even outsiders to investigate the wonders of this mighty God and the promise of his marvelous Messiah.”

There is just so much to consider in today’s psalm, so many Marvelous Truths about Him and His Marvelous Works on our behalf; and it is all His Doing; and it is all Marvelous.

This is the Lord’s doing;
It is marvelous in our eyes, (118:23).

Psalm 118 is a call to praise and thanksgiving through remembering God’s Marvelous Doings in their past and looking forward to His Marvelous Works in their future through the promise of His Marvelous Messiah Who would grant access to His Marvelous Salvation.

Consider the Marvelous Works of His Marvelous Messiah

From the very beginning, God called His people to faith; faith in His Works, faith in His Word, faith in His Promises, faith that was to be lived out in praise, worship and obedience. And to all those who would stake their lives on His Promises, to all those who would take Him at His Word, He would send His Marvelous Messiah to do His Marvelous Works.

And once again, in today’s psalm, we see Jesus Christ and the Marvelous Works of His Marvelous Messiah Who came…

• …to set us in a Marvelous place of unshakeable courage.
  • From my distress I called upon the Lord;
    The Lord answered me and set me in a large place.
    ⁶ The Lord is for me; I will not fear;
    What can man do to me? (118:5-6).

• • • For He Himself has said, “I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you,” ⁶ so that we confidently say, “The Lord is my helper, I will not be afraid. What will man do to me?” (Hebrews 13:5-6).

• …to become our Marvelous salvation.
  • The Lord is my strength and song,
    And He has become my salvation…
    ²¹ I shall give thanks to You, for You have answered me,
    And You have become my salvation, (118:14, 21).

• • • that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; ¹⁰ for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation, (Romans 10:9-10).

• …to open the Marvelous gates of righteousness that we may enter in.
  • Open to me the gates of righteousness;
    I shall enter through them, I shall give thanks to the Lord…
    ²⁰ This is the gate of the Lord;
    The righteous will enter through it, (118:19-20).

• • • “I am the gate. If anyone enters through Me, he will be saved. He will come in and go out and find pasture,” (John 10:9).

• …to be the Marvelous cornerstone, even though He would be rejected.
  • The stone which the builders rejected
    Has become the chief corner stone, (118:22).

• • • “let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead—… ¹¹ He is the stone which was rejected by you, the builders, but which became the chief corner stone. ¹² And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved,” (Acts 4:10-12).

• …to disclose His Marvelous doings.
  • This is the Lord’s doing;
    It is marvelous in our eyes, (118:23).

• • • “For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me. ³⁹ This is the will of Him who sent Me, that of all that He has given Me I lose nothing, but raise it up on the last day,” (John 6:38-39).

• …to impart His Marvelous joy and prosperity.
  • This is the day which the Lord has made;
    Let us rejoice and be glad in it.
    ²⁵ O Lord, do save, we beseech You;
    O Lord, we beseech You, do send prosperity! (118:24-25).

• • • “These things I have spoken to you so that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full,” (John 15:11).

• …to come in the Marvelous Name of the Lord.
  • Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord;
    We have blessed you from the house of the Lord, (118:26).

• • • The crowds going ahead of Him, and those who followed, were shouting,
      “Hosanna to the Son of David;
      Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord;
      Hosanna in the highest!”
      ¹⁰ When He had entered Jerusalem, all the city was stirred, saying, “Who is this?” ¹¹ And the crowds were saying, “This is the prophet Jesus, from Nazareth in Galilee,” (Matthew 21:9-11).

• …to give us His Marvelous light.
  • The Lord is God, and He has given us light;
    Bind the festival sacrifice with cords to the horns of the altar, (118:27).

• • • Then Jesus again spoke to them, saying, “I am the Light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life,” (John 8:12).

• …to bring us into Marvelous relationship with Holy God.
  • You are my God, and I give thanks to You;
    You are my God, I extol You, (118:28).

• • • Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me. ⁷ If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; from now on you know Him, and have seen Him,” (John 14:6-7).

• …to reveal His Marvelous goodness and everlasting lovingkindness.
  • Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good;
    For His lovingkindness is everlasting, (118:29).

• • • But when the kindness of God our Savior and His love for mankind appeared, ⁵ He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit, ⁶ whom He poured out upon us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, (Titus 3:5-6).

How do we respond to the Marvelous Works of His Marvelous Messiah?

Oh, the wonder of the Marvelous Works of His Marvelous Messiah. Don’t you ever just wonder why? Why He loves us so much; why He would go to such lengths to send His Son; and why He would give His Son for us while we were still in our sin?

But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us, (Romans 5:8).

And again I am undone, I have no answer for why; but this I do know; everything about Him is Marvelous.

Today, let’s ask Him to guide our response as we consider other passages that focus on the Marvelous Works of His Marvelous Messiah.

• Let us sing praises and tell of the Marvelous Works of His Marvelous Messiah.
  • Sing to him. Sing praises to him.
    Tell of all his marvelous works, (1 Chronicles 16:9 WEB).

• Let us remember the Marvelous Works of His Marvelous Messiah.
  • Remember his marvelous works that he has done,
    his wonders, and the judgments of his mouth, (1 Chronicles 16:12 WEB).

• Let us give thanks to Yahweh with our whole heart for the Marvelous Works of His Marvelous Messiah.
  • I will give thanks to Yahweh with my whole heart.
    I will tell of all your marvelous works, (Psalm 9:1 WEB).

• Let us boldly declare the Marvelous Works of His Marvelous Messiah wherever the Lord leads us.
  • Declare his glory among the nations,
    his marvelous works among all the peoples, (Psalm 96:3 WEB).

• And may we never forget who we are; we are His chosen and holy possession. Let us live to proclaim the Marvelous Works of His Marvelous Messiah Who brought us out of darkness into His Marvelous Light.
  • But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light, (1 Peter 2:9).

Oh, may we live out our faith in such praise, worship, and obedience, that others would desire to investigate the wonders and Marvelous Works of our mighty God and the promise of His Marvelous Messiah.

This is the Lord’s doing;
It is marvelous in our eyes, (118:23).

Let’s Grow Together!