May 28

Psalm 111-118 (biblegateway.com)

Psalms of Praise and Promise

Psalms 111–118 form a rich tapestry of praise and thanksgiving. These psalms, many of which were likely sung during festivals and communal worship, call God’s people to remember His mighty works and respond in trust and awe. From the reverent reflection of Psalm 111 to the triumphant declaration of Psalm 118, we are drawn into a rhythm of gratitude that highlights who God is. He is gracious, compassionate, powerful, and eternally trustworthy.

Psalm 111 – Great Are the Works of the Lord

Psalms 111 and 112 are twin psalms. Both begin with “Praise the Lord!” Both contain an alphabetic acrostic with each half-line starting with the subsequent letter in the Hebrew alphabet, and both focus on the fear of the Lord. The difference is that Psalm 111 focuses on God, and Psalm 112 focuses on God’s people.

Psalm 111 is a psalm of praise, possibly composed for liturgical use, that extols the mighty and faithful works of God. It opens in verse 1 with the psalmist’s personal and corporate declaration: “Praise the Lord! I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart, in the company of the upright, in the congregation. The psalm then celebrates the Lord’s works (v. 2-4), which are described as great, studied by all who delight in them, full of splendor and majesty, and remembered because of His righteousness and graciousness.

Verse 5 notes God’s provision: “He provides food for those who fear him.” This may allude to the wilderness wanderings when God miraculously provided food for Israel (Num. 11). His covenant faithfulness is central (v. 5b–6), for He has shown His people “the power of His works,” giving them “the inheritance of the nations,” a reference to the Promised Land and Israel’s establishment as God’s chosen people.

Verses 7–8 emphasize the unchanging and just character of God’s deeds and precepts. “The works of His hands are faithful and just; all His precepts are trustworthy.” All His works are firmly established by His covenant so that He faithfully performs them. This culminates in verse 9, which speaks of redemption. “He sent redemption to His people; He has commanded His covenant forever.” This redemption likely encompasses both the historical deliverances of Israel from Egypt and their later return from Babylonian exile (see Deuteronomy 7:8; Jeremiah 31:11), as well as a foreshadowing of the greater redemption found in Christ.

Redemption involves reclaiming someone or something by paying a price. Humanity was enslaved by sin until Jesus gave His life as the perfect sacrifice to set us free. Before His sacrifice, access to God’s presence, specifically the Most Holy Place, was restricted; however, now all believers can come confidently to God in prayer and experience His presence through the Holy Spirit.

The psalm closes with the wisdom theme found also in Proverbs: “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all those who practice it have a good understanding. His praise endures forever” (v. 10). By mentioning this, the psalm paves the way for Psalm 112, a “wisdom psalm.”

Psalm 111 calls us to meditate on and rejoice in the works of God, including His providence, His rescue, His commands, and His grace. In a world that often forgets history and disregards divine truth, believers are invited to “study” the Lord’s works and treasure them. We are to live out the wisdom that begins with reverent fear of God, aligning our hearts with His enduring righteousness.

Take time this week to recount and reflect on God’s faithfulness in your life and throughout redemptive history. Read a portion of Scripture that describes God’s mighty acts, like the Exodus, the Cross, or Christ’s resurrection, and let it stir your praise. Are you living as someone who fears the Lord and seeks His wisdom? Let Psalm 111 shape your worship, sharpen your memory of God’s works, and deepen your commitment to obeying His trustworthy commands.

Psalm 112 – The Blessed Life of the Righteous

Psalm 112 is a companion to Psalm 111, mirroring its structure and theme. While Psalm 111 focuses on the character and works of the Lord, Psalm 112 describes the life, conduct, and blessings of the person who fears the Lord and delights in His commandments. It opens with a beatitude: “Blessed is the man who fears the Lord, who greatly delights in his commandments” (v. 1). The fear of the Lord, reverent awe and obedient trust, is again presented as the foundation of wisdom and the source of true blessing. This man’s life is marked by generational influence and enduring legacy. “His offspring will be mighty in the land; the generation of the upright will be blessed” (v. 2). Material and spiritual prosperity follow as a general principle (v. 3), not as a guarantee of wealth, but as a reflection of the Lord’s favor upon the righteous.

The psalm continues by describing the character of this godly person. In verses 4–5, he is gracious, merciful, righteous, and generous, conducting his affairs with justice. His trust in the Lord gives him steadfastness in dark times. “He is not afraid of bad news; his heart is firm, trusting in the Lord” (v. 7). This calm in adversity is contrasted with the fate of the wicked in verse 10, who sees the righteous blessed and is angry and undone. Verse 9, quoted by Paul in 2 Corinthians 9:9, summarizes the righteous life as one of generosity and enduring honor: “He has distributed freely; he has given to the poor; his righteousness endures forever.”

Theological truths abound in this psalm. First, the fear of the Lord transforms both inner character and outward behavior, as it leads to wisdom, generosity, justice, and peace. Second, God’s blessings are not merely personal but ripple into future generations. Third, trust in the Lord produces stability that withstands fear and hardship. And finally, righteousness, God’s and ours, is enduring, while the wicked fade away.

Psalm 112 invites us to evaluate our lives in light of the fear of the Lord. Are we delighting in His Word? Do our actions reflect His righteousness and mercy? Do we live with a calm trust in the Lord even when we receive difficult news? God calls us to live generously, not clinging to material security but distributing freely, knowing our true security lies in Him.

Psalm 113 – From the Rising of the Sun to Its Setting: Praise the Lord

Opening with “Praise the Lord!”, Psalm 113 continues the theme of praise seen in Psalms 111 and 112. It is structured in two parts: verses 1–3 call for the Lord to be praised, and verses 4–9 highlight the uniqueness and greatness of God. Psalm 113 begins the Egyptian Hallel (Psalms 113–118), a collection traditionally sung during Jewish festivals such as Passover, Weeks, Tabernacles, the new moon, and the temple dedication, to celebrate God’s deliverance and covenant faithfulness. These psalms were likely sung by Jesus and His disciples during their final evening together (see Matthew 26:30; Mark 14:26).

This psalm is a call to universal praise, lifting our gaze from earth to heaven and back again, showing that the transcendent God is also intimately involved in human need. The psalm opens with a threefold imperative: “Praise the Lord! Praise, O servants of the Lord, praise the name of the Lord!” (v. 1). This repetition emphasizes both the urgency and the joy of exalting God’s name. His name is to be blessed “from this time forth and forevermore” and “from the rising of the sun to its setting” (v. 2-3), language that expresses continual and global praise.

The psalm then focuses on the exalted nature of God. He is “high above all nations” and “His glory above the heavens” (v. 4). The rhetorical question in verse 5, “Who is like the Lord our God?” highlights His uniqueness. Yet, astonishingly, this God who dwells on high also “looks far down” on heaven and earth (v. 6), suggesting His condescension and compassion. He is not distant or aloof; He stoops down to care for the lowly. Verses 7–9 provide vivid examples. He lifts the poor from the dust and the needy from the ash heap, setting them with princes (v. 8). He gives the barren woman a home, making her “the joyous mother of children” (v. 9). These acts mirror stories throughout Scripture, like Hannah, Sarah, and Mary, all testifying that God lifts the lowly and fills the empty with joy.

Theological truths in this psalm shine clearly. God is both transcendent and immanent. He is above all, yet He is near to the brokenhearted. He is the King of glory and the compassionate Redeemer. God’s concern for the poor, the marginalized, and the barren demonstrates His character. He delights in reversing human expectations and showing mercy to the least. His greatness does not distance Him from human suffering; rather, it magnifies His glory as He acts on behalf of the humble.

This psalm calls us to join the ongoing, worldwide chorus of praise. We are invited to see God not only as majestic and powerful but also as near, personal, and involved. In our moments of need, we can trust that the God who lifts the poor from the dust sees and cares for us. Take time today to praise God deliberately, not only in a song or prayer, but in how you reflect His compassion. Is there someone in your life who feels invisible, forgotten, or weighed down by hardship? Can you be an extension of God’s mercy to them?

Psalm 114 – Tremble, O Earth, at the Presence of the Lord

Psalm 114 is a poetic and powerful recollection of the Exodus, celebrating God’s mighty intervention on behalf of His people and His sovereignty over all creation. It is the second psalm in the Egyptian Hallel and serves as a vivid reminder that God is not only the Lord of Israel but the Lord of nature itself. The psalm opens with a recollection of Israel’s deliverance from Egypt. “When Israel went out from Egypt, the house of Jacob from a people of strange language” (v. 1). This event marked the formation of Israel as a distinct people, set apart for God’s purposes. The declaration that “Judah became his sanctuary, Israel his dominion” (v. 2) shows that God’s deliverance was not merely a rescue mission. It was a divine claiming of a people for His holy presence.

The natural world responds dramatically to the presence of the Lord: “The sea looked and fled; Jordan turned back. The mountains skipped like rams, the hills like lambs” (v. 3-4). These lines poetically reference the parting of the Red Sea (Exodus 14) and the Jordan River (Joshua 3), as well as the trembling of Mount Sinai (Exodus 19). Creation reacts as though alive, acknowledging the authority of its Creator. Verses 5–6 ask, with dramatic irony, why the sea fled and the mountains skipped, answering implicitly that it was the awesome presence of the Lord.

The final verses drive this point home: “Tremble, O earth, at the presence of the Lord, at the presence of the God of Jacob, who turns the rock into a pool of water, the flint into a spring of water” (v. 7-8). God’s power is not just to be observed; it demands reverence. The imagery concludes with a reminder of God’s provision in the wilderness, where hard, lifeless rock is transformed into flowing water (Exodus 17:6; Numbers 20:11).

God is the Lord of history, nature, and redemption. He is the Redeemer who delivers, the King who rules, and the Provider who sustains. Creation itself recognizes His rule and trembles at His presence. This reminds us that our God is not a passive observer, but an active, intervening Lord whose power commands both the seas and the stone.

Psalm 114 invites us to reverence and trust. In times when we face obstacles as overwhelming as a sea or a mountain, this psalm encourages us to remember God’s past faithfulness. He who parted the waters and moved the mountains for His people is the same God who walks with us today. We are also reminded to view our own salvation not as a private blessing, but as a holy calling: to be set apart, like Israel, as God’s sanctuary. This means living in awe of His presence and showing His holiness to the world.

Where in your life do you need to be reminded that God has power over what seems immovable? Reflect on how He has delivered you in the past, and let that stir fresh awe and deeper trust. Ask God to help you live in the awareness of His nearness, and to respond with reverence, obedience, and praise. Let the trembling earth be a metaphor for your own heart—shaken not with fear, but with worship.

Psalm 115 – Not to Us, O Lord, But to Your Name Be the Glory

Psalm 115 is a communal declaration of God’s glory and sovereignty in contrast to the impotence of idols. It opens with a powerful renunciation of self-glory: “Not to us, O Lord, not to us, but to your name give glory, for the sake of your steadfast love and your faithfulness!” (v. 1). This sets the tone for the entire psalm. God alone is worthy of glory because He alone is faithful and loving. The question posed by the nations, “Where is their God?” (v. 2), is answered with a bold assertion: “Our God is in the heavens; he does all that he pleases” (v. 3). This emphasizes God’s transcendence and sovereign will, reminding readers that He is not bound by human limitations or visible forms.

In striking contrast, the psalm ridicules the idols of the nations, “silver and gold, the work of human hands” (v. 4), and describes them with satire: they have mouths but cannot speak, eyes but cannot see, ears but cannot hear, and so on (v. 5-7). These images drive home the powerlessness and lifelessness of idols. Even more chilling is the declaration that “those who make them become like them, so do all who trust in them” (v. 8). This is a warning that we become spiritually lifeless when we trust in what is not God.

The psalm then turns to an exhortation for all of Israel, including the house of Israel, the house of Aaron, and all who fear the Lord, to trust in Him as their help and shield (v. 9-11). The Lord’s faithfulness is again affirmed with a blessing: “The Lord has remembered us; he will bless us” (v. 12), encompassing both the great and the small. The blessings of God are not for an elite few but for all who revere Him.

The closing verses (v. 17-18) remind us that it is the living, not the dead, who praise the Lord, underscoring the call to worship in the present. “We will bless the Lord from this time forth and forevermore.” The people of God are to live lives of continual, communal worship, grounded in a deep trust in the living God.

This psalm teaches that God alone is worthy of glory, not humanity, and that idolatry leads to spiritual deadness. God is sovereign, trustworthy, and attentive to His people. He actively blesses and remembers those who fear Him. Unlike idols, God is living, responsive, and involved in the affairs of His people and the world He created.

Psalm 115 invites us to examine what or whom we trust. In a world filled with “idols” of success, image, material wealth, or influence, this psalm calls us back to the living God. It challenges us to trust Him more fully and to recognize His glory in our lives. Rather than taking credit or seeking recognition, we’re called to point upward, to live for the honor of God’s name in all we do.

Psalm 116 – A Song of Thanksgiving for Deliverance

Psalm 116 is a deeply personal and heartfelt expression of gratitude from the psalmist who has experienced God’s gracious deliverance from certain death. Opening with a tender confession, the psalmist declares, “I love the Lord, because he has heard my voice and my pleas for mercy” (v. 1). This reveals the intimate relationship between the believer and God, highlighting that God is attentive and compassionate toward our cries. The psalmist recounts the distress and fear of death, saying, “The snares of death encompassed me; the pangs of Sheol laid hold on me; I suffered distress and anguish” (v. 3), painting a vivid picture of near despair.

Yet God’s unfailing love and faithfulness shine through as He delivers the psalmist from death’s grasp. “Gracious is the Lord, and righteous; our God is merciful” (v. 5). This assurance of God’s character becomes the foundation of the psalmist’s trust and hope. Throughout the psalm, the psalmist promises to walk faithfully before the Lord in the land of the living (v. 9), a response of gratitude rooted in the recognition that life itself is a gift from God.

The psalm is structured as a song of thanksgiving, with repeated calls to “I will lift up the cup of salvation and call on the name of the Lord” (v. 13). The “cup of salvation” symbolizes joyful celebration and acknowledgement of God’s rescue. The psalmist also pledges to fulfill vows made to God in the presence of the people, emphasizing the communal aspect of worship and testimony (v. 14-18).

Psalm 116 underscores God’s personal attentiveness and mercy toward His people, especially in times of crisis. It reveals God as the life-giver and deliverer, who responds to sincere prayer and grants renewed life. The psalm also highlights the believer’s appropriate response, heartfelt gratitude expressed through worship, obedience, and public testimony. This psalm encourages believers to bring their deepest fears and pains before God, trusting that He hears and cares for them. It reminds us to cherish life as a sacred gift from God and to respond with thankfulness through worship and faithful living. Like the psalmist, we can learn to call on the Lord in times of trouble and to publicly declare His goodness in our lives.

Psalm 117 – A Universal Call to Praise

Psalm 117 is the shortest chapter in the entire Bible, yet it carries a powerful and profound message: a universal call for all nations and peoples to praise the Lord. The psalmist boldly commands, “Praise the Lord, all nations! Extol him, all peoples!” (v. 1). This invitation reflects the expansive scope of God’s glory, emphasizing that His love and faithfulness (v. 2) are not limited to Israel alone but extend to every nation on earth. This is a radical and inclusive vision of worship that points forward to the fulfillment of God’s redemptive plan through Christ, who breaks down barriers and calls all peoples to Himself.

In just two short verses, Psalm 117 encapsulates the heart of biblical worship—a joyful acknowledgment of God’s enduring character and a call to unity among all peoples in glorifying Him. It challenges narrow or exclusive views of worship and encourages believers to embrace God’s mission to reach the nations.

Reflect on your perspective of God’s kingdom. Is your worship inclusive, celebrating God’s work among all peoples? How can you join in and support the mission of God reaching the nations? Let this brief but powerful psalm inspire you to lift your voice in praise not only for what God has done in your life but for His faithfulness to all peoples around the world.

Psalm 118 – The Foundation of God’s Eternal Love

Psalm 118 is a vibrant hymn of thanksgiving and trust, calling the faithful to celebrate the enduring, steadfast love of the Lord. The psalm opens with a repeated invitation to “Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever” (v. 1, 29), setting the tone of praise grounded in God’s unchanging mercy. This steadfast love (chesed) is the bedrock of the believer’s hope and security amidst life’s trials and enemies.

The psalmist recounts personal deliverance and victory. “The Lord is my strength and my defense; he has become my salvation” (v. 14), declaring confidence that God’s power saves and sustains. The phrase “The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone” (v. 22) is profoundly Messianic, later applied to Christ in the New Testament (Matthew 21:42; Acts 4:11), indicating God’s sovereign plan to bring salvation through what the world despises.

This psalm reflects Israel’s history of deliverance but also points forward to Christ’s triumph, making it a staple in both Jewish and Christian worship. It highlights the importance of trusting God’s timing and purposes, even when circumstances appear bleak, as well as the joy and security that come from relying solely on God.

Psalm 118 reveals God’s steadfast love as eternal and reliable. It teaches that God is both the strength and salvation of His people, and it proclaims Jesus as the cornerstone rejected by men but chosen by God. The psalm anticipates the full revelation of salvation through Christ and calls believers to place unwavering trust in Him. It reminds us to celebrate God’s faithfulness through worship and thanksgiving, even when we face opposition or rejection.

Conclusion

As we move through Psalms 111–118, we are reminded that praise is rooted in remembrance. The God who delivered Israel is the same God who sustains us today. He is worthy of wholehearted trust, awe-inspired obedience, and joyful thanks. Whether we find ourselves in times of distress or celebration, these psalms direct our hearts upward, anchoring us in the unshakable character of God. With every breath, may we respond to His steady love, and may these psalms keep echoing in our hearts, guiding us in hope and worship as we journey through life with Him.