Today we jump into part 2 of our Psalm 118 series. Previously we covered verses 1-9 and it was phenomenal. Let’s go ahead and dive into Psalm 118:10-18. They read:
All nations surrounded me; in the name of the Lord I cut them off!
They surrounded me, surrounded me on every side; in the name of the Lord I cut them off!
They surrounded me like bees; they went out like a fire among thorns; in the name of the Lord I cut them off!
I was pushed hard, so that I was falling, but the Lord helped me.
The Lord is my strength and my song; He has become my salvation.
Glad songs of salvation are in the tents of the righteous; “The right hand of the Lord does valiantly,
the right hand of the Lord exalts, the right hand of the Lord does valiantly!”
I shall not die; but live, and recount the deeds of the Lord.
The Lord has disciplined me severely, but He has not given me over to death.
As mentioned before, it is unspecified who the author of this beautiful psalm is. We can tell given by the continued authority and conviction this writer possesses, he was a leader. Speculation of Moses being the author makes sense because God chose him as the leader of a nation, even though Moses had plenty to say in opposition to God’s call on his life.
Psalm 118:10-12
“All nations surrounded me; in the name of the Lord I cut them off!
They surrounded me, surrounded me on every side; in the name of the Lord I cut them off!
They surrounded me like bees; they went out like a fire among thorns; in the name of the Lord I cut them off!”
In the opening verses of this section, the psalmist provides incredible imagery of the battle he was facing. His enemies obviously had come to battle for his end. I sense great power in his voice as he fights for his life. Without hesitation his response to all these evil men encroaching upon him was consistently, “In the name of the Lord I cut them off.” Christian, you and I need to believe in God’s ability and desire for us. When our enemies have set out to destroy us, in whatever way you experience it, the Lord will fight for you. This does not mean you stand there and take it. This means you ask God for wisdom in those moments for knowledge how to combat it, relying on His strength and not your own.
In Psalm 118:13, the psalmist takes it one step further, “I was pushed hard, so that I was falling, but the Lord helped me.” I imagine myself being pursued by my enemy, thousands of them and come to a cliff. I try hard to hold my ground, but inevitably I am pushed down by one of them incredibly close to the edge. I fall and as I look down, I can see rocks began to break off and fall into a dark seemingly endless pit. But somehow, with renewed strength, I get up. “But the Lord helped me.”
Psalm 118:14 “The Lord is my strength and my song; He has become my salvation.” Do you realize without the Lord; you are doomed? He is spiritually and physically our strength and joy in song and salvation. He physically protects us all day long and He fights battles welling up around us. When insurmountable odds of evil seek to claim us, we claim His power because We. Are. His. NOTHING can stand a chance. Just as Jesus told His disciple Peter in Matthew 16:18,
“And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.”
Seeing the ways God becomes our strength, song and salvation is an awesome reminder that the powers of hell have no grip on us.
Psalm 118:15-16, “Glad songs of salvation are in the tents of the righteous; “The right hand of the Lord does valiantly,
the right hand of the Lord exalts, the right hand of the Lord does valiantly!”
When the Lord’s salvation is apparent in our lives, He is worthy of the praise. His valiance is affirmation. It requires our thanks and helps us keep confidence in the power He has.
Psalm 118:17-18, “I shall not die; but live, and recount the deeds of the Lord.
The Lord has disciplined me severely, but He has not given me over to death.” I LOVE verse 17. It is an amazing reminder of Gods glory in my life. When you face trial, challenge, death and come out alive, your testimony is worth sharing of the nature of how the Lord is a mighty warrior and conqueror. When He conquers evil attempting to subdue us, I delight in letting that become my testimony to expose truth of what MY God CAN do. Although we are all worthy of death, He will not hand his children over to it if you take hold of His salvation and let Him be your strength. Your enemies don’t stand a chance because God Never Fails.
I look forward to seeing you back for Part 3!