The Road to Thanksgiving (An Exposition of Psalm 116) - Pt.5

This great personal psalm of thanksgiving was used in the congregational liturgy of the Jewish church.  It was part of the Egyptian Hallel.   I have already suggested that the form and structure of the psalm transmitted the core message.  That message was this: When we reflect on the mercies of God it results in a life-changing contemplation of His works and a commitment to live in loyalty to Him.  We see that pattern in the first half of the psalm and it is repeated in the second.  Note:

The Circumstance

¹⁰ I trusted in the Lord when I said, “I am greatly afflicted”; ¹¹ in my alarm I said, “Everyone is a liar.” 

In the midst of the trial, the psalmist still trusted, still believed.  He was able to see through the men that harassed him and saw them for who they are: vain, empty and liars.

The Contemplation

¹² What shall I return to the Lord for all his goodness to me? 

Based upon the goodness of God and His faithfulness, the psalmist then goes into his own thoughts and asks this important question: "What shall I return to the Lord?"   Or, "How can I repay the Lord?" Of course the question is rhetorical and there is no answer.  In fact there should not be an answer.  It is a vain thing to try to pay back God (see Romans 11:35-36),   As we see in verse 17 below, gratitude is often expressed in asking God for more!

At this point we need to be careful.  The psalmist is not suggesting that a committed lifestyle is a means of repaying God for His goodness. To repay grace annuls grace. But there is a pious response that is normal. True gratitude does promote holy living. It's the result of, not in payment for God's goodness.  

The Commitment

¹³ I will lift up the cup of salvation and call on the name of the Lord. 

¹⁴ I will fulfill my vows to the Lord in the presence of all his people. ¹⁵ Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his faithful servants. 

¹⁶ Truly I am your servant, Lord; I serve you just as my mother did; you have freed me from my chains. 

¹⁷ I will sacrifice a thank offering to you and call on the name of the Lord. 

¹⁸ I will fulfill my vows to the Lord in the presence of all his people, ¹⁹ in the courts of the house of the Lord— in your midst, Jerusalem. Praise the Lord.

"As a token of his thanksgiving, the psalmist brings "a thank offering" (v.17) together with a drink offering (cf. Num 28:7), which he calls "the cup of salvation" (v.13). At the time of the thank offering, he called again "on the name of the LORD" (cf. vv.2, 17); but this time, not to ask for deliverance, but to thank the Lord and praise his holy name for his fidelity to his promises." [1] All this adds up to one word: worship!   We say thank you by worshiping. 

In tomorrow's blog we will look more closely at this "commitment" that the psalmist makes.

Father, in Your deliverance You help us see things more clearly.  Your deliverance also gives discernment.  We start to see people for who they really are by seeing You for who You really are. When You hear and respond to our need there is something within our independent, self-sufficient, merit-seeking, pride that wants to pay you back.  How foolish!  We cannot.  Your grace simply brings us to our knees in humble, thankful worship.  Your mercies cause us to value You, honor You, love You more and more.  Your precious promises make You more precious.  Thank you, Father, for Your grace to us this day.  May this day resound in worshipful living and Christ-centered loving.  Amen!

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1. Expositor's Bible Commentary, The, Pradis CD-ROM:Psalms/Exposition of Psalms/BOOK V: Psalms 107-150/Psalm 116: Be at Rest, for the Lord Is Good/VI. Vows of Thanksgiving (116:12-14), Book Version: 4.0.2

NOTE:

A. Part 1 of this article is found HERE.

B. Part 2 of this article is found HERE.

C. Part 3 of this article is found HERE.

D. Part 4 of this article is found HERE.

The Road to Thanksgiving (An Exposition of Psalm 116) - Pt.1

Psalm 116 is part of a group of psalms known as the Egyptian Hallel.  Psalms 113-118 have been understood as psalms sung during the Jewish Passover, remembering their exodus from Egypt. 

The word hallel refers to the frequent use of the word hallelujah, found in these psalms.  These were psalms of thanksgiving.  Where does Psalm 116 fit into this group of songs?

• Psalm 113 praises the uniqueness of the God of Israel.
• Psalm 114 recounts the power of God leading Israel from Egypt.
• Psalm 115 compares the God of Israel with the pagan gods.
• Psalm 116 is a song of gratitude and commitment.
• Psalm 117 is a call for universal praise.
• Psalm 118 is a Messianic psalm pointing us to the Christ.

Psalm 116 holds a special significance for Christians.  "We should not forget that our Lord and His disciples sang this psalm in the Upper Room as they observed their last Passover together. The cup of salvation mentioned in verse 13 may have been the third cup drunk at Passover and could well be that referred to by the Apostle Paul as “… the cup of blessing …” (1 Cor 10:16)." [1]

Psalm 116 is clearly a song of gratitude whereby the singer is thankful for being saved from certain death.  It is important because his gratitude results in a commitment to respond in loyalty and love for his redeemer.  It is considered a personal song that was adopted by the congregation in liturgical worship.  Spurgeon commented about it:

"Personal love fostered by a personal experience of redemption is the theme of this Psalm, and in it we see the redeemed answered when they pray, preserved in time of trouble, resting in their God, walking at large, sensible of their obligations, conscious that they are not their own but bought with a price, and joining with all the ransomed company to sing hallelujahs unto God." [2]

The Septuagint (Greek translation of the Old Testament) and the Vulgate (Latin translation of the Bible) actually break the psalm into two psalms (1-9) and (10-19). The structure is difficult to ascertain, but to find the psalmist's structure is in itself important. There is always the sense in Hebraic poetry that the structure communicates the message -- as do the words. 

Within the Egyptian Hallel the movement of songs from praise to God through to universal proclamation and Christological expectation grants us the insight to suggest that thanksgiving without follow-through is critical.  To regard someone or something with gratitude and not express it in practical and lifestyle loyalty borders on hypocrisy.  For example to be thankful for the helpfulness of a police department and then live in rebellion to the civil laws is truly an unusual form of thankfulness.  

Does my thankfulness to God translate into life?  This proves to be an important question that springs out of this Psalm.  This is also posed by the central question of the Psalm: “What shall I render to the Lord for all his benefits to me?” (Psalm 116:12, ESV).

Father as I journey through this psalm, I pray for real, genuine and heartfelt thankfulness.  How could it not be?  You have saved me from death and moved me into life -- eternal life.  Is that a small thing?  Is that not the most momentous event that any human being could experience?  Why would there not be an eternal overflow of gratitude?  Change my heart Oh God, make it ever new.  Grant a refreshment of thanksgiving to flow through this heart.  I long for that work of the Spirit that explodes in joy unspeakable and full of glory.  Take these ancient words and cause them to penetrate the callousness of ingratitude.  For the sake of Christ, for the overflow of joy in His Church; and for my eternal happiness.  Amen.

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1.  KJV Bible Commentary. 1994 (E. E. Hindson & W. M. Kroll, Ed.) (1142). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.
2. http://www.spurgeon.org/treasury/ps116.htm