THRU THE BIBLE EXPOSITION

Psalms: God's Nurture Of The Inner Man In The Life Of Faith

CXVI: Appreciating God For His Great Deliverance

(Psalm 116:1-19)

I. Introduction

A. The Lord sometimes provides great deliverances for His people, what make them very indebted to thank Him.

B. Psalm 116:1-19 is one such psalm, and we view it for our insight and edification (as follows):

II. Appreciating God For His Great Deliverance, Psalm 116:1-19.

A. The verse numbering system in the Hebrew text matches that of the English Bible (Kittel, Bib. Heb., p. 1077), so we stay with the English Bible's numbering system for this lesson.

B. We thus translate Psalm 116:1-19 (as follows):

1. "I love Jahweh because He heard my voice, my supplication," (Psalm 116:1)

2. "because He turned His ear to me, therefore will I call (on Him) as long as I live," Psalm 116:2.

3. "The cords of death entangled me, and the anguish of the grave came upon me; I was overcome by trouble and sorrow," Psalm 116:3.

4. "Then I called on the Name of Jahweh: 'I pray, O Jahweh, slip my life principle away (from danger)!'" v. 4.

5. "Gracious is Jahweh, and righteous; our Elohim is compassionate," Psalm 116:5.

6. "Jahweh protects the naive (peti, Ibid., p. 1078; B. D. B., A Heb. and Eng. Lex. of the O. T., p. 834; H. A. W.., Theol. Wrdbk. of the O. T., 1980, v. II, p. 743); when I was in great need He saved me," Psalm 116:6.

7. "Return to your state of rest, O my life principle, for Jahweh has dealt bountifully unto you," Psalm 116:7.

8. "For You have delivered my life principle from death, my eyes from tears, my feet from stumbling," (v. 8)

9. "that I might walk before Jahweh in the land of the physically living (hayyim, Ibid., Kittel; Ibid., B. D. B., p. 313; Joseph A. Alexander, The Psalms Translated And Explained, 1975, p. 473)," Psalm 116:9.

10. "I believed [in the Lord]; therefore I said, 'I am greatly afflicted! [in my need for God]'" (Psalm 116:10)

11. "In my dismay I said, 'All men are liars! [I must trust only in God; H. C. Leupold, The Psalms, 1969, p. 806]'" (Psalm 116:11)

12. "How can I repay Jahweh for all of His bountiful dealings unto me?" (Psalm 116:12)

13. "I will lift up the cup of salvation [possibly alluding to the drink offering offered in thanksgiving for deliverance, Ryrie St. B., KJV, 1978, ftn. to Psa. 116:13] and call on the Name of Jahweh," Psalm 116:13.

14. "I will fulfill my vows unto Jahweh in the presence of all His people," Psalm 116:14.

15. "Highly valued in the eyes of Jahweh is the death of His saints," Psalm 116:15.

16. "I pray, O Jahweh, truly I myself (emph. pron.) am Your servant, I myself (emph. pron.) am Your servant, the son of Your maidservant; You have freed me from chains," Psalm 116:16.

17. "I will sacrifice a thank offering to You and call on the Name of Jahweh," Psalm 116:17.

18. "I will fulfill my vows to Jahweh in the presence of all His people," Psalm 116:18.

19. "In the courts of the house of Jahweh -- in your midst, O Jerusalem. Praise Jahweh," Psalm 116:19.

C. We consider significant observations regarding this psalm (as follows):

1. In summary, the psalmist's naive reliance on people around him who proved to be unreliable in a great, life-threatening trial he faced (v. 6, 10-11) led him under the duress of that trial (v. 3-4) to learn to cleave to the Lord alone for deliverance (v. 4, 6b).

2. Thus, the psalmist learned (a) to love Jahweh for His goodness, grace and trustworthiness (v. 1), (b) to call on Jahweh for help as long as he lives (v. 2), (c) to trust Jahweh with his blind spots created by his own gullibility (v. 2), (d) to thank Jahweh for His great deliverance (v. 12-14, 16-19), (e) to rest assured that Jahweh's recent bountiful dealings for him mean He would continue to help him in future crises (v. 7) and (f) to be confident that (i) Jahweh is gracious, righteous and compassionate (v. 5) and that (ii) He highly values the physical lives of His followers, that He will not readily let them die under duress (v. 15).

Lesson: The Lord greatly saved the psalmist from destruction in a life-threatening trial caused in part by his naive reliance on people who proved to be undependable, so he sensed his great obligation to appreciate and thank God, coming to trust His good intentions for him that he might rest in the Lord and other source for his ultimate help.

Application: May we respond to God's rescue of us from great trials by trusting in Him and not others who prove to be undependable, that we gain confidence in His goodness and good intentions for us so that we rest in Him.