Festival Songs

PSALM 105:1-6—The Psalms chosen for today’s lesson were supposed to have been used on festival occasions, hence, appropriately we find that in them the note of thankfulness is very dominant—“O give thanks unto the Lord.” In the opening verse of this Psalm, two other privileges are mentioned; namely, that of calling upon the Lord, and of making known his deeds among the people.

If we neglect the privilege—which is also our need—of calling upon the Lord in prayer to seek his forgiveness and his strength to help in our times of need, it won’t be long before we will be neglecting to thank him for his loving-kindness. There are almost innumerable causes for giving thanks to the Lord, and not the least of these is the privilege we have of calling upon him in prayer; of approaching boldly to the throne of grace, there to obtain mercy and find grace to help in time, of need.

And what a wonderful privilege it is to “make known his deeds among the people”! Outstanding among the deeds of the Lord, the deeds with which we are the best acquainted because he has revealed them to us, are those pertaining to his loving plan of salvation—that plan whereby he has promised to bless all the families of the earth. To make known these deeds to the people, therefore, is simply the privilege we have—and the responsibility also—of bearing witness to the truth.

The second verse states that we are to sing psalms unto the Lord and to talk of all his wondrous works. If we are joyful in the Lord and by our joy are prompted to sing psalms and spiritual songs of praise unto him, our lips will not keep silent concerning the wonderful works of the Lord. Any Christian who has decided not to talk to others about the Lord and his wonderful plan of salvation, has contracted a very serious spiritual malady which, if not cured, is liable to lead to his death as a new creature in Christ Jesus.

“Let the heart of them rejoice that seek the Lord”—While the rejoicing Christian will manifest his joy outwardly, his heart rejoicing, his inward meditations of joy in the Lord, will be especially treasured; for this joy will not in the least be affected by outward circumstances. It will be abiding, and a treasured source of strength in every time of trial.

We are to seek strength from the Lord, verse four declares. The apostle expresses a similar thought saying that we should be “strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.” (Eph. 6:10) In other words, we’ are to be overcomers, not in our own strength, but in the Lord’s strength. And to those who are thus “strong” in him, the promise is given that they shall share with Christ in the great reward that was given to him of glory, honor, and immortality.—Isaiah 53:12

“Remember his marvelous works that he hath done; his wonders, and the judgments of his mouth.” (Verse 5) We cannot remember all the Lord’s marvelous works, but we should endeavor to keep as many of them in mind as possible. There are his marvelous works of creation, and also the glorious features of his divine plan. And besides, the Lord is continually doing things for us individually. Every child of the Lord should be able to look back upon the providences of God in his life, and by recalling them, rejoice and be exceeding glad.

And this is true even though some of the Lord’s works on our behalf have been in the nature of judgments—“the judgments of his mouth.” Sometimes we need these judgments more than we need anything else; and when we do, we should be thankful that the Lord, in his wisdom, and in his great love for us, does not hesitate to administer them.

PSALM 117—This two-verse Psalm calls upon all the nations to praise the Lord, yet the second verse speaks of his “merciful kindness” toward us and declares “the truth of the Lord endureth for ever.” The application is apparently to the church beyond the veil, when, together with the Head, Christ Jesus, the whole world—all nations—will be enlightened and called upon to praise the Lord, as is here indicated.

Certain it is, that up until now, the nations have not praised the Lord, nor will they until, following their great shaking by the Lord, their desire shall come. (Hag. 2:7) Then the knowledge of God’s glory shall fill the earth, and all people will rejoice in the privilege of praising the Lord, and of worshiping him in the beauty of holiness.

PSALM 118:19-24—Perhaps a more comprehensive understanding of this passage can be obtained by considering verse twenty-four first. It reads, “This is the day which the Lord hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.” The context indicates that the “day” referred to here is the time of our Lord’s first advent. There have been many outstanding “days” in the outworking of God’s plan, such as Noah’s day, Moses’ day, etc., and very important among these is the day of our Lord’s second presence, the wonderful day in which we are now living.

But the day of Jesus’ first advent was also very important. It was then, as is indicated in verse twenty-two, that the Head Stone of the Lord’s spiritual temple was rejected by his own people, and crucified. It was in that day also, nevertheless, when through the power of the resurrection, he was exalted to be the “Head Stone of the corner.”

Jesus, of course, is the one referred to, and it was through his death and resurrection that he opened up “a new and living way,” even the heavenly way that leads into the antitypical most holy, where our Forerunner has for us entered. (Heb. 10:20; 6:20) Thus it was that the Lord opened up for the church the “gates of righteousness”—those gates prefigured by the arrangements of the typical tabernacle; that is, the gate into the court, the door into the holy, and the veil, or the way under the veil, into the most holy. These would seem to correspond with the Lord’s own statement, “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life.”—John 14:6

These are gates of righteousness because those who enter them become justified through the merit of Christ Jesus. These gates of righteousness were not open for the Lord’s people until Jesus’ first advent. Abraham, for example, became a friend of God because of his great faith in the divine promises, but he did not receive justification to life.

In verse twenty the Psalmist writes, “This gate of the Lord, into which the righteous shall enter.” Here the term is used in the singular, whereas in the preceding verse “gates” are referred to. Perhaps we could think of this “gate” as the one mentioned by Jesus when he said “strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be who find it.” (Matt. 7:14) The gates of righteousness are provided by the Lord, but there is a gate of consecration, that is, a gate which we open by our consecration; and in passing through it, we enter the heavenly way which leads to immortality and joint-heirship with Jesus in the kingdom.

The privilege of entering these gates of righteousness, and of presenting ourselves in full consecration to the Lord is indeed great cause for thankfulness, as suggested in verse twenty-one, for Christ truly has become “our salvation.” Here the reference is to that “so great salvation, which at first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him.”—Heb. 2:3

There is a “common salvation” which later will be offered to all mankind, that is, during the “times of restitution of all things.” (Jude 3; Acts 3:21) That salvation will be a restoration to human perfection and life here on the earth. There will be a “highway” leading to that salvation, “The way of holiness.” Over this highway the “ransomed of the Lord shall return … with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads: they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.”—Isa. 35:8,10

QUESTIONS

What three privileges of Christians are mentioned in Psalm 105:1?

What is the purpose of calling upon the name of the Lord?

How do we make known the Lord’s deeds among the people?

What kind of rejoicing is especially treasured by all true Christians?

How does a Christian obtain the necessary strength to be an overcomer?

What are the works of the Lord which we should remember?

When will all the people praise the Lord?

Name some of the “days” which the Lord has made, and identify the one referred to in Psalm 118:24.

What are the “gates of righteousness”?

How many salvations are referred to in the Bible?

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