Today’s reading is Psalm 116.
A Surprisingly Overlooked Call Back
In Psalm 116:16, the psalmist declares, “O LORD, I am your servant; I am your servant, the son of your maidservant” (ESV). A maidservant is mentioned only one other place in the entire psalter: Psalm 86:16. There, David cries out to the Lord saying, “Turn to me and be gracious to me; give your strength to your servant, and save the son of your maidservant” (ESV).
Obviously, I have little idea when either of these psalms were written. Though the ascription for Psalm 86 suggests (perhaps simply claims) it was penned during the reign of David. I have no idea if these psalms are related. However, I simply can’t miss these are the only two with this same notion of a servant, the son of God’s maidservant.
Then I read them side by side. If you haven’t done it yet, do so now. Did you read them? Did you hear what I heard? In Psalm 86, the psalmist begs God to incline His ear to hear pleas for mercy and grace to save the psalmist’s life from the depths of Sheol. Then in Psalm 116, the psalmist declares He will love God forever and call on Him forever because the LORD inclined His ear, gave mercy and grace, broke the bonds of Sheol, and delivered the psalmist’s soul. He would walk in the land of the living.
If I didn’t know any better, I’d say Psalm 116 is the follow-up to Psalm 86. Maybe I don’t know any better.
A Song of Salvation
For a minute, can we pause and marvel, knowing this psalm, along with the other Hallel psalms of Psalm 113-118, were commonly sung at the Passover meal even by the first century. In other words, Jesus very likely sang this song with His apostles the night He was betrayed. If so, what do you think it meant to Him on that night?
Let’s think about us. Apart from the potential connection to the Psalm 86:14 of insolent men seeking David’s life, we don’t know what threatened the psalmist’s life in Psalm 116. This psalm has not been written to expose and lament the threat, but to declare and thank God for the deliverance. Here is a song of salvation.
Gracious is the LORD, and righteous;
our God is merciful.
The LORD preserves the simple;
when I was brought low, he saved me.
Return, O my soul, to your rest;
for the LORD has dealt bountifully with you.
Psalm 116:5-7 (ESV)
The Lord saved me! Wow!
Whatever connection Psalm 116 may have with other psalms, I can’t help but notice the connection it has with the previous ones found here in Book V. In Psalm 115, we heard about statuary, representing gods, which had eyes that couldn’t see, feet that couldn’t walk, and a host of other body parts that didn’t work. Then the Psalmist claimed those who worshiped them become like them. That is, they became lifeless. We had already noticed the fantastic connection between Psalm 111, in which we learned about the God who is to be feared, and Psalm 112, in which we learned about the one who fears God. We learned by comparing them the God-fearer becomes like the God he fears. And now, in Psalm 116, we meet a God-fearer having cried out to God because he was dying. Though he was simple, what did the Lord do? He cleared the supplicant’s hindered eyes, strengthened his stumbling feet, and lifted him up to walk in the land of the living. What do we see here but a worshiper becoming like the Lord?!
That is salvation! That is the same salvation the Lord is giving us. I hate to jump the gun regarding our coming good Friday discussion, but we have a claim to this psalm in incredible ways. Because our Lord Jesus, who very likely sang this song the night He was betrayed, loved, believed, worshiped, called on, and walked before the LORD, He was delivered from death. His deliverance provides our salvation.
When we cry out for the Lord to save us, He has already responded with the sacrifice that will allow us to walk in the land of the living instead of going down to the land of silence. In Jesus Christ, we can say, “The LORD saved me! Hallelujah!”
Praise the Lord! Let us sing this song of salvation always.
Tomorrow’s reading is Psalm 116.
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PATHS:
Discuss Today’s Meditation with Your Family
How does Psalm 116 prompt or improve your praise of God?
Read the Bible 