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A Prayer of Thanks for Victory

   Psalm 118:1-2 and 14-24

   Good News Translation (GNT)

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  1  Give thanks to the Lord, because he is good,
   and his love is eternal.
  2  Let the people of Israel say, His love is
   eternal."

14  The Lord makes me powerful and strong;
   he has saved me.
15  Listen to the glad shouts of victory in the tents
   of God's people: "The Lord's mighty power
   has done it!
16  His power has brought us victory - his mighty
   power in battle!"
17  I will not die; instead, I will live and proclaim
   what the Lord has done.
18  He has punished me severely, but he has not
   let me die.
19  Open to me the gates of the Temple; I will go
   in and give thanks to the Lord!
20  This is the gate of the Lord; only the
   righteous can come in.
21  I praise you, Lord, because you heard me,
   because you have given me victory.
22  The stone which the builders rejected as
   worthless turned out to be the most important
   of all.
23  This was done by the Lord; what a wonderful
   sight it is!
24  This is the day of the Lord's victory; let us be
   happy, let us celebrate!

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Taken from 'word-on-the-web' supplied by
Scripture Union

A Prayer of Thanks for Victory

    Psalm 118:1,2 and 14-24

This is a processional psalm, originally a psalm of thanksgiving about God's deliverance of his people and their king.

It was the climax of the group of psalms sung at the feasts of Passover and Tabernacles, and was sometimes sung by pilgrim groups as they approached Jerusalem.

By the time of Jesus, it was being used to express longing for the coming of the Messiah.
It is the psalm quoted most in the New Testament.
It is the most appropriate psalm for Palm Sunday.

The crowd accompanying Jesus into Jerusalem understood the significance of what they were doing. The prophecy of Zechariah 9 was being fulfilled. The Messiah was entering his capital city.

The psalm they would have sung in hope, they sing in thanksgiving, as they bless God for the one who was coming (with them) in the name of the Lord.

Hosanna ('Save us!') was an expression of praise more than a cry for help. They were accompanying the Saviour into his city, but they did not yet understand how that salvation would come.

The second reference is on the tongue of Jesus himself. It follows his parable about the tenants in the vineyard (an image of the nation of Israel) who murder the owner's son.

At the beginning of what we call Holy Week, Jesus anticipated his rejection and final vindication, saw it confirmed in the Scriptures and pressed on to fulfil God's plan.

Like the first Christians, we read this psalm and the whole of Scripture in the light of Jesus. As we add our voices to the praises of the pilgrims who accompanied Jesus, we do it in full assurance of the salvation he won, but in the knowledge of the price he paid.

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