Psalm 118:1 O give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good: because his mercy endureth for ever.

5 I called upon the Lord in distress: the Lord answered me, and set me in a large place.

6 The Lord is on my side; I will not fear: what can man do unto me?

7 The Lord taketh my part with them that help me: therefore shall I see my desire upon them that hate me.

8 It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man.

10 All nations compassed me about: but in the name of the Lord will I destroy them.

13 Thou hast thrust sore at me that I might fall: but the Lord helped me.

14 The Lord is my strength and song, and is become my salvation.

16 The right hand of the Lord is exalted: the right hand of the Lord doeth valiantly.

17 I shall not die, but live, and declare the works of the Lord.

18 The Lord hath chastened me sore: but he hath not given me over unto death.

22 The stone which the builders refused is become the head stone of the corner.

23 This is the Lord’s doing; it is marvellous in our eyes.

24 This is the day which the Lord hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.

26 Blessed be he that cometh in the name of the Lord: we have blessed you out of the house of the Lord.

MEMORY VERSE: He came unto his own, and his own received him not. But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name. —John 1:11-12

CENTRAL THOUGHT: The Lord Jesus was rejected by His own people and their leaders, but was chosen of God and made to be the foundation of the Church of God.

WORD DEFINITIONS

Psalm 118:5 a tight and strait place of adversity and trouble. The Hebrew reads: “From the distress I called Jehovah: Jehovah answered me in the large place of Jehovah.” Such was Christ in this world—withstood, opposed and constantly under pressure from His enemies, but His heavenly Father heard Him in His bountiful power and goodness, and delivered Him. He set Him in a large place—in the eternal heavens with Him.

Psalm 118:6-7 “The Lord is on my side” and “The Lord taketh my part”: in the Hebrew, simply, “Jehovah is for me.” “With them that help me”: “Among my helpers” (Hebrew). Christ was able to say, “Jehovah is for me among my helpers.” Who were the helpers of Christ Jesus? The angels surrounded and accompanied Him all the time: at His birth (Luke 2:9), in temptation (Matthew 4:11), and in the agony in the garden of Gethsemane (Luke 22:43). These ministering spirits were standing by, ready to come to the Savior’s aid. Jesus even said in Matthew 26:53 that He could pray to His Father, and He would presently give Him more than twelve legions of angels!

Psalm 118:10 “Will I destroy them”: from the Hebrew, “Surely I will cut them off.” Christ, because of His faithfulness and obedience to God, brought to naught the vain resistance of the Jews and brought down the wrath of God upon them to the uttermost.

Psalm 118:18 “Chastened me sore”: “The chastisement of our peace was upon
Him” (Isaiah 53:5). “It pleased the Lord to bruise Him” (Isaiah 53:10). Yes, it was the will of God for Christ to be chastened and bruised to make His soul an offering for sin, but He did not give His Son over unto death. He let Him die, but death could not hold the Chosen of God. God will let us, His followers, be bruised, also, in the course of our lives for Him, but we will share in Christ’s triumph over death, as well.

Psalm 118:24 “The day which the Lord hath made”: the great day of salvation; the time and opportunity for men everywhere to be saved from the power of sin. The Jews and the old law system could not extend to men that kind of deliverance. But in Christ as the solid Rock and Cornerstone, we hail a new day and we will rejoice and be glad in it.

Psalm 118:26 “Blessed”: an expression of worship, meaning to kneel and praise God, accepting His Son who comes in the name of Jehovah.

LESSON BACKGROUND

In our lesson today is another wonderful and clearly expressed prophecy of our Lord Jesus Christ. The key that unlocks the door to the real meaning of this Psalm is how it is quoted and applied by the writers in the New Testament. In the first place, we note that our Lord Jesus Himself quoted verses 22 and 23 to the Jews, as is recorded in Matthew 21:42, Mark 12:10-11, and Luke 20:17. This was when He gave the parable of the vineyard, in which the husbandmen shamefully treated the servants who had been sent by the owner of the vineyard to harvest some of the fruit. He brought out that they also killed the owner’s Son, whom He had sent in hope that they would reverence Him. When He declared that the Lord of the vineyard would come and destroy those husbandmen, and give the vineyard to others, the Jews said, “God forbid.” Then Jesus quoted this scripture and applied it to Himself as being rejected of the Jews, who therewith brought the wrath of God upon them.

The apostle Peter, in Acts 4:11, declared to the unbelieving Jewish leaders concerning Christ: “This is the stone which was set at naught of you builders, which is become the head of the corner.” In I Peter 2:7 he said again, “Unto you therefore which believe he is precious: but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the comer.”

Jesus quoted from verse 26 of Psalm 118 in Matthew 23:39, when He remonstrated the Jews for their rejection of Him. Woe after woe He had pronounced upon their proud and hypocritical spirit in the preceding address to them. His desire was to help them, but they would not. Finally, in the anguish of His heart to Jerusalem, He burst out, “Behold, your house is left unto you desolate. For I say unto you, Ye shall not see me henceforth, till ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord.” Then He walked out of the temple, never to return again.

Can we not see what this means? We must kneel and bless God in our acceptance of Him whom He has sent. We will never see Him until we do. Sad to say, so many reject the living Stone, and His Spirit leaves their house desolate.

—Bro. Leslie Busbee

DISCUSSION:

1. What were some of the distressful things Christ suffered?
2. Who were Christ’s “helpers” who surrounded Him all the way?
3. What was the main reason Jesus was a rejected Stone?
4. What did He, the rejected Stone, become?
5. What happened to those people who refused to bless this One who came in the name of the Lord?

COMMENTS AND APPLICATION

Christ was prophesied in Isaiah 53:3 to be despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief. He met with much opposition from those who professed to know God; yes, from those who were in reputation as leaders of God’s people. However, it was a hidden wisdom, a deep spiritual perception of truth and righteousness, that Christ had. The carnal minds, filled with covetousness and pride, who lived in that Jewish society just could not accept Jesus. They marveled at His power to heal, but when it came to believing and accepting what He stood for, very few were really able to receive Him. Like so many today, this nation had long grieved and vexed the Holy Spirit, and the heavenly Dove could find very few who were receptive to His workings. One old gentleman, Simeon, had recognized Jesus as a little baby in the temple one day. The Holy Spirit was upon him and gave him had a revelation. That is why He was able to know the Savior even as a little baby.

It still works like this today. Christ is still the living Stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God, and precious. To us who have a spiritual perception of Him and are willing to take up our cross and follow Him, He is precious, but to those who refuse to obey Him He becomes that rejected Son, and He becomes a Stone of stumbling and a Rock of offense to those who are not obedient to Him. The things of the world, the pride of life, and the worldly desires for ease and gain cause many to reject Him. The lowliness and simplicity of Christ and His saints is offensive. Modesty of dress and a humble lifestyle causes many to reject the strait and narrow way. It is born in man’s sinful nature to be proud and lifted up before people. We must die to these things that we might be able to receive this Stone and let Him be the solid Rock and Foundation of our lives.

—Bro. Leslie Busbee

REFLECTIONS

You were despised; You were rejected;

You were refused by men and cast aside;

Your worth and purpose weren’t comprehended

By those who stumbled in foolish pride.

And even I, though taught about You,

Still thought that I could stand alone.

I tried to make it with no foundation,

No source of wisdom but my own.

But now I know I cannot make it;

I only stumble, I only fail.

My own efforts—my own wisdom—

My own strength will not avail.

And so I flee to You for refuge,

To build upon You, my Rock, my God.

My salvation, my foundation,

My Staff of comfort, my guiding Rod.

I lean upon You, I find You precious,

Tried and true and never to fall!

My whole life is fixed upon You,

You are my hiding place, You are my All.

Speak—command me—You won’t offend me!

I won’t reject You; I cling to You!

Be my refuge, be my comfort;

My Rock of Ages, firm and true.

—Sis. Angela Gellenbeck