The Gospels report that at the end of the Last Supper, Jesus and his disciples sang a hymn (Matt 26:30; Mark 14:26). The hymn could well have come from Psalms 113-118, which are a traditional part of Passover liturgy.
Psalm 113 calls upon God's people to praise him at all times. He is both an exalted King and one who cares for the needs of individuals. Verses 7-8 quote from Hannah's prayer in 1 Samuel 2:8, reminding us of the miraculous births that have been part of Israel's history.
Psalm 114 recalls the miracles of the Exodus in beautiful poetic fashion. Bodies of water (the Red Sea and the Jordan River) are described as "fleeing" and mountains (e.g. Mount Sinai) are described as "skipping" when God appears. The earth is told to "tremble" because the God who worked so powerfully in the Exodus continues to do so.
Commentator Willem Van Gemeren (EBC) has called Psalm 115 a psalm of "communal confidence." The occasion for this psalm is that Israel has been suffering trials, to the extent that surrounding nations have been mocking them, asking where their God is (v. 2). Israel's answer is that God is the King of the Universe and does as he pleases, according to his own schedule. (On the other hand, the idols of the nations do nothing at all.) Israel can count on God's continued blessing. He has created them to praise him, and they will continue doing so as long as they live.
Psalm 116 is a hymn of individual thanksgiving. The psalmist testifies that God has saved him from a terrible trial and pledges to proclaim this publicly by offering a sacrifice, one that he presumably promised to make when he cried out to God during his ordeal.
The apostle Paul identified with this Psalm. He, too, had suffered trials, cried out and been rescued. He affirmed that through the Holy Spirit, Christians can have the same faith as the psalmist, strengthened also by the truth of Jesus' resurrection (2 Cor 4:13-14).
The brief Psalm 117 calls upon all nations to praise God for his faithfulness to his covenant with Israel. The message is that what is good for Israel is good for the nations. In particular, the sending of Israel's Messiah is good news for the whole world. Paul quotes Ps 117:1 along with other scriptures in Rom 15:8-13 to state again that God's promises to the patriarchs (e.g., Gen 12:3) bless all nations.
The translation of Ps 117:2 in the CJB ( "For his grace has overcome us, and Adonai's truth continues forever") gives a wonderful picture of God's grace pursuing and overtaking us.
Liturgical elements in Psalm 118 (vv 20, 27) hint that this psalm was used in celebrations involving a public procession to the Temple. In some parts the congregation speaks or sings together, and in other places an individual speaks for the congregation. That individual, like the author of Psalm 116, testifies to God's help in rescuing people from trials.
One description here of God raising up someone from defeat ("The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone") has always been seen by Christians as a Messianic reference---e.g., Acts 4:11---an especially apt description of the exaltation of the resurrected Jesus.
There is certainly much in these psalms that points to God's deliverance in past, present, and future, and to the Gospel.
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