Psalm 116
No feet—The people had to carry their idols (Isa. 46:1–7; Jer. 10: 1–10), but our God carries us and walks with us. (See Isa. 41:10, 13.)
At a time when the psalmist was "at rest" (v. 7), unscrupulous men whom he had trusted lied about him (v. 11) and created trouble for him. In fact, their deception almost cost him his life (vv. 3–4), but he
Psalm 116
did, and the Lord ignored what he said with his lips and responded to what he was saying in his heart. Paul quoted verse 10 in 2 Corinthians 4:13.
called on the Lord and was saved from death (vv. 1–2). The psalm is very personal, with "I," "my," and "me" used over thirty times. In expressing his praise to the Lord, the writer borrowed from other psalms, especially 18, 27, 31, and 56, and it appears that he knew the texts of King Hezekiah's prayer (Isa. 37) and his psalm of thanksgiving (Isa. 38). As the psalmist reflected on his life-threatening experience, he discovered several reasons why the Lord God delivers people from danger and death.
God Holds His Children Precious (vv. 12–15) After he had been delivered, the psalmist wanted to express his gratitude to the Lord, and he did so in four ways. First, he brought a thank offering to the Lord at the sanctuary (v. 17; Lev. 3; 7:11–21). Second, part of this sacrifice, the priest would pour out a portion of wine on the altar as a symbol of the worshipper's life poured out to serve the Lord. This was indeed a "cup of salvation" for the psalmist whose life could have been destroyed by the enemy. Third, the priest kept back part of the offering for a feast held after the sacrifice, and there the worshipper shared his food and his joy with his family and friends. At that feast, the psalmist called on the Lord and publicly thanked Him for His mercies. Fourth, following the ceremony and feast, the psalmist began to keep the promises he had made to the Lord during his time of great suffering and danger (vv. 14, 18). We must not consider these vows to be "holy bribes" given in payment for God's help, for the psalmist surely knew that God's will cannot be influenced by man's gifts. (See Job 41:11, quoted in Rom. 11:35.) "Or who has first given to Him and it shall be repaid to him?" (nkjv).
God Answers His Children's Prayers (vv. 1–4) The writer could not trust in himself for deliverance (v. 3), nor could he trust the people around him, some of whom were liars (v. 11), but he knew he could trust in the Lord and call on Him for help (vv. 2, 13, 17). To "incline" one's ear is to pay attention and concentrate on what is being said (113:5–6; 17:6). Only a God as great as Jehovah can hear the voices of millions of His children who are praying to Him at the same time. The writer was in deep trouble and sorrow, like a man drowning who is so entangled in a net that death seems inevitable (vv. 3, 8, 15; see 18:4–6). The name of the Lord represents all that God is and does, and to call on His name is to trust Him to work on our behalf. (See vv. 4, 13, 17.) Like Peter sinking in the sea during the storm, he prayed, "Lord, save me!" (Matt. 14:29–31) and the Lord rescued him. When through no fault of our own we find ourselves in great danger, we can call on the Lord for His help. Peter referred to verse 3 in his sermon at Pentecost (Acts 2:24, "loosed the pains of death") and applied it to the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
God's Son is precious to the Father and to all believers (1 Peter 2:4–7), and the Father loves us so much that He gave Jesus Christ to die on the cross in our place (Rom. 5:8). If our Father loves us that much, then He must be concerned not only with how we live but also how and when we die. For believers, death is not an accident but an appointment (Ps. 139:16, and see 39:4–6 and 92:12). If the Father pays attention to the death of every sparrow, surely He will be concerned about the death of His saints (Matt. 10:29–31; John 11:1–16). Just as the blood of Christ is precious (1 Peter 1:19), so our blood is precious to God (72:12–14). God's servants are immortal until their work on earth is done. They can be foolish and hasten the day of their death, but they cannot go beyond their appointed time. That is in God's hands (48:14; Job 14:5 niv; Luke 2:26).
God Is Merciful and Gracious (vv. 5–11) God's name represents God's character, and He is gracious, righteous, compassionate, and powerful. The Lord loved the psalmist and saved him, and the psalmist then loved Him even more (vv. 1, 5; see 1 John 4:19). Note the phrase "our God" in verse 5, which indicates that the writer was giving his testimony to a group of people, probably at the sanctuary (vv. 14, 18–19). "Simplehearted" does not refer to ignorant or superstitious people but to childlike believers with sincerity and integrity, people who dare to believe that God means what He says.
God Is Faithful to His Covenant (vv. 16–19) The phrase "I am your servant" is equivalent to "I am a son of the covenant." His father and mother had brought him to the priest eight days after his birth, and there he received the sign of the covenant and the name his parents had selected for him (Lev. 12:3; Luke 1:57–63; 2:21). If he kept the covenant and obeyed the Lord, he had the right to come to the Lord with his needs and ask Him for help. Believers today belong to God's new covenant family in Christ, but this does not guarantee protection from pain and trials. However, it does mean that God is in control and will work all things for our good and His glory, even our death (Rom. 8:28; John 21:17–19; 2 Peter 1:12–15). Even
But the Lord did even more than deliver him from death. He also "dealt bountifully" with him (v. 7), and some of this "bounty" is described in verses 8–9. God wiped away his tears, He held him up and prevented him from stumbling (Jude 24), and He walked with him to protect him from his enemies. And He did all of this in spite of the ambivalence of the psalmist's faith, one minute dismayed at the lies of so-called friends, the next minute affirming his faith in the Lord (vv. 10–11). In the pressure of danger and pain, we often say things we really do not mean, but the Lord sees our hearts and knows what we really believe. The psalmist held to his faith even though he said what he