The Lord is on my side; I will not fear: what can man do unto me? The Lord taketh my part with them that help me: therefore shall I see my desire upon them that hate me. It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man. It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in princes.
All nations compassed me about: but in the Name of the Lord will I destroy them.
They compassed me about; yea, they compassed me about: but in the Name of the Lord I will destroy them. They compassed me about like bees: they are quenched as the fire of thorns: for in the Name of the Lord I will destroy them. Thou hast thrust sore at me that I might fall: but the Lord helped me.
The Lord is my strength and song, and is become my salvation.
The voice of rejoicing and salvation is in the tabernacles of the righteous: the right hand of the Lord doeth valiantly. The right hand of the Lord is exalted: the right hand of the Lord doeth valiantly. I shall not die, but live, and declare the works of the Lord. The Lord hath chastened me sore: but He hath not given me over unto death.
Open to me the gates of righteousness: I will go into them, and I will praise the Lord: This gate of the Lord, into which the righteous shall enter. I will praise Thee: for Thou hast heard me, and art become my salvation. The stone which the builders refused is become the Head stone of the corner. This is the Lord's doing; it is marvellous in our eyes.
This is the day which the Lord hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it. Save now, I beseech thee, O Lord: O Lord, I beseech thee, send now prosperity. Blessed be he that cometh in the Name of the Lord: we have blessed you out of the house of the Lord. God is the Lord, which hath shewed us light: bind the sacrifice with cords, even unto the horns of the altar. Thou art my God, and I will praise Thee: Thou art my God, I will exalt Thee. O give thanks unto the Lord; for He is good: for His mercy endureth for ever." (Psalms 118:1-29)
This day, I desire to focus on the stone which the builders refused. Herein, David the psalmist refers to this stone as the Head of the corner. Likewise, when Jesus saith unto them, "Did ye never read in the scriptures? The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the Head of the corner: this is the Lord's doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes?" (Matthew 21:42; Psalm 118:22; Mark 12:10; Luke 20:17; Romans 9:33; I Peter 2:7)
In this psalm, we see the people giving thanks unto the Lord, for He is good -- because His mercy endures forever. Indeed, not only the house of Israel, but the house of Aaron also now say -- "that His mercy endures for ever." (Psalm 118:2-3) David is crying out, declaring that when we call upon the Name of the Lord, He will answer, and in this case "set me in a large place." (Psalm 118:5) "He brought me forth also into a large place; He delivered me, because He delighted in me." (Psalm 18:19)
"In my distress, I cried unto the Lord and He heard me. Deliver my soul, O Lord, from lying lips, and from a deceitful tongue." (Psalm 120:1-2)
What we are seeing is David emerging as a wise and valiant leader, and yet, rejected by those in authority. But David's message -- our God is faithful, and worthy of our praise and worship. Thus, God placed David in a position of highest honour. And what we witness is that within the fabric of that society, David is made like unto a cornerstone. As we know, this foreshadows the Lord God becoming our Saviour -- accomplishing His divine purpose in Jesus the Christ, when He becomes the living stone, the tried stone, which He Himself decided as the mystery from the beginning of the world. (I Timothy 3:16; Matthew 1:21-23; Luke 1:35; Isaiah 42:13; Isaiah 9:6)
"God is the Lord, which hath showed us light; bind the sacrifice with cords, [even] unto the horns of the alter. Thou art my God, and I will praise Thee; Thou art my God, I will exalt Thee." (Psalm 118:27-28) The stone that the builders rejected even though the Son of man is Lord of all.
The stone that the builders rejected even though Jesus is the Head of His church. As Peter (standing with the eleven on the day of Pentecost declared -- "Therefore, let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made this same Jesus whom ye have crucified is both Lord and Christ." (Acts 2:36)
This same Jesus who said, "All power is given unto Me in heaven and in earth." (Matthew 28:18)
"Surely He hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows, yet we did esteem Him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted." We did not recognize that He was wounded for our transgressions. We did not accept that He was bruised for our iniquities. "The chastisement of our peace was upon Him and with His stripes we are healed." (Isaiah 53:4-5)
The Lord hath made bear His holy arm in the eyes of all the nations and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God. We shall witness the travail of His soul and shall be satisfied; by His knowledge shall My righteous servant justify many; for He shall bear their iniquities." (Isaiah 53:11) His grave made with the wicked, even though He had done no violence, neither was any deceit in His mouth. (Isaiah 53:9)
But the Jews of that day, inclusive of the Pharisees and scribes within society, and Herodian, and the priests in the temple rejected Him with disdain. In spite of His willingness to take upon Himself our transgressions, these pillars of society could see no notable features in Jesus that they should build upon Him. And thus, as Peter said, "This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders."
This same Jesus who in all things has preeminence -- the fullness of the Godhead dwelling bodily in Him. (Colossians 2:9; Colossians 1:19)
"In whom we have redemption through His blood, [even] the forgiveness of sins -- who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature. For by Him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether [they be] thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers; all things were created by Him, for Him; and He is before all things and by Him all things consist. And He is the head of the body, the Church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things He might have the preeminence.
For it pleased [the Father] that in Him should all the fullness dwell; and, having made peace through the blood of His cross, by Him to reconcile all things unto Himself; by Him [I say], whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven, and you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath He reconciled -- in the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in His sight ... if ye continue in the faith, grounded and settled and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard!" (Colossians 1:14-23)
In Jesus is our hope of salvation. Sadly, we still see builders in our modern day religious culture rejecting Jesus as the King of kings and Lord of lords, denying Jesus His rightful place as "Alpha and Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the ending." (Revelation 1:8, 11) These reject that God Himself could love His people enough to provide a plan of salvation sufficient to blot out our transgressions forever, if we would only hear ye Him.
The Word made flesh! We are to behold His glory. And when we put on the new man, because He has clothed us in His righteousness when we are water baptized in the precious Name of our Lord God and Saviour Jesus the Christ, we are renewed in knowledge after the image of Him that created Him -- where there is neither Greek, nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free" for we recognize that Christ is all, and in all. (Colossians 3:10-11)
He is the Lord having come forth as a mighty man. (Isaiah 42:13; Isaiah 9:6)
Therefore, let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom ..." (Colossians 3:16) Stand in the offering plate.
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