May 12- Reading 40: Psalms 116-118

“Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever.”

(Psalm 118:1)

Today’s reading is the second half of the six Psalms known as “The Hallel.” The word “Hallel” is short for the Hebrew phrase “Hallelu Yah,” which translates as “Praise the Lord.”

The Hallel Psalms played a significant role in many of the Jewish holidays, but particularly in the Passover celebration.A portion of them would typically be sung prior to the Passover meal, and the remaining would be sung after the meal. Most scholars believe that today’s Psalms were sung by Jesus and His disciples after the Last Supper, a Passover meal, before they walked to the Mount of Olives and the Garden of Gethsemane, where Jesus would be betrayed and then arrested before being crucified (Matthew 26:30).

As we read Psalms 116-118  to the Lord today, let us remember that Jesus sang these very same Psalms as  a hymn of praise. Unlike the disciples, He was fully aware of the pain and suffering He was about to endure. For us. So that, with His crucifixion, the debt of our sin would have been paid in full (Isaiah 53:5). And with His victory over death in His resurrection, we could be empowered to “walk in newness of life” (Romans 6:4).

As we approach the Throne of Grace today, may we move our eyes from our temporary troubles to Him, giving thanks and reminding ourselves that He is good. Regardless of our immediate circumstances which will not last, we can know that “His mercy endures forever.” We may not begin to grasp why He allows the trials we are facing, but we can know that “His mercy endures forever.” With Job, we can say “Though He slay me, yet will I trust in Him” (Job 13:15). And this we can know for certain: “You have delivered my soul from death” (Psalm 116:8), so we can join the countless multitudes in the heavenly chorus singing, “His mercy endures forever.”