Psalm 118 is sandwiched between the shortest and longest Psalms in the Bible. It is another Hallelujah Psalm that begins and ends with praise, thanksgiving and worship. Verses 1-4 and 29 give instructions to give thanks to the LORD:
1 O GIVE thanks to the LORD, for He is good; for His mercy and loving-kindness endure forever. 2 Let Israel now say that His mercy and loving-kindness endure forever. 3 Let the house of Aaron [the priesthood] now say that His mercy and loving-kindness endure forever. 4 Let those now who reverently and worshipfully fear the LORD say that His mercy and loving-kindness endure forever.
29 O give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; for His mercy and loving-kindness endure forever.
The phrase "mercy and loving-kindness" comes from the Hebrew word "checed", which means: kindness, piety, beauty, favour, goodness, faithfulness, steadfast love, loving-kindness, devotion. The Vine's Expository Dictionary adds this:
In general, one may identify three basic meanings of the word, which always interact: "strength," "steadfastness," and "love." Any understanding of the word that fails to suggest all three inevitably loses some of its richness. "Love" by itself easily becomes sentimentalized or universalized apart from the covenant. Yet "strength" or "steadfastness" suggests only the fulfillment of a legal or other obligation.
The word refers primarily to mutual and reciprocal rights and obligations between the parties of a relationship (especially Yahweh and Israel). But checed is not only a matter of obligation; it is also of generosity. It is not only a matter of loyalty, but also of mercy. The weaker party seeks the protection and blessing of the patron and protector, but he may not lay absolute claim to it. The stronger party remains committed to his promise, but retains his freedom, especially with regard to the manner in which he will implement those promises. Checed implies personal involvement and commitment in a relationship beyond the rule of law.
It also adds this:
Behind all these uses with man as subject, however, stand the repeated references to God's checed. It is one of His most central characteristics. God's loving-kindness is offered to His people, who need redemption from sin, enemies, and troubles. A recurrent refrain describing God's nature is "abounding plenteous in checed" Ex 34:6; Neh 9:17; Ps 103:8; Jonah 4:2. The entire history of Yahweh's covenantal relationship with Israel can be summarized in terms of checed. It is the one permanent element in the flux of covenantal history. Even the Creation is the result of God's checed Ps 136:5-9. His love lasts for a "thousand generations" Deut 7:9; cf. Deut 5:10 and Ex 20:6, indeed "forever" (especially in the refrains of certain psalms, such as Ps 136)
The association of checed with "covenant" keeps it from being misunderstood as mere providence or love for all creatures; it applies primarily to God's particular love for His chosen and covenanted people. "Covenant" also stresses the reciprocity of the relationship; but since God's checed is ultimately beyond the covenant, it will not ultimately be abandoned, even when the human partner is unfaithful
Do you see how very special and set apart God's people are from the rest of His creation? His original Chosen People - Israel, AND those who have received Jesus of Nazareth as Lord and personal Saviour - becoming members of HIS Royal Family! Now THAT is the very BEST family to belong to! We have, as our Covenant right, the eternal Love, Steadfastness and Strength of the One, True, Most High, Living, Almighty God of the Bible operating IN us, FOR us, and THROUGH us! We need to LOUDLY proclaim verse 28:
28 You are my God, and I will confess, praise, and give thanks to You; You are my God, I will extol You.
Here are two old songs you may remember! The first is Don Moen singing God Is Good and the second one is Ron Kenoly singing For The Lord Is Good!
In 1 Corinthians 6 Paul is reprimanding the church for going outside of the church "family" and using the court system to solve disputes and grievances among them. We are to love and protect each other, even when we may be wrong! It is so serious a thing to Paul, and to Jesus, that he says this in verses 6-8:
6 But brother goes to law against brother, and that before [Gentile judges who are] unbelievers [without faith or trust in the Gospel of Christ]? 7 Why, the very fact of your having lawsuits with one another at all is a defect (a defeat, an evidence of positive moral loss for you). Why not rather let yourselves suffer wrong and be deprived of what is your due? Why not rather be cheated (defrauded and robbed)? 8 But [instead it is you] yourselves who wrong and defraud, and that even your own brethren [by so treating them]!
When God said, "Vengeance is Mine", that is exactly what He meant! He is WELL ABLE to make things right for you, WHEN you do things HIS WAY! He can only move on our behalf when we obey Him! Operate in the Love which never fails and you will come out on top EVERY TIME! GUARANTEED! Get out of Love and it will effect every area of your life! It is SO not worth it! Don't you agree?
In Joshua 7-8 we see Joshua and the people suffering defeat at the hands of their enemies and discovering that it was because of sin in the camp. How could one man's sin cause this to happen to the whole nation? We have to remember that God does not see or judge as man does! He looked at the nation NOT as an assorted collection of tribes, clans, families, and individuals, but as one people in the LORD! That is also how He sees the Body of Christ! That is why Paul had to tell the Corinthians to deal with the sin going on in the church in 1 Corinthians. We are SO knit together in the Lord (Colossians 2:19) that ANYTHING one of us does WILL affect EVERYONE! That's why Paul said this in 1 Corinthians 6:19-20:
19 Do you not know that your body is the temple (the very sanctuary) of the Holy Spirit Who lives within you, Whom you have received [as a gift] from God? You are not your own, 20 You were bought with a price [purchased with a preciousness and paid for, made His own]. So then, honor God and bring glory to Him in your body.
When Joshua and the people dealt with the sin according to God's command, they were able to go and take the land and gain an amazing victory! Remember that no matter how much freedom our New Covenant gives us, HE is still in control and calls the shots! Doing things God's way has NEVER been more important than it is RIGHT NOW, in the days in which we live! Exciting times are just ahead! BE READY!
Shalom in Him!
