Psalm 116:1-9; key verse, verse 9—that I might walk before the Lord in the land of the living.
PAYING THE VOW OF GRATITUDE
As another one of the Egyptian Hallel Psalms (Psalms 113-118), sung by Jesus with His disciples on the night of His betrayal and arrest (Matthew 26:30 and Mark 14:26), we can say with G. Campbell Morgan: “Whatever the local circumstances which gave rise to this song, it is evident that all its rich meaning was fulfilled, when in the midst of that little company of perplexed souls, the shadows of the One Death already on Him, Jesus sang this song of prophetic triumph over the sharpness of the hour of passion to which He was passing. He has made it over to all His own as their triumph song over death.” 1
Psalms 116 is a prayer of thanksgiving and praise to God for deliverance from death – hence the emphasis on verse 9 as the key verse. It may have been written by a king. Verse 16 is very similar to the writing style of King David; however, they are very close to the events of King Hezekiah who thanked the Lord for sparing his life in Isaiah 38:10-20.
As a whole, psalm 116 is song of seven stanzas falling into three main divisions: verses 1-6, verses 7-14, and verses 15-19.
Collect for Psalm 116: God of power and mercy, through the Passion and resurrection of your Son you have freed us from the bonds of death and the anguish of separation from you. Be with us on our pilgrimage and help us offer you a sacrifice of praise, fulfill our vows, and glorify you in the presence of all your people; through Jesus Christ our Lord. 2
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