“Psalm 118:17 was the verse that Martin Luther took as a motto for his life: “I shall not die, but I shall live, and recount the deeds of the LORD.” It comforted him when his life was threatened and it reminded him of his calling to preach the gospel faithfully.”

“Psalm 118 concludes the Egyptian Hallel with words full of praise and celebration for God’s blessing upon His people. It is above all a psalm of thanksgiving, beginning and ending with the words, “Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever!” (v. 29).”

“At the end of their last Passover and their first Lord’s Supper, Jesus and His disciples sang together.
We read: “And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives” (Matt. 26:30). Since Psalm 118 was the last of the Passover psalms, we can be quite sure that the song Jesus and the disciples sang was Psalm 118. Jesus once again identifies with this psalm. He is the Passover; He is the King; He is the salvation from the house of bondage; He is the sacrifice on the altar. All the great themes of the Old Testament and of this psalm come together in Jesus.”

Godfrey, W. Robert. Learning to Love the Psalms

According to its title, David wrote Psalm 51 in response to his sin with Bathsheba and the word of judgment that God sent to him through Nathan the prophet. David had indeed sinned grievously, not only by committing adultery with Bathsheba, but also by arranging the murder of her husband, Uriah, to cover up his sin.

Metrical Verses 1-4 (Book of Praise of the Canadian Reformed Churches © Copyright 2014)

“One Finger Thumb & Strum” 

This is a new first verse transcription of Psalm 114 Genevan melody . 

These tablature examples are nearly all transcribed to the Key of D or Dm to simplify the learning and playing of what are often rather difficult tunes for the guitar. Please see Thumb & Strum  in the menu above.

Psalm 114 was especially loved by the French Huguenots and helps us to reflect on what they treasured in the Psalms. The French Huguenots sang this psalm often and gladly (even though the Genevan tune to which it was set strikes our contemporary ears as very strange and difficult).

It was also a psalm that was important to God’s people in Old Testament times for it was part of the “Egyptian Hallel,” Psalms 113–118, which was sung by the Jews at the Passover season.  Psalm 114 in particular exalts God as our deliverer, a truth that is especially important to Christians who are facing persecution.

Paraphrased from: W. Robert, Godfrey. Learning to Love the Psalms (pp. 7-8). Ligonier Ministries. Kindle Edition.

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