Psalm 118: David is King over All Israel - Praise God for His Everlasting Mercy

Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good!

 Psalm 118 is one of the best Psalms we can take to heart--
Praising the Lord for His work in our lives!  David’s recognition of the hand of God in his life is remarkable.  We need to remember that  the people of God need to be grateful that God has called them to salvation and to His service. David sought the Lord before any undertaking, and this is a good pattern to follow.  

      How many people yield to the pressure of a situation, and lose all hope--I can't deal with this!  This negativity opens the door to all sorts of dark influences. The emotions come swarming in and take us over. In Deuteronomy 30:19 , Moses confronts the Israelite's:  

"This day... I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses.  Now choose life, so that you and your children may live..."  

 Life requires a choice on our part.  Not to choose, is the wrong choice.  Jesus said,  "The thief comes only to steal, kill, and destroy. I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full" —John 10:10   Who will we yield to--Jesus or the 'thief''?

David is King over All Israel

In a spiritual ceremony David was anointed king over all of Israel. David had been anointed three times—first by Samuel as God directed him, second by the tribe of Judah, and now by all of the nation.

One of the first acts of David as king of Israel was the capture of Jerusalem. It was and is the most important city in the world. The occupants at the time,  the Jebusites, considered it a weak city. They ridiculed David.  With God’s help David captured this stronghold of Zion..There will always be  battle over what is good and what is evil… man’s will over God’s will.

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David had been anointed king over Israel much earlier by Samuel.  David wanted only God’s will and His leadership for the kingdom.   He won the hearts of the people after his victory over Goliath and the Philistines. The Lord was always with David.

How may a person know the will of God for his life?  God speaks to his servants who are willing to hear and want to obey.  Disobedience is a sure way for the Lord to stop talking to us…   Jesus said “If any man’s will is to do my will, he shall know whether my teaching is from God or whether I am speaking on my own authority.  He who speaks for himself seeks his own glory–but he who seeks the glory of God, the One who sent Him is true…” (John 7:17-18).

When David inquired of the Lord in all he did, and God guided him all he did.  

—The passage  2 Samuel 5    

All the tribes of Israel came to David at Hebron and spoke, “… In times past, when Saul was king over us, you were the one who led Israel out and brought them in. The Lord said to you, ‘You shall shepherd My people Israel, and be ruler over Israel.’” All the elders of Israel came to the king at Hebron, and King David made a covenant with them before the Lord. And they anointed David king over Israel.

The Conquest of Jerusalem

King David and his men went to the city Jerusalem, against the Jebusites, the inhabitants of the land.  They spoke to David, “You shall not come in here… Nevertheless, David took the stronghold of Zion (Jerusalem, the City of David).

 The Philistines Defeated

When the Philistines heard that David was king over Israel, all the Philistines went up to search for David. And David heard of it and went down to the stronghold. The Philistines also went and deployed themselves in the Valley of Rephaim. So David inquired of the Lord, saying,

“Shall I go up against the Philistines? Will You deliver them into my hand?”

And the Lord said to David, “Go up, for I will doubtless deliver the Philistines into your hand.”

So David went to Baal Perazim, and David defeated them there.  And he said, “The Lord has broken through my enemies before me, like a breakthrough of water.”   

Then the Philistines went up once again and deployed themselves in the Valley of Rephaim.  David inquired of the Lord again… and He said, “You shall not go up. Circle around behind them, and come upon them in front of the mulberry trees.  And it shall be, when you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the mulberry trees, then you shall advance quickly. Then the Lord will go out before you to strike the camp of the Philistines.” And David did so, as the Lord commanded him, and he drove back the Philistines from Geba as far as Gezer.

Psalm 118

Praise to God for His Everlasting Mercy

¹     Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever.

²     Let Israel now say, “His mercy endures forever.”

³     Let the house of Aaron now say, “His mercy endures forever.”

⁴     Let those who fear the Lord now say, “His mercy endures forever.”

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⁵     I called on the Lord in distress-- 

       The Lord answered me and set me in a broad place.

⁶     The Lord is on my side,  I will not fear.

      What can a man do to me?

⁷     The Lord is for me among those who help me--

      Therefore I shall see my desire on those who hate me.

.⁸     It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man.

⁹    It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in princes.

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¹⁰    All nations surrounded me, but in the name of the Lord I will destroy them.

¹¹     They surrounded me, yes, they surrounded me--

         But in the name of the Lord I will destroy them.

¹²     They surrounded me like bees--

         They were quenched like a fire of thorns, for in the name of the Lord I will destroy them.

¹³     You pushed me violently, that I might fall, but the Lord helped me.

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¹⁴     The Lord is my strength and song, and He has become my salvation.

¹⁵     The voice of rejoicing and salvation is in the tents of the righteous;

        The right hand of the Lord does valiantly.

¹⁶   The right hand of the Lord is exalted; the right hand of the Lord does valiantly.

¹⁷     I shall not die, but live, and declare the works of the Lord.

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¹⁸     The Lord has chastened me severely, but He has not given me over to death.

¹⁹    Open to me the gates of righteousness; I will go through them,

       And I will praise the Lord.

²⁰    This is the gate of the Lord, through which the righteous shall enter.

²¹     I will praise You, for You have answered me, and have become my salvation.

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²²     The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone.

²³    This was the Lord’s doing, it is marvelous in our eyes.

²⁴     This is the day the Lord has made, we will rejoice and be glad in it.

²⁵     Save now, I pray, O Lord--  O Lord, I pray, send now prosperity.

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²⁶     Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! 

        We have blessed you from the house of the Lord.

²⁷    God is the Lord, and He has given us light; bind the sacrifice with cords to the horns of the altar.

²⁸    You are my God, and I will praise You--

        You are my God, I will exalt You.

²⁹    Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good!  For His mercy endures forever!

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