Divine JoyAbiding in the Grace of Gods Joyful Embrace Week Six Study Guide Shouts of joy and victory

resound in the tents of the righteous; The LORDs right hand has done mighty things! The LORDs right hand is lifted high; the LORDs right hand has done mighty things! (Psalm 118:15-16 NIV) Psalm 118 serves as a gentle reminder for us to place our confidence daily in God and His eternal love. As a matter of fact, this very message bookends this particular hymn of thanks and praise in the opening and closing verses which state, Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever. (NIV) As we walk through this anonymously written work, we will see that those who position themselves in God as their refuge find their volition in and through Him regardless of the circumstances facing them. This results in a joy-filled testimony of Gods presence and strength and ultimate victory found only in Him. Reflection Questions 1. Although Psalm 118 is anonymously penned, commentators believe it may have been written for the Feast of Tabernacles and may have been sung at the very first Feast when the people returned from Exile. In fact, The Bible Knowledge Commentary of the Old Testament states that, Because the song was sung at festivals, expressions in the psalm were on the lips of the people at Jesus entry into Jerusalem at the beginning of the Passion Week (v. 25-26). Also, this song may have been sung in the Upper Room after the Lords Supper (Matthew 26:30). Understanding the New Testament applications of this Old Testament song helps underscore for us that the love of God does endure forever. I remember when I first learned that it is very possible the disciples and Jesus sang from this hymn at the Last Supper because doing so would have been a traditional part of the Passover meal. This discovery opened my eyes to the richness and depth of the Old Testament. As a matter of fact, the words of one Bible teacher still ring in my ears to this day when she said, The Old Testament conceals what the New Testament reveals. After reading through the 29 verses of this psalm, what has God revealed to you personally? In other words, what is your overall take-away? This is your chance to Tweet a response! Jot down your answer in 140 characters or less below.

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2. Verses 1 and 29 of this Psalm are identical. Because they literally open and close this particular hymn, the thought occurred to me that perhaps we should employ these verses at the beginning and end of our day. What does the psalmist indicate we should be giving thanks for? The NASB translation of verse 1 says, Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; For His lovingkindness is everlasting. In the original Hebrew, the word everlasting means forever, alwayscontinuous existenceperpetual. It also carries the meaning of antiquity. With this in mind, look up Daniel 7:9-13. Write below the three words used to describe God in Daniels vision.

Now look up Revelation 1:8. Please write this scripture verse below. How does this verse underscore both Daniels words and the words of our psalmist in verse 1 of our assigned reading this week? In light of your answer, how big is our God? Comparatively, how big is your circumstance? (Please noteI am not saying your current circumstance is insignificantI am saying that the Lord God is bigger!)

3. Verses 2-4 at first glance might get only thata first glance. Dont skip these verses which reiterate for us the Biblical truth of Gods love enduring forever. This phrase is repeated three times in these three verses! As a matter of fact, we see within these verses a very personal application at verse 3. Write what this is below:

A bit ago I adopted verse 3 and substituted my name for Aarons. I encourage you to do the same because as righteous womenwomen who love Godour very household should reflect the truth of Gods Word and in its own unique way declare His enduring and everlasting love through our family within its sphere of influence. If this is a new concept to you, no worries! Ask the Lord to help you identify ways in which your household can become one that is a living testament to Gods enduring love. (And it doesnt matter if your household is one person or a dozenknow today the Lord loves you with an everlasting love and has drawn you with His loving kindness. Take a look at Jeremiah 33:3 for confirmation of that Biblical truth.)

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4. Trusting in God and believing with our whole heart that He is who He says He is, provides for us the ballast needed in stormy times. Verse 5 is a dramatic description of calling out to the LORD at a critical time. What word is used at verse 5 to illustrate the feelings experienced at this time of crisis? Please write them below (the word may differ depending on your translation). What was the psalmists immediate action according to verse 5 and what was the LORDs response? Interestingly, in the NASB translation, verse 5 states, From my distress I called upon the LORD, The LORD answered me and set me in a large place. Based on what we have learned the past few weeks, what does the word LORD mean? How does the very first psalm we looked at in our study of Divine Joy (Psalm 16) refer to boundary lines?

Psalm 118 reminds us that the Lord God establishes the boundary places of the righteous and that within those boundaries we find our freedom, even in times of crisis when we call to Him in anguish or distress. Rest assured when God is your refuge and you call to Him, that He hears you. Glance back at Psalm 145 from Week Three of our study. What do verses 17-20 declare? Write this gentle reminder in your own words below:

5. At verses 6 and 7 the psalmist repeats a phrase that we should treasure. Fill in the blanks below and ask God to enable these words to travel from your head to your heart. ____ _____ ___ _____ ____; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me? (v. 6 NIV) ____ _____ _____ _____ ____; he is my helper. I will look in triumph on my enemies. (v. 7 NIV) Now look up Isaiah 7:14 and Matthew 1:23. Write below the name referenced in both of these verses.

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In the original Hebrew, the name Immanuel is the prophetic and symbolic name of the Messiah. Not only that, however, the name means God with us or with us is God. If this fact doesnt bring us joy I have no idea what will! We do have a God who is with us He is not distant, He is personal. How does understanding the meaning of this name of our Lord help you gain a greater appreciation of Who He is in your life today? Please write this below. By all means, feel free to give a shout out to the Lord God Most High! Praise Him! Let your house declare, His love endures forever.

6. Again, in verses 8 and 9, the psalmist is repeating an important series of words. In the NIV and NASB translations, these verses states, It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in man. It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in princes. What phrase is repeated in these verses? Write this phrase in the space provided or underline it in the sentences above.

This is certainly not the first time weve seen the word refuge used in study of Divine Joy. The very word brings to mind a place of safety and protection, which is its meaning in the original Hebrew. Our default in times of trouble should always be to run into the arms of our Heavenly Father as our shelter. The psalmist writes that the LORD is our priority in seeking refuge not man or even those whose societal rank may give them greater worldly authority such as princes referenced in verse 9. Turn back a few pages to 2 Samuel 22. Davids song of praise found at the opening of this chapter also speaks of the LORD as his refuge. In addition to the word refuge, which words does David use in verses 3 and 4 of this portion of scripture that describe the protective nature of the LORD? Please write them below.

How have you seen God save you from your enemies when the situation looked virtually impossible in your own eyes? Describe how has He revealed Himself to you as your rock, fortress and deliverer.

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7. Once again, in verses 10-12 we see the repetition of particular phrases. Surely this is not because the psalmist couldnt think of any other lyrics to insert into the hymn! At the risk of sounding incredibly redundant, please read this series of verses and jot down below portions that you discover are repetitive. (Hint: Some are repeated word for word; in verse 12, however, youll see the writer using a different analogy with the same basic meaning.)

In the face of great danger, we not only find our refuge in God, but it is in the power of His name that we stand firm. Look up Proverbs 18:10 and write it below:

According to this proverb, who are able to find safety in the name of the LORD? According to what youve learned so far in the study of Divine Joy, does the promise found in this portion of scripture apply to you? (Hint: We are declared righteous in the eyes of God through our faith in Jesus Christ as the Son of God. See Romans 3:21-24 for a quick refresher on this Biblical foundational truth.)

8. Verses 13 and 14 communicate to us that even as a difficult battle ensues, we are not alone when we trust in God. He is the source of our strength and help. These two verses lead us into the key verses for us in Psalm 118 as it applies to our study of Divine Joyyou will find them in italics at the very beginning of this weeks study guide. Once again, we find the psalmist using repetition and rightly so. What I personally love about verses 15 and 16 is the fact that it is an exclamation (yes, I do try to watch my usage of exclamation marks when writing, I know there are plenty), however, when we see an exclamation mark in scripture I believe it is something not to be overlooked! What is it that is being exclaimed in these two verses?

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In the NASB translation, the words The right hand of the LORD does valiantly, describe in the original Hebrew an action that is done in strength, ability and efficiency and to display valor a boldness and determination in battle.

How does the power of the LORDs right hand on behalf of the righteous resonate with you today? If you currently find yourself in a battle, how is this portion of scripture significant to you? If you are not currently facing a battle, perhaps you know of someone who is. Pray that they would see the LORDs right hand doing mighty things in the heat of their conflict! And, finally, if you find yourself currently victorious in and through a particular circumstance, by all means give a shout of joy and victory! Let those shouts of joy resound in your lifedeclare to all who will listen that your God, your LORD has done mighty things! Amen? Take time to write out your shout below!

9. As we look at some of the final verses in Psalm 118, those who have studied Gods Word before most likely recognize the prophetic elements of this song, particularly those in verses 22-27. In regard to verses 22-24 specifically, the Bible Knowledge Commentary of the Old Testament states, The psalmist, perhaps the congregations leader, may have thought of his king as the stone, for in Israel kings often represented the nation. Certainly in Jesus Parable of the Landowner and the Tenants (Matthew 21:33-44) He applied the psalm in this way. Jesus is the Stone and the Jewish leaders, the builders of the nation, had rejected Him. But God made Him the Capstonethe fact that this psalm was probably popular at the Passover festival made Jesus use of if all the more forceful. (Incidentally, the capstone is the center stone in the top of an arch, which holds the whole arch together.) Taking into account the New Testament application of this portion of Psalm 118, how do the verses you studied last week in Psalm 33 also underscore Gods supremacy over all of mankind? (Hint: Look at Psalm 33:10-11).

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10. In the conclusion of Psalm 118 beginning at verse 25, we again see how these very lyrics were used in the New Testament accounts of Jesus entry into Jerusalem riding on a donkey. Look up Matthew 21:9, Mark 11:9, and Luke 19:38. Which verse of Psalm 118 is used in all three accounts? Please write it below. Detection and InspectionCommentators state that, In Jesus Triumphal Entry this psalm, sung by the people as they moved in procession to the temple, was most appropriate as He entered Jerusalem to begin His work of salvation for those who would believe. With this statement in mind, read aloud verses 24 through 29 of Psalm 118. Then write in the space provided (or in you joy journal) what this series of verses means to you personally. How has He made His light shine upon you? How has His love for you been an enduring love? By all means, with shouts of joy and victory give thanks to Him!

*Sources used for research and word definition include Dictionary.com, The Bible Knowledge Commentary Old Testament, and the on-line source Blue Letter BibleLexicon.

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