Psalm 111— Hallelujah!
Yahweh sent Moses to redeem Israel out of Egypt, and Christ to redeem His people from sin and death, that is, eternal death. “Psalms 111-119 all untitled with no attributed authorship [but supposed to be David], form a cluster of nine psalms framed by unusual alphabetic acrostics... that enclose the 'Egyptian Hallel'... [so named because of the use of these hallel or 'praise' psalms at Passover in celebration of the Israelites' deliverance in Egypt]." (Zondervan Study Bible) “Of which custom mention is also made, Mt 26, that Christ and the disciples sang a hymn before they went out into the garden.” (Solomon Gesner)
Hallelujah!-- Praise Yah!-- “Yah is my strength and song. He has become my salvation. This is my God, and I will praise Him my father's God, and I will exalt Him.” (Exodus 15:2)
1 I will praise Yahweh with my whole heart, in the assembly of the upright and in the congregation. 2 The works of Yahweh are great, studied by all who have pleasure in them. 3 His work is honorable and glorious, and His righteousness endures forever. 4 He has made His wonderful works to be remembered; Yahweh is gracious and full of compassion. 5 He has given meat to those who fear Him; He will ever be mindful of His covenant. 6 He has declared to His people the power of His works, in giving them the heritage of the nations.7 The works of His hands are verity and justice; all His precepts are sure. 8 They stand fast forever and ever, and are done in truth and uprightness. 9 He has sent redemption to His people; He has commanded His covenant forever: holy and awesome is His name. 10 The fear of Yahweh is the beginning of wisdom; a good understanding have all those who do His commandments. His praise endures forever.
“I will praise Yahweh with my whole heart,—… the whole heart, without division and distraction, must be employed in the work. — in the assembly (בסוד, besod) of the upright— the private religious meetings for the communion of saints. — ‘and in the congregation,’ עדה edah, the general assembly- the public congregation. There were such meetings as the former ever since God had a Church on the earth; and to convey general information, there must be public assemblies.” (Adam Clarke)
“‘The works of Yahweh are great,’ particularly the work of redemption, a work which angels and men were unequal to, a work which none but the great God and our Saviour could effect, and is truly called the great salvation; the work of grace upon the heart is a great work, and requires the exceeding greatness of the divine power, and which is exerted in the beginning, carrying on, and finishing that work.” (John Gill)— “‘studied by all who have pleasure in them;’ and the deeper they dive into them the sweeter they find them. Basil diligently described many creatures; and so did Ambrose after him. Pliny telleth of one who spent eight and fifty years in learning the nature of the bee and yet could not attain to all.” (Trapp) “Oh! what pleasure, what joy unspeakable, will that soul find in the blessed study [of eternal redemption]!” (Robert Hawker)
“‘His work is honourable and glorious’— those manifestations of God's power in Egypt referring “to the passover, which was a gracious memorial of His favour to His people when He slew the Egyptians; to His miraculous provision for them in the wilderness, and to His settling them in their inheritance in Canaan.” (Thomas Coke) — ’and His righteousness endures forever.’ His robe of righteousness, imputed and actual over time by the Word, “will His church be clothed to all eternity.” (Robert Hawker)
“‘He has made His wonderful works to be remembered;’ — or ‘He hath appointed a memorial for His wonderful works.’— This is a literal translation of the clause. It is probable, that the passover was specially meant; though all the appointed feasts of Israel were memorials of the wonderful works of God for that nation. (Exodus 13:8-10. Joshua 4:3-9).” (Thomas Scott) “Such under the Old Testament was the sacrament of the paschal Lamb; but now the sacred Supper under the NT.” (Martin Geier) “Yahweh is gracious and full of compassion’ or, “compassionate.” “The sweet spices of divine works must be beaten to powder by meditation, and then laid up in the cabinet of our memories.” (Abraham Wright)
“‘He hath given meat unto them that fear Him.’ The meat here mentioned is supposed to respect the paschal lamb, when they were to remember the works of God.” (Manton) Are you redeemed by the blood of the Lamb? If so, and you regard the blood, then Jesus ‘will ever be mindful of His covenant’— the covenant with Abraham, made ‘to a thousand generations’ (Ps 105:8).” (Pulpit Commentary) with spiritual Israel.
There is continuous sacrifice in the religious world to satisfy the demands of a broken law. But our High Priest offered a final sacrifice for sins and then sat down at the right hand of God. And He ever lives to make intercession for us according to His will. “For by one sacrifice He has made perfect forever those who are being made holy. The Holy Spirit also testifies to us about this. First He says: ‘This is the covenant I will make with them after that time,’ says the Lord. ‘I will put my laws in their hearts, and I will write them on their minds.’ [Jeremiah 31:33] Then He adds: ‘Their sins and lawless acts I will remember no more.’ [Jeremiah 31:34] And where these have been forgiven, sacrifice for sin is no longer necessary.” (Hebrews 10: 11-18) (John J. Parsons)
“’He has declared to His people the power of His works,’ To them it is given to see… ‘Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and show thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not,’ Jeremiah 33:3.” (Trapp)— “’in giving them the heritage of the nations’— driving out the Canaanites and bringing in His people, yet they wold not believe. “He indicates the unbelief of the Jews, who murmured against God in the desert, as if he could not enable them to enter into the promised land, and possess it, because the cities were walled, and the inhabitants strong, and giants dwelt in it.” (Wolfgang Musculus) “So He hath showed His works of power to His people in Gospel times, as the miracles of Christ, His resurrection from the dead, redemption by Him, and the work of grace on the hearts of men in all ages.” (John Gill) Yet, as their faithless fathers before them, many of these wallow in disbelief. Yet to the remnant of Israel, “it please His infinite wisdom to give to His church the heathen for her inheritance in the name of Jesus.” (C. H. Spurgeon) This speaks of the conversion of many of them that they must take possession of before the end.
“’The works of His hands are verity and justice; all His precepts are sure. They stand fast forever and ever, and are done in truth and uprightness.’ This wonderfully confirms the hope and faith of the godly.” (Mollerus) “He has sent redemption to His people; He has commanded His covenant forever: holy and awesome is His name." Today, hear His voice.
“’The fear of Yahweh is the beginning of wisdom.’ God will have us begin, but not end there. We have begun with ‘who fears him’; we must end with ‘and does justice,’ and then comes acceptance, and not before. For neither fear, if it be fear alone; nor faith, if it be faith alone, is accepted of Him. If it be true fear, if such as God will accept, it is not ‘a dull lazy fear’; his fear that feared his lord and went and digged his talent into the ground, and did nothing with it. Away with his fear and him into outer darkness.” (Lancelot Andrewes) Oh. contrary: “‘A good understanding have all those who do His commandments,’ [even His moral code]. He that hath the fear of God is truly wise... And it is surely wisdom to love that which is most lovable, and to occupy our hearts with that which is most worthy of our attachment, and the most capable of satisfying us.”
(From the French of Daniel de Superville, 1700)