Psa 116:16 | KingComments | STEP | The psalmist is now overflowing with gratitude. He struggles with the question of how to express his gratitude for such a great proof of grace ( ). Fortunately, in the law the LORD gave the Israelites the option of expressing gratitude through sacrifice of thanksgiving and through a votive offering ( ). A sacrifice of peace offerings or of thanksgiving is a sacrifice brought out of gratitude. A votive offering is a sacrifice promised by the offeror as a vow in his distress, and is thus a mandatory sacrifice. The psalmist does not speak of one benefit, but of “benefits”, which presupposes a multitude of benefits. God has delivered him not only from death, but also from fears, distress, grief, tears and stumbling. He preserved him and took care of him. But how could He repay all these benefits? After all, that is impossible. There is no quid pro quo that could serve somewhat as compensation. Yet there is a way in which God can be thanked for what He has done. That is by lifting up “the cup of salvation and call upon the name of the LORD” ( ). parallel . The cup of salvation of runs parallel to the sacrifice of thanksgiving of . A cup is all about the content. The content here is the salvation that has been experienced. The lifting up of the cup is a symbolic act that expresses gratitude for salvation (cf. ). This is a drink offering that is to accompany an offering by fire, such as a sacrifice of thanksgiving and a votive offering ( ). The drink offering is poured out at the foot of the altar of burnt offering in the presence of all the people. It is like a heave offering: gratitude is lifted up, above everything, and offered to God. At the same time, the name of the LORD is invoked, now not to ask Him for His help, but to worship and praise Him for what He has done. New Testament believers do this during the celebration of the Lord’s Supper. In his distress, the psalmist made vows ( ). These he now wants to fulfill (cf. ). His vows he has made personally to God. He wants to fulfill them by bringing the votive offering with its accompanying drink offering in public, “in the presence of all His people”, to God. The whole people of God need to hear of His help and the blessing He has given, so that they can share in the joy of all the benefits of God. Then they can join to give Him the praise due for it. The psalmist is rescued from death. But there are faithful ones who do die. It may seem that their prayers have not been answered. The psalmist then points out, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, that their death is “precious in the sight of the LORD” ( ). The enemies have dealt with people they like to get rid of, but to God they are “His godly ones”. They are in His special favor. The death of the wicked is no joy to the LORD ( ). The death of His godly ones – Hebrew chasid , that is those who are faithful to the covenant – is. The word “precious” has the meaning of “rare”. The LORD has shown this by delivering the psalmist, who has been in “cords of death” and in “terrors of Sheol” ( ), from them ( ). This will be said by God’s godly ones, the remnant who will enter the realm of peace. We can apply this prophetically in another sense, namely, to the second group of martyrs in the book of Revelation ( ). [The first group is mentioned in Revelation 6 ( ).] About them a voice from heaven says: ““Write, ‘Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on!’” “Yes,” says the Spirit, “so that they may rest from their labors, for their deeds follow with them”” ( ). Paul compares his own martyrdom to the pouring out of the drink offering over the burnt offering ( ). The death of God’s godly ones is not beyond God’s will. Their death does not put an end to God’s plans for them, but rather helps bring about His high plans for them. They will have part in the resurrection of the righteous. Then He will reward their faithfulness unto death with “the crown of life” ( ) and “then THE RIGHTEOUS WILL SHINE FORTH AS THE SUN in the kingdom of their Father” ( ). After this interlude about the death of God’s godly ones, the psalmist goes on in to describe his own situation. He solemnly and with great gratitude declares to the LORD that he is His servant. He does so in the awareness of all the benefits the LORD has given him. We too will desire to serve the Lord when we are aware of how many benefits we have received from Him through His work on the cross. In his great gratitude for what the LORD has done for him, he also mentions the role his mother played in his upbringing (cf. ). That the psalmist calls her “Your servant” means that she has been a God-fearing woman who has served God. She will have taught him in the things of God (cf. ). If we are to do anything for the Lord, it is good to remember to whom we owe much for our spiritual upbringing. That may be our parents, it may also be mature believers who have helped us in our spiritual growth (cf. ). It prevents us from boasting about our qualities and activities. The Lord has prepared everything to make us His servant and to do the work He has had in mind for us ( ). That freedom to serve Him is His work. He has loosened the bonds with which the psalmist was imprisoned. The psalmist experienced his deliverance as a release from prison. Thus, we were imprisoned in the bonds of sin. The Lord Jesus has freed us from those bonds ( ) and now we may live for Him and serve Him in our lives. , except for the opening phrase, are similar to . In it is about the sacrifice of thanksgiving, in about the votive offering. The deliverance from prison, the loosening of the bonds, is cause to offer God “a sacrifice of thanksgiving” ( ). A sacrifice of thanksgiving is offered when a vow has been made ( ). Others may eat of such a sacrifice. It is a meal offering. This is reflected in the next verse. In his captivity, the psalmist made vows ( ; cf. ; ). These he now wants to fulfill. He made his vows personally to God. He wants to fulfill them publicly, “in the presence of all His people”. The whole people of God need to hear of the deliverance He has given, so that they can share in his joy of all the benefits of God (cf. ). He says this for the second time ( ), which emphasizes it and underscores its importance. This second time makes it clear that he can only do so in the place the LORD has chosen to establish His name there for His dwelling ( ), namely the temple, the house of God in Jerusalem, where the LORD Himself now dwells. The place where the praise happens and where the meal is held is “in the courts of the LORD’s house” ( ). It is a feast in the presence of the LORD. He is the Host, it is about Him. He has turned everything around for the better and He is worthy of all thanks. Then the psalmist spontaneously addresses the word to Jerusalem, where the house of the LORD stands, saying: “In the midst of you, O Jerusalem.” The heart of the God-fearing Jew is intimately bound up with the city of Jerusalem, the city of the great King, where God dwells. No greater joy can be imagined for him than to be in the midst of that city, because there he can experience fellowship with God in the most intimate way. He ends, therefore, with another “hallelujah!”, “praise the LORD!”. In Psalm 115, the first hallel-psalm after the Passover meal, the praise is because of the omnipotence of the LORD. In Psalm 116, the praise is because of the LORD’s grace ( ), because of His righteousness and compassion.

‏ Psalms 116:16

Thanksgiving

The psalmist is now overflowing with gratitude. He struggles with the question of how to express his gratitude for such a great proof of grace (Psa 116:12). Fortunately, in the law the LORD gave the Israelites the option of expressing gratitude through sacrifice of thanksgiving and through a votive offering (Lev 7:11-21). A sacrifice of peace offerings or of thanksgiving is a sacrifice brought out of gratitude. A votive offering is a sacrifice promised by the offeror as a vow in his distress, and is thus a mandatory sacrifice.

The psalmist does not speak of one benefit, but of “benefits”, which presupposes a multitude of benefits. God has delivered him not only from death, but also from fears, distress, grief, tears and stumbling. He preserved him and took care of him.

But how could He repay all these benefits? After all, that is impossible. There is no quid pro quo that could serve somewhat as compensation. Yet there is a way in which God can be thanked for what He has done. That is by lifting up “the cup of salvation and call upon the name of the LORD” (Psa 116:13).

Psa 116:13-14 parallel Psa 116:17-18. The cup of salvation of Psa 116:13 runs parallel to the sacrifice of thanksgiving of Psa 116:17. A cup is all about the content. The content here is the salvation that has been experienced. The lifting up of the cup is a symbolic act that expresses gratitude for salvation (cf. 1Cor 10:16a). This is a drink offering that is to accompany an offering by fire, such as a sacrifice of thanksgiving and a votive offering (Psa 116:14 ; 17-18). The drink offering is poured out at the foot of the altar of burnt offering in the presence of all the people.

It is like a heave offering: gratitude is lifted up, above everything, and offered to God. At the same time, the name of the LORD is invoked, now not to ask Him for His help, but to worship and praise Him for what He has done. New Testament believers do this during the celebration of the Lord’s Supper.

In his distress, the psalmist made vows (Psa 116:14). These he now wants to fulfill (cf. Psa 66:13-14). His vows he has made personally to God. He wants to fulfill them by bringing the votive offering with its accompanying drink offering in public, “in the presence of all His people”, to God. The whole people of God need to hear of His help and the blessing He has given, so that they can share in the joy of all the benefits of God. Then they can join to give Him the praise due for it.

The psalmist is rescued from death. But there are faithful ones who do die. It may seem that their prayers have not been answered. The psalmist then points out, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, that their death is “precious in the sight of the LORD” (Psa 116:15). The enemies have dealt with people they like to get rid of, but to God they are “His godly ones”. They are in His special favor.

The death of the wicked is no joy to the LORD (Eze 18:23 ; Eze 33:11). The death of His godly ones – Hebrew chasid, that is those who are faithful to the covenant – is. The word “precious” has the meaning of “rare”. The LORD has shown this by delivering the psalmist, who has been in “cords of death” and in “terrors of Sheol” (Psa 116:3), from them (Psa 116:8). This will be said by God’s godly ones, the remnant who will enter the realm of peace.

We can apply this prophetically in another sense, namely, to the second group of martyrs in the book of Revelation (Rev 13:7). [The first group is mentioned in Revelation 6 (Rev 6:9-11).] About them a voice from heaven says: ““Write, ‘Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on!’” “Yes,” says the Spirit, “so that they may rest from their labors, for their deeds follow with them”” (Rev 14:13). Paul compares his own martyrdom to the pouring out of the drink offering over the burnt offering (Phil 2:17).

The death of God’s godly ones is not beyond God’s will. Their death does not put an end to God’s plans for them, but rather helps bring about His high plans for them. They will have part in the resurrection of the righteous. Then He will reward their faithfulness unto death with “the crown of life” (Rev 2:10b) and “then THE RIGHTEOUS WILL SHINE FORTH AS THE SUN in the kingdom of their Father” (Mt 13:43a).

After this interlude about the death of God’s godly ones, the psalmist goes on in Psa 116:16 to describe his own situation. He solemnly and with great gratitude declares to the LORD that he is His servant. He does so in the awareness of all the benefits the LORD has given him. We too will desire to serve the Lord when we are aware of how many benefits we have received from Him through His work on the cross.

In his great gratitude for what the LORD has done for him, he also mentions the role his mother played in his upbringing (cf. Psa 86:16). That the psalmist calls her “Your servant” means that she has been a God-fearing woman who has served God. She will have taught him in the things of God (cf. 2Tim 1:5).

If we are to do anything for the Lord, it is good to remember to whom we owe much for our spiritual upbringing. That may be our parents, it may also be mature believers who have helped us in our spiritual growth (cf. 1Thes 2:7 ; 11). It prevents us from boasting about our qualities and activities. The Lord has prepared everything to make us His servant and to do the work He has had in mind for us (Eph 2:10).

That freedom to serve Him is His work. He has loosened the bonds with which the psalmist was imprisoned. The psalmist experienced his deliverance as a release from prison. Thus, we were imprisoned in the bonds of sin. The Lord Jesus has freed us from those bonds (Rom 6:17) and now we may live for Him and serve Him in our lives.

Psa 116:17-18, except for the opening phrase, are similar to Psa 116:13-14. In Psa 116:17 it is about the sacrifice of thanksgiving, in Psa 116:18 about the votive offering. The deliverance from prison, the loosening of the bonds, is cause to offer God “a sacrifice of thanksgiving” (Psa 116:17). A sacrifice of thanksgiving is offered when a vow has been made (Lev 7:16). Others may eat of such a sacrifice. It is a meal offering. This is reflected in the next verse.

In his captivity, the psalmist made vows (Psa 116:18; cf. Psa 56:12-13; Jona 2:9). These he now wants to fulfill. He made his vows personally to God. He wants to fulfill them publicly, “in the presence of all His people”. The whole people of God need to hear of the deliverance He has given, so that they can share in his joy of all the benefits of God (cf. Psa 107:10-18).

He says this for the second time (Psa 116:14 ; 18), which emphasizes it and underscores its importance. This second time makes it clear that he can only do so in the place the LORD has chosen to establish His name there for His dwelling (Deu 12:5-14), namely the temple, the house of God in Jerusalem, where the LORD Himself now dwells.

The place where the praise happens and where the meal is held is “in the courts of the LORD’s house” (Psa 116:19). It is a feast in the presence of the LORD. He is the Host, it is about Him. He has turned everything around for the better and He is worthy of all thanks.

Then the psalmist spontaneously addresses the word to Jerusalem, where the house of the LORD stands, saying: “In the midst of you, O Jerusalem.” The heart of the God-fearing Jew is intimately bound up with the city of Jerusalem, the city of the great King, where God dwells. No greater joy can be imagined for him than to be in the midst of that city, because there he can experience fellowship with God in the most intimate way. He ends, therefore, with another “hallelujah!”, “praise the LORD!”.

In Psalm 115, the first hallel-psalm after the Passover meal, the praise is because of the omnipotence of the LORD. In Psalm 116, the praise is because of the LORD’s grace (Psa 116:5), because of His righteousness and compassion.