This Hallelujah Psalm is part of the hymnbook of praise for all the saints, but nevertheless it is a very private hymn. It reflects the personal experience of deliverance by one person followed by his desire to show his appreciation to God for what He has done. Personal hymns are appropriate in the book of public praise because they will resonate with some in the crowd, either now or at a time in the future. After all, our temptations are common to man (1 Cor. 10:13).
We should also note that this Psalm is a perfect example of one of the great truths taken from the New Testament: We love Him because He first loved us (1 John 4:19). The Hymn begins, I love the Lord. In Hebrew the word for love (ahab) is general in the sense that it us used of family love (Abraham for Isaac), the love of friends (David and Jonathan), sexual love (even of Amnon, David’s son whose love led him to rape his sister), as well as both our love for God and His love for the righteous. The first use of the term (which often in Hebrew is significant in understanding the term) is in Gen. 22:2 when God calls Abraham to take his only son Isaac, whom he loves, and offer him to God in sacrificial worship. That story is, of course, the type of God’s love for the world by which He gave His only Son whom He loved as the sacrifice for our sins (John 3:16).
It actually takes the Bible to give love its highest definition. The world uses the term for a variety of things such as fuzzy feelings in the tummy, intense infatuation, giving one’s life for his country and so forth. The New Testament gives us more variety in terms with agape (the love of sacrifice) and phileo (the love of friends). Greek also had a term for lust or sexual desire to differentiate it. Jesus said there is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends (John 15:13), making His act of sacrifice the epitome of love (1 John 4:9-10).
But do not fail to notice that love is a major theme in the giving of the law and in God’s expectations for Israel. God shows mercy to those who love Me and keep My commandments (Ex. 20:6). Thus 21 references to love occur in Deuteronomy, the review of the Law before entering the Promised Land. God supremely displayed His love in bringing Israel out of Egypt (Deut. 4:37). The greatest command was a call to love God: You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength (Deut. 6:5). Duty became the essence of religion for Israel; but mere duty was never what God called for. Israel’s obedience to God was to be founded in her love for God. Jesus said the same thing: If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word (Jn. 14:23).
As you read this Psalm, reflect on God’s goodness to you. Do, but don’t just go back ten or twenty years; think about yesterday or today. Then consider how you can offer Him the sacrifice of thanksgiving (116:17). Consider how to publicly praise Him in the presence of all His people (116:18). Praise the LORD!
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