The Context Of Our Rejoicing

March 2009 – Grace & Truth Magazine

The Context Of Our Rejoicing

Psalms 113-118 are a vital part of the Passover Haggadah, which means the “telling” or “story” of the Passover. They were sung during the Passover celebration. These psalms were also called the Egyptian Hallel because they were chanted in the temple while the Passover lambs were being slain. While practices varied, Psalms 113-114 were sung at the beginning of the Passover celebration, while 115-118 were sung at its conclusion.

Psalms 115-118 were most likely the “hymn” referred to as being sung by Jesus and His disciples at the conclusion of their Passover meal, as they went to the Mount of Olives (Mk. 14:26). They were the last psalms sung by our Lord. Keep this in mind as you read about them in this month’s Feature articles.

Psalms 113-118 are a memorable celebration of God’s great acts of delivering His people out of Egyptian slavery. Prophetically, they also point toward the deliverance that would come through the shed blood of “the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world” (Jn. 1:29 NKJV). These psalms became part of the Jewish family worship liturgy, and were the focal point for praise, worship and thanksgiving of every pious Jew during Passover.

Among the many glorious thoughts brought forth in these psalms, 118:24 may be the most well known: “This is the day the Lord has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.” Christians often recite it at the beginning of every day, but in its context this particular verse is not about any day, but about that one special day when “the stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone” (118:22) – the day Jesus, God’s Lamb, died for our sins.

This is the day the Lord has made! Let us rejoice and be glad in it. Why? Because “the Lord has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes” (118:23 NIV). This is the context of our Passover celebration.

By Larry Ondrejack