This Bible Study is is provided by http://www.theseason.org/ and shared with permission from it's author R. Christopherson

This Psalms is used at the feast of Tabernacles.

Psalms 118:1 "O give thanks unto the Lord; for He is good: Because His mercy endureth for ever."

Sure, there is an overwhelming feeling when you are in the presence of the Almighty God. God is merciful, and that mercy lasts for ever, through all eternity.

Psalms 118:2 "Let Israel now say, That He mercy endureth for ever."

This is a public Psalm, and all the people would read from this Psalm at the feast of the Tabernacles. It should be sung in our songs, and taught from our pulpits.

Psalms 118:3 "Let the house of Aaron now say, That His mercy endureth for ever."

Aaron is the teacher, and this is saying, let the teachers now speak of the mercies of God that last for ever. Teach that, and don't pass our Heavenly Father off as a villain. He isn't, for He is a God of love.

Psalms 118:4 "Let them now that fear the Lord say, That His mercy endureth for ever."

Let all those that have reverenced the Lord also speak of the mercies of our Lord that He endureth for ever. Let everyone speak of our Lord's mercies.

Psalms 118:5 "I called upon THE LORD in distress: THE LORD answered me, and set me in a large place."

I called on "Yah", the Father when I was in distress, and He answered me. The phrase "set me in a Large place", in the Hebrew text is "Bammerhabyah", meaning "with deliverance". In the Massoretic test it reads: "I called upon Yah in distress, He answered me with the deliverance of Yah."

Psalms 118:6 "The Lord is on my side; I will not fear: What can a man do unto me?"

The Lord Yah is on my side. If Yah is on my side, man can't do one thing to me.

Psalms 118:7 "The Lord taketh my part with them that help me: Therefore shall I see my desire upon them that hate me."

Why would "them" help me? Because we are all part of that one body in Christ. God takes the part of all those that are part of the "one body in Christ". When something or someone is plotting against you, it is not your part to take vengeance on them, for God is the one that will take vengeance on them. Paul tells us in Romans 12:19 "Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, "Vengeance is Mine; I will repay, saith the Lord." Father knows how to settle the score far more than we do, for He knows the thoughts and intents of that person's heart. God will correct those things that go against you by those seeking to do you wrong. God is with in all the time, when you are in Him.

Psalms 118:8 "It is better to trust in the Lord Than to put confidence in man."

Why? Because man is vain, and he will let you down. However our heavenly Father will never let you down. All men, no matter how well you think of him, he is still man, human, and he has his problems also. This is why we keep our eyes on our Lord, and put our faith and trust in Him for He will never let you down. Father created your very soul and He knows what is good for your soul.

Psalms 118:9 "It is better to trust in the Lord Than to put confidence in princes."

Even the finest of world leaders will let you down. Sure they try to do their best, but even the best falls short of perfection, because they are human and as such, not perfect. Even when things are going wrong, and we get tangled in strife between nation, we know that it is God that is in control. God brings about the setting up of nations and bringing them down. He moves and controls all nations in the fulfillment of His plan, and that plan is recorded in His Scripture. This is why we are to study all the Scripture, for we are living in the time of the end, and the world shall be deceived in our day. This allows us to view the events of our day with understanding, knowing how these events fit into God's plan.

Psalms 118:10 "All nations compassed me about: But in the name of the Lord will I destroy them."

We know how this earth age of flesh man will end, and no matter what defense this one world system comes up with, in the end, God will take them all down and destroy them and their leader Satan. This chapter is sung or worded for the feast of Tabernacles and looking forward to prophetic events. This is the time that Christ was born, and it also looks forward to when Christ returns at His second advent or coming. Jesus was born on the first day of the feast of Tabernacles, and on the eighth, He was circumcised. His return is also set symbolically, for the last day will occur on the feast of Trumpets. So how will "I" destroy them? We destroy them because we are one in Christ, and God shall destroy this one world system that is trying to control every part of our lives.

Ezekiel 39:2, 3 "And I will turn thee back, and leave but the sixth part of thee, and will cause thee to come up from the north parts, and will bring thee upon the mountains of Israel:" "And I will smite thy bow out of thy left hand, and will cause thine arrows to fall out of thy right hand."

And why will God do this? in verse five; "...and they shall know that I am the Lord [Jehovah]." No human on this earth at that time will have anything to bring down the system, or the allied armies that assault God's people, true Israel.

Psalms 118:11 "They compassed me about; yea, they compassed me about: But in the name of the Lord I will destroy them."

Notice that "They compassed me about" is given two times for emphasis. We don't have anything to worry about when this destruction of God's enemies takes place. We are to stand strong in these final days, standing in Him; but when the final battle does come, don't get in His way. There is a time of vengeance by our Lord coming, so expect it.

Psalms 118:12 "Thy compassed me about like bees; they are quenched as the fire of thorns: For in the name of the Lord I will destroy them."

A dry bramble bush of thorns explodes when fire hits it. This is saying that those of this world system are swarming all about me like bees, and at the time of Christ's return, they will be destroyed just like those bees in a bramble bush. This is how they will be destroyed when they come against Jerusalem. That fire comes down from heaven.

Psalms 118:13 "Thou hast thrust sore at me that I might fall: But the Lord helped me."

It doesn't take much on the part of the Lord to bring them to an end. Our Heavenly Father has his eye on you, and all that trust Him, and in that day of His coming He will be your guide and shield. You can count on the promises for His Word for they are true.

Psalms 118:14 "The Lord is my strength and song, And is become my salvation."

The crucifixion made this verse a reality, and it has become fact. His salvation was given even all the way back to Adam. Jesus Christ opened the door holding the souls of them in captivity, and gave each of the the opportunity that we have to receive His salvation.

Psalms 118:15 "The voice of rejoicing and salvation is in the tabernacles of the righteous: The right hand of the Lord doeth valiantly."

These "tabernacles" are in their homes, their houses or where every you are. Our rejoicing is where ever we are, for we rejoice in the protection that our Lord gives to us. Is God there in your house, and are you rejoicing over His love for you? If you claim the promise in His Name, Jesus the Christ, He will see that this promise of eternal salvation is your. God looks after all of His children. It is just as natural for an adult to come to the aid of a child in distress, as for our heavenly Father to come to your aid, when you are in distress.

Psalms 118:16 "The right hand of the Lord is exalted: The right hand of the Lord doeth valiantly."

Our Lord Jesus Christ is on that throne to the right hand of the Father, and He shall remain there until His enemies become His footstool, and this age of flesh man is over and done with.

Psalms 118:17 "I shall not die, but live, And declare the works of THE LORD."

Before you can declare the works of the Lord, you must know what those works are. You have to pick up the bible and study it, and place those truths in your mind. Why won't you die? Because our Lord promises you eternal life, when you come to Him in repentance. We just read in Psalms 115 that Christ paid the price for salvation, but we have to reach out and take for ourselves. We read how we are made of clay, and the clay goes back to the dust of the earth that it is made of, and our soul goes to the Father that created it. When that precious inner man or woman is saved, there is no death that comes to it. We are living in the final generation, and there are two armies forming for the final battle, one here made of flesh and blood that will be serving the Lord to the final trumpet, and the other that shall return with the lord to set up His kingdom right here on earth.

Psalms 118:18 "THE LORD hath chastened me sore: but He hath not given me over unto death."

Today many church houses teach soul sleep, and that when one dies, they will be in the ground until some rapture take place. This is soul sleep and it is from the devil. Our soul never sleeps, it is only our flesh body that sleeps. There is only one that can claim the life of your soul and He is our heavenly Father. However when you are in the Lord, and under the blood of Christ, then your soul will never see death. Sure your physical body will see death, if not before the seventh trump, then at the sounding of the seventh trump. For at the sounding of the seventh trump, all persons alive and living in their flesh bodies will be changed from their flesh corruptible body into the incorruptible body. They will then live the next thousand years in that body as the angels have. However those with salvation, will have eternal life for their soul, and that soul shall never die. At the close of the Millennium age, comes the great white throne judgment, and following that judgment, many will follow Satan into hell fire by their own choice. That death of the soul in hell fire, is called the second death, for the first death, is the death of your flesh body.

Psalms 118:19 "Open to me the gates of righteousness: I will go into them, and I will praise THE LORD:"

Remember that this is feast time, when this passage is read. The gates are swung wide open, and the people come and praise the Lord for all their blessings. The gates are open even today, and come in to peace of mind, and take your rest in our Lord Jesus Christ.

Psalms 118:20 "This gate of the Lord, Into which the righteous shall enter."

Can you see behind that vail just a little? Many have passed that gate and seen the light and feeling of well being, only to return to this life in the physical world. Why? Because they were in the presence of the Almighty God. Your soul came from the Father, and at death or Christ's coming it will return to our Lord.

Psalms 118:21 "I will praise Thee: for Thou hast heard me, And art become my salvation."

Our Lord will always here you when you call out to Him.

Psalms 118:22 "The stone which the builders refused is become the head stone of the corner."

Yashua Messiah, Jesus the Christ is that chief head stone of the corner that the builders rejected. This is demonstrated on the great pyramid of Egypt, where the cap stone at the top is missing. That stone is not there because He is on the right hand of the Father in heaven. It tells us here that this stone will be a stumbling stone, because there are two Jesus coming, and the first is Satan. Many in our generation will stumble and chase after the wrong savior, the one that claims to be, but is a fake. This will be their downfall, because they do not know the Word, and the events of our time. We have work to do in our generation, to prepare for that time, but most Christians are out chasing traditions of men and false doctrine.

Psalms 118:23 "This is the Lord's doing; It is marvellous in our eyes."

It is marvelous in our eyes, if you have your spiritual eyes open to the truth. Then you can see how God is faithful to His Word, as He moves the nations, and peoples into the events of the end times. When you come to understand our Father's love for you, and see how He works in your life, you will praise Him for his marvelous doing in your life.

Psalms 118:24 "This is the day which the Lord hath made; We will rejoice and be glad in it."

Many teach, as the manuscripts say, that this is the final day of this earth age of flesh man. When we see the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, we will rejoice and be glad in that day. We will enter into that Millennium kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ, and receive our incorruptible body as the the angels have. That body will not age, as we spend the next thousand years serving Him. This also marks the day of the feast of Tabernacles, that day of victory. Father made this day for us to praise Him and be glad in it. That is also the day that communion is taken.

Psalms 118:25 "Save now, I beseech Thee, O Lord: O Lord, I beseech Thee, send now prosperity."

"Save now" is "Hosanna" in the Hebrew tongue. The people cried Hosanna when Jesus rode that ass into the city just before His suffering on the cross, and He will save right now, if you cry out to Him in repentance in Jesus name. He paid the price, and now it is up to you to accept that offer or reject it.

Psalms 118:26 "Blessed be he that cometh in the name of the Lord: We have blessed you out of the house of the Lord."

This is the Messiah that cometh, and today it is through the Holy Spirit that draws us in the name of the Lord.

Psalms 118:27 "God is the Lord, Which hath shewed us light: Bind the sacrifice with cords, even unto the horns of the altar."

The light is there for you to take, so come out of that darkness that this world offers. Come into the truth, come into our Father's light of His Word. Let your love for Him be bound as your sacrifice, and take it to the altar of God in prayer. His altar is in your heart, and your love is the only thing that you have that He wants from you.

Psalms 118:28 "Thou art my God, and I will praise Thee: Thou art my God, I will exalt Thee."

Can you exalt the Lord our God? Can you praise Him for all the blessings and workings He has done in your life? That is what our Heavenly Father is looking for from you. It is your sacrifice to Him.

Romans 12:1 "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present you bodies a living sacrifice, holy acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service."

You offer yourself that sacrifice because our Father deserves it, and bless you and fight your battles for you when you do.

Psalms 118:29 "O give thanks unto the Lord; for He is good: For His mercy endureth for ever."

Notice that the first and last verse of this chapter is the same, giving our Father all the praise for His mercies to us. As it was in the beginning, so shall it be at the end. Are you ready for this end that is approaching our generation?