Psalm 118:27, 28 God is the LORD, which has showed us light: bind the sacrifice with cords, even to the horns of the altar. Thus also may this psalm be regarded. It is falsehood when sung by the godless and unsaved; but if we are Christ's by willing consent, then this song is ours. I. GOD SHOWS US LIGHT. As at the Creation the Holy Spirit's first work was the giving of the light, so is it in the new creation of the soul. 1. Light as to its real condition - lost, helpless, guilty, condemned. 2. Revealing the Lord Jesus Christ as the Savior of the lost. 3. And as our Keeper and Upholder when saved, by the power of his Holy Spirit. 4. Light as to his will-forces, and our capacity for and obligation to serve him. Has God thus showed us light? II. THE SOUL PRESENTS ITSELF IN SACRIFICE. This is ever so. Christ is not our sacrifice, unless we are his. If his is for us, ours is unto him. The instinctive utterance of the soul is, "What shall I render unto the Lord?" III. BUT THIS SACRIFICE. WHICH WE BRING NEEDS TO BE BOUND TO THE ALTAR. It used to be said by the Jews that no animals were so restive as those which were brought for sacrifice to the altar. Certainly our sacrifice needs to be bound with cords to the altar. Do we not find how our hearts would go off to the world again? What tendency to turn from Christ there is! The down-drag of the world, the flesh and the devil are terrible indeed. Do we not find this in our prayers? How our minds wander! how difficult to fix our attention! Satan is ever busy with suggestions and temptations to make us take back our sacrifice. IV. BUT THERE ARE CORDS, TRUSTY AND STRONG, WITH WHICH WE MAY BIND THE SACRIFICE TO THE ALTAR. AS it was with our Lord - to whom this whole psalm is for ever pointing us - there were cords which bound him, and the same will bind us. 1. The cord of love. This was his motive, and must be ours. Not fear, not the goadings of conscience, not mere sense of duty, but love. "The love of Christ constraineth me," said St. Paul. This is one chief cord. 2. Faith. Not mere creed, but trust, reliance. This was one of Christ's cords. His enemies mocked him on the cross, "He trusted in God, that he would deliver him!" They were right; he did ever trust in God. He was sure that his Father's will was right, and that the path ordained for him was the right one. And so must it be with us. We have to walk by faith, not by sight. If we let go our trust, we shall certainly take back the sacrifice we have brought. But trust keeps it on the altar of consecration. 3. Obedience. This was the habit of our Lord's life. He did always that which pleased God. And so with us. Let us form the habit of obedience, and we shall find that the very idea of a contrary course becomes alien to the mind. To do God's will becomes almost instinctive with us. 4. Delight, not mere duty. (Cf. our Lord's words, Psalm 40:8.) It is good to do God's will, even when we feel no delight; but how much happier and more effectual is our service when we do! And if we persistently serve the Lord, we shall find delight in his service. These are the cords which held our Lord to his sacrifice, and will hold us to ours. - S.C. Parallel Verses KJV: God is the LORD, which hath shewed us light: bind the sacrifice with cords, even unto the horns of the altar. |
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