10-12 All nations surrounded me; in the name of the Lord I cut them off! They surrounded me, surrounded me on every side; in the name of the Lord I cut them off! They surrounded me like bees; they went out like a fire among thorns; in the name of the Lord I cut them off! 13-14 I was pushed hard so that I was falling, but the Lord helped me. The Lord is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation. 15 Glad songs of salvation are in the tents of the righteous. 16 “The right hand of the Lord does valiantly, the right hand of the Lord exalts, the right hand of the Lord does valiantly!”

17-18 I shall not die, but I shall live, and recount the deeds of the Lord. The Lord has disciplined me severely, but he has not given me over to death. 19-21 Open to me the gates of righteousness, that I may enter through them and give thanks to the Lord. This is the gate of the Lord; the righteous shall enter through it. I thank you that you have answered me and have become my salvation. Psalm 118:10-21 English Standard Version

This Psalm began with a call to God's people to praise Him because of His goodness, and for His steadfast love. Who God is, what He is like, and all that He has done, are excellent reasons why it is right and proper to praise Him with grateful hearts. The writer also mentioned how God had come to the aid of those who had called on Him when they were in danger. What was the particular danger he, and probably the whole nation, had been facing? (vs 10-12)

It speaks of a time when nations were attacking Israel. He speaks of being totally surrounded, and of the enemies being as numerous as a swarm of bees. We're not told exactly which battle this was speaking of, and there were many times when Israel faced large enemy forces, but he twice says how, in the name of the Lord, he had defeated his foes. What was the happy personal testimony this led to? (vs 13-14)

He was like someone who had been pushed so hard that they had nearly fallen over, but God had helped him to stay on his feet and win the day. So his testimony was that “The Lord is my strength and my song; He has become my salvation.” This testimony of salvation wasn't just for him. Verse 15 shows that it was shared by all 'the righteous'. But how does this salvation come about? (vs 16)

It is through the strength of God's right hand. When Israel had been saved through the Red Sea from the Egyptian army who were pursuing them with hundreds of chariots, Moses and the people had sung a song which included the words “Your right hand, O Lord, glorious in power, your right hand, O Lord, shatters the enemy.” God's right hand is a picture of His awesome strength.

But there's another way too by which God's ‘right hand’ brings salvation. At a time when Israel had fallen into sinful ways and their enemies were getting the upper hand, they cried to God for help and prayed: “Let your hand be on the man of your right hand, the son of man whom you have made strong for yourself!” (Psalm 80:17) They were asking God to send a man from His right hand to rescue them. In Psalm 110:1 we read how King David had spoken of such a man. He said: “The Lord says to my Lord: 'Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool.'”

The disciples in the New Testament saw how those words of David applied to Jesus. They also told how, at the ascension, Jesus had been “exalted at the right hand of God.” (Acts 2:33) It is by Jesus, and through faith in Him, that sinful men and women are made righteous. Verses 17-18 of the Psalm remind us that our sins deserved death, but God has shown the mercy of salvation though Jesus. And though sometimes He may need to discipline us, death will not defeat us. On the contrary, what can those who are righteous through Christ triumphantly say? (vs 19-21)

That phrase would've been sung by the congregation on a festival day in Israel as they approached the courts of the temple. Perhaps some may have even thought of the words in Psalm 16:11 which say “You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures for evermore.” But how much more applicable it now is of those who have believed the gospel, and who have been clothed, as it were, with the righteousness of Christ. God's right hand has gotten them victory over sin and death. Hallelujah.