Holding on to Hope: Easter in Old Testament Poetryနမူနာ

God’s love for you is loyal. You can’t lose it or outlast it. His love endureth toward you.

God’s steadfast love is the theme of today's poem, commonly known as Psalm 118. As you read, notice how the poet repeats words and uses parallel structures for emphasis.

Much—but not all—of biblical poetry is found in the psalms, and the Israelites had routines to help them remember key messages from God throughout their history.

Personally, I’m a fan of using routines to encourage our memories. As a mom with two elementary-age sons, we build our daily lives on routines. Our wake up routine, arriving home routine, and bedtime routine help my kids know what to do to prepare for what’s coming next.

Routines also help us remember important information. My husband and I repeat the same phrase every night before bed. We’ve done this for so long that they can finish the refrain, and we tease them by getting a word wrong or out of order, and then they’ll correct us. “I love you with my whole heart, no matter what, forever and always.”

We see something similar on display in how the Israelites used Psalm 118.

The poem moves from the psalm leader speaking as “I” to “we” as the worshiping community responds.

“The stone that the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone.
This is the Lord's doing;
it is marvelous in our eyes.” (Psalm 118:22-23, emphasis added)

“Save us, we pray, O Lord!
O Lord, we pray, give us success!
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” (Psalm 118:25-26a, emphasis added)

This poem is in the “Egyptian Hallel” collection of Psalms 113-118, traditionally associated with Passover. The annual feast stood as a lasting memorial of God’s steadfast love and rescue. According to scholars, Jewish pilgrims would sing these psalms on their way to Jerusalem for Passover. Psalm 118 specifically would be sung responsively between Levites and pilgrims who approached the temple to worship. Families would sing Psalms 113-114 before the Seder meal and Psalms 115-118 afterward.

We pick up the Easter story in Matthew 21 as Jesus enters Jerusalem ahead of Passover and experiences what we now celebrate as Palm Sunday. Crowds spread their cloaks on the road before Him, waved palm branches, and shouted “Hosanna…Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” The boisterous crowd quoted Psalm 118!

When in the Jerusalem temple, chief priests and elders challenged Jesus’ authority and in response, Jesus also quoted this poem.

“Have you never read in the Scriptures: ‘The stone that the builders rejected…’” (Matthew 21:42a)

Of course they had read those verses. These temple leaders likely repeated them that very day.

Fast-forward to the night of His betrayal. The Last Supper was a celebration of Passover. The disciples celebrated how God saved them from slavery through the initial sacrificial lamb, while seated at the table with the Lamb of God. It’s even likely that Jesus led the disciples in singing part of Psalm 118.

This poem helped remind God’s people of His steadfast love. The habit of repeating its refrain reminded them to hope for their Messiah.

I wonder how this routine must have reminded Jesus.

His years on earth resounded with promises of rejection. Since childhood, this Passover routine echoed to young Jesus what was to come. Then He experienced that rejection as leaders and locals accused His ministry, attacked His identity, and eventually took steps to have Him killed.

And yet, in steadfast love our Savior didn’t change course or remove Himself. He became the cornerstone. His steadfast love endures forever.

May we see God’s love on display in a fresh way today. Tomorrow we’ll explore a poem about Christ’s sacrifice that sounds like an eyewitness account, but actually was written 700 years in advance!