He has made His light to shine upon us.
The imagery of light is often associated with God's presence, guidance, and favor. In the context of the Psalms, light symbolizes divine revelation and salvation. This phrase can be connected to the Aaronic blessing in Numbers 6:24-26, where the Lord's face shining upon His people signifies grace and peace. The light also foreshadows the coming of Jesus Christ, who is described as the "light of the world" in John 8:12, bringing spiritual illumination and redemption.

Bind the festal sacrifice with cords to the horns of the altar.
This instruction reflects the practices of sacrificial worship in the temple, where offerings were made to God as acts of thanksgiving and atonement. The altar's horns were projections at each corner, symbolizing strength and refuge, as seen in Exodus 27:2. Binding the sacrifice indicates dedication and commitment to God, aligning with the covenantal practices of Israel. This act can be seen as a type of Christ's ultimate sacrifice, where He was bound and offered for the sins of humanity, fulfilling the sacrificial system and establishing a new covenant.

“The LORD is God” (Psalm 118:27) is a public confession that Israel’s covenant God, Yahweh, alone is divine.

• It echoes Deuteronomy 6:4, “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is One,” reminding worshipers that all praise, trust, and obedience belong to Him alone.

• Isaiah 45:5 reinforces, “I am the LORD, and there is no other,” underlining the exclusivity of His deity.

• In the immediate context of Psalm 118—often sung at the Feast of Passover—this declaration comes after thanksgiving for victory (vv. 19-26). It anchors national deliverance in the character of the one true God.

• For believers today, 1 Corinthians 8:6 applies the same truth: “Yet for us there is but one God, the Father… and one Lord, Jesus Christ.” The verse invites us to join that ancient chorus, acknowledging that the God who acted then is still acting now.

Light in Scripture pictures God’s favor, presence, and salvation.

• Numbers 6:24-26 expresses the priestly blessing, “The LORD make His face shine upon you,” which Psalm 118 celebrates as realized.

• Psalm 27:1 calls the LORD “my light and my salvation,” linking brightness with rescue. Here the psalmist testifies that God’s saving light has broken through their darkness—both nationally and personally.

• Ultimately, John 1:9 and John 8:12 reveal Jesus as “the true Light” and “the light of the world.” His incarnation fulfills the shining favor promised in Psalm 118, and 2 Corinthians 4:6 confirms that God “has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.”

• Practically, this line invites gratitude: every ray of hope, guidance, or redemption we experience flows from His deliberate decision to illuminate our path (Psalm 119:105).

Moving from proclamation to action, worshipers are told to secure the offering.

• In Israel’s calendar, major feasts such as Passover or Tabernacles included thanksgiving sacrifices (Leviticus 23). Psalm 118 fits this setting: deliverance calls for a tangible, communal response.

• Psalm 116:17 voices the same heart: “I will offer You a sacrifice of thanksgiving.”

• The binding underscores intentionality—no half-hearted gift. Everything necessary for worship is put in place, mirroring Romans 12:1 where believers are urged to present their bodies as “a living sacrifice.” God’s mercy propels wholehearted dedication.

• For us, this line challenges complacency. Gratitude isn’t merely spoken; it is tied down by choices, time, resources, and obedience that say, “Lord, You’re worth it.”

The destination of the bound sacrifice is specific: the altar’s horns.

• Exodus 27:2 describes these protrusions at each corner of the bronze altar, symbolizing power and atonement. Blood was applied to them during sin offerings (Leviticus 4:7), marking complete reconciliation.

• The phrase assures worshipers that their offering will reach the very place where sin is dealt with and fellowship restored.

• Horns also became a place of refuge (1 Kings 1:50), hinting that God’s altar offers both cleansing and safety.

• In Christ, these truths converge. Hebrews 13:10-12 teaches that He suffered “outside the gate” to sanctify the people, fulfilling every altar shadow. 1 John 2:2 states He is “the atoning sacrifice for our sins.” Thus, when we read of the sacrifice secured to the altar’s horns, we see the cross where Jesus was firmly “bound” for our redemption (Acts 2:23).

Psalm 118:27 moves from declaration to celebration to dedication:

• We confess that the LORD alone is God.

• We rejoice that His saving light has dawned on us.

• We respond by presenting a costly, wholehearted sacrifice.

• We rest in the atoning power symbolized by the altar’s horns—ultimately fulfilled in Jesus Christ.

The verse invites us to live continually in that sequence: belief, gratitude, surrender, and confident refuge in the finished work of our Lord.

Bind the sacrifice . . .--This cannot well be, "tie the victim to the horns of the altar," for the Hebrew is "as far as to," and no satisfactory explanation is possible of binding animals as far as the altar, unless we are to translate "bind and lead." But the Hebrew word rendered victim might by derivation ("to go round") easily mean a circlet or crown, and by supplying the verb go we get bind on a crown, go with garlands even to the horns of the altar. The ancient versions, LXX., Vulg., Aquila, Symmachus, all point to this rendering.