How does Psalm 118:23 challenge the belief in human autonomy and self-determination? Text and Immediate Meaning Psalm 118:23 declares, “This is from the LORD; it is marvelous in our eyes.” The Hebrew reads, מֵאֵ֣ת יְהוָ֑ה הָ֝יְתָ֗ה זֹּ֗את הִ֣יא נִפְלָ֥את בְּעֵינֵֽינוּ, stressing that the originating force (“from Yahweh”) is external to humanity. The verse sits between v. 22 (“The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone”) and v. 24 (“This is the day the LORD has made”), framing a triad that ascribes both the reversal of rejection and the very fabric of time to God alone. Canonical and Messianic Context 1. Old Testament setting: The psalm is part of the Hallel (Psalm 113–118), sung at Passover, where Israel explicitly thanked God for deliverance from Egypt—an act no Israelite could have self-generated (Exodus 14:13–14). 2. New Testament fulfillment: Jesus applies vv. 22–23 to Himself (Matthew 21:42; Mark 12:10–11; Luke 20:17). Peter reiterates the claim (Acts 4:11; 1 Peter 2:7). The crucifixion/resurrection sequence—the rejected stone becoming the cornerstone—was “from the LORD,” not from human ingenuity, overthrowing any notion that redemption is a human project (Romans 3:24–26). Divine Sovereignty Versus Human Autonomy • Source clause: “from the LORD” (מֵאֵת יְהוָה) sets causal primacy in God, not in the autonomous will of people (cf. Isaiah 46:9–10). • Evaluative clause: “it is marvelous in our eyes” records human astonishment, implying that the result exceeds human capacity to predict, engineer, or duplicate (Job 42:2–3). • Adjacent declaration: v. 24’s “day the LORD has made” folds all temporal agency into divine creation (Psalm 139:16), undercutting self-determination in both event and epoch. Philosophical Implications The verse assaults the Enlightenment narrative that humans are ultimate originators of meaning and destiny: 1. Epistemic humility: What is “marvelous” is received, not produced (1 Corinthians 4:7). 2. Teleology: The cornerstone (Christ) aligns creation toward God’s redemptive purpose, overriding self-constructed ends (Colossians 1:16–17). 3. Moral agency: While Scripture affirms responsible choice (Joshua 24:15), Psalm 118:23 insists those choices operate inside a divine plan (Proverbs 16:9; Philippians 2:12–13). Biblical Cross-References Intensifying the Claim • Salvation: “Not by works, so that no one can boast” (Ephesians 2:8–9). • Providence: “He works all things according to the counsel of His will” (Ephesians 1:11). • Human limitation: “A man cannot receive anything unless it is given to him from heaven” (John 3:27). Christ’s Resurrection as the Supreme Vindication The early creed embedded in 1 Corinthians 15:3–7 (dated within five years of the cross) publicly affirms that the rejected stone (Jesus) became the risen cornerstone—an event repeatedly described as God’s act (Acts 2:24, 32). Habermas’s minimal-facts database notes over 1,400 scholarly publications (1975-present) conceding the disciples’ resurrection experiences. If God alone raised Jesus, Psalm 118:23 finds its climactic historical anchor, nullifying human self-salvation. Practical and Pastoral Application 1. Worship posture: Every genuine achievement should be greeted with “This is from the LORD,” cultivating gratitude rather than self-exaltation. 2. Counseling: Those crushed by self-reliance can rest in a sovereignty that orchestrates the “day” itself. 3. Evangelism: Point skeptics to the cornerstone’s resurrection as objective evidence that destiny is God-given, not self-generated. Conclusion Psalm 118:23 overturns the creed of human autonomy by asserting that the pivotal events of history, salvation, and even the unfolding of each day originate solely in Yahweh’s initiative. Human eyes can only marvel; they cannot claim authorship. |
    |