What is the meaning of Psalm 118:4? Let those who fear the LORD - This opening call is directed to everyone who truly reveres God. Scripture treats “the fear of the LORD” as the starting point for wisdom and obedience (Psalm 111:10; Proverbs 1:7). - It is a fear marked by awe, trust, and loyalty—never terror for the believer who knows God’s grace (Psalm 25:14). - God has always gathered a people who “feared the LORD and honored His name” (Malachi 3:16), whether under the old covenant or, today, through faith in Christ (Acts 10:35). - When you fear Him, you recognize His Word as completely reliable and literally true, and you shape life around that conviction (Ecclesiastes 12:13). say, - The verse moves from attitude to action: those who fear God are told to speak. Faith is meant to be voiced, not merely held inside (Romans 10:9–10). - Declaring God’s works is a recurring theme: “Let the redeemed of the LORD say so” (Psalm 107:2). - Words have power. When believers openly confess God’s goodness, they strengthen one another and offer a living witness to the world (Hebrews 13:15; 1 Peter 2:9). - Silence in the face of God’s mercy isn’t humility; it’s missed opportunity. The Psalmist invites a chorus, not a whisper. His loving devotion endures forever. - Here is the message we are to broadcast: God’s “loving devotion” (often translated “steadfast love” or “mercy”) is unending. - This covenant love appears all through Scripture: “The LORD, the LORD God, compassionate and gracious… abounding in loving devotion” (Exodus 34:6). - Psalm 136 repeats the identical refrain twenty-six times, driving home the same truth. - Because His love is eternal, it cannot be exhausted by our failures (Lamentations 3:22–23) and will carry us into eternity (Ephesians 2:4–7). - To confess this is to affirm that the God who saved yesterday is the same God who sustains today and will glorify tomorrow (Hebrews 13:8). summary The verse summons every person who reveres God to speak out boldly: “His loving devotion endures forever.” Reverence fuels the proclamation, proclamation spreads the news, and the news itself—God’s everlasting love—anchors faith. Believe it literally, declare it confidently, and live it expectantly. |
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