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"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."
- Psalm 118:17-18
This year, my family and friends celebrated Good Friday with a Seder meal, a Jewish feast held during Passover that retells the Israelites’ Exodus from Egypt. We used Poor Bishop Hooper’s book A Meal of Remembrance, which highlights Christ as the Passover lamb and how He fulfills both prophecy and the deeper meaning behind Seder traditions. I can barely begin to express the preciousness of looking at our Slain Lamb, and how every detail of that sacred Last Supper night so perfectly fulfilled prophecy while falling under the design and tradition of ancient Judaism. "Who is This who fulfills the words of His servants..."
The night of the Last Supper, Jesus and his disciples sang hymns (Matthew 26:30), following the Jewish tradition of singing the Hallel Pslams (Psalms 113-118). Picturing our Lord singing these specific Psalms the night of His betrayal is breathtaking. I encourage you to read through each of these in full, but I will provide a few of my favorite verses below.
"It is not the dead who praise the Lord,
those who go down to the place of silence; it is we who extol the Lord, both now and forevermore." (Psalm 115:17-18)
"The cords of death entangled me,
the anguish of the grave came over me; I was overcome by distress and sorrow. Then I called on the name of the Lord... For you, Lord, have delivered me from death,
my eyes from tears, my feet from stumbling, that I may walk before the Lord in the land of the living...
I will lift up the cup of salvation
and call on the name of the Lord." (Psalm 116: 3-4, 8-9, 13)
"I will not die but live,
and will proclaim what the Lord has done. The Lord has chastened me severely, but he has not given me over to death. Open for me the gates of the righteous; I will enter and give thanks to the Lord. This is the gate of the Lord through which the righteous may enter. I will give you thanks, for you answered me; you have become my salvation. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.
From the house of the Lord we bless you. The Lord is God, and he has made his light shine on us. With boughs in hand, join in the festal procession up to the horns of the altar. You are my God, and I will praise you;
you are my God, and I will exalt you.
Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;
his love endures forever." (Psalm 118:17-21, 26-29) If you would like to listen to Poor Bishop Hoopers recorded versions of these songs, I will link them below. It is a truly solemn experience listening to these songs while meditating on the passages.
"How precious from such continuous use are these Psalms, which end with one more precious than all, because sung by Jesus, before He went forth to suffer. How must the holy Hymn have swelled upon His lips, as He sang- 'I shall not die, but live, and declare the works of the Lord'- 'God is the Lord which hath showed us light; bind the sacrifice with chords even unto the horns of the altar.'"- Sarah F. Smiley Until our King returns, —Maddie |
Hi! I'm Maddie
"For as the earth brings forth its bud, as the garden causes the things that are sown in it to spring forth, so the Lord God will cause righteousness and praise to spring forth before all the nations. "- Isaiah 61:11