What does Psalm 118:17 mean?
In context, this is a celebration that the Lord has brought the psalmist—and Israel—through some dangerous moment. The song implies that this crisis will not end in death. Rather, it will result in opportunities to further spread the glory of God. Telling others about God's influence on us is a key part of introducing them to faith in Him (Exodus 10:1–2; Psalm 78:3–4; Mark 5:20).No one knows how long he or she will live, but our lifespan is in the Lord's hands. While we live, we should honor the Lord and represent him well as His ambassadors (2 Corinthians 5:20). When Jesus told Peter to feed His sheep, He predicted that Peter would die as an old man (John 21:17–18). He also told Peter that the disciple John would live as long as it was the Lord's will for him to live (John 21:21–22). The apostle Paul had the right attitude about life. He was determined to honor Christ in his body, whether by life or by death (Philippians 1:20). His testimony was: "For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain" (Philippians 1:21).
Psalm 118:10–18 speaks for the nation of Israel and gives reasons for trusting in the Lord. One possible inspiration for these words was Israel's freedom from seventy years of exile (Ezra 2:1) and the rebuilding of Jerusalem's walls and temple. The repeated phrases were probably meant to be expressed by the entire congregation, in response to the cue lines which come before. The use of past tense here may also be poetic, implying that the psalmist is looking ahead to something God will certainly do, as if it had already happened.
Psalm 118 appears to be a "call and response." The repeated phrases may have been spoken by a congregation after the prompts, read by a song leader. The psalmist begins with a declaration of God's loyal love and its expression by all of Israel. Next is a celebration of the Lord's rescue and the value of honoring Him. Despite Israel's many powerful neighbors, God preserved them through discipline and exile, not allowing the nation to die. What the world rejects has now become the key piece of God's plan for mankind.
