An unnamed writer gave thanks to God for delivering him from imminent death and lengthening his life. He promised to praise God in the temple for these blessings.
". . . if ever a psalm had the marks of spontaneity, this is surely such a one."189
The psalmist loved God because the Lord had granted his prayer request. Consequently he promised to continue praying to Him as long as he lived. This expression of love for God is unusual in the psalms. More often the psalmists spoke of their respect for Yahweh. This writer was uncommonly affectionate.
116:3 Evidently the writer had been very close to death. He pictured it as reaching out to him with cords and almost trapping him as a hunter snares an animal.
Imaging how the Lord Jesus must have felt as He sang these words during His last Passover in the Upper Room. He knew He was facing death.
116:4-6 The psalmist cried out in prayer for physical deliverance from death, and the Lord granted his request. This led him to magnify God's graciousness, righteousness, and compassion. Verse 6 suggests that he may have been in danger of dying because he had been foolish or ignorant.
"The simpleis a revealing description to use, for in the Old Testament it has no trace of merit. The silly' would hardly be too strong a term for these gullible, feckless people who roam the pages of Proverbs drifting into trouble. It is humble of the psalmist to identify with them; it is humble of God to have time for them (if them' is the right pronoun for us to use)."190
116:7-11 There are lessons people should learn from this deliverance. First, believers can rest because God delivers from death (vv. 7-8). Second, people to whom God extends His grace should obey him the rest of their lives (v. 9). Third, only God is completely trustworthy (vv. 10-11). The writer said he believed he would live having requested this of God (cf. v. 9). This was his confidence even though other people told him he would die. They were lying to him.
Read verses 8 and 9 again from the viewpoint of the Savior in the Upper Room. He not only knew He was facing death, but He also knew He would live again. The Apostle Paul quoted verse 10 in 2 Corinthians 4:13-15. He used it to assure believers that we will live again too.
116:12-14 It is difficult to tell if the writer used "cup"in a literal or in a figurative sense. Perhaps it was a literal part of his thank offering to God. On the other hand the cup may represent his lot in life that was physical salvation. Either way he would praise God. Israelites offered votive offerings when God answered their prayers regarding a vow they made. These were peace offerings (Lev. 7:16; 22:18-13). They were also public offerings that reminded other worshippers of God's goodness. The NIV rendering of the end of verse 14 is probably best. It reads, ". . . in the presence of all his people."
Think again of Jesus singing verses 12-14 and raising the cup as He sang. The Jews traditionally sang Psalm 116 after the Passover meal. It is probable that when He sang these verses He raised the third of four cups of wine the Jews drank at that meal. They called the third cup "the cup of salvation."He knew that that cup would only become a true cup of salvation if He paid His vows to the LORD and proceeded to the cross.
116:15-19 The death of the godly is significant to God; it is costly to Him (cf. Matt. 10:29-31; John 10:28-29).191He does not treat their dying as trivial. Consequently the fact that He delivered the psalmist from dying meant that He had good reason for doing so. Interestingly verse 15, which has brought so much comfort to believers who have lost loved ones through the centuries, rests in a context of deliverance. Again the writer promised to praise God publicly with the proper offering (v. 18, cf. v. 14). The psalm ends with an exhortation for all the living to praise the Lord.
How comforting verses 15-16 would have been to the Lord Jesus as He celebrated His last Passover meal on earth. He would have thought of His own mother when he sang "the son of Thy handmaid"in verse 16. In verses 17-19 Jesus vowed to praise God after He fulfilled God's will by dying and after God had raised Him up.192
Death is an enemy. Therefore when God continues our lives He is saving us from an enemy. The continuation of life is something we should never take for granted. God could take the life of any person at any time and be perfectly righteous since we are all sinners and deserve to die. However, He graciously extends life and for this His people should give Him public thanks.
