Jesus and the Psalms of the Exodus
Over the Summer we are thinking about Psalms 113 to 118. We are joining in our imaginations with the Lord Jesus and the twelve disciples in the upper room looking at the very words they sang just before the Lamb of God went out to give Himself for the sins of the world. Matthew tells us:
““When they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.””
And by that expression he is referring to these songs.
The Passover Table - which Psalms 113-118 would have been sung around.
These Psalms would have been the first songs that every Jewish boy and girl learned, they were a mini hymn book inside the Book of Psalms. And Israel sang these Psalm's at the Feast of Pentecost, the Feast of Tabernacles, and in particular the Feast of the Passover.
Psalms 113-118 is called the Egyptian Hallel. Egyptian because they remember in particular the Exodus from Egypt, and, Hallel (meaning praise) because we find again and again the expression Hallelujah (Praise the Lord) usually at the end of the song.
In the upper room, I doubt there would have been any hymn books, pianos, tenors or basses. The Lord Jesus as the leader would sing a line and then the disciples would sing a response, and we have the privilege to join our Saviour as He sings His songs in worship. Let us try by faith to go back to the upper room to see what was in his heart as he sang these songs.
If you want to watch or listen to any of the previous messages in the ‘Psalms of the Exodus’ series, they are available on YouTube and SoundCloud.
Simon Sweeney
Simon is in full-time ministry as one of the Elders of Exmouth Chapel. To discuss this post further with him, please feel free to get in touch via email (exmouthchapel@gmail.com).