#DailyDevotion Yah’s, Jesus’, Supper Is Something To Praise & Give Thanks
Psalm 111 Praise the LORD! I will thank the LORD with all my heart in the fellowship of the righteous and in the congregation.
Praise the LORD! Hallelu Yah! Did you see what I did there? In most places in the Psalms it is written this way. In fact, I think I only found one place where it was Hallelujah. Some places it is Hallelu YHWH. Yah is a name for the God of Israel throughout the Old Testament. It’s not just a nickname or shortened name. It is a name within itself. The “lu” is there calling us to praise Yah.
What often follows a call to praise Yah is thanksgiving. It is that way here. Giving thanks is part and parcel of praising God as it is also in blessing God. After calling everyone to praise Yah, the psalmist thanks the LORD with all his heart amongst, in the fellowship, of all fellow believers in the congregation. You see, in the Old Testament, they were called to gather together there also.
We call the LORD’s Supper the Eucharist, which means to give thanks. This psalm is associated with the LORD’s Supper in the ancient Church. It is our fellowship with one another and with Christ’s body and blood, so it makes sense also because thanksgiving is being made in the fellowship of all the saints.
2The LORD has done great things, things studied by all who delight in them. 3His work is glorious and majestic, and He will be righteous forever. 4He made His wonders something to be remembered.
The great things of the LORD that are to be studied here are likely Israel’s redemption from Egypt with all the signs, wonders and especially the Passover. Israel was called to remember these things. It was to be their delight. For this work of salvation for them was glorious and majestic.
We, the Church, in the LORD’s Supper proclaim His death until He comes. We remember the great work of salvation Jesus provided as He became our Passover. We should remember that as we partake and have fellowship with His body and blood. It is the New Testament for us in His blood. Just as the blood of the Passover lamb had the angel of death pass over them, as the blood of Christ is on our lips, death also passes over us. We need not fear it any longer. Christ’s resurrection is our victory over death. Jesus’ work of redemption is indeed glorious and majestic even if it looks horrific to the uninitiated.
Jesus’ suffering, death and resurrection should be studied by all who delight in it. We need to look back into the Law of Moses and investigate all the different sacrifices the LORD commanded them to do. The daily sacrifice for sins, the yearly sacrifice for sins, the whole burnt offering, the tithe, thanksgiving and peace offerings; these all point us to Jesus and His work of salvation for us. Considering them, our understanding of the LORD’s Supper should deepen and delight us. It is no simple memorial meal. Here, as we become participants of it, as we fellowship with it-taking His body and blood upon our lips, we receive all the benefits of His sacrifice. His suffering is now our suffering. His judgment is now our judgment. His condemnation is now our condemnation. His death and burial is now our death and burial. His resurrection from the dead is now our resurrection from the dead. The reason this is so is because Jesus is Yah who we called everyone to praise. He is YHWH to whom we give thanks for all His benefits to us in this Supper.
Heavenly Father, may we delight in looking into the work of Christ Jesus as He has become our Passover and gives us the benefits of that Passover through the bread and the wine which have become His very body and blood, given and shed for us for the forgiveness of sins. Always give us a deeper understanding as we fellowship with Him. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen