27
God is the Lord,
And He has given us light;
Bind the sacrifice with cords to the horns of the altar.
My Thoughts
David Livingstone’s last entry in his diary was:
My Jesus, my King, my Life, my All; to Thee I again dedicate myself.’
It is something that each of us needs to proclaim and strive for each day.
In this verse, we are shown God’s sovereignty and the light He bestows upon believers, symbolizing spiritual enlightenment and joy. Commentators like Charles Spurgeon discuss the significance of binding sacrifices to the altar, interpreting it as an expression of love and dedication to God. David Livingstone’s last diary entry reflects a personal commitment to Christ, highlighting the necessity of daily dedication. The sacrifices mentioned are not merely physical offerings but represent living sacrifices of praise and thanksgiving. We, as believers, are encouraged to remain steadfast and bound to Christ, who embodies both altar and sacrifice, affirming our commitment to serve Him with all aspects of our lives…….Bill
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Commentaries:
Charles Spurgeon
“God is the LORD, which hath shewed us light,” or “God is Jehovah,” the only living and true God. There is none other God but he. The words may also be rendered, “Mighty is Jehovah.” Only the power of God could have brought us such light and joy as spring from the work of our Champion and King. We have received light, by which we have known the rejected stone to be the head of the corner, and this light has led us to enlist beneath the banner of the once despised Nazarene, who is now the Prince of the kings of the earth. With the light of knowledge has come the light of joy; for we are delivered from the powers of darkness and translated into the kingdom of God’s dear Son. Our knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ came not by the light of nature, nor by reason, nor did it arise from the sparks which we ourselves had kindled, nor did we receive it of men; but the mighty God alone hath showed it to us. He made a day on purpose that he might shine upon us like the sun, and he made our faces to shine in the light of that day, according to the declaration of the twenty-fourth verse. Therefore, unto him be all the honor of our enlightenment. Let us do our best to magnify the great Father of lights from whom our present blessedness has descended.
“Bind the sacrifice with cords, even unto the horns of the altar.” Some think that by this we are taught that the king offered so many sacrifices that the whole area of the court was filled, and the sacrifices were bound even up to the altar; but we are inclined to keep to our own version, and to believe that sometimes restive bullocks were bound to the altar before they were slain, in which case Mant’s verse is correct:”
He, Jehovah, is our Lord:
He, our God, on us hath shined:
Bind the sacrifice with cord,
To the horned altar bind.
The word rendered “cords” carries with it the idea of wreaths and boughs, so that it was not a cord of hard, rough rope, but a decorated band; even as in our case, though we are bound to the altar of God, it is with the cords of love and the bands of a man, and not by a compulsion which destroys the freedom of the will. The sacrifice which we would present in honor of the victories of our Lord Jesus Christ is the living sacrifice of our spirit, soul, and body. We bring ourselves to his altar and desire to offer him all that we have and are. There remains a tendency in our nature to start aside from this; it is not fond of the sacrificial knife. In the warmth of our love, we come willingly to the altar, but we need constraining power to keep us there in the entirety of our being throughout the whole of life. Happily there is a cord which, twisted around the atonement, or, better still, around the person of our Lord Jesus Christ, who is our only Altar, can hold us, and does hold us: “For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then all died; and that he died for all, that they that live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again.” We are bound to the doctrine of atonement; we are bound to Christ himself, who is both altar and sacrifice; we desire to be more bound to him than ever, our soul finds her liberty in being tethered fast to the altar of the Lord. The American Board of Missions has for its seal an ox, with an altar on one side and a plough on the other, and the motto “Ready for either,”—ready to live and labor, or ready to suffer and die. We would gladly spend ourselves for the Lord actively, or be spent by him passively, whichever may be his will; but since we know the rebellion of our corrupt nature we earnestly pray that we may be kept in this consecrated mind, and that we may never, under discouragements, or through the temptations of the world, be permitted to leave the altar, to which it is our intense desire to be for ever fastened. Such consecration as this, and such desires for its perpetuity, well beseem that day of gladness which the Lord hath made so bright by the glorious triumph of his Son, our covenant head, our well-beloved.
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Enduring Word
Bind the sacrifice with cords to the horns of the altar: In view of the greatness of Yahweh and the light He gives, the sacrifice is willingly given. This was fulfilled in a way that the psalmist likely never expected – that the deliverer of the previous verses would Himself be the sacrifice, bound to an altar. (Guzik)
i. It is remarkable to consider and understand that Jesus sang these words with His disciples a few hours before His crucifixion. He invited God the Father to bind Him to the cross in making a holy sacrifice for sins at God’s appointed altar. “How significant that before the final note of praise these words should occur!” (Morgan)
ii. Hebrews 13:10 makes reference to the sacrifice of Jesus at an altar, probably speaking of the cross. (Guzik)
iii. As we follow Jesus, our forerunner, we also bind ourselves with cords to the horns of the altar of living sacrifice to Jesus (Romans 12:1-2). “It is well to be bound. Wilt Thou bind us, most blessed Spirit, and enamor us with the Cross, and let us never leave it? Bind us with the scarlet cord of redemption, and the golden cord of love, and the silver cord of Advent-hope.” (Meyer)
iv. “How precious are the last lines that David Livingstone penned in his diary, before his boys found him kneeling beside his bed, dead, though in the attitude of prayer, the candle burning beside him: ‘My Jesus, my King, my Life, my All; to Thee I again dedicate myself.’ So bind each of us with the cords of love, and the bands of a man.” (Meyer)
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Albert Barnes
God is the Lord – Still, the language of the priests in their official capacity. The meaning here seems to be “God is Yahweh,” or Jehovah is the true God. It is an utterance of the priesthood in regard to the great truth which they were appointed specifically to maintain – that Yahweh is the true God, and that he only is to be worshipped. This truth was appropriate to enunciate on all occasions, and it was especially appropriate to be enunciated when a prince, who had been rescued from danger and death, came, as the restored leader of the people of God, to acknowledge his gracious intervention. On such an occasion, in view of the rank and character of him who came – and in view of what God had done for him – it was proper for the ministers of religion to announce in the most solemn manner, that Yahweh was the only true and living God.
Which hath showed us light – Who has given us light in the days of our darkness and adversity; who has restored us to prosperity, and bestowed on us the blessings of safety and of peace.
Bind the sacrifice with cords – Come freely with the sacrificial victim; with the offering which is to be presented to God in sacrifice. The word – חג châg – commonly means a festival or feast, Exodus 10:9; Exodus 12:14; and then it means a festival-sacrifice, a victim, Exodus 23:18; Malachi 2:3. The Septuagint and Vulgate render it, “Prepare a solemn feast.” Our translation probably expresses the true sense. The word, rendered cords, means properly anything interwoven or interlaced. Then it means a cord, a braid, a wreath, and then a branch with thick foliage. Different interpretations have been given of the passage here, but probably the word is correctly rendered cords.
Unto the horns of the altar – altars were often made with projections or “horns” on the four corners. Exodus 27:2; Exodus 30:2; Exodus 37:25; 1 Kings 2:28. Whether the animal was actually bound to the altar when it was slain is not certain, but there would seem to be an allusion to such a custom here. Lead up the victim; make it ready; bind it even to the altar, preparatory to the sacrifice. The language is that of welcome addressed to him who led up the victim, meaning that his sacrifice would be acceptable.
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John Gill
God [is] the Lord, which hath showed us light,…. These are the words of the people, acknowledging divine favours; particularly that the Lord had caused his face to shine upon them, as the priest wished for, Numbers 6:25. The Lord might be said to show them light, by sending the Messiah to them, who came a light into the world; by making a Gospel day, for which they expressed their gladness, Psalm 118:24; by causing the light of his glorious Gospel to shine into their hearts; by making them who were darkness light, the darkness of ignorance and unbelief to pass away, and the true light to shine; by lifting up the light of his countenance upon them, and giving them hopes of the light of glory and happiness, and making them meet to be partakers of the inheritance with the saints in light; for all which they are thankful, and call for sacrifices;
bind the sacrifice with cords, [even] unto the horns of the altar; that is, the lamb, as the Targum and Aben Ezra. Take a lamb for sacrifice, and bind it with cords; and being bound, lead it to the altar; there slay it, and then pour the blood upon the horns of it; which were the usual rites in sacrifice. Or bring a large number of sacrifices bound, as many as will fill the court, even up to the horns of the altar, upon this joyful occasion: for the sacrifice was not bound to the horns of the altar; but it denotes here such a number of sacrifices as would fill the court, and reach thither; so Gussetius interprets it very rightly. But we are not to think of slain beasts, but of holy and living sacrifices, even the persons of God’s people; their bodies and souls, and their sacrifices of praise and thanksgiving; since this refers to Gospel times; whose hearts in such service are to be united to fear the Lord, and fixed trusting in him; and are to be drawn to it with the cords of love, which are more than all whole burnt offerings; and which sacrifices are to be brought to the altar, Christ; which is most holy, and sanctifies gifts and persons, and renders them acceptable to God; and which is to be compassed about with songs of deliverance and salvation, by persons from every quarter, the four corners of the earth. Luther renders it, “adorn the feast with leaves;” and others, “bind on the feast day branches,” of trees, as was usual on the feast of tabernacles; see Leviticus 23:40; and it was usual with the Heathens to strew their altars with green herbs and flowers, particularly vervain, put for all other sweet herbs: hence Ovid calls them “herbosas aras”; which the Septuagint and Vulgate Latin versions seem to countenance.
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Matthew Henry
Let sacrifices of thanksgiving be offered to his honor who offered for us the great atoning sacrifice, v. 27. Here is,
(1.) The privilege we enjoy by Jesus Christ: God is the Lord who has shown us light. God is Jehovah, is known by that name, a God performing what he has promised and perfecting what he has begun, Ex. 6:3. He has shown us light, that is, he has given us the knowledge of himself and his will. He has shined upon us (so some); he has favored us, and lifted up upon us the light of his countenance; he has given us occasion for joy and rejoicing, which is light to the soul, by giving us a prospect of everlasting light in heaven. The day which the Lord has made brings light with it, true light.
(2.) The duty which this privilege calls for: Bind the sacrifice with cords, that, being killed, the blood of it may be sprinkled upon the horns of the altar, according to the law; or perhaps it was the custom (though we read not of it elsewhere) to bind the sacrifice to the horns of the altar while things were getting ready for the slaying of it. Or this may have a peculiar significancy here; the sacrifice we are to offer to God, in gratitude for redeeming love, is ourselves, not to be slain upon the altar, but living sacrifices (Rom. 12:1), to be bound to the altar, spiritual sacrifices of prayer and praise, in which our hearts must be fixed and engaged, as the sacrifice was bound with cords to the horns of the altar, not to start back.
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Adam Clarke
God is the Lord] Rather אל יהוה El Yehovah, the strong God Jehovah.
Which hath showed us light — ויאר לנו vaiyaer lanu, “And he will illuminate us.” Perhaps at this time a Divine splendour shone upon the whole procession; a proof of God’s approbation.
Bind the sacrifice with cords — The Chaldee paraphrases this verse thus: “Samuel the prophet said, Bind the little one with chains for a solemn sacrifice, until ye have sacrificed him and sprinkled his blood on the horns of the altar.” It is supposed that the words refer to the Feast of Tabernacles, and חג chag here means the festival victim. Several translate the original “keep the festival with thick boughs of the horns of the altar.” In this sense, the Vulgate and Septuagint understood the passage. David, in this entry into the temple, was a type of our blessed Lord, who made a similar entry, as related Matthew 21:8-10.
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Cross-References
Numbers 6:25 (KJV )
25 The Lord make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee:
1 Peter 2:9 (KJV )
9 But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:
1 Kings 18:39 (KJV )
39 And when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces: and they said, The Lord, he is the God; the Lord, he is the God.
Malachi 4:2 (KJV )
2 But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise
With healing in his wings;
And ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall.
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Geneva Bible 1560
Psalm 118:27
27 The Lord is mightie, and hathe given us (o) light: bind the sacrifice with cords unto the horns of the altar.
(o) Because he has restored us from darkness to light, we will offer sacrifices and praises unto him.
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Closing Thoughts
“The Lord bless you and keep you; The Lord make His face shine upon you, And be gracious to you; The Lord lift up His countenance upon you, And give you peace.” ’ Numbers 6:24-26 NKJV
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