BOOK 5
(Psalms 107—150)
107
📚Oh, give thanks 📖 to the LORD, for he is good,
for his mercy continues
on forever.
107:1 The great theme of this psalm is clear – God is good and worthy of all praise and thanksgiving. In His great goodness He watches over men and hears and answers prayer. After an introduction (vs 1-3), the writer in vs 4-32 gives four examples of God delivering men from trouble. Since God has done it, it is only right to give God thanks for it. This exhortation to give thanks is found in vs 1,8,15,21,31. It is found also in many other places in the Bible (Ps 106:1; 118:1; 136:1; 1 Chron 16:34; Jer 33:11; 1 Thess 5:18).
In vs 33-41 he speaks of God’s judgments in the world (Ps 105:7). He is a great king over all the earth. Those who are really wise will be able to see something of God’s wisdom, grace, and love in His dealings with mankind.⚜
2 📚Let the redeemed 📖 of the LORD
say 📖 so,
whom he has redeemed
from the hand of the enemy,
3 📚And gathered out of the lands,
from the east,
and from the west, from the
north, and from the south.
107:3 Some scholars think this shows that this psalm was written after the return from the captivity in Babylon in the days of Ezra and Nehemiah. It may be so.⚜
4 📚They wandered in the wilderness
in a desolate path;
they found no city to dwell in.
5 📚Hungry and thirsty,
their soul fainted in them.
6 📚Then they cried out to the LORD
in their trouble,
and he delivered them
out of their distresses.
7 📚And he led them forth
by the right way,
that they might go to a city for
their dwelling place.
8 📚Oh, that men would
praise the LORD for
his goodness,
and for his wonderful
deeds to the children of men!
107:8 Verses 15,21,31.⚜
9 📚For he satisfies the longing soul,
and fills the hungry soul
with goodness.
107:4-9 Here is the first example of God’s deliverance in answer to prayer. It speaks of troubles encountered by exiles on the journey home. Though physical difficulties are here described, it would be no mistake for us to apply it also to the believer’s spiritual pilgrimage now and the difficulties along that way.⚜
10 📚Some sat in darkness
and in the shadow of death,
bound in affliction and irons,
11 📚Because they rebelled
against the words of God,
and despised the counsel
of the Most High.
12 📚Therefore he brought down
their heart with labour.
They fell down, and there was
no one to help.
13 📚Then they cried out to the LORD
in their trouble,
and he saved them out
of their distresses.
14 📚He brought them out of
darkness and the shadow
of death,
and broke their chains apart.
15 📚Oh, that men would
praise the LORD for
his goodness,
and for his wonderful
works to the children of men!
16 📚For he has broken the gates
of brass,
and cut through the bars of iron.
107:10-16 The second example of God’s deliverance in answer to prayer: Though this is a picture of physical bondage these terms can speak to us of spiritual bondage too. Though this bondage was the result of sin, God did not reject the people’s prayer when they turned to Him.⚜
107:16 Isa 45:1-2. No gate, no bars are strong enough to keep God’s people locked in when He arises to deliver them (Acts 12:5-11).⚜
17 📚Fools, because of their
transgression,
and because of their wicked deeds,
are afflicted.
18 📚Their soul abhors all kinds
of food,
and they draw near to the gates
of death.
19 📚Then they cry out to the LORD
in their trouble,
and he saves them
out of their distresses.
20 📚He sent his word,
and healed them,
and delivered them
from what brought
them down.
21 📚Oh, that men would
praise the LORD for
his goodness,
and for his wonderful
deeds to the children of men!
22 📚And let them offer the sacrifices
of thanksgiving,
and declare his deeds with
rejoicing.
107:17-22 The third example of God’s deliverance in answer to prayer: The case here is of disease brought on by sin and rebellion. Those afflicted were at the point of death before they cried to the LORD (Jehovah) – v 18. In v 17 they are called “fools”. Their foolishness is revealed by their sin and rebellion and by the fact that they waited so long to turn to God. But observe here God’s great goodness. He answers even the prayers of fools when they seek Him. And He will begin the process of making them wise.⚜
23 📚Those who go down
to the sea in ships,
who do business on great waters,
24 📚These see the deeds
of the LORD,
and his wonders in the deep.
25 📚For he gives a command
and raises the stormy wind,
which lifts up its waves.
107:25 Compare this with v 29. There was not one god who brought the storm and another who rescued them from the storm, as was thought in much of ancient mythology and even today by some people. There is only one true God and He both brings storms and causes them to cease.⚜
26 📚They mount up into the sky;
they go down again to the
depths;
their soul melts because
of trouble.
27 📚They reel to and fro,
and stagger like a
drunken man,
and are at their wits’ end.
28 📚Then they cry out to the LORD
in their trouble,
and he brings them out
of their distresses.
107:27-28 When we don’t know what to do we should turn to Him who always knows what to do and can also do it.⚜
29 📚He calms the storm,
so that its waves
become still.
30 📚Then they are glad,
because they are quiet.
So he brings them to their
desired haven.
31 📚Oh, that men would
praise the LORD for
his goodness,
and for his wonderful
deeds to the children of men!
32 📚Let them also exalt him
in the congregation
of the people,
and praise him in the assembly
of the elders.
107:23-32 The fourth example of God’s deliverance in answer to prayer: The dangers to sailing vessels in a storm are very great. For New Testament pictures of this see Matt 8:23-27 and Acts 27:14-44. On the believer’s life’s voyage to the heavenly harbor also there are many dangers and difficulties.⚜
33 📚He turns rivers into a desert,
and springs of water
into dry ground,
34 📚and a fruitful land
into barrenness,
because of the wickedness
of those who live in it.
35 📚He turns the desert into
pools of water,
and dry ground into springs
of water.
36 📚And he causes the hungry
to dwell there,
that they may prepare
a city for habitation,
37 📚And sow the fields,
and plant vineyards,
which yield fruitful harvests.
38 📚He blesses them also,
so that they greatly increase
in number;
and he does not let their cattle
decrease.
39 📚When they are diminished
and brought low through
oppression,
affliction, and sorrow,
40 📚He pours contempt on princes,
and causes them to wander
in the wilderness,
where there is no path.
41 📚Yet he sets the poor on high,
away from affliction, and makes
families for him
like a flock.
107:33-41 Here are other acts of Jehovah which reveal His absolute sovereignty in the affairs of men.⚜
42 📚The righteous will see it
and rejoice,
and all wickedness will shut
its mouth.
43 📚Whoever is wise,
and will observe these
things,
they will understand the loving
kindness of the LORD.
107:43 Great things can be learned about God’s character by meditating on His deeds in the Bible.⚜