Psalms 106
FBMeyerPsalms 106:1-15
Unfailing Loving-Kindness Psalms 106:1-15 Who can utter? That is an unanswered question. Not even the leader of the heavenly choir can answer it. But what blessedness it brings to the heart of one who begins to recite the goodness and loving-kindness of God! When prayer goes heavily, begin to praise. The theme of this psalm is God’ s redeeming grace. It contains a gruesome catalogue of sin. We have sinned… we have committed iniquity… our fathers understood not… they remembered not… but provoked… they soon forgat… they waited not… but lusted exceedingly… and tempted God. But side by side were the divine love and mercy: “Nevertheless He saved them for His name’ s sake,” Psalms 106:8. God is bound to keep His Covenant, even to the children’ s children. He must act worthily of Himself. “ Truth” is another spelling of “ troth.” When God has pledged His troth, as He did to Abraham, and has also to us, He cannot fail. Notice the pathetic prayer of Psa 106:4. Though we are more or less implicated in the sins of those around us, we, as Christians, may claim special favor and help, in order to be placed in a stronger position when we come to intercede for others.
They forgot God! The previous Psalm was a history of God’s goodness to Israel; and this is a history of their rebellions and provocations. Its main character is the confession of sin. If, as is supposed, it dates from the captivity, it is in harmony with the confessions of Daniel and Nehemiah. It tends to show that the sharp discipline had done its work, and that God was about to restore his people to the land of their fathers.
After an introduction of inimitable sweetness (Psalms 106:1-6), the confession extends to the sins of Egypt (Psalms 106:6-12); of the wilderness (Psalms 106:13-33); and of Canaan (Psalms 106:34-43). But as, in spite of all, the mercy of God had so often interposed, so the believer felt able to call on the Lord to complete the work He had begun, and to gather the nation again from among the heathen (Psalms 106:44-48).
Psalms 106:1. Oh, give thanks unto the Lord! This is also the commencement of Psa 107:1-43 : it likewise forms the opening sentence of Psa 136:1-26; while in the latter Psalm, For his mercy endureth for ever is the oft-recurring refrain.
Psalms 106:4-5. Remember me, O Lord! A prayer like this is sure of its answer (see Nehemiah 13:14; Nehemiah 13:22-31).
Psalms 106:7-8. Our fathers provoked Him at the Red Sea Our sin cannot shut us out of the love of God. There is ever a Nevertheless (Nehemiah 9:31; Psalms 73:23; Psalms 89:33).
Psalms 106:12-13. They believed they forgot How sad and sudden a contrast!
Psalms 106:15. He sent leanness into their soul Let us ever condition our prayers in the will of God, lest a similar fate overtake us.
Psalms 106:16. They envied Moses and Aaron (Numbers 16:3; Numbers 16:5; Numbers 16:7).
Psalms 106:19-29. They made a calf; they despised; they murmured How sad a catalogue of failures!
Psalms 106:23. Stood in the breach, as a warrior covers with his body a broken piece of a wall in a besieged city.
Psalms 106:28. They joined themselves unto Baal-peor This was the result of the suggestions of Balaam to Balak (Numbers 25:3; Revelation 2:14).
Psalms 106:32-33. It went ill with Moses How infectious is unbelief. It spread from the people to their noble leader!
Psalms 106:35-39. Were mingled among the heathen In spite of Joshua’s warning (Joshua 23:12-13; see also Judges 2:2; Judges 3:6).
Psalms 106:43. Many times did He deliver them These are the times of the Judges and the Kings! And how many times has He also delivered us from the results of our sins!
Psalms 106:44. Nevertheless He regarded their affliction Another Nevertheless. See Psalms 106:8.
Psalms 106:46. He made them to be pitied God can put pity into the heart of your most merciless foe.
Psalms 106:48. Blessed be the Lord God of Israel from everlasting to everlasting With this magnificent doxology we close the fourth book of the Psalms. As we do so, we worship and bow down, and join the hallelujahs of heaven and earth.
Psalms 106:16-33
Judgment Restrained by Intercession Psalms 106:16-33 The strife between the ungodly and the servants of God has characterized all the centuries. These verses record some of its phases. Moses is called God’ s chosen, Aaron his saint, while Phinehas is held in honor as one to whom his noble deed was counted for righteousness. But such men are always envied, refused, resisted. Men hate them, but God loves and vindicates them for their loyalty and uncompromising righteousness. It is beautiful to notice how, so far from human hatred inducing such leaders to turn from their persecutors, it seems to drive them to more intense and ceaseless intercession for them. They stand in the breach, to turn away deserved wrath. From the days of Abraham, who prayed for Sodom, right down the stream of time, the people of God have been his remembrancers, giving Him no rest. Let us cultivate the great art of intercession; and if there is need, let us, like Phinehas, not hesitate to strike strongly in the interests of purity. But while thus standing before men, we must cultivate the grace of humility. We are only servants at the most and must not arrogate more to ourselves. Our authority is only delegated. This is where Moses failed, Numbers 20:2-13.
They forgot God! The previous Psalm was a history of God’s goodness to Israel; and this is a history of their rebellions and provocations. Its main character is the confession of sin. If, as is supposed, it dates from the captivity, it is in harmony with the confessions of Daniel and Nehemiah. It tends to show that the sharp discipline had done its work, and that God was about to restore his people to the land of their fathers.
After an introduction of inimitable sweetness (Psalms 106:1-6), the confession extends to the sins of Egypt (Psalms 106:6-12); of the wilderness (Psalms 106:13-33); and of Canaan (Psalms 106:34-43). But as, in spite of all, the mercy of God had so often interposed, so the believer felt able to call on the Lord to complete the work He had begun, and to gather the nation again from among the heathen (Psalms 106:44-48).
Psalms 106:1. Oh, give thanks unto the Lord! This is also the commencement of Psa 107:1-43 : it likewise forms the opening sentence of Psa 136:1-26; while in the latter Psalm, For his mercy endureth for ever is the oft-recurring refrain.
Psalms 106:4-5. Remember me, O Lord! A prayer like this is sure of its answer (see Nehemiah 13:14; Nehemiah 13:22-31).
Psalms 106:7-8. Our fathers provoked Him at the Red Sea Our sin cannot shut us out of the love of God. There is ever a Nevertheless (Nehemiah 9:31; Psalms 73:23; Psalms 89:33).
Psalms 106:12-13. They believed they forgot How sad and sudden a contrast!
Psalms 106:15. He sent leanness into their soul Let us ever condition our prayers in the will of God, lest a similar fate overtake us.
Psalms 106:16. They envied Moses and Aaron (Numbers 16:3; Numbers 16:5; Numbers 16:7).
Psalms 106:19-29. They made a calf; they despised; they murmured How sad a catalogue of failures!
Psalms 106:23. Stood in the breach, as a warrior covers with his body a broken piece of a wall in a besieged city.
Psalms 106:28. They joined themselves unto Baal-peor This was the result of the suggestions of Balaam to Balak (Numbers 25:3; Revelation 2:14).
Psalms 106:32-33. It went ill with Moses How infectious is unbelief. It spread from the people to their noble leader!
Psalms 106:35-39. Were mingled among the heathen In spite of Joshua’s warning (Joshua 23:12-13; see also Judges 2:2; Judges 3:6).
Psalms 106:43. Many times did He deliver them These are the times of the Judges and the Kings! And how many times has He also delivered us from the results of our sins!
Psalms 106:44. Nevertheless He regarded their affliction Another Nevertheless. See Psalms 106:8.
Psalms 106:46. He made them to be pitied God can put pity into the heart of your most merciless foe.
Psalms 106:48. Blessed be the Lord God of Israel from everlasting to everlasting With this magnificent doxology we close the fourth book of the Psalms. As we do so, we worship and bow down, and join the hallelujahs of heaven and earth.
Psalms 106:34-48
Regarded When They Cried Psalms 106:34-48 Israel’ s conquest of Canaan did not fulfill the divine mandate. The inhabitants, whose sins had become a menace to mankind, were allowed to exist side by side with the Hebrew immigrants; and, as is often the case, the conquerors were conquered, and the invaders were contaminated by the morals of the invaded. Intermarriage poured a large admixture of alien blood into Israel, and the excesses of idolatry, even to the hideous practice of human sacrifices, became intensified by the ties of kinship and neighborhood. The whole history of Israel is summed up as alternating cycles of sin and punishment, repentance and deliverance; and we are left wondering, first at the inveterate evil of the human heart, which learns nothing from experience, and next at the inexhaustible long-suffering of God, which, while justice strikes, yet finds some way of alleviating the smart of the stroke, Psalms 106:46. The love of God persists all through humanism and outreaches it. The prayer of Psa 106:47 shows that this psalm was written in exile. The psalmist hopes and believes that one result of his people’ s restoration will be thankfulness and the expression upon grateful lips of never-ending praise. So ends the fourth book of the Psalter. For Review Questions, see the e-Sword Book Comments.
They forgot God! The previous Psalm was a history of God’s goodness to Israel; and this is a history of their rebellions and provocations. Its main character is the confession of sin. If, as is supposed, it dates from the captivity, it is in harmony with the confessions of Daniel and Nehemiah. It tends to show that the sharp discipline had done its work, and that God was about to restore his people to the land of their fathers.
After an introduction of inimitable sweetness (Psalms 106:1-6), the confession extends to the sins of Egypt (Psalms 106:6-12); of the wilderness (Psalms 106:13-33); and of Canaan (Psalms 106:34-43). But as, in spite of all, the mercy of God had so often interposed, so the believer felt able to call on the Lord to complete the work He had begun, and to gather the nation again from among the heathen (Psalms 106:44-48).
Psalms 106:1. Oh, give thanks unto the Lord! This is also the commencement of Psa 107:1-43 : it likewise forms the opening sentence of Psa 136:1-26; while in the latter Psalm, For his mercy endureth for ever is the oft-recurring refrain.
Psalms 106:4-5. Remember me, O Lord! A prayer like this is sure of its answer (see Nehemiah 13:14; Nehemiah 13:22-31).
Psalms 106:7-8. Our fathers provoked Him at the Red Sea Our sin cannot shut us out of the love of God. There is ever a Nevertheless (Nehemiah 9:31; Psalms 73:23; Psalms 89:33).
Psalms 106:12-13. They believed they forgot How sad and sudden a contrast!
Psalms 106:15. He sent leanness into their soul Let us ever condition our prayers in the will of God, lest a similar fate overtake us.
Psalms 106:16. They envied Moses and Aaron (Numbers 16:3; Numbers 16:5; Numbers 16:7).
Psalms 106:19-29. They made a calf; they despised; they murmured How sad a catalogue of failures!
Psalms 106:23. Stood in the breach, as a warrior covers with his body a broken piece of a wall in a besieged city.
Psalms 106:28. They joined themselves unto Baal-peor This was the result of the suggestions of Balaam to Balak (Numbers 25:3; Revelation 2:14).
Psalms 106:32-33. It went ill with Moses How infectious is unbelief. It spread from the people to their noble leader!
Psalms 106:35-39. Were mingled among the heathen In spite of Joshua’s warning (Joshua 23:12-13; see also Judges 2:2; Judges 3:6).
Psalms 106:43. Many times did He deliver them These are the times of the Judges and the Kings! And how many times has He also delivered us from the results of our sins!
Psalms 106:44. Nevertheless He regarded their affliction Another Nevertheless. See Psalms 106:8.
Psalms 106:46. He made them to be pitied God can put pity into the heart of your most merciless foe.
Psalms 106:48. Blessed be the Lord God of Israel from everlasting to everlasting With this magnificent doxology we close the fourth book of the Psalms. As we do so, we worship and bow down, and join the hallelujahs of heaven and earth.