Hobart Herd Devotionals – Psalms 105-107

Hobart Herd Devotionals – Psalms 105-107

   This is a great Psalm of thanksgiving to God for His faithfulness to His people throughout their history from Abraham to the fulfillment of His covenant promises.  This is a long Psalm, so I will not attempt to cover all that is in it, but will try to hit the highlights and the application to our lives today.  Many times I think of praising and thanking the Lord with my lips, but really it comes from the heart and mind.  Verses 1-2 talk about how we thank, praise, call, make known, and speak of all His wonders.  What does a heart of thanksgiving look like?  Look at verses 3-5; 3  Glory in His holy name; let the heart of those who seek the LORD be glad. 4  Seek the LORD and His strength; seek His face continually. 5  Remember His wonders which He has done, His marvels, and the judgments uttered by His mouth,(NAS).  We need to glory, seek, remember, and marvel at Who God is and what He has done. 

   In verses 7-11, there is thanksgiving for God’s faithfulness to His children.  He chose them and made covenants with them, always keeping and honoring His promises even when His children were disobedient and unworthy.  His covenant with Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, David, and with all of us, Jesus Christ, have always been kept.  How great are the covenants and promises throughout the Scriptures?  When we see how faithful God is to His Word, we can only thank, praise and glorify His holy name for what He has done for us!

   In verses 12-41, we are given a history lesson of God’s faithfulness to Israel.  “First, the writer stated that the Lord protected them while they sojourned in other lands (vv. 12-15). Perhaps this refers to Abraham’s journey from Ur in Chaldea to Haran (Gen. 11:31), Canaan (Gen. 12:4-5), Egypt (Gen. 12:10-20), and his living in the Negev (Gen. 20:1). Second, the Lord sovereignly led Israelites into Egypt and exalted Joseph (Ps. 105:16-22; cf. Gen. 37; 39-41). Third, in Egypt the Lord made His people very fruitful even though they were oppressed (Ps. 105:23-25; cf. Ex. 1:6-14). Fourth, through Moses . . . and Aaron the Lord worked wonders in Egypt (the land of Ham; cf. Ps. 105:23). These wonders were the plagues on Egypt (vv. 26-36) that oppressed the Egyptians (cf. Ex. 7-11; Ps. 78:44-51). God rescued His people with great booty (105:37). In fact Egypt was relieved when they left (v. 38). Fifth, the Lord led the Israelites through the wilderness and provided quail, manna (bread of heaven), and water from the rock (vv. 39-41). So even during Israel’s wanderings He was faithful to them.”(The Bible Knowledge Commentary)

   Finally in verses 42-44, God remembered His holy word to Abraham and brought His people into the Promised Land with joy, allowing them to take possession and enjoy the fruits of there labor.  All of this, so that they might learn to be as faithful to His word as He and obey and keep it.  The real lesson I get from this Psalm: we enjoy God’s faithfulness and love as His children, but fail to fully show our thankfulness by praising Him with lips, heart, soul, and actions. 

   Father, I just want to say thank You from my heart for Your faithfulness to me.  I know I don’t deserve Your love and care, but I am so glad that You are there for me.  Help me to truly thank You from my heart by seeking, singing, and praising Your name.  Help me to be faithful to obey Your word.  In Jesus Name, Amen!  Pastor Rob

Psalms 106

   This Psalm continues the praise, thanksgiving, and worship of God for His lovingkindness and compassion.  While Psalms 105 lists all the great things God performed in His faithfulness to His covenant; in Psalms 106, we find a list of the times God was full of lovingkindness and compassion on His children when they didn’t deserve it.  This Psalm reminds Israel of the times when they failed God, but He continued to lovingly have mercy, forgiveness and compassion on them.  Psalms

106:44-46, 44     Nevertheless He looked upon their distress, when He heard their cry;

45     And He remembered His covenant for their sake, and relented according to the greatness of His lovingkindness.  46   He also made them {objects} of compassion in the presence of all their captors.(NAS)  These verses are my favorite as they remind me that God, in His lovingkindness, has made me an object of His Compassion in this crazy world.  Praise the Lord, in the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross, He has provided the mercy and grace I need to be an object of His compassion!

   In verses 1-5, we have the praise and thanksgiving given to God for His faithful lovingkindness and blessings on those who practice His righteousness at all times.(vs. 3)  There is also a personal request from the writer that God would remember him and bring salvation, prosperity, and joy to the hearts of those that love and serve the Lord. 

   However, in verse 6 the list of failures begins.  Ps 106:6   We have sinned like our fathers, we have committed iniquity, we have behaved wickedly.(NAS)  They quickly forgot His miraculous works and did not seek His wisdom or counsel.(vs. 13)  They complained and “craved intensely”, tempting God.(vs. 14)  They were envious of Moses and Aaron, and God had to punish them.(vs. 16)  They made a golden calf and replaced the glory of God with it, forgetting their Savior!(vs. 19-21)  They despised the “pleasant land” grumbling in their tents about the giants instead of listening to the voice of the Lord and His promises told to them by Joshua and Caleb.(vs. 24-25)  They slept with the Moabite women and worshiped their gods and feasted with them causing God to bring a great plague.(Numbers 25; Psalms 106:28-30)  They provoked God, rebelled against His Spirit, refused to obey God’s command in wiping out the people of the land.  They instead mingled, served their idols, going so far as to sacrifice their children to the gods of the Canannites.  They shed innocent blood and brought God’s anger against them in punishment.(vs. 33-39)  Psalms 106:39          Thus they became unclean in their practices, and played the harlot in their deeds.(NAS)

   Praise the Lord He still delivered them, heard their cries, and “relented according to His lovingkindness”.(vs. 43-45)  As “objects of His compassion”, our response should be the same:  “47  Save us, O LORD our God, and gather us from among the nations, to give thanks to Thy holy name, and glory in Thy praise. 48  Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel, from everlasting even to everlasting. And let all the people say, “Amen.” Praise the LORD!”(NAS)

   Father, thank You for making me an object of Your lovingkindness and compassion.  I have failed You over and over again, many times suffering the consequences and punishment for my sin.  Thank You for being my Savior, and may I never forget Your great mercy, grace and love in forgiving my sin and providing for my eternity with You through the blood of Jesus Christ, Your Son.  In Jesus precious name, Amen!  Pastor Rob

Psalms 107

   There is an old worship chorus from my childhood that perfectly describes and comes from this Psalm.  “I will sing of the mercies of the Lord forever, I will sing, I will sing.  I will sing of the mercies of the Lord forever, I will sing of the mercies of the Lord.  With my mouth will I make known, Thy faithfulness, Thy faithfulness.  With my mouth will I make known, Thy faithfulness to all generations.  I will sing of the mercies of the Lord forever, I will sing, I will sing.  I will sing of the mercies of the Lord forever, I will sing of the mercies of the Lord!”(J.H. Fillmore)  Verse 2 says it best, “Let the redeemed of the Lord say so!” 

   Through out this great song, there is a chorus that is repeated: Psalms 107:8    Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!(KJV)   These words are repeated like a refrain, or maybe it was a response from the congregation of worshippers as they answered the call from the worship leaders.(vs. 15, 21, 31)  As the leaders would remind the people of God’s great faithfulness and love, providing them with the pleas of their prayers, they would answer with this response!  We often do this at Hobart when we have our communion service and sing, What can wash away my sin? “Nothing but the blood of Jesus.”  What can make me whole again? “Nothing but the blood of Jesus!” 

   One of the greatest of our sins is not “saying so”!  How can we keep from singing and speaking His praises from our hearts?  He responds to our needs.  Psalms 106:41

But He sets the needy securely on high away from affliction, and makes {his} families like a flock.  42  The upright see it, and are glad; but all unrighteousness shuts its mouth.  43     Who is wise? Let him give heed to these things; and consider the lovingkindnesss of the LORD.(NAS)  What has the Lord done for you?  Are you giving Him the honor and glory by “saying so”?

   Father, forgive me for not giving You all the glory and honor for the way You have taken care of all my needs throughout the years of my life.  I take advantage of You and You continue to bless and provide all my needs physically, emotionally, spiritually, mentally, and do it for all eternity.  May I never stop singing and speaking Your praise!  In Jesus name, Amen!  Pastor Rob