Blogging the Psalms

Blogging the Psalms -- Psalm 107

Psalm 107

This is one of the few psalms that feels like a song to  the western ear. It even has a refrain: “Let them praise the Lord for His wonderful works to the children of men.”

The psalm depicts a common occurrence in the life of many of God’s people. People get in trouble because they ignore God, then they call to God and He delivers them. 

Although there have been times when believers say that God led them into trouble in order to bring them back to Him, this is not what this psalm says. In the instances recorded here, the flaws and sins of human beings is what leads them into trouble. The fact that God helps them out of the troubles they themselves have caused does not mean He is the one who always created the conflict in the first place.

The psalmist depicts a variety of troubles, some self-caused, some caused by God. All of these troubles are pushed away by God, who has redeemed them from the hand of the enemy. Therefore the psalm’s refrain and exhortation is to praise God for His goodness to humans. 

There are two chief exhortations. The first is that men should praise the Lord for His goodness and mercy toward them. The second is that the redeemed of the Lord should declare that He has redeemed them. 

God’s people are aware of how he has delivered them. In fact, the covenant we have with God is based on his having redeemed us from slavery — enslavement to ourselves, sickness, human pride, the world, and to the enemy’s schemes. This bond with our Deliverer is one of the most important bonds whether one is Jewish or Christian or both. At Mount Sinai, God reminded the Israelites that they were His special people whom He had cared for and delivered. Therefore they were to have no other God but Him. In the same way, Christians are bound to Christ because of the blood Christ shed to redeem them.

Yet, God’s people often forget His faithfulness and His covenant with Him. Most Christians would say that they have not forgotten that Jesus redeemed them or that God’s word is truth. But the psalmist tells us in verse 11 that God’s people rebelled against His word and condemned the counsel of the Most High. 

The word of God spoken to our hearts by the Holy Spirit often speaks of our redemption from sickness, sin, demons, and hell. This word in our spirit agrees with what is spoken in Scripture. Yet, many Christians often reject the guidance spoken to their hearts and receive the guidance spoken by human counselors. Even if they do not forget that the Lord has redeemed them from the hand of the enemy, they complain. They glorify the illness and sorrows that oppress them and murmur at troubles instead of acknowledging God’s redemption. Instead of resting in God’s truth, they murmur and complain against him. Because of this, they continue bound in their sickness and trapped by oppression until they call out to God.  

In addition, sometimes they have trials because of their own foolishness and sins. They forget that God has broken the power of sin over their lives. They forget that they have been redeemed. Again, God tells them His Word. 

The verse “He sent His Word and healed them” could mean several things. First and foremost, it means God sent Jesus Christ, God’s living word  — every word God ever said from the beginning of time made into a human form. The Bible tells us in Isaiah 53 that all are healed by the wounds Jesus received. So, God sent Jesus to heal us. Secondly, God’s word in Scripture has God’s living power in it and also heals us. Thirdly, the verse could mean God sent a command to heal us. This is when God sovereignly heals His people. But the most typical meaning is that God’s Holy Spirit highlights a Scriptural truth in our mind. This truth is like a seed sown into the grown. If believed and trusted upon and nursed in the symbolic soil of our hearts, this truth is able to grow and blossom. When we know the truth, we are set us free if we do not rebel against this truth. One of the key things, however, is that we should not allow any human or demonic thought to uproot this truth God has sent into our heart.