BOOK FIVE - Psalms 107–150
Psalms 107:1-22
1 Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good!
For His mercy endures forever.
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.
4 They wandered in the wilderness in a desolate way;
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 a dwelling place.
8 Oh, that men would give thanks to the LORD for His goodness,
And for His wonderful works to the children of men!
9 For He satisfies the longing soul,
And fills the hungry soul with goodness.
10 Those who 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 labor;
They fell down, and there was none 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 in pieces.
15 Oh, that men would give thanks to the LORD for His goodness,
And for His wonderful works to the children of men!
16 For He has broken the gates of bronze,
And cut the bars of iron in two.
17 Fools, because of their transgression,
And because of their iniquities, were afflicted.
18 Their soul abhorred all manner of food,
And they drew near to the gates of death.
19 Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble,
And He saved them out of their distresses.
20 He sent His word and healed them,
And delivered them from their destructions.
21 Oh, that men would give thanks to the LORD for His goodness,
And for His wonderful works to the children of men!
22 Let them sacrifice the sacrifices of thanksgiving,
And declare His works with rejoicing.
This song calls us to thanksgiving and praise for the goodness of the LORD and all His works. Four times he repeats the phrase, ‘Oh, that men would give thanks to the LORD for His goodness, and for His wonderful works to the children of men!’ With a summary as to why and how after sections describing those works towards His people and His goodness of grace and mercy in those works. It begins by calling us to thank Him because He is good and merciful as a song of the redeemed who have been set free from the enemy. This describes the nation of Israel then, but also applies as a shadow of the reality fully experienced now in God’s grace in Christ towards all the redeemed. He has rescued and delivered us by calling and by His work of faith for us in His work of mercy and goodness in our salvation, since all our works fall ever short of His commands and expectations (John 6:28-29). Instead of gathering us out of the lands which Israel was driven to and scattered among, He has called us from every nation, people, and language to Himself along with those redeemed remnant of Israel as one people in Himself (Revelation 5:9). He has given us a future city to dwell in and a nation of all people in Himself to serve Him which we anticipate as we sojourn here. We also cry out to Him in our needs and He feeds us abundantly in body and spirit. That is one reason we thank God for His goodness and wonderful works for us, because He satisfies our hunger and deep longing desires with His goodness. As Israel had rebelled in disobedience of sin against the word of God and were in physical bondage, so we were bound in sin for the same disobedience until set free by grace in the life, death, and resurrection of Christ Jesus our Lord. We formerly despised His counsel found in the scriptures as well, and found ourselves buried in the burden of unending works in a futile attempt to earn God’s favor for release. Like them, we cried out to Him in our deep distress and He called us out of the darkness into His marvelous light of eternal freedom (1 Peter 2:9). The Lord broke our chains of sin and death, and set us free! This is the second reason to thank God for His goodness and wonderful works for us, because He has set us free. Our foolishness of sin and its rebellious works ensnared and enslaved us, leading to temporal and eternal death, but He has provided freedom (John 5:24) and forgiving release. We cried out as Israel had done in our troubles, and He saved, healed, and delivered us from our own destruction brought upon ourselves. We then thank Him again for His goodness and wonderful works toward us, and respond by offering the sacrifices of the heart, thanking Him and telling others of all His wonderful works towards us, especially the Gospel of God’s work done once for all whom He will call! Praise God!
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