Joyful Praise in Forgiveness of Sins

Psalms 106:1-23

1 Praise the LORD!
Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good!
For His mercy endures forever.

2 Who can utter the mighty acts of the LORD?
Who can declare all His praise?
3 Blessed are those who keep justice,
And he who does righteousness at all times!

4 Remember me, O LORD, with the favor You have toward Your people.
Oh, visit me with Your salvation,
5 That I may see the benefit of Your chosen ones,
That I may rejoice in the gladness of Your nation,
That I may glory with Your inheritance.

6 We have sinned with our fathers,
We have committed iniquity,
We have done wickedly.

7 Our fathers in Egypt did not understand Your wonders;
They did not remember the multitude of Your mercies,
But rebelled by the sea—the Red Sea.
8 Nevertheless He saved them for His name's sake,
That He might make His mighty power known.

9 He rebuked the Red Sea also, and it dried up;
So He led them through the depths,
As through the wilderness.
10 He saved them from the hand of him who hated them,
And redeemed them from the hand of the enemy.
11 The waters covered their enemies;
There was not one of them left.

12 Then they believed His words;
They sang His praise.

13 They soon forgot His works;
They did not wait for His counsel,
14 But lusted exceedingly in the wilderness,
And tested God in the desert.
15 And He gave them their request,
But sent leanness into their soul.

16 When they envied Moses in the camp,
And Aaron the saint of the LORD,
17 The earth opened up and swallowed Dathan,
And covered the faction of Abiram.
18 A fire was kindled in their company;
The flame burned up the wicked.

19 They made a calf in Horeb,
And worshiped the molded image.
20 Thus they changed their glory
Into the image of an ox that eats grass.

21 They forgot God their Savior,
Who had done great things in Egypt,
22 Wondrous works in the land of Ham,
Awesome things by the Red Sea.

23 Therefore He said that He would destroy them,
Had not Moses His chosen one stood before Him in the breach,
To turn away His wrath, lest He destroy them.

Praise erupts from the soul forgiven of all offenses against God.  He is good, showing unmerited atonement.  His mercy is eternal, it never ends.  How can we not be ever thankful as God’s chosen and forgiven people?  This song reminds us that we can never say enough about all the wondrous works of righteousness God has done, and never praise Him enough as He deserves.  But we can do our best to praise Him often, in busyness and at rest.  The psalmist asked to be remembered by the LORD with favor and salvation along with all God’s people that he could rejoice with those who rejoice, and that he could glory in them as God’s inheritance.  We can do like in the fullness of Christ as His chosen people (1 Peter 2:9-10) and inheritance (Ephesians 1:18).  Like the psalmist of Israel, we also should remember our failings, how we all have sinned and have fallen short of the mark of the righteousness required, and confess our sin to obtain forgiveness by grace.  The Israelites did not reflect on God’s deliverance because they did not fully understand the significance of their exodus from bondage through the overwhelming waters of the Red Sea, nor through the wilderness kept from their enemies.  He saved them in spite of their rebellion for His name’s sake, that all would ascribe the glory to Him and not any other.  He thus demonstrated His power to save and redeem His people by His mighty hand and outstretched arm (Deuteronomy 5:15, 7:19, 1 Kings 8:42).  He has done even more by stretching out His arms on the cross to atone once for all forever for us, with power and deliverance that is effectual and irreversible.  That work of His righteousness for us is certainly worthy of reflection and constant praise!  May we not be as those led by Moses who forgot His works and counsel of His word, who tested God by desiring other things of the world instead of His will (1 John 2:15-17).  Their envy resulted in death, their idol worship replaced God their Savior, and they ceased to remember and reflect on God’s awesome work of wonderful deliverance for their good and His glory.  If it were not for an intercessor, Moses, they would have felt God’s just wrath due to hem all.  We have the Intercessor who is divine, the prophet predicted (Deuteronomy 18:15, Acts 3:22, 26) whom we have listened to and who delivers us from the wrath to come (1 Thessalonians 1:10, Romans 3:23).  This certain hope gives us joyful praise in forgiveness of our sin!