August 13th
Psalm 103
A Psalm of David
God’s
love
1:
Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy
name. 2:
Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits: 3:
Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases; 4:
Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with
lovingkindness and tender mercies; 5:
Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is
renewed like the eagle's. 6:
The LORD executeth righteousness and judgment for all that are
oppressed. 7:
He made known his ways unto Moses, his acts unto the children of
Israel. 8:
The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in
mercy. 9:
He will not always chide: neither will he keep his anger for ever.
10:
He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according
to our iniquities. 11:
For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy
toward them that fear him. 12:
As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our
transgressions from us. 13:
Like as a father pitieth his children, so the LORD pitieth them that
fear him. 14:
For he knoweth our frame; he remembereth that we are dust. 15:
As for man, his days are as grass: as a flower of the field, so he
flourisheth. 16:
For the wind passeth over it, and it is gone; and the place thereof
shall know it no more. 17:
But the mercy of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting upon
them that fear him, and his righteousness unto children's children;
18:
To such as keep his covenant, and to those that remember his
commandments to do them. 19:
The LORD hath prepared his throne in the heavens; and his kingdom
ruleth over all. 20:
Bless the LORD, ye his angels, that excel in strength, that do his
commandments, hearkening unto the voice of his word. 21:
Bless ye the LORD, all ye his hosts; ye ministers of his, that do his
pleasure. 22:
Bless the LORD, all his works in all places of his dominion: bless
the LORD, O my soul.
Psalm 104
God
is the creator
1:
Bless the LORD, O my soul. O LORD my God, thou art very great; thou
art clothed with honour and majesty. 2:
Who coverest thyself with light as with a garment: who stretchest out
the heavens like a curtain: 3:
Who layeth the beams of his chambers in the waters: who maketh the
clouds his chariot: who walketh upon the wings of the wind: 4:
Who maketh his angels spirits; his ministers a flaming fire: 5:
Who laid the foundations of the earth, that it should not be removed
for ever. 6:
Thou coveredst it with the deep as with a garment: the waters stood
above the mountains. 7:
At thy rebuke they fled; at the voice of thy thunder they hasted
away. 8:
They go up by the mountains; they go down by the valleys unto the
place which thou hast founded for them. 9:
Thou hast set a bound that they may not pass over; that they turn not
again to cover the earth. 10:
He sendeth the springs into the valleys, which run among the hills.
11:
They give drink to every beast of the field: the wild asses quench
their thirst. 12:
By them shall the fowls of the heaven have their habitation, which
sing among the branches. 13:
He watereth the hills from his chambers: the earth is satisfied with
the fruit of thy works. 14:
He causeth the grass to grow for the cattle, and herb for the service
of man: that he may bring forth food out of the earth; 15:
And wine that maketh glad the heart of man, and oil to make his face
to shine, and bread which strengtheneth man's heart. 16:
The trees of the LORD are full of sap; the cedars of Lebanon, which
he hath planted; 17:
Where the birds make their nests: as for the stork, the fir trees are
her house. 18:
The high hills are a refuge for the wild goats; and the rocks for the
conies. 19:
He appointed the moon for seasons: the sun knoweth his going down.
20:
Thou makest darkness, and it is night: wherein all the beasts of the
forest do creep forth. 21:
The young lions roar after their prey, and seek their meat from God.
22:
The sun ariseth, they gather themselves together, and lay them down
in their dens. 23:
Man goeth forth unto his work and to his labour until the evening.
24:
O LORD, how manifold are thy works! in wisdom hast thou made them
all: the earth is full of thy riches. 25:
So is this great and wide sea, wherein are things creeping
innumerable, both small and great beasts. 26:
There go the ships: there is that leviathan, whom thou hast made to
play therein. 27:
These wait all upon thee; that thou mayest give them their meat in
due season. 28:
That thou givest them they gather: thou openest thine hand, they are
filled with good. 29:
Thou hidest thy face, they are troubled: thou takest away their
breath, they die, and return to their dust. 30:
Thou sendest forth thy spirit, they are created: and thou renewest
the face of the earth. 31:
The glory of the LORD shall endure for ever: the LORD shall rejoice
in his works. 32:
He looketh on the earth, and it trembleth: he toucheth the hills, and
they smoke. 33:
I will sing unto the LORD as long as I live: I will sing praise to my
God while I have my being. 34:
My meditation of him shall be sweet: I will be glad in the LORD. 35:
Let the sinners be consumed out of the earth, and let the wicked be
no more. Bless thou the LORD, O my soul. Praise ye the LORD.
Today we are
reading Psalm 103 & 104. In Psalm 103 David brings a song which
is very famous. It is a song of praise for the coming kingdom and is
beautiful in its structure.
A.
An encouragement to bless the Lord
B.
The Lords kingdom and Israel
C.
The merciful goodness of the Lord
D. The sparing
goodness of the Lord
E. The pardoning
goodness of the Lord
E. The pardoning
goodness of the Lord
D. The sparing
goodness of the Lord
C.
The merciful goodness of the Lord
B.
The Lords kingdom and the nations
A.
An encouragement to bless the Lord
This is a Psalm of
David but it refers to David’s greater son – Christ. He begins
calling on his own soul to bless the LORD – Jehovah. And he calls
on himself for total devotion. He says again to himself bless the
Lord O my soul and do not forget all the blessings of God. And why
would you bless the Lord David? Because he says, he forgives all your
iniquities and heals all your diseases. This is a clear declaration
of the link in the old covenant between sins and sickness. He redeems
my life from destruction and crowns me with loving kindness and
tender mercies. The Lord gives me enough food so that my strength is
renewed like the strength of an eagle. The LORD brings righteous
judgments on behalf of all the oppressed. The Lord revealed himself
to Moses but he demonstrated his acts of power to Israel. The LORD is
merciful and gracious, slow to get angry and he has plenty of mercy.
The Lord will not always rebuke his people nor will he keep his anger
forever. David says that the Lord has not dealt with us according to
our sins nor rewarded us according to our iniquities, because as far
as the heaven is high above the earth so great is his mercy toward
all those that fear him. David says that the Lord has removed our
sins as far as the east is from the west. The Lord is like a father
who pities his children who fear him. This is because the Lord knows
our skeleton and he remembers that we are made of dust. Mans days are
like grass and a flower which the wind passes over and it is gone.
But the mercy of the Lord is from eternity to eternity to those who
fear him. This is in complete contrast to Grace. Christians know, not
just the withholding of punishment, but the bestowal of blessing to
the unrighteous, on the basis of faith in Christ’s blood. But here
David says that Gods blessing is on those who keep the commandments.
The LORD has prepared his throne in heaven and his kingdom rules over
all. Then he calls on angels, to bless the LORD, who are very
powerful and who obey his directions listening to his voice. He says
you angels, bless the Lord and David calls on all creation to bless
the LORD and finally he tells himself to bless the Lord. In Psalm 104
David brings another song in which he speaks of the KING coming in
power and great glory to establish his Messianic reign. David begins
and ends with a blessing on the LORD. Then he brings four verses in
which he describes the six days of creation. David begins saying that
the LORD is clothed in honour and majesty. He is covered in light and
stretches out the heavens with his curtain. (It’s interesting that
speaking about the universe he has the idea of an expanding curtain)
Then David describes the greatness of Gods biggest works. He makes
the storm clouds his vehicles and he walks on the wings of the winds.
He makes his angels spirits and his servants like a flame of fire. He
laid the foundations of the earth so that it should not be removed
forever. Then David speaks of the deep waters. He says the waters
covered the high mountains (As in day one of creation) and at the
rebuke of the Lord the dry land appeared. And the Lord set a boundary
to their extent - the shore line. Then David describes the way in
which the springs run into streams. They give water to all the
animals. Without streams no animals could live. The birds drink from
streams and all plants are watered. The grass grows feeding cattle
and giving food for man. It brings grapes and oil for mans use and
bread to strengthen him. The trees grow and the birds nest and the
goats feed and the rabbits mill about, all because of the streams.
And the Lord causes the moon to give seasons and the earth spins in
space. David says the Lord makes day and night. The lions roar and
seek meat from God. In the morning the lions gather and lie down in
their dens. Man works everyday and works till evening. How wise the
Lord is, in all he does. David says the great oceans have both great
and very small creatures. They all wait on the Lord to feed them and
they are fed from the very hand of God. The Lord hides his face and
they are in big trouble. He takes away their breath and they will die
very quickly and return to dust. You send your spirit and they live.
David says, the glory of the Lord will endure forever and he will
rejoice in all his works. But he only has to look at the earth and
the earth trembles and if he touches the hills they smoke. David
brings his beautiful song to an end saying I will sing to the LORD as
long as I live. My thoughts of him are sweet to me and they fill me
with joy. David says let sinners be destroyed from off the earth so
that they are no more on the earth. Then he finishes saying Bless the
LORD O my soul. Praise the LORD.
- How does the Psalmist describe the blessing of the Lord?
- How does he describe Gods blessings under the Messianic kingdom?
- Howe does the Psalmist describe Gods deeds in creation and providence?
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