THRU THE BIBLE EXPOSITION

Psalms: God's Nurture Of The Inner Man In The Life Of Faith

CVII: Praising God For His Loyal Love

(Psalm 107:1-43)

I. Introduction

A. God has great hesed, great "loyal love," H. A. W., Theol. Wrdbk. of the O. T., 1980, v. I, p. 305-307.

B. That word is used often in Psalm 107:1-43 of God's "loyal love" (Kittel, Bib. Heb., p. 1070-1071), and how man should intelligently observe it so as to praise Him for it, so we view that psalm to do just that:

II. Praising God For His Loyal Love, Psalm 107:1-43.

A. The verses of this psalm in the Hebrew text are numbered like those in the English Bible (Kittel, Bib. Heb., p. 1070-1071), so we stay with the English Bible's numbering system with this lesson.

B. We thus translate Psalm 107:1-43 (as follows): (1) "O give thanks to Jahweh, for He is wholesome, because His loyal love endures forever." (2) "Let those who are redeemed by Jahweh say this -- those He redeemed from the land of the foe," (3) "those He gathered from the lands, from east and west, from north and south." (4) "They wandered in the desert wasteland, finding no way to a city where they could settle." (5) "They were hungry and thirsty, and their lives ebbed away." (6) "Then they cried to Jahweh in their trouble, and He delivered them from their distress." (7) "He led them by a straight way to a city where they could settle." (8) "Let them give thanks to Jahweh for His loyal love and His exceptional deeds for the sons of men," (9) "because He satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with wholesome things." (10) "They sat in darkness and the deepest gloom, prisoners suffering in iron chains," (11) "because they had rebelled against the words of Elohim and despised the counsel of the Most High." (12) "So He subjected them to bitter labor; they stumbled, and there was no one to help." (13) "Then they cried to Jahweh in their trouble, and He saved them from their distress." (14) "He brought them out of darkness and the deepest gloom and broke away their chains." (15) "Let them give thanks to Jahweh for His loyal love and His exceptional deeds for the sons of men," (16) "because He breaks down gates of bronze and cuts through bars of iron." (17) "They became fools through their rebellious ways and suffered affliction because of their iniquities." (18) "They loathed all food and drew near the gates of death." (19) "Then they cried to Jahweh in their trouble, and He saved them from their distress." (20) "He sent forth His word and healed them; He rescued them from the grave." (21) "Let them give thanks to Jahweh for His loyal love and His exceptional deeds for the sons of men." (22) "Let them sacrifice thank offerings and tell of His works with songs of joy." (23) "They went out on the sea in ships; they were merchants on the mighty waters." (24) "They saw the works of Jahweh, His exceptional deeds in the deep," (25) "for He spoke and stirred up a tempest that lifted high the waves." (26) "They mounted up to the heavens and went down to the depths; in their peril their courage melted away." (27) "They reeled and staggered like drunken men; they were at their wits' end." (28) "Then they cried to Jahweh in their trouble, and He brought them out of their distress." (29) "He stilled the storm to a whisper; the waves of the sea were hushed." (30) "They were glad when it grew calm, and He guided them to their desired haven." (31) "Let them give thanks to Jahweh for His loyal love and His exceptional deeds for the sons of men." (32) "Let them exalt Him in the assembly of the people and praise Him in the council of the elders." (33) "He turned rivers into a desert, flowing springs into thirsty ground," (34) "and a fruitful land into a salt waste, because of the wickedness of those who lived there." (35) "He turned the desert into pools of water and the parched ground into flowing springs;" (36) "there He brought the hungry to live, and they founded a city where they could settle." (37) "They sowed fields and planted vineyards that yielded a fruitful harvest;" (38) "He blessed them, and their numbers greatly increased, and He did not let their herds diminish." (39) "Then their numbers decreased, and they were humbled by oppression, calamity and sorrow;" (40) "He Who pours contempt on nobles made them wander in a trackless waste." (41) "But He lifted the needy out of their affliction and increased their families like flocks." (42) "The upright see and rejoice, but all the wicked shut their mouths." (43) "Whoever is wise, let him intelligently observe (shamar, B. D. B., A Heb. and Eng. Lex. of the O. T., p. 1036-1037) these things and diligently consider (bin, Ibid., p. 106-107) the loyal love of Jahweh."

Lesson: The psalm's theme is given in verse 43: the various repeat cycles of blessing for God's people followed by their various troubles then their calling unto God for His help followed by His various deliverances of them signify God's great loyal love for His people! We must thus intelligently observe so as diligently to consider that loyal love that we might give thanks to the Lord for His great loyal love and for His exceptional deeds in expressing it to us!