Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Adult Sunday School Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/bb/bb19980329.htm

PSALMS: DIARIES OF GODLY OLD TESTAMENT SAINTS
Psalm One Hundred And Six - Drawing Invaluable Insight From Past Spiritual Failures
(Psalm 106:1-48)
  1. Introduction
    1. In a way, the believer should "forget the past" failures to press on to the future in Christ, Philippians 3:13.
    2. But in another sense, recalling past failures can be beneficial if we will learn from them just what to eliminate in order to minimize future failures and maximize success. Psalm 106:1-48 supplies that lesson:
  2. Drawing Invaluable Insight From Past Spiritual Failures, Psalm 106:1-48.
    1. After beginning the psalm with a fitting call to praise, the psalmist noted that those who maintain justice and constantly do what is right are blessed in life of the Lord, Ps. 106:1-2, 3.
    2. Then, in a telltale signal in verses 4-6, the psalmist reveals his need for blessing as his current generation was under discipline for failing to remain upright! Because of his revelation about Israel's being scattered, v. 47a, the psalm was written in light of the Babylonian Captivity! (Leupold, Psalms, p. 742-743)
    3. The psalmist recalled the sins of his pre-exilic forefathers, identifying seven areas of failure that had led to God's judgment on the forefathers as their repetition by the current generation had led to their judgment:
      1. Failure One - Failing to remember God's past provisions so as to distrust His provision for current needs, thereby trying His patience with terrified unbelief, Ps. 106:7, 13a, 20-22, 32. The psalmist pointed out the forefathers' failure to recall the great miracles of the Egyptian deliverance as proof that God would provide for their needs once they landed in the barren wilderness!
      2. Failure Two - Failing to wait for God's counsel instead of launching out on one's own accord, v. 13b.
      3. Failure Three - Failing to trust God for provisions and turning to satiating immediate lusts, 106:14. This recalls the eating of quail uncooked out of greed for having been without Egypt's food for a while!
      4. Failure Four - Failing to be content with our career/ministry assignments by being jealous of others, 16. Korah's jealousy of the ministries of Moses and Aaron is here recalled, and of his ensuing demise.
      5. Failure Five - Failing to believe God's promises of provisions, Ps. 106:24. Israel failed to believe God would take them into the land over the opposition of the Anakim giants of Southern Palestine.
      6. Failure Six - Failing to stay weaned of idols by latching onto crutches of support other than God, 28-31.
      7. Failure Seven - Failing to stay separate in fellowship from the ungodly and tolerating union with the ungodly to our corruption, Ps. 106:34-39. Once Israel entered the land, they failed to obey God in d estroying all of the pagan religions of Canaan, a matter that later ensnared them in Canaanite idolatry.
    4. Having found a match for current failures in these failures of the forefathers, the psalmist recalled the grace of God in keeping His Abrahamic Covenant to restore the nation in spite of its sins, 106:43-46.
    5. Accordingly, in spite of the present failures that are a mere repeat of the forefathers' sins, the psalmist claimed the grace of God in keeping His unconditional Abrahamic Covenant for hope of renewal, 106:47.
    6. With this note of hope, he concludes with a call to praise God for His grace from eternity past to eternity future to all generations of sinners, Ps. 106:48.
Lesson: (1) We can learn from the failures of Biblical forerunners what NOT to do so as to avoid God's discipline. (2) Specifically, we can learn that God's blessing comes by (a) trusting God's PAST provisions to get us to where we are now so a s not to start distrusting His provisions for current needs. (b) We can learn to wait for God's Biblical counsel instead of running on ahead of it in our own judgment. (c) We can look to God to meet our heart's desires rather than concocting our own resol utions to feed our lusts. (d) We can learn to accept our divinely-appointed career/ministry assignments instead of changing for selfish reasons. (e) We can trust God's provisions to equip us to obtain what He has promised rather than distrusting His Word simply because the promise looks a bit too ambitious humanly-speaking. (f) We can refuse all crutches for security accept the Lord and (g) avoid close fellowship with those who use such false crutches so as not to fall into their idolatrous trap with them. (3) However, if WE fail God and experience His discipline, we have the hope that God's GRACE will still see US through on into eternity, encouraging US not to give up simply because we are under discipline Ps. 106:45-48; Eph. 4:30.