Psalm 103.
OUR related psalms now complete the Fourth Book. They give the answer to the Messiah’s rejection in the thanksgiving of His earthly people and the world. What mercy to Israel is seen in a comparison of Psalms 102 and 103. All, it is plain, depends for Israel as for the Church, upon the death of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Psalm 103 begins and ends with “Bless Jehovah, O my soul”; it is Israel’s praise-song as Psalm 104 is all creation’s praise-song to the Lord Jesus.
Man’s first need as a sinner is forgiveness (verse 3), and the fruits of sin in disease cannot continue in the presence of the Messiah. These two things are seen together strikingly in the narratives of the paralyzed man in Matthew 9; Mark 2 and Luke 5.
Verse 4 brings in the realization of what the sinner’s desert had been—destruction, or “the pit”—as the new translation reads, but he is redeemed, and not only redeemed—bought with a price—but crowned with loving kindness and tender mercies. What a change from what we deserve, to what grace has provided!
Verse 5, no doubt, refers to Israel’s “old age,” now to be satisfied with the good things of that age of unparalleled blessing, and youth renewed like the eagles.
In verse 6 we are turned from consideration of the blessings to consider the Blesser. He executes righteousness and justice for all that are oppressed. This is the character of His reign. But there is much more that the godly may learn, for He made known His ways unto Moses, while Israel the nation, saw only His acts.
It is in communion with God that we learn practically His ways, as they are spoken of in verses 8 and following.
Verse 12: How far is the east from the west? It cannot be measured.
Verses 15, 16 show the frailty of man and the shortness of human life, but verse 17 meets this with the loving kindness of Jehovah from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear Him, and His righteousness to children’s children, such as keep His covenant, and to those that remember His precepts to do them. There is no change in His ways; time does not alter His loving kindness or His righteousness. These blessings are for the obedient (verse 18).
It is the earth that is in view here, of course, but Jehovah’s throne is established in the heavens; it is there that blessing is secured to Israel, for the King of Israel, the King of Kings indeed is none less than Jehovah, eternal God, in the person of the Son.
Well, therefore, does the psalm conclude with a call to His angels, the heavenly host, to bless Him; to all His works in all places of His dominion to bless Him, and finally the saint says to himself as at the beginning, “Bless Jehovah, O my soul!”
ML 08/16/1931