Deliverance From Typical Distresses

Transcription

1 1 Commentary by Clyde M. Miller Questions by John C. Sewell Deliverance From Typical Distresses Psalm 107:1-43

2 2 Text: Psalm 107:1-43, Deliverance from Typical Distresses Commentary by Clyde M. Miller 1. Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever. 2. Let the redeemed of the LORD say this those he redeemed from the hand of the foe, 3. those he gathered from the lands, from east and west, from north and south. 4. Some wandered in desert wastelands, 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 out to the LORD 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 the LORD for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for men, 9. for he satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things. 10. Some sat in darkness and the deepest gloom, prisoners suffering in iron chains, 11. for they had rebelled against the words of God 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 the LORD in their trouble, and he saved them from their distress.

3 He brought them out of darkness and the deepest gloom and broke away their chains. 15. Let them give thanks to the LORD for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for men, 16. for he breaks down gates of bronze and cuts through bars of iron. 17. Some 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 the LORD 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 the LORD for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for men. 22. Let them sacrifice thank offerings and tell of his works with songs of joy. 23. Others went out on the sea in ships; they were merchants on the mighty waters. 24. They saw the works of the LORD, his wonderful 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 out to the LORD 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 the LORD for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for men.

4 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 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 heed these things and consider the great love of the LORD. (NIV) Introduction: I. Book V of the Psalter consists of Psalms II. This psalm of thanksgiving was occasioned by Israel s return from Babylonian exile (Ps. 107:2b-3). A. Psalm 107, 2, 3, Let the redeemed of the LORD say this those he redeemed from the hand of the foe, those he gathered

5 5 from the lands, from east and west, from north and south. (NIV) B. The psalm, however, is not confined to the circumstances of the exiles. Commentary: 1. It rather uses those events as typical of problems experienced at any time. God s Love Acclaimed Psalm 107:1-3, Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever. Let the redeemed of the LORD say this those he redeemed from the hand of the foe, those he gathered from the lands, from east and west, from north and south. (NIV) Psalm 107:1, Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever. (NIV) I. The psalm actually praises God for all the manifestations of His covenant loyalty toward Israel (cf. Ps. 106:1 and the notes). A. Psalm 106:1, Praise the LORD. Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever. (NIV) Psalm 107:2, 3, Let the redeemed of the LORD say this those he redeemed from the hand of the foe, those he gathered from the lands, from east and west, from north and south. (NIV) I. Redeemed (2b) her is further defined by the expression gathered from the lands.

6 6 A. Redemption in the Old Testament can mean physical deliverance or spiritual redemption in the form of forgiveness (cf. Ps. 130:8). 1. Psalm 130:8, He himself will redeem Israel from all their sins. (NIV) 2. The New Testament speaks of the redemption of our bodies (Rom. 8:23) as well as redemption in the form of forgiveness (Eph. 1:7). a. Romans 8:23, Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. (NIV) b. Ephesians 1:7, In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace. (NIV) B. Apparently, the four directions are used here to indicate that the exiles were gathered in from wherever they had been scattered (cf. Isa. 43:5-7). 1. Isaiah 43:5-7, Do not be afraid, for I am with you; I will bring your children from the east and gather you from the west. I will say to the north, 'Give them up!' and to the south, 'Do not hold them back.' Bring my sons from afar and my daughters from the ends of the eartheveryone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made." (NIV) 2. The exiles might be thought of as returning from the east country (Assyria, Babylonia, or Persia) and from the west

7 7 country (Egypt, cf. Zech. 8:7), or from the north (Assyria) and the west (Egypt, cf. Isa. 49:12). Examples of Distress Psalm 107:4-32, Some wandered in desert wastelands, finding no way to a city where they could settle. They were hungry and thirsty, and their lives ebbed away. Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress. He led them by a straight way to a city where they could settle. Let them give thanks to the LORD for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for men, for he satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things. Some sat in darkness and the deepest gloom, prisoners suffering in iron chains, for they had rebelled against the words of God and despised the counsel of the Most High. So he subjected them to bitter labor; they stumbled, and there was no one to help. Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble, and he saved them from their distress. He brought them out of darkness and the deepest gloom and broke away their chains. Let them give thanks to the LORD for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for men, for he breaks down gates of bronze and cuts through bars of iron. Some became fools through their rebellious ways and suffered affliction because of their iniquities. They loathed all food and drew near the gates of death. Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble, and he saved them from their distress. He sent forth his word and healed them; he rescued them from the grave. Let them give thanks to the LORD for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for men. Let them sacrifice thank offerings and tell of his works with songs of joy. Others went out on the sea in ships; they were merchants on the mighty waters. They saw the works of the LORD, his wonderful deeds in the deep. For he spoke and stirred up a tempest that lifted high the waves. They mounted up to the heavens and went down to the depths; in their peril their courage melted away. They reeled and staggered like drunken men; they were at their wits' end. Then they cried out to the LORD in their

8 8 trouble, and he brought them out of their distress. He stilled the storm to a whisper; the waves of the sea were hushed. They were glad when it grew calm, and he guided them to their desired haven. Let them give thanks to the LORD for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for men. Let them exalt him in the assembly of the people and praise him in the council of the elders. (NIV) I. In beautiful poetic form, the psalmist in four stanzas names homelessness, imprisonment, sickness, and perils at sea as typical troubles from which they had been delivered. A. Each stanza follows an almost identical fivefold poetic pattern. 1. There is a statement of a specific problem (Ps. 107:4-5, 10-12, 17-18, 23-27) followed by a declaration of their supplication uttered in an identical refrain (Ps. 107:6, 13, 19, 28). a. Psalm 107:4, 5, 10-12, 17, 18, 23-27, Some wandered in desert wastelands, finding no way to a city where they could settle. They were hungry and thirsty, and their lives ebbed away. Some sat in darkness and the deepest gloom, prisoners suffering in iron chains, for they had rebelled against the words of God and despised the counsel of the Most High. So he subjected them to bitter labor; they stumbled, and there was no one to help. Some became fools through their rebellious ways and suffered affliction because of their iniquities. They loathed all food and drew near the gates of death.. Others went out on the sea in ships; they were merchants on the mighty waters. They saw the works of the LORD, his wonderful deeds in the deep. For he spoke and stirred up a tempest that lifted high the waves. They mounted up to the

9 9 heavens and went down to the depths; in their peril their courage melted away. They reeled and staggered like drunken men; they were at their wits' end. (NIV) b. Psalm 107:6, 13, 19, 28, Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress. Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble, and he saved them from their distress. Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble, and he saved them from their distress. Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble, and he brought them out of their distress. (NIV) 2. Next, a specific act of deliverance from the specific problem at hand is related (Ps. 107:7, 14, 20, 29-30), followed by an exhortation to thank God uttered in a second identical refrain (Ps. 107:8,15,21,31). a. Psalm 107:7, 14, 20, 29, 30, He led them by a straight way to a city where they could settle. He brought them out of darkness and the deepest gloom and broke away their chains. He sent forth his word and healed them; he rescued them from the grave. He stilled the storm to a whisper; the waves of the sea were hushed. They were glad when it grew calm, and he guided them to their desired haven. (NIV) b. Psalm 107:8, 15, 21, 31, Let them give thanks to the LORD for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for men, Let them give thanks to the LORD for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for men, Let them give thanks to the LORD for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for men. Let

10 10 them give thanks to the LORD for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for men. (NIV) 3. The fifth element is slightly varied. a. In stanzas one and two of this section, a motive for thanking God is set forth (Ps. 107:9, 16). i. Psalm 107:9, 16, for he satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things. for he breaks down gates of bronze and cuts through bars of iron. (NIV) b. In stanzas three and four, the congregation is exhorted to further praise and thanksgiving (Ps. 107:22, 32,). i. Psalm 107:22, 32, Let them sacrifice thank offerings and tell of his works with songs of joy. Let them exalt him in the assembly of the people and praise him in the council of the elders. (NIV) B. The expression for His wonderful works to the sons of men (8b) shows that the psalmist intends for these specific saving acts of the Lord to be treated as representative of man others which could be enumerated. 1. Psalm 107:8, Let them give thanks to the LORD for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for men, (NIV) Psalm 107:4-9, Some wandered in desert wastelands, finding no way to a city where they could settle. They were hungry and thirsty, and their lives ebbed away. Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress. He led them by a

11 11 straight way to a city where they could settle. Let them give thanks to the LORD for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for men, for he satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things. (NIV) I. This paragraph may refer to fugitives who fled from Nebuchadnezzar s invading armies. A. With no permanent dwelling place, they were hungry and thirsty (5a) to the point of becoming faint. B. God heard their cry for help and delivered them from their distress (6b; the Hebrew here and in Ps. 107:13, 19, 28, is plural distresses, cf. KJV, NASB). 1. Psalm 107:13, 19, 28, Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble, and he saved them from their distress. Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble, and he saved them from their distress. Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble, and he brought them out of their distress. (NIV) 2. The Hebrew uses a cognate accusative in Ps. 107:7 to connect very closely the way, derek, with God s leading, yadrik them. a. Psalm 107:7, He led them by a straight way to a city where they could settle. (NIV) b. Poetically, God is said to go over the way before them so that they could follow safely. c. In the last half of the verse, a city where they could settle is literally a city of habitation (so also Ps. 107:4, 36; cf. KJV, NASB).

12 12 i. Psalm 107:4, 36, Some wandered in desert wastelands, finding no way to a city where they could settle. there he brought the hungry to live, and they founded a city where they could settle. (NIV) 3. Note how the deliverance (Ps. 107:7) and motive for thanksgiving (Ps. 107:9) are vitally connected with the specific problem described in Ps. 107:4, 5. a. Psalm 107:4, 5, 7, 9, Some wandered in desert wastelands, finding no way to a city where they could settle. They were hungry and thirsty, and their lives ebbed away. He led them by a straight way to a city where they could settle. for he satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things. (NIV) Psalm 107:10-16, Some sat in darkness and the deepest gloom, prisoners suffering in iron chains, for they had rebelled against the words of God and despised the counsel of the Most High. So he subjected them to bitter labor; they stumbled, and there was no one to help. Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble, and he saved them from their distress. He brought them out of darkness and the deepest gloom and broke away their chains. Let them give thanks to the LORD for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for men, for he breaks down gates of bronze and cuts through bars of iron. (NIV) I. The second stanza in this section deals with imprisonment. A. Not all the captives were literally imprisoned, but some were (cf. 2 Kings 17:4; 23:31-33; 24:10-12; 25:7).

13 Kings 17:4, But the king of Assyria discovered that Hoshea was a traitor, for he had sent envoys to So king of Egypt, and he no longer paid tribute to the king of Assyria, as he had done year by year. Therefore Shalmaneser seized him and put him in prison. (NIV) 2. 2 Kings 23:31-33, Jehoahaz was twenty-three years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem three months. His mother's name was Hamutal daughter of Jeremiah; she was from Libnah. He did evil in the eyes of the LORD, just as his fathers had done. Pharaoh Neco put him in chains at Riblah in the land of Hamath so that he might not reign in Jerusalem, and he imposed on Judah a levy of a hundred talents of silver and a talent of gold. (NIV) 3. 2 Kings 24:10-12, At that time the officers of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon advanced on Jerusalem and laid siege to it, and Nebuchadnezzar himself came up to the city while his officers were besieging it. Jehoiachin king of Judah, his mother, his attendants, his nobles and his officials all surrendered to him. In the eighth year of the reign of the king of Babylon, he took Jehoiachin prisoner. (NIV) 4. 2 Kings 25:7, They killed the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes. Then they put out his eyes, bound him with bronze shackles and took him to Babylon. (NIV) B. Isaiah thinks of the captivity itself as a form of imprisonment (Isa. 42:6-7; 49:8-9), and Jesus applies the Isainic passages to his own role of setting men free from the prison-house of sin (Luke 4:18-21; Isa. 61:1-2).

14 Isaiah 42:6, 7, "I, the LORD, have called you in righteousness; I will take hold of your hand. I will keep you and will make you to be a covenant for the people and a light for the Gentiles, to open eyes that are blind, to free captives from prison and to release from the dungeon those who sit in darkness. (NIV) 2. Isaiah 49:8, 9, This is what the LORD says: "In the time of my favor I will answer you, and in the day of salvation I will help you; I will keep you and will make you to be a covenant for the people, to restore the land and to reassign its desolate inheritances, to say to the captives, 'Come out,' and to those in darkness, 'Be free!' "They will feed beside the roads and find pasture on every barren hill. (NIV) 3. Luke 4:18-21, "The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor." Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him, and he began by saying to them, "Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing." (NIV) 4. Isaiah 61:1, 2, The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the LORD's favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, (NIV)

15 15 5, Jehoiachin, after an imprisonment of thirty-seven years, was freed and honored by Evil-Merodach, king of Babylon (2 Kings 25:27-30). a. 2 Kings 25:27-30, In the thirty-seventh year of the exile of Jehoiachin king of Judah, in the year Evil- Merodach became king of Babylon, he released Jehoiachin from prison on the twenty-seventh day of the twelfth month. He spoke kindly to him and gave him a seat of honor higher than those of the other kings who were with him in Babylon. So Jehoiachin put aside his prison clothes and for the rest of his life ate regularly at the king's table. Day by day the king gave Jehoiachin a regular allowance as long as he lived. (NIV) b. The psalmist, however, has in mind the restoration of the nation after the captivity was over. Psalm 107:17-22, Some became fools through their rebellious ways and suffered affliction because of their iniquities. They loathed all food and drew near the gates of death. Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble, and he saved them from their distress. He sent forth his word and healed them; he rescued them from the grave. Let them give thanks to the LORD for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for men. Let them sacrifice thank offerings and tell of his works with songs of joy. (NIV) I. Sickness resulting from sin is the third example of distress from which the Israelites were delivered. Psalm 107:17-19, Some became fools through their rebellious ways and suffered affliction because of their iniquities. They loathed all food and drew near the gates of death. Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble, and he saved them from their distress. (NIV)

16 16 I. The Hebrew word translated sick in the RSV, means literally fools (cf. KJV, NASB, NEB, NIV). A. The following verses indicate that the psalmist refers to those who brought sickness upon themselves through their own foolish ways (cf. Ps. 38:3-10). 1. Psalm 38:3-20, Because of your wrath there is no health in my body; my bones have no soundness because of my sin. My guilt has overwhelmed me like a burden too heavy to bear. My wounds fester and are loathsome because of my sinful folly. I am bowed down and brought very low; all day long I go about mourning. My back is filled with searing pain; there is no health in my body. I am feeble and utterly crushed; I groan in anguish of heart. All my longings lie open before you, O Lord; my sighing is not hidden from you. My heart pounds, my strength fails me; even the light has gone from my eyes. My friends and companions avoid me because of my wounds; my neighbors stay far away. Those who seek my life set their traps, those who would harm me talk of my ruin; all day long they plot deception. I am like a deaf man, who cannot hear, like a mute, who cannot open his mouth; I have become like a man who does not hear, whose mouth can offer no reply. I wait for you, O LORD; you will answer, O Lord my God. For I said, "Do not let them gloat or exalt themselves over me when my foot slips." For I am about to fall, and my pain is ever with me. I confess my iniquity; I am troubled by my sin. Many are those who are my vigorous enemies; those who hate me without reason are numerous. Those who repay my good with evil slander me when I pursue what is good. (NIV)

17 Wandering in desert wastelands (Ps. 107:4-5), or living in unsanitary conditions in prison (Ps. 107:10) could have brought disease and illness upon them. a. Psalm 107:4, 5, 10, Some wandered in desert wastelands, finding no way to a city where they could settle. They were hungry and thirsty, and their lives ebbed away. Some sat in darkness and the deepest gloom, prisoners suffering in iron chains, (NIV) b. These conditions were the result of their sinful ways (Ps. 107:11, 17). i. Psalm 107:11, 17, for they had rebelled against the words of God and despised the counsel of the Most High. Some became fools through their rebellious ways and suffered affliction because of their iniquities. (NIV) Psalm 107:20, 21, He sent forth his word and healed them; he rescued them from the grave. Let them give thanks to the LORD for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for men. (NIV) I. The Hebrew word rendered the grave is plural (cf. KJV, NASB, distresses ), apparently indicating the several kinds of illness which overtook them (cf. Deut. 28:15-22). A. Deuteronomy 28:15-22, However, if you do not obey the LORD your God and do not carefully follow all his commands and decrees I am giving you today, all these curses will come upon you and overtake you: You will be cursed in the city and cursed in the country. Your basket and your kneading trough will be cursed. The fruit of your womb will be cursed, and the crops of your land, and the calves of your herds and the lambs

18 18 of your flocks. You will be cursed when you come in and cursed when you go out. The LORD will send on you curses, confusion and rebuke in everything you put your hand to, until you are destroyed and come to sudden ruin because of the evil you have done in forsaking him. The LORD will plague you with diseases until he has destroyed you from the land you are entering to possess. The LORD will strike you with wasting disease, with fever and inflammation, with scorching heat and drought, with blight and mildew, which will plague you until you perish. (NIV) Psalm 107:22, Let them sacrifice thank offerings and tell of his works with songs of joy. (NIV) I. Thanks-offerings, or thanksgiving as a sacrifice, and songs of joy are to be offered up to the God who delivers. Psalm 107:23, 24, Others went out on the sea in ships; they were merchants on the mighty waters. They saw the works of the LORD, his wonderful deeds in the deep. (NIV) I. Perils at sea provide the last illustration of specific dangers from which God delivers. Psalm 107:25, 26, For he spoke and stirred up a tempest that lifted high the waves. They mounted up to the heavens and went down to the depths; in their peril their courage melted away. (NIV) I. God brought on the storm in order to manifest His greatness (cf. Ps. 107:24). A. Psalm 107:24, They saw the works of the LORD, his wonderful deeds in the deep. (NIV)

19 19 Psalm 107:27, 28, They reeled and staggered like drunken men; they were at their wits' end. Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble, and he brought them out of their distress. (NIV) I. Apparently, the first half of the verse describes seasickness. A. The second half reads in Hebrew, And all their wisdom was swallowed up, which might be paraphrased, and their seamanship was all in vain (NEB). B. And were at their wits end, NIV, is another effort to capture the thought in English idiom. Psalm 107:29, He stilled the storm to a whisper; the waves of the sea were hushed. (NIV) I. Divine intervention which exerts power upon nature is clear evidence of God s greatness and goodness (cf. Ps. 29; Matt. 8:23-27). A. Psalm 29:1-11, Ascribe to the LORD, O mighty ones, ascribe to the LORD glory and strength. Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name; worship the LORD in the splendor of his holiness. The voice of the LORD is over the waters; the God of glory thunders, the LORD thunders over the mighty waters. The voice of the LORD is powerful; the voice of the LORD is majestic. The voice of the LORD breaks the cedars; the LORD breaks in pieces the cedars of Lebanon. He makes Lebanon skip like a calf, Sirion like a young wild ox. The voice of the LORD strikes with flashes of lightning. The voice of the LORD shakes the desert; the LORD shakes the Desert of Kadesh. The voice of the LORD twists the oaks and strips the forests bare. And in his temple all cry, "Glory!" The LORD sits enthroned over the flood; the LORD is enthroned as King forever. The LORD gives strength to his people; the LORD blesses his people with peace. (NIV)

20 20 B. Matthew 8:23-27, Then he got into the boat and his disciples followed him. Without warning, a furious storm came up on the lake, so that the waves swept over the boat. But Jesus was sleeping. The disciples went and woke him, saying, "Lord, save us! We're going to drown!" He replied, "You of little faith, why are you so afraid?" Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm. The men were amazed and asked, "What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the waves obey him!" (NIV) II. God brings spiritual calm to those who trust in His redeeming love and in the atonement offered in Christ. Psalm 107:30, 31, They were glad when it grew calm, and he guided them to their desired haven. Let them give thanks to the LORD for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for men. (NIV) I. Goodness (KJV) is too general a translation of chesedh. A. Loving kindness, NASB, steadfast love, RSV, enduring love NEB, or unfailing love, NIV, is better. 1. The Hebrew world ordinarily applies to those in a covenant relationship. 2. The word in this context, however, as frequently elsewhere, goes beyond strict covenant obligations to reveal the gracious, enduring love of God toward Israel even when through her sin she no longer deserved that love. Psalm 107:32, Let them exalt him in the assembly of the people and praise him in the council of the elders. (NIV) I. Public praise is a proper response to community deliverance.

21 21 God s Control of Nature Psalm 107:33-38, He turned rivers into a desert, flowing springs into thirsty ground, and fruitful land into a salt waste, because of the wickedness of those who lived there. He turned the desert into pools of water and the parched ground into flowing springs; there he brought the hungry to live, and they founded a city where they could settle. They sowed fields and planted vineyards that yielded a fruitful harvest; he blessed them, and their numbers greatly increased, and he did not let their herds diminish. (NIV) Psalm 107:33, 34, He turned rivers into a desert, flowing springs into thirsty ground, and fruitful land into a salt waste, because of the wickedness of those who lived there. (NIV) I. Soil samples from the Sinai Desert, from North Africa, the western desert area in the United States, and many other parts of the world, reveal that these regions were once well-watered places. A. Precisely what physical circumstances wrought these changes is not known, but the psalmist knows that God is in control of all these physical forces and that he utilizes them as a discipline upon sinful man (cf. Gen. 3:17-19; Rom. 8:18-22). 1. Genesis 3:17-19, To Adam he said, "Because you listened to your wife and ate from the tree about which I commanded you, 'You must not eat of it,' "Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat of it all the days of your life. It will produce thorns and thistles for you, and you will eat the plants of the field. By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground, since from it you were taken; for dust you are and to dust you will return." (NIV)

22 Romans 8:18-22, I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. The creation waits in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed. For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God. We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. (NIV) B. The salt waste (34al barrenness, KJV, is inadequate here) is doubtless a reference to the region of Sodom and Gomorrah which are thought to be buried under the southern end of the Dead Sea (Salt Sea in the Old Testament, cf. Gen. 13:10-12; 19:24-29). 1. Genesis 13:10-12, Lot looked up and saw that the whole plain of the Jordan was well watered, like the garden of the LORD, like the land of Egypt, toward Zoar. (This was before the LORD destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah.) So Lot chose for himself the whole plain of the Jordan and set out toward the east. The two men parted company: Abram lived in the land of Canaan, while Lot lived among the cities of the plain and pitched his tents near Sodom. (NIV) 2. Genesis 19:24-29, Then the LORD rained down burning sulfur on Sodom and Gomorrah from the LORD out of the heavens. Thus he overthrew those cities and the entire plain, including all those living in the cities and also the vegetation in the land. But Lot's wife looked back, and she became a pillar of salt. Early the next morning Abraham got up and returned to the place where he had stood before the LORD. He looked down toward Sodom and Gomorrah, toward all the land of the

23 23 plain, and he saw dense smoke rising from the land, like smoke from a furnace. So when God destroyed the cities of the plain, he remembered Abraham, and he brought Lot out of the catastrophe that overthrew the cities where Lot had lived. (NIV) Psalm 107:35, 36, He turned the desert into pools of water and the parched ground into flowing springs; there he brought the hungry to live, and they founded a city where they could settle. (NIV) I. Oases in the desert seem to be alluded to here. A. Or possibly irrigation projects are in the mind of the psalmist. II. God not only employed miracles to influence His people. A. He sometimes providentially used human resources in ways that revealed his working among men. Psalm 107:37, 38, They sowed fields and planted vineyards that yielded a fruitful harvest; he blessed them, and their numbers greatly increased, and he did not let their herds diminish. (NIV) I. Because of God s blessings, cities (36b) may prosper in arid regions and cattle may fare well (38b). God s Control of History Psalm 107:39-42, Then their numbers decreased, and they were humbled by oppression, calamity and sorrow; he who pours contempt on nobles made them wander in a trackless waste. But he lifted the needy out of their affliction and increased their families like flocks. The upright see and rejoice, but all the wicked shut their mouths. (NIV)

24 24 A. The psalmist has reverted to the event which originally prompted the writing of this psalm of thanksgiving the deliverance from captivity. B. Special emphasis is given in the Psalms to God s special interest in the weak and defenseless who are oppressed by the powerful nobility and royalty (cf. Ps. 9:9-12, 18-20; 10:17-18; 37:32-33; 105:12-15). 1. Psalm 9:9-12, 18-20, The LORD is a refuge for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble. Those who know your name will trust in you, for you, LORD, have never forsaken those who seek you. Sing praises to the LORD, enthroned in Zion; proclaim among the nations what he has done. For he who avenges blood remembers; he does not ignore the cry of the afflicted. But the needy will not always be forgotten, nor the hope of the afflicted ever perish. Arise, O LORD, let not man triumph; let the nations be judged in your presence. Strike them with terror, O LORD; let the nations know they are but men. Selah. (NIV) 2. Psalm 10:17, 18, You hear, O LORD, the desire of the afflicted; you encourage them, and you listen to their cry, defending the fatherless and the oppressed, in order that man, who is of the earth, may terrify no more. (NIV) 3. Psalm 37:32, 33, The wicked lie in wait for the righteous, seeking their very lives; but the LORD will not leave them in their power or let them be condemned when brought to trial. (NIV) 4. Psalm 105:12-15, When they were but few in number, few indeed, and strangers in it, they wandered from

25 25 nation to nation, from one kingdom to another. He allowed no one to oppress them; for their sake he rebuked kings: "Do not touch my anointed ones; do my prophets no harm." (NIV) Summary Exhortation Psalm 107:43, Whoever is wise, let him heed these things and consider the great love of the LORD. (NIV) I. This verse sums up the entire psalm. A. Such concluding exhortations are often found in psalms of thanksgiving (cf. Ps. 32:11) 1. Psalm 32:11, Rejoice in the LORD and be glad, you righteous; sing, all you who are upright in heart! (NIV) B. Hosea (Hos. 14:9) concludes his prophetic ministry in much the same way. 1. Hosea 14:9, Who is wise? He will realize these things. Who is discerning? He will understand them. The ways of the LORD are right; the righteous walk in them, but the rebellious stumble in them. (NIV) II. The first and last verses of the psalm, as well as the refrains (Ps. 107:8, 15, 21, 31), lay special stress on God s great love for His covenant people A. Psalm 107:8, 15, 21, 31, Let them give thanks to the LORD for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for men, Let them give thanks to the LORD for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for men, Let them give thanks to the LORD

26 26 for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for men. Let them give thanks to the LORD for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for men. (NIV) III. The wise will heed and consider these things so that they may help him to attain and maintain a mature faith. Application: I. The story of God s great love for man is worthy of extended repetition. A. Especially is this love for his own people who have entered into covenant relationship with Him worthy of repeating. 1. Thanksgiving and praise to God are always appropriate. 2. When special deliverances have come, thanksgiving and praise to God are even more befitting.

27 27 Questions Psalm 107:1-43 (Questions based on NIV text.) 1. to the, for he is ; his. Let the of the say this those he from the of the, those he from the, from and, from and. 2. Some in, finding no to a where they could. They were and, and their. Then they out to the in their, and he them from their. He led them by a to a where they could. Let them give to the for his and his for, for he the and fills the with. 3. Some in and the, in, for they had against the of and the of the. So he them to ; they, and there was no one to. They to the in their,

28 28 and he them from their. He brought them out of and the and their. Let them give to the for his and his for, for he of and through of. Some become through their and because of their. They all and near the of. Then they to the in their, and he them from their. He sent forth his and them; he them from the. Let them to the for his and his for men. Let them and tell of his with of. 4. Others went out on the in ; they were on the. They saw the of the, his in the. For he and - a that the. They mounted up to the and went down to the ; in their their way. They and like ; they were at their. Then they to the in their, and he brought them out of their. He

29 29 the to a ; the of the were. They were when it grew, and he them to their. Let them to the for his and his for. Let them him in the of the and him in the of the. 5. He into a, into, and into a because of the of those who there. He the into of and the into ; there he brought the to, and they a where they could. They and that a ; he them, and their, and he did not let their. 6. Then their and they were by, and ; he who on made them in a. But he the out of their and their like. The and, but all the shut their.

30 Whoever is, let him these things and the of the. 8. The psalter contains books. Book contains Psalms This of was occasioned by s from. The, however, is not confined to the of the. It rather uses those as typical of at any time. 10. Explain the concept of redemption as presented in the Old and New Testaments. 11. Why are the four directions used in verse 3? 12. What four typical troubles are presented in verses 4-32 from which God had delivered Israel?

31 Explain the five fold poetic pattern followed in each of the four stanzas. See verses To what do verses 4-9 refer? Give an example. 15. To what do verses refer? Give an example. 16. To who do verses refer? Give an example. 17. What connection is there between sickness and foolishness?

32 , or as a, and of are to be to who. 19. To what do verses refer? Give an example. 20., and are better translation of chesedh than is the generic. 21. is a to. 22. What do the psalms say about God s special interest in the weak and defenseless who are oppressed by the powerful? 23. How can Psalm 107 be best summarized?

33 How do the responses of the wise and foolish differ in regard to God s commandments? 25. Exactly what does Psalm 107 say those who receive God s blessings should do?