25. Forget Not All His Benefits (1), Psalm 103

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Hymns: RHC 27 Now Thank We All Our God, 309 Thank You, Lord, 130 I Waited for the Lord My God

 

Psalm 103 (KJV)

 1 A Psalm of David 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.

Forget Not All His Benefits (1)

 

OUTLINE

(1) What (v1-6)

(2) How (v7-10)

(3) Whom (v11-18)

(4) Who (v19-22)

 

INTRODUCTION

This is a psalm written by David. “To bless the LORD” is to “adore with bended knees” (BDB), it is a posture of worship with fullness of devotion. How you experienced with blessings of God in your life? This is a psalm of thanksgiving from the depths of a grateful heart. It stems from experiential knowledge of God’s goodness in his life.

The key phrase is “forget not all His benefits” (v2b). And the negative particle used emphasizes a strong emotional response that the psalmist urges us to take heed to. For all that our good God has done for us, let us not forget but be thankful. Return thanks to Him.

If you have sought the LORD, you will find that he never fails us. As Proverbs 10:22 reads, “The blessing of the LORD, it maketh rich, and he addeth no sorrow with it.” He does not bless us and do us harm. Our LORD’S love for His people is very sure and most secure. Have you tasted it? For all who has, it behoves to praise Him, the least our hearts can do!

What are the benefits received? (v1-6), How has our God benefitted us? (v7-10), Whom does He benefit? (v11-18), Who has benefited? (v19-22)

(1) What (v1-6)

(2) How (v7-10)

(3) Whom (v11-18)

(4) Who (v19-22)

(1) What (v1-6)

1 A Psalm of David 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.

 

The psalmist speaks to the LORD, His God, as he comes in humble adoration and worship on bended knees, the prayer posture of thanksgiving from a subdued and grateful heart.

He gives praise to a holy God wherein is purity and beauty. How the holiness of God has permeated into his very being, “my soul”, to purity and endow with beauty and strength. Whereas his life was filled with impurity and perverseness, now he is endowed with a clean and full slate.

And he articulates what are the benefits he has received.

  • Forgiveness of sins – the word “iniquity” means “bending or crookedness”, it describes the outworking of sin in a person’s life. That crookedness was straightened. He did not think it was possible. But the LORD did it to cleanse him from all his sins. Notice the adverb “all”. He is made every whit clean. We observe the complicated process in which God has to go through to deal with our sins. He has to sent His Son to suffer and die, on our behalf, for our sins. It was a costly price. God’s Son has to die to pay the penalty for our sins. A most remarkable salvation plan that has to be enacted to secure our pardon.
  • Healing of diseases – here, it is a way of expressing the heinous nature of sin. It is as a fatal disease that defies the physician but not the Great Physician. In fact, only the Maker Himself has the antidote to remake and make good the maimed and diseased. Matthew 9:27-31 And when Jesus departed thence, two blind men followed him, crying, and saying, Thou Son of David, have mercy on us. And when he was come into the house, the blind men came to him: and Jesus saith unto them, Believe ye that I am able to do this? They said unto him, Yea, Lord. Then touched he their eyes, saying, According to your faith be it unto you. And their eyes were opened; and Jesus straitly charged them, saying, See that no man know it. But they, when they were departed, spread abroad his fame in all that country. This was the power of God that was unleashed when Jesus was on earth, many were saved and healed. There was no lack of testimonies to the witness of God’s power.
  • Who redeemeth thy life from destruction – Truly, we are destined for the fires of hell because of our sins and we are granted the pardon from the judgment or sentence for punishment in hell fire. God also saves us by delivering us from certain calamity in life. We acknowledge His helping hand in saving us.
  • who crowneth (bestowing of spiritual blessing) thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies –

The word “lovingkindness” is the Hebrew word “hesed” which means kindness that comes from a heart filled with God’s love, lovingkindness, mercy, goodness, faithfulness, love, acts of kindness. This aspect of God is one of several important features of His character: truth; faithfulness; mercy; steadfastness; justice; righteousness; goodness. God’s kindness and love are eternal. The loving kindness (hesed) of God speaks of His mercy, goodness, kindness and faithfulness. It expresses His loyalty and devotion to the solemn promises in His Word. The steadfast love of God will keep His covenant promises with Israel. He does not forsake neither does He forgets His children.

“Tendermercies” is the Hebrew word “raham” which means womb, compassion, mercy, affection, maiden. Thus, he tender mercies of God describe the mercy of God that includes the element of compassion. The root verb is “love” (raham). It is the outworking of God’s love for His people. It is derived from the noun “womb.” The picture of God’s love for His people is likened to the unborn baby nourished in the mother’s womb. The umbilical cord supplies the oxygenated, nutrient- rich blood to nourish the unborn baby. The unborn baby is fully dependent on the life-line of the mother. This is how much we are dependent on our Creator, who is also our Sustainer and most importantly, our Saviour. We are lost and helpless, estranged from God, when we choose to walk our own way.

  • Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle’s – The Lord blesses His people with good things (physical, spiritual, emotional, social, marital, parental, work, recreational) so he is renewed in strength to live life. God endowed him. He tasted the goodness things received from God. He could trace these good things to God and it energizes like a grand, majestic eagle soaring in the sky.

 

  • The LORD executeth righteousness and judgment for all that are oppressed – When Israel was in Egypt, they were slaves. Life was miserable. They suffered much, toiled much, afflicted much. Unjust and cruelly treated. Oppressed! God delivered them. The Lord said in Exodus 19:4 Ye have seen what I did unto the Egyptians, and how I bare you on eagles’ wings, and brought you unto myself. Israel was mightily rescued from slavery to be freedmen bound for the Promised Land, a land filled with milk and honey in which they would become land-owners.

 

(2) How (v7-10)

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.

 How has our God benefitted us? This is an illustration from the Exodus how God has taken such complete care for the welfare of His people.

The LORD made known His plan to His servant Moses whom He will send to deliver His people. And God spelled out clearly how the deliverance will take place. He anticipates the stubbornness of Pharaoh’s heart to let His people go. He rehearsed to Moses that the firstborn of Pharoah and all the firstborn of Egypt of man and cattle will be judged with death in that final judgment and they would be released from their bondage.

The LORD was patient with His people. They were a bunch of murmurers and complainers. God did not destroy them for their unbelief and their murmuring but patiently taught them to see His love for them. He healed the bitter waters and made them sweet so that His people may drink when they ran out of their most important natural resource – water!

22 So Moses brought Israel from the Red sea, and they went out into the wilderness of Shur; and they went three days in the wilderness, and found no water. 23 And when they came to Marah, they could not drink of the waters of Marah, for they were bitter: therefore the name of it was called Marah. 24 And the people murmured against Moses, saying, What shall we drink? 25 And he cried unto the LORD; and the LORD shewed him a tree, which when he had cast into the waters, the waters were made sweet: there he made for them a statute and an ordinance, and there he proved them, 26 And said, If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the LORD thy God, and wilt do that which is right in his sight, and wilt give ear to his commandments, and keep all his statutes, I will put none of these diseases upon thee, which I have brought upon the Egyptians: for I am the LORD that healeth thee. 27 And they came to Elim, where were twelve wells of water, and threescore and ten palm trees: and they encamped there by the waters.

God’s mercy is upon them that fear Him. Those who are willing to submit to His care.

1 Corinthians 10:10 Neither murmur ye, as some of them also murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer.

This murmuring will become more and more severe till God put a stop to the gainsayers. How frightening.

The murmuring of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram against Moses and Aaron is highlighted here. There was no fear of God in their eyes when they went against God’s servants, appointed to carry out God’s will. The sin of pride.

Numbers 16:1-3 Now Korah, the son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, and Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab, and On, the son of Peleth, sons of Reuben, took men: And they rose up before Moses, with certain of the children of Israel, two hundred and fifty princes of the assembly, famous in the congregation, men of renown: And they gathered themselves together against Moses and against Aaron, and said unto them, Ye take too much upon you, seeing all the congregation are holy, every one of them, and the LORD is among them: wherefore then lift ye up yourselves above the congregation of the LORD?

What was their complaint? Numbers 16:12-14 And Moses sent to call Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab: which said, We will not come up: Is It a small thing that thou hast brought us up out of a land that floweth with milk and honey, to kill us in the wilderness, except thou make thyself altogether a prince over us? Moreover thou hast not brought us into a land that floweth with milk and honey, or given us inheritance of fields and vineyards: wilt thou put out the eyes of these men? we will not come up.

God instructed the separation from these – Numbers 16:21 Separate yourselves from among this congregation, that I may consume them in a moment.

God’s judgment came – Numbers 16:32-35 And the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed them up, and their houses, and all the men that appertained unto Korah, and all their goods. They, and all that appertainedto them, went down alive into the pit, and the earth closed upon them: and they perished from among the congregation. And all Israel that were round about them fled at the cry of them: for they said, Lest the earth swallow us up also. And there came out a fire from the LORD, and consumed the two hundred and fifty men that offered incense.

Hendricksen concludes well, “Without threatening the Corinthians, Paul teaches them lessons from sacred history to instill within them a respect for spiritual leaders.” Moses and Aaron were God’s appointed servants to carry out God’s will.

God’s blessings are upon them that fear Him.

(3) Whom (v11-18)

To be continued…