Psalms 103

Psalms 103:1

Psalm 103: Call to Thanksgiving103:1 One of the reasons we love the Psalms so much is that they verbalize so beautifully what we often feel but cannot find words to express. Nowhere is this more true than in the case of the 103rd. In its majestic cadences of thanksgiving, we read sentiments that mirror our own deepest emotions of gratitude. Here we call on our soul to bless the LORDand by our soul we mean not just the non-material part of our nature but the entire person. Spirit, soul, and body are cued in to bless the holy name of Jehovah. 103:2 The call to worship rings out a second time, with the significant added reminder that we should forget not all His benefits. It is a needed reminder because all too often we do forget. We forget to thank Him for soundness of body, soundness of mind, sight, hearing, speech, appetite, and a host of other mercies. We take them too much for granted. 103:3 But above all else, we should be thankful to Him for forgiving all our iniquities. It is an unspeakable miracle of divine grace that crimson sins can be made whiter than snow. I can empathize with the man who chose one word for his tombstoneFORGIVEN. And also with the Irishman who said, “The Lord Jesus has forgiven me all my sins, and He’s never going to hear the end of it.” To know that our sins have been put away forever by the precious blood of Christwell, it’s just too much to take in. The second benefit to be remembered is the healing of all our diseases. Before we get into the problem that this raises, let us notice that healing comes after forgiveness.

The physical is closely related to the spiritual. While not all sickness is a direct result of sin, some of it is. Where the connection exists, forgiveness must precede healing. But the obvious problem is still there. The verse says “. . . who heals all your diseases.” Yet as a matter of practical experience we know that not all diseases are healed, that we will all die sooner or later if the Lord does not come in the meantime. So what does the verse mean? In seeking an answer, we would make the following observations. First, all genuine healing is from God. If you have been sick, and then have recovered, you can thank God for your recovery because He is the source of all healing. One of the names of God in the Old Testament is Jehovah Rophithe Lord your Healer. Every instance of true healing comes from Him. Second, the Lord is able to heal all kinds of diseases. There is no such a thing with Him as an incurable disease. Third, the Lord can heal by the use of natural means over a period of time or He can heal miraculously and instantly. No limit can be placed on His power to heal. Fourth, when He was on earth the Lord actually healed all that were brought to Him (Mat_8:16). Fifth, during the Millennium He will actually heal all diseases (Isa_33:24; Jer_30:17) except in the case of those who rebel against Him (Isa_65:20 b). But whatever else the verse means, it cannot mean that the believer can claim healing for every disease, because in other verses of the Psalm we are reminded of the shortness of life and of the certainty of its coming to an end (see vv. 15, 16). What the verse says to me is that whenever a believer is healed, this is a mercy from God, and He should be acknowledged and thanked as the Healer. 103:4 Not only does He heal diseases, He also redeems our lives from the Pit, or destruction. Of course, this can be applied to His saving us from going down to hell. But I think that the meaning here is rather that He continually delivers us from dangers, accidents, tragedies and thus from going down to the grave. Only when we get to heaven will we realize how often we were protected by the personal intervention of our God from premature death. The fourth benefit is that He crowns us with lovingkindness and tender mercies. It is a wonderful diadem for those who were once the loveless and guilty. We are loved with everlasting love and showered day by day with His mercy. 103:5 Then again He satisfies us with good things as long as we live. The Hebrew here is a bit uncertain. The literal translation is He “satisfies your ornament with good things.” From there it is rendered “your prime,” “your years” or “as long as you live.” But even if we can’t agree on the exact words, the truth is there that the Lord satisfies the longing heart, and that He does not withhold any good thing from those who walk uprightly. The result of these five benefitsforgiveness, healing, preservation, coronation and satisfactionis that our youth is renewed like the eagle’s. Sickness and violence may affect the body but they cannot touch the spirit. “Though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day” (2Co_4:16). On earth there is no fountain of eternal youth as far as the body is concerned, but the spirit can go from one degree of strength to another. Those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint (Isa_40:31). The eagle has a reputation for long life and superior strength. Its life is not one of continuous vitality and renewed youth; it too grows old and dies. But what the psalmist is saying is that the man who dwells in God enjoys continuous revival, and goes from strength to strength, like the eagle soaring from one height to the next. 103:6 The mercy and kindness of the LORD are demonstrated in His dealings with the Hebrew people, especially in the exodus from Egypt. That was typical of the way He works vindication and justice for all who are oppressed. 103:7, 8 In the trek from Egypt to the Promised Land, God revealed His ways to Moses and His acts to the people of Israel. He took Moses into His inner counsels and shared His plans and purposes with him. The people of Israel saw the practical outworking of these plans. The difference between His ways and His acts is that His ways are learned by revelation whereas His acts are a matter of observation. In all His dealings with His people the LORD has shown Himself to be merciful and gracious. He guides, protects, and provides for every step of the way. His people are wayward, complaining, rebellious and disobedient, yet He puts up with a great deal before His anger flares. His mercy is steadfast in spite of the ingratitude it meets. How utterly unworthy I am, dear Lord, of Thee, Yet Thou art always showering Thy wondrous love on me. Though oftentimes I wander and fail to do Thy will, Thy gracious love constraining abideth with me still. Author unknown103:9, 10 There comes a time when the Lord has to chasten His children, but even then His discipline does not last indefinitely. Judgment is His strange work. His mercy rejoices against judgment. If we received what we deserve to receive, we would be in hell forever. But God’s mercy is demonstrated in that He does not give us what we deserve. The penalty of our sins was paid by Another at the cross of Calvary. When we trust the Savior, God can righteously pardon us. And there can be no double jeopardy; Christ has paid the debt once for all, and so we will never be required to pay it. 103:11, 12 God’s love in providing this wonderful plan of salvation is immeasurable. It beggars human imagination. If we could measure the distance of the heavens from the earth, we could get some idea of the magnitude of His love. But we can’t. We can’t even determine the size of the universe we live in. And talking about infinite distance, that is exactly how far He has removed our transgressions from us. Just as “east is east, and west is west, and never the twain shall meet,” so the believer and his sins will never meet. Those sins have been put out of God’s sight forever by a miracle of love. 103:13, 14 Someone has said that “man’s weakness appeals to God’s compassion.” Just as a human father watches with loving understanding as his little fellow struggles with some man-sized load, so the LORD looks down in pity on us in our weakness. He knows what we arethat we are made of dustthat we are frail and helpless. Too often we forget what God remembersthat we are dust. This leads to pride, self-confidence, independence and breakdowns. 103:15, 16 Not only is man dust, but he soon returns to dust. The primeval edict, “You are dust, and to dust you shall return,” finds its inexorable fulfillment. Man is born for one brief day, then like the flower of the field he passes away, and his old haunts never see him again. 103:17, 18 With God’s mercy there is a vivid contrast. It lasts from everlasting to everlasting to those who fear Him. In duration, as in volume, it is limitless. And His righteousness extends to children’s children. There is great comfort in this. Christian parents often feel concern about their children and grandchildren growing up in a world of mounting wickedness. But we can safely entrust our little ones to One whose love is infinite and whose righteousness is sufficient not only for us but for succeeding generations as well. Of course, the promises necessarily have a condition attached. They are valid for those who keep His covenant and remember His commandments to do them. But that is only reasonable. 103:19-22 The LORD is King. His throne is in the heavens. And His authority is universal. As such He should be the object of praise by everyone and everything; so David steps up to the dais of the universe to lead the massed choir of creation in a mighty diapason of worship. First, he motions to the angels, mighty and obedient, to start the rolling anthem. Then he calls on all created beings who serve the Lord to come in with their harmonies of praise. Next he signals all the works of God to join the glorious crescendo. And while this great Hallelujah chorus is ringing throughout God’s dominion, the choir leader himself adds his voice to bless the LORD. Someone has imagined David as saying here: “Amidst the praises of creation, let my voice sing His praise.”