May 21
23
New Testament Reading: Mark 4:35–41
“On that day, when evening had come, he said to them, ‘Let us go across to the other side.’ And leaving the crowd, they took him with them in the boat, just as he was. And other boats were with him. And a great windstorm arose, and the waves were breaking into the boat, so that the boat was already filling. But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion. And they woke him and said to him, ‘Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?’ And he awoke and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, ‘Peace! Be still!’ And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. He said to them, ‘Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith?’ And they were filled with great fear and said to one another, ‘Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?’” (Mark 4:35–41, ESV)
Old Testament Reading: Psalm 107
“Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever! Let the redeemed of the LORD say so, whom he has redeemed from trouble and gathered in from the lands, from the east and from the west, from the north and from the south. Some wandered in desert wastes, finding no way to a city to dwell in; hungry and thirsty, their soul fainted within them. Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress. He led them by a straight way till they reached a city to dwell in. Let them thank the LORD for his steadfast love, for his wondrous works to the children of man! For he satisfies the longing soul, and the hungry soul he fills with good things. Some sat in darkness and in the shadow of death, prisoners in affliction and in irons, for they had rebelled against the words of God, and spurned the counsel of the Most High. So he bowed their hearts down with hard labor; they fell down, with none to help. Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress. He brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death, and burst their bonds apart. Let them thank the LORD for his steadfast love, for his wondrous works to the children of man! For he shatters the doors of bronze and cuts in two the bars of iron. Some were fools through their sinful ways, and because of their iniquities suffered affliction; they loathed any kind of food, and they drew near to the gates of death. Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress. He sent out his word and healed them, and delivered them from their destruction. Let them thank the LORD for his steadfast love, for his wondrous works to the children of man! And let them offer sacrifices of thanksgiving, and tell of his deeds in songs of joy! Some went down to the sea in ships, doing business on the great waters; they saw the deeds of the LORD, his wondrous works in the deep. For he commanded and raised the stormy wind, which lifted up the waves of the sea. They mounted up to heaven; they went down to the depths; their courage melted away in their evil plight; they reeled and staggered like drunken men and were at their wits’ end. Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress. He made the storm be still, and the waves of the sea were hushed. Then they were glad that the waters were quiet, and he brought them to their desired haven. Let them thank the LORD for his steadfast love, for his wondrous works to the children of man! Let them extol him in the congregation of the people, and praise him in the assembly of the elders. He turns rivers into a desert, springs of water into thirsty ground, a fruitful land into a salty waste, because of the evil of its inhabitants. He turns a desert into pools of water, a parched land into springs of water. And there he lets the hungry dwell, and they establish a city to live in; they sow fields and plant vineyards and get a fruitful yield. By his blessing, they multiply greatly, and he does not let their livestock diminish. When they are diminished and brought low through oppression, evil, and sorrow, he pours contempt on princes and makes them wander in trackless wastes; but he raises up the needy out of affliction and makes their families like flocks. The upright see it and are glad, and all wickedness shuts its mouth. Whoever is wise, let him attend to these things; let them consider the steadfast love of the LORD.” (Psalm 107, ESV)
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Please excuse any typos and misspellings within this manuscript. It has been published online for the benefit of the saints of Emmaus Reformed Baptist Church but without the benefit of proofreading.
Introduction
At the beginning of this little sermon series through the Psalms, I made a few brief remarks about the structure of the Psalms. Psalms 1 and 2 are the entrance to the Psalter — they are the twin pillars that we must walk between as we enter the Psalms. They are law and gospel, remember? And I also drew your attention to the fact that the 150 Psalms of the Psalter are divided into five books, the headings to the five books of the Psalter being found above Psalms 1, 42, 73, 90, and 107, which is our Psalm for today. So this Psalm — Psalm 107 — is the first Psalm of book five of the Psalter.
It can be very difficult to recognize this as we consider one Psalm at a time, but the Psalter is in fact carefully organized. There are little grouping of Psalms. For example, there are clusters of the Psalms of David, pairings of law/gospel Psalms, and groupings of various themes. But the most obvious structure is observable in the division of the five books, and scholars have recognized that each of these five books carries a general theme.
Scholars differ on the terminology, but I do appreciate the terms used by O. Palmer Robertson. The Psalms are about the kingdom of Israel. Book one carries the theme of confrontation (think of the struggles that David endured before taking the throne); book two carries the theme of communication (in these Psalms the nations are compelled to consider God’s steadfast love for Israel, his salvation, and his judgments, and to worship the God of Israel); book three, carries the theme of devastation (remember that Israel and Judah were eventually carried away into captivity — book three is filled with Psalms of lament and cries for rescue, therefore); book four, carries the theme maturation (these Psalms present the mature perspective of Israel regarding the promises of the Davidic covenant); and book five, carries the theme of consummation. Here in this fifth and final book of the Psalter, the movement is away from the devastation of captivity and up towards Jerusalem and the temple. Throughout book five we are compelled to remember God’s steadfast love and to praise him. All of this will culminate, of course, with the so-called Hallelu-YAH (or, Praise the LORD) Psalms of Psalm 146-150.
So in this way, the flow of the Psalms matches the flow of the history of redemption in the experience of the Old Covenant nation of Israel. And in this way, the Psalms are rightly called the book of Praises. Not all Psalms are Psalms of Praise (there are wisdom Psalms and Psalm of lament, etc), but the book of Psalms does move us to praise — praise is found throughout and it does conclude with praise.
I have said all of this by way of introduction so that we might see that Psalm 107 is a marvelous introduction to book five of the Psalter, for it is meant to provoke praise. Listen again to the opening lines and consider the way that this Psalm compels us to praise: “Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever! Let the redeemed of the LORD say so, whom he has redeemed from trouble and gathered in from the lands, from the east and from the west, from the north and from the south.” (Psalm 107:1–3, ESV)
Let us carefully consider these opening lines, for they set the tone for this Psalm in particular, and for book five of the Psalter in general.
First of all, Psalm 107 opens with a call to worship. “Oh give thanks to the LORD”, is the opening line. This introductory call to worship sets the tone for the remainder of this Psalm which will call the redeemed to worship four more times with the repeated refrain, “Let them thank the LORD for his steadfast love, for his wondrous works to the children of man!”
Secondly, it is the LORD who is to be worshipped. You will notice that “LORD” is spelled with all capitals indicating that it is the Hebrew word “YHWH” that is being translated. This name for God emphasizes his self-existence, his unchangeableness, and his covenant faithfulness.
In this brief study on the Psalms, I have grown in my appreciation for the role that the covenant which God transacted with King David plays in the Psalter. Many of the Psalms refer back to that covenant and look forward in some way to its fulfillment in Christ Jesus. And of course, the covenant that God transacted with King David (which is recorded for us in 2 Samuel 7) does not stand all alone but is organically connected to the promise that God made to Adam, and to the covenant that God transacted with Abraham and with Israel in the days of Moses. The point is this: It is the LORD, the God of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph, the covenant-making and covenant-keeping God, who is to be praised. He is the God of the Bible, he is our Creator and Redeemer, and he is faithful to keep his covenant promises — he is worthy of all praise.
Thirdly, this Psalm calls us to praise the LORD specifically for his goodness and his steadfast love. “Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever!”
God is good. By this we mean that he is upright and free from all that is evil. He is holy and he is pure. This must be the confession of the faithful, for this is the clear revelation of Holy Scripture. God is good. He is holy. When the angels in heaven praise him they do declare his holiness three times over: “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD God Almighty” (see Isaiah 6:3; Revelation 4:8). And when we come to worship the Lord we must declare the same in our hearts and with our lips. The LORD is good. He is good all the time, for he does not change. He is most holy. He dwells “in the light which no man can approach unto”. Yes, the world is filled with evil. And yes, the world is filled with suffering. But that is the result of our sin and rebellion. God governs this fallen world. And God is accomplishing all of his purposes despite our sin, working all things together for good for those who love him and are called according to his purposes (see Romans 8:28), and for his glory (see Romans 9). But God is unstained. God is pure light. He is holy and upright, free from any blemish. God is good.
And when we say that God is good we also draw attention to his kindness — that is, to his mercy and grace. Given the theme of this Psalm, that does seem to be especially in view. God is good. He is merciful and he is kind.
When the Psalmist goes on to say, “his steadfast love endures forever!”, he is drawing attention to the covenant faithfulness of God. God entered into covenant with Abraham and with David. He set his love upon them and upon their offspring. He promised to preserve their offspring and to bring the Messiah into the world through them. And here the Psalmist is drawing attention to the steadfast love of the Lord, that is, to his faithfulness to keep all of his gracious promises.
In verses 2 through 3 the Psalm calls upon the redeemed of the LORD to praise the LORD for his goodness and for his steadfast love. “Let the redeemed of the LORD say so, whom he has redeemed from trouble and gathered in from the lands, from the east and from the west, from the north and from the south.” (Psalm 107:2–3, ESV)
Most agree that this Psalm was composed late in Israel’s history during the time when the people of Israel returned to Jerusalem and to their temple from Babylonian captivity. I briefly rehearsed the history of Israel for you in a sermon not too long ago. For now, I will remind you that the Jews spent 70 years in Babylonian captivity because of their sin, but the Lord was gracious to return them to their land beginning in 538 BC. The LORD was merciful to them. He was faithful to keep his promises to Abraham and to David. And here in Psalm 107, the redeemed of Israel are called to offer up praise to their God.
Now, I do agree that this was the original circumstance that prompted the writing of this Psalm — the return of the Jews from Babylonian captivity. We should do our best to put ourselves in that setting as we consider this Psalm, therefore. But this Psalm is written in such a way that the “redeemed of the LORD” living in every time and place may sing it from the heart. In fact, I do believe this is the proper interpretation of the Psalm. It was a Psalm to be sung by Israel celebrating their return to Jerusalem and to their temple from Babylonian captivity, and it is also a Psalm to be sung by the redeemed of the LORD living in every time and in every place.
The reason this is true is that the historical redemption of Israel from Babylonian captivity was prototypical of the redemption that all who are found in the Messiah by faith experience. They were redeemed from Babylon, and those who have faith in the promised Messiah are redeemed from bondage to sin, the kingdom of Satan, and the fear of death. Israel was for a time held captive. They were for a time separated from the land and from the temple where the glory of God did dwell. They were aliens and they were sojourners, but God set them free. He redeemed them. He rescued them from the enemy and reconciled them to himself. He brought them home to Jerusalem. He brought them back into his presence in the holy temple. And I am saying that this, like the exodus event, was an earthly picture of the heavenly and spiritual redemption that is ours in Christ Jesus. Psalm 107 is written in such a way that it has obvious reference to Israel’s deliverance from Babylon. In fact, the language used is also reminiscent of Israel’s deliverance from Egypt. But at the same time, this Psalm may be taken up by the individual worshiper — an individual under the Old Covenant or New who has placed their faith in the Messiah — and they may see their own experience here. They may raise up from reading or singing this Psalm and say, this is what the LORD has done for me. This is the deliverance that the LORD has worked for my own soul.
So in this way Psalm 107 is not only about Old Covenant Israel’s deliverance from captivity. It is also about the redemption of God’s people from all nations. “Let the redeemed of the LORD say so, whom he has redeemed from trouble and gathered in from the lands, from the east and from the west, from the north and from the south.” (Psalm 107:2–3, ESV)
Yes, the LORD did gather Israel who had been scattered from east and west, north and south. But we must not forget that God had promised to gather the nations also. Remember the promise made to Abraham. He was blessed to be a blessing. In him, all the nations of the earth would be blessed. And the prophets who ministered during the time of the Babylonian captivity never lost sight of this. They ministered to Israel (the descendants of Abraham) and spoke words of comfort to them concerning their eventual return to Jerusalem. But as they ministered to Israel they also reminded Israel that one day the nations would be brought back to the LORD too.
Consider the prophet Isaiah. He spoke words of comfort to Israel in exile, saying, “He [the LORD] will raise a signal for the nations and will assemble the banished of Israel, and gather the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth” (Isaiah 11:12, ESV). That was Israel’s hope as they lived in Babylonian captivity, and Psalm 107 is clearly a celebration of the fulfillment of this promise. But in Isaiah 56 the prophet declared that the LORD would redeem, not only ethnic Israel, but foreigners too. Concerning the foreigners, the LORD said “‘I will bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer; their burnt offerings and their sacrifices will be accepted on my altar; for my house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples.’ The Lord GOD, who gathers the outcasts of Israel, declares, ‘I will gather yet others to him besides those already gathered’” (Isaiah 56:7–8, ESV).
So, when we read the opening verses of this Psalm, “Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever! Let the redeemed of the LORD say so, whom he has redeemed from trouble and gathered in from the lands, from the east and from the west, from the north and from the south”, it right for us to think, first of all, of the redemption that God worked for Old Covenant Israel from Babylonian captivity, and secondly, of the redemption that God has worked for all nations — yes, even for you and me — through the Messiah that has come into the world through God’s faithful preservation of Israel. This is the proper interpretation. It is the interpretation that the Old Testament scriptures demand. And it is surely the interpretation of the New Testament scriptures, which demonstrate that Christ is the fulfillment of all the law, the prophets, and the Psalms (see Luke 24).
To state the matter more succinctly, this Psalm gives praise to God for the redemption that he accomplished for Israel to rescue them from Babylonian captivity and to bring them home to Jerusalem and to God’s temple and this Psalm gives praise to God for the redemption that he accomplished for his church in rescuing them from the power of sin, Satan, and death to bring his elect safely home into the new Jerusalem, which is his eschatological and eternal temple. Both of these things are true at once, for the experience of Old Covenant Israel was a type or a foreshadowing of the experience of Christ and his redeemed bride, the church.
All of that is a rather complicated way of saying, this Psalm was originally about Israel, but it is also about you and me and all who are united to Christ by faith.
The remainder of this Psalm is divided into five parts. There are four stanzas wherein the lovingkindness of the LORD to redeem sinners is described, and then there is a conclusion. The four stanzas are easy to identify, for they each begin in the same way. Verse 4: “Some wandered in desert wastes…”; Verse 10: “Some sat in darkness and in the shadow of death…”; Verse 17: “Some were fools through their sinful ways, and because of their iniquities suffered affliction…”; Verse 23: “Some went down into the sea in ships…” These were storm-tossed and despairing. “Their courage melted away in their evil plight; they reeled and staggered like drunken men and were at their wits’ end” (Psalm 117:26-27).
These four stanzas describe the plight of Israel in Babylonian captivity from different vantage points, but they also describe the plight of sinners alienated from God, helpless, and hopeless in every time and in every place.
As I read this Psalm months ago, I thought of the various testimonies of the members of this church. I thought of the mercy and grace that God has shown to us in Christ Jesus. In some ways, our stories all differ. But in another way, our stories are all the same. We were hopelessly lost, in bondage, spiritually afflicted, and despairing, but God was merciful to us. He rescued us from our plight and redeemed us to himself.
As we consider the redemption that God has worked for us, what should our response be? The repeated refrain tells us! “Let [us] thank the LORD for his steadfast love, for his wondrous works to the children of man!” (Psalm 107:8, ESV)
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Lost Sinners Retrieved (vs. 4-9)
Consider with me briefly verses 4-9. Here the picture is that of hopelessly lost sinners being retrieved.
“Some wandered in desert wastes, finding no way to a city to dwell in; hungry and thirsty, their soul fainted within them” (Psalm 107:4–5, ESV).
Can you imagine being hopelessly lost in a desert waste? Can you imagine being without food or water? Think of how your soul would faint within you as you tried and tried to find the way to a city to take refuge in but without success.
This is the plight of every sinner who is alienated from God because of their sin. Apart from God, this world is a desert waste. The soul of man was made to take refuge and to find comfort and nourishment in God. But being separated from God because of sin, the sinner wanders in desert wastes. He tries to find nourishment and refreshment in the things of this world, but to no avail. He finds no true comfort, no refuge, no sustenance, no hope. And this will be his plight for all eternity apart from the salvation of the LORD.
But in verse 6 we read, “Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress. He led them by a straight way till they reached a city to dwell in.” God is merciful and kind. As Psalm 46:1 says, “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” (Psalm 46:1, ESV). And so men and women are to call upon the name of the LORD. They are to run to him for refuge. And if they are to find refuge and satisfaction in God, they must find it in God’s Anointed Son. Remember Psalm 2:12? “Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and you perish in the way, for his wrath is quickly kindled. Blessed are all who take refuge in him” (Psalm 2:12, ESV). So, from beginning to end the Psalms are urging us to take refuge in God and in the Son he has provided, for God is merciful to sinners. He has redeemed us from our hopeless plight. Those lost sinners who call upon the name of the Lord are delivered from their distress. They are led in a straight way till they reach a city to dwell in. Ultimately, that city is God himself. It is the new heavens and earth, the new Jerusalem, which has no need for the sun, for the glory of God will fill that place. Listen to the way that John describes the new heavens and earth in Revelation 21:22: “And I saw no temple in the city, for its temple, is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb. And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb” (Revelation 21:22–23, ESV).
Dear brothers and sisters, God himself is our refuge and strength. And if we are to take refuge in him, we must be found in Christ by faith. Consider how Christ described himself in his earthly ministry and compare it to the plight of sinners as described in verses 4 and 5 of Psalm 107. Sinners are hopelessly lost as if in a wasteland. But Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life. Through him, we come to the Father (John 14:6). Sinners are desperately hungry and Jesus is the bread of life (John 6:35). Sinners are terribly thirsty, but those in Christ “shall hunger no more, neither thirst anymore; the sun shall not strike them, nor any scorching heat. For the Lamb in the midst of the throne will be their shepherd, and he will guide them to springs of living water, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes” (Revelation 7:16–17, ESV).
“Some wandered in desert wastes, finding no way to a city to dwell in; hungry and thirsty, their soul fainted within them…” Such were we before taking refuge in God and in his Christ. “Then [we] cried to the LORD in [our] trouble, and he delivered [us] from [our] distress. He led [us] by a straight way till [we] reached a city to dwell in” (Psalm 107:6–7, ESV). What now shall we do?
“Let [us] thank the LORD for his steadfast love, for his wondrous works to the children of man! For he satisfies the longing soul, and the hungry soul he fills with good things” (Psalm 107:8–9, ESV).
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Prisoners Released (vs. 10-16)
In verses 10 through 16 our redemption is considered again but from a different vantage point. Here our plight is not described as lostness but bondage. And our deliverance is not described in terms of the provision of a city refuge but as a release from bondage.
Verse 10: “Some sat in darkness and in the shadow of death, prisoners in affliction and in irons, for they had rebelled against the words of God, and spurned the counsel of the Most High” (Psalm 107:10–11, ESV).
Again I will urge you to imagine the despair of imprisonment such as this.
And again I will urge you to see that such is the condition of every human soul apart from the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. By nature, we are in bondage to sin, to the power of Satan, and to the fear of death.
But Christ came to set us free from this bondage.
He has set us free from the power of sin.
He has set us free from bondage to Satan
He has set us free from the fear of death.
As Hebrews 2:14-15 says, “Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery.”
Once again the Psalm does urge sinners to cry out to God for rescue, for God is merciful and kind.
Verse 12 tells us that God “bowed their hearts [that is, the hearts of the prisoners] down with hard labor; they fell down, with none to help.” If you are living in sin presently, I pray that the Lord would do this very thing for you, for this is the mercy of the Lord. May he bring you to this place of utter despair and lead you to finally turn from your sin and to call upon his name. For that is what this text describes.
Verse 13: “Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress. He brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death, and burst their bonds apart” (Psalm 107:13–14, ESV).
If you are in Christ Jesus by faith, you know this freedom. You know what it is to be set free from bondage to sin, Satan, and the fear of death. What then shall we do? “Let [us] thank the LORD for his steadfast love, for his wondrous works to the children of man! For he shatters the doors of bronze and cuts in two the bars of iron.” (Psalm 107:15–16, ESV)
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The Sick Restored (vs. 17-22)
In verses 17 through 22 our redemption is considered again but from another vantage point. This time it is sickness that is described.
Verse 17: “Some were fools through their sinful ways, and because of their iniquities suffered affliction; they loathed any kind of food, and they drew near to the gates of death. Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress. He sent out his word and healed them, and delivered them from their destruction” (Psalm 107:17–20, ESV).
I wonder, Christian, can you relate to what is described here? Did you live as a fool for a time and, because of your iniquities, suffer affliction? Did God use afflictions to move you to cry out to him for relief? I know this is true for some within this congregation.
And I wonder, Christian, do you ever pray that this would be true for those you love who are living in rebellion against God and Christ? Have you ever asked the Lord to afflict someone you love (if necessary) so as to lead them to repentance? I often pray this way. Never have I prayed for affliction for affliction’s sake. But I have prayed that the Lord would kindly afflict so as to draw a sinner to repentance.
“Lord, bring so and so to a place where they might see the severity of their sin and their need for Christ. Make them discontent and uncomfortable in their sin. Make them sick of it, Lord. Bring them low so that they might cry out to you for salvation. Have mercy, Lord.” I often pray this way.
In one way or another God has rescued all of us from affliction through Christ Jesus. God has humbled us, moving us to cry out to him for mercy. What then shall we do? “Let [us] thank the LORD for his steadfast love, for his wondrous works to the children of man! And let [us] offer sacrifices of thanksgiving, and tell of his deeds in songs of joy!” (Psalm 107:21-22, ESV)
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The Storm Tossed Rescued (vs. 23-32)
In verses 23-32 our redemption is described yet again, but here the image is of those who are stormed tossed on the sea and despairing.
“Some went down to the sea in ships, doing business on the great waters…” Here we are to think of merchants eager to make a prophet and to enjoy the pleasures of this world. “They saw the deeds of the LORD, his wondrous works in the deep.” Deep waters signify the judgment of the LORD in scriptures. Think of the waters that God divided at the time of creation, the flood, and the parting of the Red Sea, and the story of Jonah — the tone is ominous. Verse 25: “For he commanded and raised the stormy wind, which lifted up the waves of the sea. They mounted up to heaven; they went down to the depths; their courage melted away in their evil plight; they reeled and staggered like drunken men and were at their wits’ end.” (Psalm 107:25–27, ESV)
How many of the exiles of Israel experienced this sort of thing literally, I do not know. But many have experienced this very thing spiritually. Many sinners living in rebellion against God have been tossed to and fro by the storms of life, bringing them to their wit’s end and leading them to despair.
Not long ago a man living in sin told me, “I have felt very unsettled and afraid while living in sin.”
Perhaps you experienced something similar when the LORD drew you to faith and repentance. You were going about your business chasing after the pleasures of this life with no care for God or things of God, and then you grew unsettled. You became aware of the frailty of your life, the certainty of death, and of the judgment that awaits you. This is the mercy of the Lord, for he does rescue many from stormed tossed seas.
What shall we do when life grows tumultuous, and when we feel that turmoil within. Verse 28: We must cry out “to the LORD in [our] trouble”, for he will deliver us “from [our] distress. He [will make] the storm be still, and the waves of the sea [be] hushed. Then [we will be] glad that the waters [are] quiet, and he [will bring us] to [our] desired haven.” (Psalm 107:28–30, ESV)
Brethren, the LORD has done this for you in Christ Jesus. If you have faith in him he has calmed the storms of your heart, has rescued you from despair and from the fear of judgment. What should be our response? Verse 31: “Let [us] thank the LORD for his steadfast love, for his wondrous works to the children of man! Let [us] extol him in the congregation of the people, and praise him in the assembly of the elders” (Psalm 107:31–32, ESV).
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Conclusion
Verses 33 through 43 bring this Psalm to a marvelous conclusion. The pattern of calamity, cry for mercy, salvation, and thanksgiving is dropped in this section. Here the Psalmist exults the LORD as he testifies to God’s ability, not only to rescue sinners from calamity, but to provide them with true refuge, stability, and prosperity.
This conclusion is truly beautiful. It is probably worthy of a sermon all its own. As I read it, listen for allusions to other biblical stories from the history of God’s redeeming acts. Truly, it is God’s sovereignty that is here being emphasized. He is able to deliver his people, and he will surely do it.
For our God “turns rivers into a desert, springs of water into thirsty ground, a fruitful land into a salty waste, because of the evil of its inhabitants. He turns a desert into pools of water, a parched land into springs of water. And there he lets the hungry dwell, and they establish a city to live in; they sow fields and plant vineyards and get a fruitful yield. By his blessing, they multiply greatly, and he does not let their livestock diminish. When they are diminished and brought low through oppression, evil, and sorrow, he pours contempt on princes and makes them wander in trackless wastes; but he raises up the needy out of affliction and makes their families like flocks. The upright see it and are glad, and all wickedness shuts its mouth. Whoever is wise, let him attend to these things; let them consider the steadfast love of the LORD.” (Psalm 107:33–43, ESV)
What a marvelous exhortation this: “Whoever is wise, let him attend to these things; let them consider the steadfast love of the LORD.”
Brothers and sisters, will you consider God’s steadfast love today?
Consider his covenant faithfulness shown to Israel to redeem them from Egypt and from Babylone.
Consider his covenant faithfulness to bring the Christ into the world through them, and to bless the nations of the earth through him.
Consider the grace that he has bestowed upon you in Christ Jesus to redeem you from all despair.
And as you consider these things, consider also this: God has rescued you from all despair by reconciling you to himself so that you might take refuge, comfort, and satisfaction in him. It is hard to put into words, but we must not forget that the greatest blessing is not what we have been rescued from, but what we have been rescued to, namely, the enjoyment of God forever and ever. For God’s redeemed will dwell securely in him. They will flourish in him. They will be satisfied in him for all eternity.
That is what this Psalm is about. Yes, Israel was redeemed from Babylonian captivity and was brought back to Jerusalem to rebuild the temple where the glory of God was manifest in the midst of the people. But that was a picture of something much greater — our redemption in Jesus Christ, the new heavens and new earth, the heavenly Jerusalem, the eschatological temple of God.
John saw a vision of this heavenly temple. “The angel showed [him] the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb through the middle of the street of the city; also, on either side of the river, the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit each month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. No longer will there be anything accursed, but the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and his servants will worship him. They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. And night will be no more. They will need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they will reign forever and ever.” (Revelation 22:1–5, ESV)
“Whoever is wise, let him attend to these things; let them consider the steadfast love of the LORD”, and let us be moved to thankfulness and to praise.
