Psalm 107: Lessons of Praise For Jesus’ Plan For Our Redemption
Introduction: Psalm 107 marks the beginning of the fifth and final collection of the Psalms. The author and context are not identified. But the psalmist praised God for redeeming and gathering His people from all directions from a foreign enemy (Ps. 107:2-3). This strongly suggests that the psalmist’s praise related to God’s redemption and restoration of the Jews following their Babylonian captivity. But the wording of this psalm is universal. It points to seven parts of Jesus Christ’s plan for mankind’s redemption. These include His: (1) loving mercy, (2) guidance, (3) deliverance, (4) healing, (5) protection, (6) restoration, and (7) eternal salvation.
First, the psalmist began by praising God for His covenant love and mercy in redeeming and gathering His undeserving peoples from foreign lands to bring them back to the Promised Land. You also did nothing to earn your redemption. Thus, Jesus deserves your praise for His love, mercy, and redemption. Second, the psalmist also praised God for guiding and providing for the Jews in the wilderness when they cried out to Him. When you cry out to Jesus, He is also faithful to guide and provide for you. He is again worthy of your praise. Third, the psalmist praised God for hearing the Jews’ cries and freeing them from their foreign captivity and oppression. When you cry out to Jesus, He also can deliver you from any form of bondage and oppression. Again, He is worthy of your praise. Fourth, the psalmist praised God for offering the Jews healing and comfort when they cried out to Him. When you cry out to Jesus, He can also offer His healing and comfort. He is yet again worthy of your praise. Fifth, the psalmist praised God for calming the raging seas when the Jews cried out to Him. Jesus demonstrated His divine power when He calmed the raging seas for His disciples. He also offers you protection from calamities and the storms of life. Again, He is worthy of your praise. Sixth, the psalmist praised God for His ability to take the dead lands of Israel and transform them to offer abundant life for the returning Jews. Jesus’ restoration also includes both an offer of transformation and abundant life. He is again worthy of your praise. Finally, the psalmist praised God for the deliverance that He offered for those with the wisdom to seek it. But many who are rich and prideful will fail to seek out or reject what He offers. Jesus is also owed praise for offering eternal salvation to those with the faith, humility, and wisdom to accept His atoning sacrifice.
1. Mercy: Praise Jesus that His Redemption Includes Eternal Love and Mercy. Ps. 107:1-3.
Praise Jesus for His everlasting love, mercy, and redemption. The Jews had done nothing to earn a second deliverance from foreign bondage. Thus, the psalmist praised God for His covenant love and His mercy in redeeming and returning the Jews once again to the Promised Land: “1 Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good, for His mercy is everlasting. 2 The redeemed of the Lord shall say so, those whom He has redeemed from the hand of the enemy 3 and gathered from the lands, from the east and from the west, from the north and from the south.” (Ps. 107:1-3). In verse one, the Hebrew words “כִּי לְעוֹלָם חַסְדּוֹ” speak of God’s covenant love for His people. This phrase is translated differently in the major translations. In the NASB, it is translated as “His mercy is everlasting”. In the NIV, it is translated as “His love endures forever”. In the KJV / NKJV, it is translated as “His mercy endureth forever.” Which translation is best? All of the above. Part of the translation struggle exits because the words “mercy” or “love” are followed in Hebrew by the word “eternity” without any descriptive adjective: “The word endureth has been properly supplied by the translators, but yet it somewhat restricts the sense, which will be better seen if we read it, ‘for his mercy forever.’ That mercy had no beginning, and shall never know an end. Our sin required that goodness should display itself to us in the form of mercy, and it has done so, and will do so evermore; let us not be slack in praising the goodness which thus adapts itself to our fallen nature.” (Charles Spurgeon on Ps. 107:1).1
Praise God for His everlasting love and mercy. Book Four of the Psalms concluded with the same praise for God’s everlasting love and mercy: “Praise the Lord! Oh give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; for His mercy is everlasting.” (Ps. 106:1). Other psalmists offered similar praises to God: “Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; for His faithfulness is everlasting.” (1 Chr. 16:34). “But the mercy of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting for those who fear Him, . . . ” (Ps. 103:17a). Every person has fallen short because of their sins (Ro. 3:23-24). Thus, God is owed praise for His mercy.
Praise God for redeeming His people from the enemy. The psalmist also praised God for redeeming His people from Babylonian captivity: “2 The redeemed of the Lord shall say so, those whom He has redeemed from the hand of the enemy.” (Ps. 107:2). ‘“The redeemed of the Lord in this place are those whom the Lord has just delivered out of exile and captivity (comp. Isaiah 44:22-24; Isaiah 51:11; Jeremiah 31:11; Zechariah 10:8, etc.).” (Pulpit Commentary on Ps. 107:2).2 Similar praises exist in the Psalms and other prophetic writings: “They did not remember His power, the day when He redeemed them from the enemy,” (Ps. 78:42). “So He saved them from the hand of one who hated them, and redeemed them from the hand of the enemy.” (Ps. 106:10). “And has rescued us from our enemies, for His faithfulness is everlasting;” (Ps. 136:24). “For the LORD has ransomed Jacob and redeemed him from the hand of him who was stronger than he.” (Jer. 31:11). “And the redeemed of the LORD will return and come to Zion with joyful shouting, and everlasting joy will be on their heads. They will obtain gladness and joy, and sorrow and sighing will flee away.” (Is. 35:10). “And they will call them, ‘The holy people, the redeemed of the LORD’; and you will be called, ‘Sought Out, A City Not Abandoned.’” (Is. 62:12). “I will whistle for them and gather them together, for I have redeemed them; and they will be as numerous as they were before.” (Zech. 10:8).
God’s redemption of Israel fulfilled a prophecy. The psalmist praised God because He restored the Jews after they were scattered to different lands: “and gathered from the lands, from the east and from the west, from the north and from the south.” (Ps. 107:3). Before the Jews entered the Promised Land, God warned that they would one day be scattered because of their future sins (Dt. 4:27; 28:64; 29:28; Lev. 26:33). But God also promised that He would one day restore them to the Promised Land: “then the LORD your God will restore you from captivity, and have compassion on you, and will gather you again from all the peoples where the LORD your God has scattered you. If any of your scattered countrymen are at the ends of the earth, from there the LORD your God will gather you, and from there He will bring you back.” (Dt. 30:3-4). To encourage the Jews, Isaiah repeated this prophecy: “And He will lift up a flag for the nations and assemble the banished ones of Israel, and will gather the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth.” (Is. 11:12). Thus, the Jews had many reasons to praise God.
God’s deliverance of the Jews foreshadowed Jesus’ deliverance of mankind. Although the psalmist’s praise likely related to the Jews’ deliverance from Babylonian captivity, the Hebrew wording pointed to Jesus’ redemption of all mankind at the cross: “The word rendered ‘redeemed’ here - from גאל gā'al - means ‘delivered, rescued,’ without reference to any price paid for the deliverance.” (Barnes’ Notes on the Bible).3 Out of love, Jesus paid the price for our sins, “and He Himself is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.” (1 Jo. 2:2). “In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our wrongdoings, according to the riches of His grace.” (Eph. 1:7). “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus,” (Ro. 3:23-24). “But it is due to Him that you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption,” (1 Cor. 1:30). You did nothing to earn your redemption. Thus, Jesus is also worthy of your praise.
Give thanks that Jesus’ eternal love and mercy is greater than your sins4
2. Guidance: Praise Jesus for His Guidance and His Provision. Ps. 107:4-9.
Praise Jesus because His guides and provides for you when you cry out to Him. Even though the Jews frequently found themselves in the wilderness, God was always faithful to guide and provide for them when they had the faith to cry out to Him for deliverance: “4 They wandered in the wilderness in a desert region; they did not find a way to an inhabited city. 5 They were hungry and thirsty; their souls felt weak within them. 6 Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble; He saved them from their distresses. 7 He also had them walk on a straight way, to go to an inhabited city. 8 They shall give thanks to the Lord for His mercy, and for His wonders to the sons of mankind! 9 For He has satisfied the thirsty soul, and He has filled the hungry soul with what is good.” (Ps. 107:4-9). The psalmist’s description of the Jews’ wandering evoked memories of the Egyptian exodus. But some believe this also described the Jews’ difficult return journey through the dry and hot deserts of the Middle East from Babylon to the Promised Land.5
God provided for the Jews in the wilderness when they cried out to Him. The psalmist reminded the Jews that “they wandered in the wilderness in a desert region;” (Ps. 107:4) because of their sins. The exodus from Egypt provides many examples regarding how the Jews were forced to depend upon God in the wilderness. After fleeing Egyptian captivity, they lacked the faith to believe that God would deliver the Promised Land to them (Nu. 14:3-4; Dt. 1:26; 9:23). As a result, they wandered in the wilderness for 40 years (Nu. 14:33-34; 32:13; Josh. 5:6). When they were hungry, weak, and when they cried out to God, He was with them (Ps. 107:5-6). He was faithful to respond, and He provided for their every need (Dt. 2:7). He also showed His love for them and instructed them while they were in the wilderness (Dt. 32:10). Because of their sins, the Jews again found themselves in a second wilderness during their Babylonian captivity. But God was always with them during their captivity, and He was faithful to provide for His people.
When you cry out to the Lord, He hears your cries. During your darkest trials, God also wants you to cry out to Him. He is faithful to hear your prayers: “6 Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble; He saved them from their distresses.” (Ps. 107:6). “I was crying out to the LORD with my voice, and He answered me from His holy mountain. Selah” (Ps. 3:4). “In my distress I called upon the LORD, and cried to my God for help; He heard my voice from His temple, and my cry for help before Him came into His ears.” (Ps. 18:6). “Call upon Me on the day of trouble; I will rescue you, and you will honor Me.” (Ps. 50:15). If you are in need, show your trust in God by crying out to Him.
When you turn to God, He will guide you along His straight and narrow path. When the Jews repented and turned back to God, He put them on the straight and narrow path and guided them to protection: “7 He also had them walk on a straight way, to go to an inhabited city.” (Ps. 107:7). David’s psalms included similar petitions: “LORD, lead me in Your righteousness because of my enemies; make Your way straight before me.” (Ps. 5:8). “He restores my soul; He guides me in the paths of righteousness for the sake of His name.” (Ps. 23:3). “For You are my rock and my fortress; for the sake of Your name You will lead me and guide me.” (Ps. 31:3). “Righteousness will go before Him and will make His footsteps into a way.” (Ps. 85:13). Solomon’s dedication prayer also included a similar request: “then hear in heaven and forgive the sin of Your servants and Your people Israel; indeed, teach them the good way in which they are to walk. And provide rain on Your land, which You have given to Your people as an inheritance.” (1 Kgs. 8:36). Jesus’ path is also straight and narrow: “For the gate is narrow and the way is constricted that leads to life, and there are few who find it.” (Matt. 7:14; Is. 35:8). If you repent of your sins and return to Him, He offers to put you on His straight and narrow path. He also provides His Word to guide you when you read it and pray for His wisdom: “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” (Ps. 119:105). Are you regularly reading the Word and praying for the Holy Spirit to apply it to your life?
Give thanks that God hears your prayers and is faithful to guide and protect you. The psalmist reminded the Jews that “8 They shall give thanks to the Lord for His mercy, and for His wonders to the sons of mankind!” (Ps. 107:8). The psalmist repeated similar refrains in verses 15, 21 and 31. Jesus paid the ultimate price to free you from bondage. He also deserves your gratitude and praise. “Exalt the LORD with me, and let’s exalt His name together.” (Ps. 34:3). If you fail to praise Jesus, you may take Him for granted.
When you turn to Jesus, He can satisfy the deepest needs of your soul. The psalmist reminded the Jews that God did far more than merely provide for the Jews’ physical needs. He also fulfilled the longings of their souls: “9 For He has satisfied the thirsty soul, and He has filled the hungry soul with what is good.” (Ps. 107:9). “Delight yourself in the LORD; and He will give you the desires of your heart.” (Ps. 37:4). “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied.” (Matt. 5:6). “The psalm spoke of those hungry and thirsty in the wilderness, but there is also a longing in the soul of man. God’s literal guidance and deliverance for His redeemed in the wilderness becomes a picture of how He delivers the lost, thirsty, and hungry soul, and fills it with goodness. It seems that Mary, the mother of Jesus, quoted Psalm 107:9 (and fills the hungry soul with goodness) in her song: He has filled the hungry with good things (Luke 1:53). This is one of many scriptural quotations and allusions found in Mary’s song recorded in Luke 1:46-55, showing that she was a woman who knew and loved God’s word.” (David Guzik on Ps. 107:9) (emphasis original).6
Praise God because His deliverance brings satisfaction to your soul7
3. Deliverance: Praise Jesus For His Deliverance From Bondage. Ps. 107:10-16.
Praise Jesus because He offers freedom from bondage when you cry out to Him. When the Jews lived in captivity, they suffered greatly. But God heard them when they cried out to Him, and He was faithful to deliver them: “10 There were those who lived in darkness and in the shadow of death, prisoners in misery and chains, 11 Because they had rebelled against the words of God and rejected the plan of the Most High. 12 Therefore He humbled their heart with labor; they stumbled and there was no one to help. 13 Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble; He saved them from their distresses. 14 He brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death and broke their bands apart. 15 They shall give thanks to the Lord for His mercy, and for His wonders to the sons of mankind! 16 For He has shattered gates of bronze and cut off bars of iron.” (Ps. 107:10-16). “The Targum associated this description with King Zedekiah who was afflicted in exile; but the Israelites on the whole did not experience this. Some dwelt in darkness (Isa. 42:7) in exile; whether that means in some dark prison with chains or in spiritual ignorance is hard to say, although the latter would fit the exile better (see Isa. 61:13, where the LORD’s anointed sets the prisoners free among other things).” (Allen Ross on Ps. 107:10-16).8 But God showed that His covenant love and mercy was greater than the Jews’ sins. Thus, He was faithful to keep His promises and deliver His people.
God can use the pain of spiritual or physical bondage to cause you to return to Him. The Jews cried out in agony during their captivity (Ps. 107:13). Why would a just and loving God allow His people to suffer? “Because they had rebelled against the words of God and rejected the plan of the Most High.” (Ps. 107:11). “How often they rebelled against Him in the wilderness and grieved Him in the desert!” (Ps. 78:40). “Therefore He humbled their heart with labor;” (Ps. 107:12). Only through their pain would they repent of their sins. “When you are in distress and all these things happen to you, in the latter days you will return to the LORD your God and listen to His voice.” (Dt. 4:30). “Call upon Me on the day of trouble; I will rescue you, and you will honor Me.” (Ps. 50:15). As C.S. Lewis once explained, “God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our conscience, but shouts in our pains: it is his megaphone to rouse a deaf world.”9
Cry out to Jesus when you are in any type of bondage. Jesus came to free all who are in bondage. “The Spirit of the LORD is upon Me, because He anointed Me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent Me to proclaim release to the captives, and recovery of sight to the blind, to set free those who are oppressed, to proclaim the favorable year of the LORD.” (Lk. 4:18-19; Is. 61:1). “God makes a home for the lonely; He leads out the prisoners into prosperity, only the rebellious live in parched lands.” (Ps. 68:6). Thankfully, most will never experience the pain of physical bondage. But many will experience the pain of spiritual bondage through addiction. Whatever the source of the bondage, God offers through His loving grace through means for you to find redemption and freedom by repenting of your sins and returning to Him. “Sense will make men cry when they are in trouble, but grace will direct them to cry unto the Lord, from whom the affliction comes and who alone can remove it.” (Matthew Henry on Ps. 107:10-16).10
4. Healing: Praise Jesus for His Healing and for His Comfort. Ps. 107:17-22.
Praise Jesus for the healing and comfort that He offers when you cry out to Him. When the Jews rebelled against God, He removed His hedge of protection. Their health then suffered as well. But God was again filled with mercy when they cried out: “17 Fools, because of their rebellious way, and because of their guilty deeds, were afflicted. 18 Their souls loathed all kinds of food, and they came close to the gates of death. 19 Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble; He saved them from their distresses. 20 He sent His word and healed them, and saved them from their destruction. 21 They shall give thanks to the Lord for His mercy, and for His wonders to the sons of mankind! 22 They shall also offer sacrifices of thanksgiving, and tell of His works with joyful singing.” (Ps. 107:17-22). “Many sicknesses are the direct result of foolish acts. Thoughtless and lustful men by drunkenness, gluttony, and the indulgence of their passions fill their bodies with diseases of the worst kind. Sin is at the bottom of all sorrow, but some sorrows are the immediate results of wickedness; men by a course of transgression afflict themselves and are fools for their pains.” (Charles Spurgeon on Ps. 107:17-18).11
Sin can sometimes cause physical illness. God warned the Jews that their sins could led to illnesses: “Why do you cry out over your injury? Your pain is incurable. Because your wrongdoing is great and your sins are numerous, I have done these things to you.” (Jer. 30:15). Moses also warned that sin can lead to illnesses: “The Lord will smite you with consumption and with fever and with inflammation and with fiery heat and with the sword and with blight and with mildew, and they will pursue you until you perish.” (Dt. 28:22). “I, in turn, will do this to you: I will appoint over you a sudden terror, consumption and fever that will waste away the eyes and cause the soul to pine away; also, you will sow your seed uselessly, for your enemies will eat it up.” (Lev. 26:16).
God used poor health to bring David to repentance. Before the prophet Nathan confronted David regarding his adultery and murder, God first softened David’s heart by plaguing him with poor health: “When I kept silent about my sin, my body wasted away through my groaning all day long. For day and night Your hand was heavy upon me; my vitality was drained away as with the fever heat of summer. Selah.” (Ps. 32:3-4). After David repeated, he then gave thanks for God’s healing: “LORD my God, I cried to You for help, and You healed me.” (Ps. 30:2). He “heals all your diseases;” (Ps. 103:3). Through faith in Jesus Christ, God’s blessing of healing is also available to you in His timing: “But He was pierced for our offenses, He was crushed for our wrongdoings; the punishment for our well-being was laid upon Him, and by His wounds we are healed.” (Is. 53:5; 1 Pet. 2:24). Not all illness is connected to an individual sin. But if you need healing, turn to Jesus for help. If you are experiencing an illness tied to a sin, first repent of your sins. If your prayers are not immediately answered, be patient and submit to His will. If He answers your prayers, praise Him and share your testimony.
Praise God because His deliverance can include healing12
5. Protection: Praise Jesus for Offering You Protecting from Calamities and the Storms of Life. Ps. 107:23-32.
Praise Jesus because He also offers you protection when you cry out to Him. God sometimes allows for storms and calamities so that His people will return to Him. When the Jews cried out to Him, He was faithful to deliver them: “23 Those who go down to the sea in ships, who do business on great waters; 24 they have seen the works of the Lord, and His wonders in the deep. 25 For He spoke and raised a stormy wind, which lifted the waves of the sea. 26 They rose up to the heavens, they went down to the depths; their soul melted away in their misery. 27 They reeled and staggered like a drunken person, and were at their wits’ end. 28 Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble, and He brought them out of their distresses. 29 He caused the storm to be still, so that the waves of the sea were hushed. 30 Then they were glad because they were quiet, so He guided them to their desired harbor. 31 They shall give thanks to the Lord for His mercy, and for His wonders to the sons of mankind! 32 They shall also exalt Him in the congregation of the people, and praise Him at the seat of the elders.” (Ps. 107:23-32). “Through the Christian centuries, some have actually been saved through this sort of circumstance. We sing the hymns of John Newton who was a slave trader and owner of a ship running slaves from Africa to England. He was converted when he ran into a great storm. In the midst of that storm, fearing for his very life, John Newton cried out to God and God changed that man's heart right there. He became a great preacher and wrote many songs which have helped many since.” (Ray Stedman on Ps. 107:23-27).13
Jesus’ control over nature shows that He is part of the triune God. The Psalms make clear that God alone can control the oceans: “29 He caused the storm to be still, so that the waves of the sea were hushed.” (Ps. 107:29). “9 You rule the surging of the sea; when its waves rise, You calm them.” (Ps. 89:9). “Who stills the roaring of the seas, the roaring of their waves, and the turmoil of the nations.” (Ps. 65:7). Jesus fulfilled these verses and demonstrated His divine power by controlling the Sea of Galilee to save His disciples during a raging storm: “He said to them, ‘Why are you afraid, you men of little faith?’ Then He got up and rebuked the winds and the sea, and it became perfectly calm.” (Matt. 8:26). “And He got up and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, ‘Hush, be still.’ And the wind died down and it became perfectly calm.” (Mk. 4:39).
Cry out to Jesus when you face a calamity, trial, or serious storm. Jesus does not promise you a life without trials. Instead, He does offer you the ability to find peace in Him during a trial. “Peace I leave you, My peace I give you; not as the world gives, do I give to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled, nor fearful.” (Jo. 14:27). “These things I have spoken to you so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.” (Jo. 16:33). If you are facing a natural disaster, a storm, or a calamity, cry out to Jesus for help and place your trust in Him.
Rembrandt van Rijn (1606- 1669) “The Storm on the Sea of Galilee (1633)14
6. Restoration: Praise Jesus that His Restoration Includes Both Transformation and Abundant Life. Ps. 107:33-38.
Praise Jesus for offering to transform you and provide abundant life in Him. The psalmist praised God for taking the dead nation of Israel and transforming it to again abundantly provide for His covenant people: “33 He turns rivers into a wilderness, and springs of water into a thirsty ground; 34 and a fruitful land into a salt waste, because of the wickedness of those who dwell in it. 35 He turns a wilderness into a pool of water, and a dry land into springs of water; 36 and He has the hungry live there, so that they may establish an inhabited city, 37 and sow fields and plant vineyards, and gather a fruitful harvest. 38 He also blesses them and they multiply greatly, and He does not let their cattle decrease.” (Ps. 107:33-38). In Ezekiel 37, God promised that He would transform the dry bones of Israel into a nation. In 538 B.C., God used the Persian King Cyrus II to bring an end to the Jews’ forced exile. In 1948, God again restored the nation of Israel.
God sometimes creates droughts to bring His people to repentance. The psalmist declared that God sometimes “turns rivers into a wilderness, and springs of water into a thirsty ground;” (Ps. 107:33). For example, God used Elijah to create a drought to bring the Baal-worshiping Kingdom of Northern Israel to repentance (1 Kgs. 17:1; Jam. 5:17).
God also promised to restore Israel. To encourage the Jews to have faith and to trust God, the prophets also promised that God would renew the Promised Land to again provide for the nation of Israel: “I will also restore the fortunes of My people Israel, and they will rebuild the desolated cities and live in them; they will also plant vineyards and drink their wine, and make gardens and eat their fruit.” (Amos 9:14). “Then they will rebuild the ancient ruins, they will raise up the former devastations; and they will repair the ruined cities, the desolations of many generations.” (Is. 61:4). “This is what the Lord GOD says: ‘On the day that I cleanse you from all your wrongdoings, I will populate the cities, and the places of ruins will be rebuilt.’ The desolated land will be cultivated instead of being a desolation in the sight of everyone who passes by.” (Ezek. 36:33-34).
Jesus’ offer of restoration includes spiritual transformation. When God recreated Israel, He made it into a better place that was mostly free of the pagan worship. When you accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior, He also offers to transform you into a new creation. “Therefore if anyone is in Christ, this person is a new creation; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.” (2 Cor. 5:17). As a new creation, He wants you to make no provision for your old desires of the flesh: “But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh in regard to its lusts.” (Ro. 13:14).
Jesus’ offer of restoration includes abundant life. God promised that the recreated Israel would provide a “fruitful harvest.” (Ps. 107:37). As a new creation, Jesus also offers you joy and abundant life in Him: “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came so that they would have life, and have it abundantly.” (Jo. 10:10). Again, Jesus is worthy of your praise. If He has transformed you, you can also share your testimony with others.
Let Jesus transform you into a new creation15
7. Salvation: Praise Jesus for Offering Eternal Salvation to Those with the Faith, Humility, and Wisdom to Seek It and Accept It. Ps. 107:39-43.
Praise Jesus because He blesses those with faith and humility with eternal salvation. Despite God’s many miracles, many who are proud and wealthy will lack the wisdom to accept what God offers. But many who are humble and filled with faith will find the joy of salvation that God offers: “39 When they become few and lowly because of oppression, misery, and sorrow, 40 He pours contempt upon noblemen and makes them wander in a pathless wasteland. 41 But He sets the needy securely on high, away from affliction, and makes his families like a flock. 42 The upright see it and are glad; but all injustice shuts its mouth. 43 Who is wise? He is to pay attention to these things, and consider the mercy of the Lord.” (Ps. 107:39-43). The word “salvation” does not appear in these final verses. But many believe that it is implied. Psalm 107 provides “a complete consummation and recapitulation of human salvation.”16 “God redeems His people through the climactic new exodus Jesus accomplished. He gathers the scattered exiles. He gives the hungry food, the rushing soul satisfaction, the homeless a dwelling, and the lost a way. The Lord breaks the captives out of prison. No bond can hold those He means to liberate. The Lord’s Word heals sinners and makes them thankful. The Lord’s Word calms the sea, and He delivers those in the boat to shore (cf. both Jonah 1 and John 6:16-21). The Lord cursed the land, but His blessings will revoke the curse. He will give the renewed land to the redeemed, and the upright will be glad, the unjust silent. The wise will be wiser still from their study of God’s love.” (James Hamilton on Ps. 107).17
God humbles the proud to depend upon Him. The psalmist warned that many would lack the wisdom to seek God’s redemption. This included those who have become prideful from their wealth and power: “40 He pours contempt upon noblemen and makes them wander in a pathless wasteland.” (Ps. 107:40). “It is He who reduces rulers to nothing, who makes the judges of the earth meaningless.” (Is. 40:23). “Whoever exalts himself shall be humbled, and whoever humbles himself shall be exalted.” (Matt. 23:12).
God offers a secure, eternal foundation in heaven. For those with faith, God offers an eternal place in heaven that is “securely on high, away from affliction, and makes his families like a flock.” (Ps. 107:41). Jesus also promises you eternal security from all forms of evil: “Everything that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I certainly will not cast out.” (Jo. 6:36). “and I give them eternal life, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand.” (Jo. 10:28).
God also offers eternal joy in heaven. In addition to being secure and protected from affliction in heaven, God also offers believers joy and freedom from all injustice: “42 The upright see it and are glad; but all injustice shuts its mouth.” (Ps. 107:42). Jesus also offers eternal joy in heaven: “You will make known to me the way of life; in Your presence is fullness of joy; in Your right hand there are pleasures forever.” (Ps. 16:11).
Those who fear God have the wisdom to accept the salvation offered through Jesus. The psalmist concluded that the wise person is the one who is willing “to pay attention to these things, and consider the mercy of the Lord.” (Ps. 107:43). Those with a reverent fear of God and the consequences of sin are most likely to heed these warnings and accept what Jesus offers: “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; all those who follow His commandments have a good understanding; His praise endures forever.” (Ps. 111:10; Prov. 9:10). Jesus also wants to be a light to the lost and share the Good News regarding His offer of eternal redemption (Matt. 28:16-20).
Image credit: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/410109109790672763/↩︎↩︎
N. H. Snaith, Five Psalms (London: Epworth Press, 1964), pgs. 17-21.↩︎
Allen Ross, A Commentary of the Psalms: Volume 3(90-150), Kregel Academic (2016) p. 305.↩︎
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Gregory of Nyssa, Gregory of Nyssa’s Treatise on the Inscriptions of the Psalms, trans. Ronald E. Heine, OECS (Oxford: Clarendon, 1995), 109, ch. 8, section 77.↩︎
James M. Hamilton Jr., Evangelical Bible Theology Commentary Psalms (Vol. II: Psalms 73-150) (Lexham Academic 2021) p. 276.↩︎