Psalm 103
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Dear Congregation:
A text without a context is a pretext. Come to see the superscriptions of these Psalms as important to the final form arrived in at exile. But how is it that we have a Psalm of David in Book 4. Has it been shaped for the time in exile?
Have you ever had a friend and family that was pretty much perfect? At least they thought they were? We have trouble relating to such people. In fact, when someone goes through a struggle that we have - say cancer, death of loved one, addiction, fallen the way we have, experienced divorce in family - all of a sudden we have more compassion, empathy. One of the wonders of jesus, though perfect, tempted and faced weaknes in every way we do - type of Saviour not afraid to call sinners brother/sister!
Well congretgatino this Psalm summarizes the two greatest sins of the OT - sin of David, and teh sin of the whole nation of Israel in the wilderness with the golden calf - and as this Psalm is brought to God’s peole in exile in final form in Book IV - declaration that should give you the same feeling, as finding out a friend has struggled with you. IN exile - any hope for us, and the Psalm designed to say - yes even for you and me when we have fallen into the worst of our sin, but it is the reason why that should knock our socks off!
A. The Context of a Psalm of David
A text without a context is a pretext. Come to see the superscriptions of these Psalms as important to the final form arrived in at exile. But how is it that we have a Psalm of David in Book 4. Has it been shaped for the time in exile?
Editor of Psalms - Davidic in what sense - some directly wrote, some wrote and musicians performed, some commissioned … ie. Temple hymn writing team of three prophet hymn writers overseeing teams of Levites - … Asaph with 4 sons, Jeduthun with six, and Heman with 14. Each of these sons was an expert instrumentalist and had a mini ensemble of eleven other instrutmentalists working with him = a catlogue of hymns for tempole worship \ 288 musicians of 24 teams of 12 each.
Editor of Psalms - Davidic in what sense - some directly wrote, some wrote and musicians performed, some commissioned … ie. Temple hymn writing team of three prophet hymn writers overseeing teams of Levites - … Asaph with 4 sons, Jeduthun with six, and Heman with 14. Each of these sons was an expert instrumentalist and had a mini ensemble of eleven other instrutmentalists working with him = a catlogue of hymns for tempole worship \ 288 musicians of 24 teams of 12 each.
David and the chiefs of the service also set apart for the service the sons of Asaph, and of Heman, and of Jeduthun, who prophesied with lyres, with harps, and with cymbals. The list of those who did the work and of their duties was:
Continued to oversee production:
Of the sons of Asaph: Zaccur, Joseph, Nethaniah, and Asharelah, sons of Asaph, under the direction of Asaph, who prophesied under the direction of the king.
= why David was called the sweet psalmist of Israel , - "ghostwriters' so to speak, aiding him in what was fudnametntally his own responsibility! - Others helped David and his heirs in production of Psalms for worship but the whole collection is rightly called "the Psalms of David" = because they all speak in the king's voice - don't assume king in Israel primarily a political role - kingship involved a sacral office - led worship procession , lead sacrficies on holy days, interceded before God = meidators in worship - "sweet psalmist of Israel - not affirming musical - a sstatement of his royal title
= King's job to lead congregation in singing and to do so with his own songs… ie Moses, …Moses to
Joshua = first job lead in song together…
Joshua at Aijalon Valley = joshua 10:12-13, Solomon, King Hezekiah… , Deborah,
Peter says David wrote the Psalms kwoning that God had promised the Christ would come from his line… = Psalms written out of the experience of David and his heirs, but with deeper awareness of coming Son of David! = from the beginning composed for Jesus!
B. The Context of This Psalm of David in Book IV
Context of Psalter = Book 4 -= answer to question is promise of God for a king gone forever - exilic? … enthronement psalms as answer… specifically show in historic psalms that God reigned without a king - not left - ie Moses, Enthronement ) , but , linked to first and last verse of Psal 104 = 104 praise of God's perfect creation, a paraphrase of Genesis; then - Story of Israel from patriarchs, Abr to slavery in Egypt …the exodus; then 106 which concludes book four, recounting the sins of Israel in the wilderness = Sad story of how israel repsonded to creation, redemption from Egypt - How did they respond - one act of rebellion after another, sin upon sin, idolatry, mixingwith thenations, sacrficing their children to Canaanite gods…
Then the anger of the Lord was kindled against his people,
and he abhorred his heritage;
he gave them into the hand of the nations,
so that those who hated them ruled over them.
This is the situation when the whole book of Psalms edited and put together… Israel was in exile in Babylon… Now I got to ask you why would they put this Psalm of David so closely integrally to , after the enthronement Psalms?
The answer is that - even without a king, even in them midst of rebellion punishment, God is still on His throne, those who turn to Him in faith, they will find Him a refuge , Book Four - even if have to go through discipline, suffering, struggle - enthronement Psalm - God reigns!
But at the heart of the book what is the theme that God's people need in exile, you and I need in suffering, discipline - what word repeated more than any other key word of the Psalm - HESED - steadfast love v.17 But the steadfast love of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting!
AWAKEN UNBOUDNED PRAISE By Singing the Song of Steadfast Love!!
This is the one thing makes God's people different than all others on earth - their experience of the Lord's HESED, His steadfast love!
A joke is told of man who thought he heard Lord was returning on a certain date, thought better get rich before then - went to the Horse track - saw priest - blessing a horse… Must be a Protestant can't tell the difference between last rites, and a blessing! Can others tell the difference in our lives - no matter how much struggle, suffering, disicpline, falls down we have, can they tell the difference between whether the we are expeiriencing the life giving soul nourishing, joy producing love of God; or just monaoing and gronaing and laughing and joking wwith the rest of the world - without experiencing God love that changes everythign?
occurring 127 times in the Psalter out of 245 times in the whole Old Testament. Since the Psalms constitute less than 8 percent of the Old Testament, yet contain more than half the uses of hesed, you can see how significant it is in the theology of the Psalms. In it occurs four times: in verses 4, 8, 11, and 17. So central is hesed to this psalm that one commentator4 has dubbed it “the Song of Songs of Grace.”
The psalm gives us a model for keeping God's love central in our experience and life. Picture it like five concentric circles… like a stone thrown into a pool of water - waves, ripples spread out from the inside - until we have a life , day by day moving all around in the love of God!
The circles move from - me, my soul, to God's people v.5-10 = pl our sins, God's delaing with us; then general announcement to the world of this love in v.6-14, fourth circle - calls us to see how brief and fragile our livfe is short and transitory, but in light of God's love being secure and eternal, in .v15-19 ripples goes out as a guarantee of descendants who will feAR God by coming ounder the new reign of Messiah as he is installed in heaven! and then lastly ,, the cosmoos from angels in heaven, to us on earth, to stars, trees - to rejoicein his love! Don't you want ot live overflowing with love of God like thas, seeing creation burst with God's love? Song of steadfast love!
But like many great movements - got to begin grassroots, act locally before you can think globally . Like charity - true meaning of the word is loving-kindness - must begin in home.. So locally - got to begin in your own soul!
I. King David Models how to Centre Your Soul in Grace
Bless the Lord, O my soul,
and all that is within me,
bless his holy name!
V1B all that is within me, bless his holy name! - literally my inwards. Interesting discussion on whether God has emotions, - ceratinly clear doesn't have fickle passions - But in biblical pyschology -literally sutdy of the soul, in the OT one's thoughts, decisions, and meotions - are associated deep dwon inside the bowels of a person (literally his heart, kidneys, intenstine). See what David is doing here - when we start to pray - stir yourself up to give yourself entirley to God in worship = whole hearted… You know when your heart is engaged in a sporting event - stand up shouting, screamiong, dancing - high fiving; how can you tell if you are negaged with living God in worship? What activity is your heart, soul, mind doing - bless - Pharmicist how can you bless Lord, Van Til full bucket - doesn't need it - but honoured and engaged by t - Lift up his countenance upon you - look at God as smiling baby into face of a mother!
V1B all that is within me, bless his holy name! - literally my inwards. Interesting discussion on whether God has emotions, - ceratinly clear doesn't have fickle passions - But in biblical pyschology -literally sutdy of the soul, in the OT one's thoughts, decisions, and meotions - are associated deep dwon inside the bowels of a person (literally his heart, kidneys, intenstine). See what David is doing here - when we start to pray - stir yourself up to give yourself entirley to God in worship = whole hearted… You know when your heart is engaged in a sporting event - stand up shouting, screamiong, dancing - high fiving; how can you tell if you are negaged with living God in worship? What activity is your heart, soul, mind doing - bless - Pharmicist how can you bless Lord, Van Til full bucket - doesn't need it - but honoured and engaged by t - Lift up his countenance upon you - look at God as smiling baby into face of a mother!
He warns when you come into the land, Deut - think by your smarts,goodness, your got blessing - because of my love! Warning don't forget all His benefits. Can't see our cup half empty - count yoru blessings…name them one by one…
That's
Bless the Lord, O my soul,
and forget not all his benefits,
catalogue your spiritual and temporal blessing. Older we get more we forget, write things down. GTD management - if can't get something done in 2 min.. Write it down - end of the day, beginnign of day reveiew that list - Day Life reveiew and thank the LORD
David does doesn't he: List five of them. When is the last time your prayer didn't have 5 or 6 peittions. But acutaully out loud thanked God for five things. 4Huge things - all connected to the first one he lists:
i. Forgave my iniquity, healed me, redeemed me from the pit, crowned me with stadfast love and mercy, renewed his strength like an eagles!
Wayin which I think ii. healing of body all diseaes willc ome in Christ, but tied particularly to remission of sin, job of the Messiah, carried our sin, heals us - from the consequences. iii. Redeemed - literally Nathan had to tell David - you deserve to die - destinty ought to be the pit - david thought of that I deseerve hell - … recalls how he suffered and it seems bodily too - connection in some way… headed for Sheol - but for forgiveness and loving kindness -
iv. Crowned - most of us don't go through life feeling like we've be crowned - either like little checker pieces - not important, trugdge through, ; or like stolen crowened king - lets say three -independna tin contorl self centreed - distorts our viision - everyone else ; But David recalls truly crowned - sin forgiven , adopted by God with no condemnation - crown of klove and mercy - don't long to be crown others - yes differences, yes past that hurts, yes … but love and mercy wins!
v. Renewal of the holy Spriti - revived his soul - I can't wait till my body is refreshed like eagles…but already MY SOUL - …like old person who is a child inside …
Do you see it then, this is justifying, redeeming, and renewing grace all in one!
But the ripple goes out further, not just individuals expereince God's steadfast love, called us as a community, a saved comuntiy , a community experiencing Grace (6-10)
II. Moses & Israel model how we Must Experience God's Love in Community
If in David's life have the worst instance of sin in the OT, equally heinous was the sin of the children of Israel - Aaron - idol… so quickly, like after flood, still heart on wickedness…Must go up and get second set of tablets, his prayer was make known to me Your way - What is the way of the LORD - supremely -forgiveness! Like Pastor end of his life - make forgivness theme!
He made known his ways to Moses,
his acts to the people of Israel.
Do you get that the ways Lord revealed not - first of all moral code,, but God's way with His people according to the promsie, according to Grace! = the procedure of his righteousness is not regulated according t our sins, but according to His purpose of mercy! Keil-Delitzsch.
Do you get that the ways Lord revealed not - first of all moral code,, but God's way with His people according to the promsie, according to Grace! = the procedure of his righteousness is not regulated according t our sins, but according to His purpose of mercy! Keil-Delitzsch.
… hear's most significant theologial statement of the Bible … THAT
God prepared to forgiven worst sins, our response necessarily is then prayer and penitence … v.9 will not chide, - keep a grudge… how long can you keep one…time doesn't erarse decision to forgive does… = God is so easy to be reconciled with, so ready to pardon!
Has this transacted with you..
Has this transacted with you..
Psalkm 103:10-11 - how is it possible - he has dealt with our sin …covenant not to remember them in way to hold them against us… guilt, offense, shame - removed.. Because dealt with Christ Lamb way our sins deserve = God's mercy towardfs us is infinite! He will interpose, infitinte power of his mercy, complete unreserevedness! So gentle in our frailty!
E W ..
Who is a God like you, pardoning iniquity
and passing over transgression
for the remnant of his inheritance?
He does not retain his anger forever,
because he delights in steadfast love.
He will again have compassion on us;
he will tread our iniquities underfoot.
You will cast all our sins
into the depths of the sea.
You will show faithfulness to Jacob
and steadfast love to Abraham,
as you have sworn to our fathers
from the days of old.
Do you see the extraordinary promise of this unlimited forgiveness! Well next we must ask who is the us? Are you part of it - Next two stnazas 11-14,15-19! Answer this question in a way that can particularize the promise to you!
III & IV Who may count on the forgiveness of God?
hose who are totally dependento n Him for every good thing and not themselves!
Those who are totally dependento n Him for every good thing and not themselves!
Here is another powerful image is drawn up - Who get his forgiveness?
v.15-16 It is man who acknowledges that though man has excellencies , live and move and have our being in God, in this broken world - the excellncies of man are but a fading flower at the first blast of a wintry wind - our glory is like the grass! - Nothing golden stay - Robert Frost without grace!
Bodies decay, breathe of our life - departs like a wind our souls be no more than a puff on a cold day, if God didn't sustained after life becauseo f the Lord.
Acknowledge this about your frail mortal self - "Nothing surpasses our life in frailty" Shakespeare chauvinistically said it of woman -frailty thy name is woman … no its humanity!
First forgiveness is for those who realize own frailty, guilt, dependence on the Lord! Guilt as great as David, or those in the godlen calf rebellion.
It would lead us to despair if we only knew the flower that faded in the First Adam; and this teaches us not to presume on God's grace. But don't despair if you know that Jesus Christ took on that fading flower's nature, took on your frailty - and by faith Him - restore Eden, bring back lasting blooming of the new creation - through forgiveness. Why it goes on and repeats 3x, those in revereent fear of this forgiving God!...
But second it is for those who fear the Lord and keep covenant with Him!
,
For as high as the heavens are above the earth,
so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him;
As a father shows compassion to his children,
so the Lord shows compassion to those who fear him.
Some want to make this say the condition of our forgiveness is our obedience, in NT context they would say the condition, no even more the cause of our slavation is our faith and repentance! And it is true that no one will be saved without works, but not because of them. It is ture that faith and repentnace are necessary actions worked in us in repsense to God's grace, can't be saved without them, but not saved by anything in yourself!
And so what is the frailtiy of man set beside?
But the steadfast love of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear him,
and his righteousness to children’s children,
How much money is in your bank account, just enough… stretch it far enoguh to live below your means, enough to spend on necessities some to give back out, enjoy. Let's say just enough. Imagine give you big cheque spend it on your self - well have a nice time spending -but come to end of it!
Well, how much goodness do you think you have from God. Just enoguh to get you into heaven? Just enough to frogive guilt now
You are weak, limitted, frail, but listen the Divine Goodness to you is everlasting never ending; you can boast of an eternal salvation now, , and to the close of your life, and even in death!
Money, health, even friendships seldom go on and on and on … But God's goodness to you will! And His righteousness - spread his hand beyond what you deseerves, to continually protect you! Look at God's goodness in v.17 - not only to us, but a thousand gerneations who will come from us!
Remember context of when this Psalm is editted and put together - nation in exile, no hope experience\ing what Moses sdid in wilderness, David did in doubts about his broken family; But Moses appealed to God's promises to Abraham - peple for3ever, David was reassured: M"My steadfast love I will keep for him (David) forever"
affirms God will keep his proimses to the children's, children! - The msssiah will come, and the poeople drawn to him will have the convenat restored!
Who is the promise for for those who fear Him -
What does it mean to fear God? The fear of God describes the fundamental attitude of the righteous. “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom” (). On the other hand, the wicked are those who have no fear of God (). The fear of God involves reverence, devotion, and obedience to God. As puts it, Blessed is the man who fears the LORD, who greatly delights in his commandments! The parallel between the two lines shows that one aspect of fearing God is delighting in his commandments. In the golden calf story the promise of divine forgiveness and God’s continuing
You can't take this promises to yourself, if you are not walking in relationship to this God, not placing your faith, reverence, wieghtiness of His being on your soul; V.18 summarizes all this
to those who keep his covenant
and remember to do his commandments.
But the steadfast love of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear him,
and his righteousness to children’s children,
to those who keep his covenant
and remember to do his commandments.
to those who keep his covenant
and remember to do his commandments.
and that is marked by the result that you keep his covenant, you remember to do his commandments! In short you submit yourself to his word! The covenat begins with a promise of grace, but faith and prayer and keeping are required as the result of walking by faith in covenant with God!
Like the Psalm begins - must perosnalize this, rekindle hope of God at work in our commmunity of faith and grace!
Church in the West much like the people who received the Book of Psalms - similar to those exiled in Israel - can look back to a glorius past - when Christian values principles in our homes, schools, in our society - but wave of secularism, worldliness swept - on the whole theoughevangelical church holding their own, church is in decline, and even where hodling own - though stand up insociety - tide is great!
Like those exiles in Babylon tempted to despair. But like those Israelites in exile, regardless of failure of the church in the present, , we canclaim forgiveness, wee can look for revivlal, canpray asnd expect God to resotre his people, Moses did , David, did - but the greatest reason for our hope comes in the 19th verse and the last stanazas response to it!
V. The Lord set up a throne that rules over all, so raise Him!
This is the good news not only of universal providence but of Christ's mediatorial kingship for us!
Through out this Psalm we have heard the good news of God securing the happiness of His people by rpomises and covneant; here we see, like after th flood, that God secures this world by a comon providence. Acknoweldge has a glory throne in heaven, but it is set up for government of what happns here.
The Lord has established his throne in the heavens,
and his kingdom rules over all.
Through out this Psalm we have heard the good news of God securing the happiness of His people by rpomises and covneant; here we see, like after th flood, that God secures this world by a comon providence. Acknoweldge has a glory throne in heaven, but it is set up for government of what happns here.
Melanchthon really particuar - Luther get s dpressed, emtoionally, Melanchthon get worried - so worked up and solicitious about the affairs of the church. Luther: Let not Philip make himself any longer governor of the world! Think of God's providence in your life, his seemingly miracuolous provision… orindation of events and times…
But there is more here… from eternity Son of God chosen formally as a mediator in creation in the ocvenatn of grace! - So we are to pray towards this glory throne in heaven as if we can appear in his court of decision and action: Our Father who art in Heaven, BUT what else do we pray: your kingdom come on earth - that what this says in v.19 doesn't it - his kingdom rules over all…
Need to understand that in the Lord jesus Christ, resurrection and ascension - something is established in new way, not just formally, , and though co-eternal and co-extensisve with rule of God over all; after Christ has become the Son of David, after raised with power, His meidatorial reign -is established more publicly, , more explicitliy , more expressibely! receives the Spirit in a new way - Christ reigns the affairs of this earth - in a new way - with Satan limited by the gospel's spread in all the earth!
Christ was formally appointed to the kingly office by his Father from all eternity in the covenant of grace" (Messiah the Prince, p. 40, emphasis his) and in that sense his dominion as Lord has always existed but that as Mediator and King that he was actually invested with regal power at and after his resurrection (p. 43).
This is: which promised the crowning of Messiah as King was fulfilled in Christ's resurrection and ascension
I will tell of the decree:
The Lord said to me, “You are my Son;
today I have begotten you.
Ask of me, and I will make the nations your heritage,
and the ends of the earth your possession.
This is David's greater Son that David foresaw and prophesied about
It is this recognition that the LORD who forgives is the Lord who rules, among us even more powerfullly than david with His peole! - that enables us to do what this Psalm calls us to do - mtoivates us to - King of Power is the King of Love for me, for us!
Bless the Lord, all his works,
in all places of his dominion.
Bless the Lord, O my soul!
Calls on the angels, calls on whole of creation. But he calls on you and I who feels His love and power - to take up our place ,even as the angels who spped not only to do his will, but who live to sing his praise!
Spurgeon put it well. See how finite man can awaken unbounded praise. Man is but little, yet, placing his hands upon the keys of the great organ of the universe, he wakes it to thunders of adoration! Redeemed man is the voice of nature, the priest in the temple of creation, the precentor in the worship of the universe!
Make all our works on earth - not serve vanity - but the liberty of the children of God. So all works praise Him. You know cars are made to run on gas.. Don't work if you pour milk, water, molasses. What is the human machine, the human soul designed to run on? It's not our work, our own relationhips, our hobbies or pleasures. It's God and not just God in the abstract, but the steadfast lvoing God of the Covenant. This isong lived, prayed, believed, and sung is one way to keep your tank full of the fuel for eternal life! Let's sing it!