Ps 103:5-12 Praise God for his justice and grace

Introduction

In this section of the psalm David is still giving himself reasons for why he should bless the LORD with every part of his being. In this unit David reminds himself of two of God’s attributes. His justice and his grace.

David praises God for these attributes and then describes how God has displayed them to his people.

It is good for us to do the same. We have a God who is great and greatly to be praised. One way of reminding ourselves of this is by remembering God’s attributes and how he has displayed them by his work in our lives.

I. The LORD is just v.6-7

The first attribute of God that David meditates on is his justice. God is just and righteous.

He says there in v.6 “The LORD executes righteousness and justice for all who are oppressed.”

Here we have a statement from David regarding God’s justice on the behalf of those who are oppressed.

David in his day would have been familiar with oppression just as we are in our day. We can look across our world and see lots of people who are oppressed by others.

Some people may look at this evil in our world and say where is God. Here is we see that God executes righteousness and justice for all who are oppressed. If not now then certainly he will at the day of judgement.

How does David know this truth about God?

We read in v.7 “He made known His ways to Moses, His acts to the children of Israel.”

David knows this truth about God because of his works in the past. God demonstrated this justice when he set the Israelite people free from slavery in Egypt.

The LORD made known his ways to Moses, he appeared to him in the burning bush and called him to lead his people. He made known his acts to the children of Israel, the LORD freed them from Egypt with the ten plagues and then led them through the wilderness to the promised land.

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Just as the LORD freed the Israelite people who were slaves in egypt, so today he frees people who are slaves to sin. He doesn’t just work against physical oppression but also spiritual. He sets people free from the bondage of the devil and the slavery of sin.

He does this through what Christ has done.

God is a just and righteous God. We know this because he set the Israelite people free from the bondage of Egypt. Today he is still setting people free from sin and one day he will judge all those who oppressed others. Every person who exploits others, whether by human trafficking or slave labour will one day face the judge of all the earth.

God is just. Next we see another of God’s attributes.

II. God is gracious

The second attribute David meditates upon is God’s grace. God is merciful and gracious.

In v.8 this is what David says “The LORD is merciful and gracious, Slow to anger, and abounding in mercy.”

Here we have David quoting the words that God used in Exodus 34:6 when he allowed Moses to see his glory.

In. v.9-10 of this passage we see the result of God’s mercy and grace.

“He will not always strive with us, Nor will He keep His anger forever. He has not dealt with us according to our sins, Nor punished us according to our iniquities.”

David declares that God is gracious and kind and then he speaks about what this means for God’s people.

God will not always be angry with his people. David is referring to the sins of Israel, maybe when he wrote this psalm the nation was under some sort of judgement. Here is the wonderful reminder that although God does chasten his people because he loves them, his chastisment does not last forever.

On top of the truth that God’s anger is only temporary he also says that God has not actually given them what they deserve. The people of God deserved a greater punishment than what they had received.

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Every Christian can also claim this truth to be true about them. God has not given us what we deserve which is hell because of our sin, rather he has given us what we don’t deserve which is his mercy and forgiveness found in Jesus Christ.

David continues his medition upon the grace of God and says in v.11

“For as the heavens are high above the earth, So great is His mercy toward those who fear Him;”

Here again is his explanation for why God has not dealt with his people as they deserve. God’s mercy toward those who trust in him is immeasurable.

God’s mercy is as great as the distance between the earth and the end of the universe.

How has this been demonstrated?

v.12 David says “As far as the east is from the west, So far has He removed our transgressions from us.”

Here we have another immeasurable distance and this time we learn this is how far God has removed the sin of his people from them.

God has cleansed them from their sin and remembers it no more.

Every believer in Christ enjoys this wonderful forgiveness of sin.

Why can God do this for all who believe in Christ? How can God maintain his justice and still maintain his grace? The answer is because of what the Lord Jesus Christ has done. God himself became a man, lived then died on the cross to pay for our sins, he rose again on the third day. Now God removes the sins of all who come to him by believing in Jesus Christ, as far as the east is from the west.

Is that something you have done? If so then God has taken away your sin and will remember it no more.

There is a hymn which says “Although the vile accuser raw of ills that I have done, I know them well and thousands more, Jehovah findeth none.”

Conclusion

In this unit of the psalm David continues supply himself with reasons as to why he should worship God with all of his being. He does so by reminding himself and others of God’s justice and his grace.

God is a just God, he will provide justice for all who are oppressed he will judge the oppressers.

God is a gracious and merciful God. He is merciful to his people, he saves them from their sin and does not punish them as they deserve but rather pardons the wrong that they have done.

The reason the people of God can enjoy this grace is because of calvary. Jesus Christ died for our sins on the cross so that we can be forgiven and he rose again the third day.

Through Jesus Christ we enjoy the mercy and steadfast love of God.

Can you say that your sins have been removed from you as far as the east is from the west? Only the one who trusts in Christ can say this in all honestly and full assurance.

If you have Christ then bless the LORD like David does in this psalm and if not then believe in Jesus and be saved.