The Hand of History

The Hand of History.

"those who are wise will take all this to heart; they will see in our history the faithful love of the Lord."(Psalm 107:45),

On reading this I was immediately struck by the repeated refrain "Let them praise the Lord for His great love and for the wonderful things He has done for them" in verses 8,15,21,32.

“One of the enduring delights of this psalm is repetition—repeated descriptions of threatening situations (4–5, 10, 17–18, 23–26), repeated recourse to prayer (6, 13, 19, 28), repeated divine response (6–7, 13–14, 19–20, 28–29), repeated calls to thankfulness (8, 15, 21, 31).”(J.A. Motyer)

The main focus of the passage is the goodness and faithfulness of God through the generations of Israel's history.

But in another sense this Psalm is a festival Psalm, anticipating the children of Israel travelling to the festival in a variety of very different and dangerous ways - a metaphor for life’s journey and how we need the hand of God on us! - “The perils of desert travel were all too familiar. In answer to prayer, the fainting wanderers are led straight home; let them be grateful to God the Provider. Criminals brought to punishment and repentance are set free by prayer; let them be grateful to God the Liberator. Those who foolishly court sickness by gluttony and sin are healed and restored through prayer; let them show gratitude by sacrifice and testimony to the God of love. Those venturing to sea in tempests are through prayer rescued and brought to safe haven; let them exalt God the Deliverer.”(White)

Being a Psalm this is also liturgy, designed for worship and declarative of praise as the opening call reveals: "Give thanks to the Lord for He is good! His faithful love endures forever." and the Psalm culminates in v43 with the words: "those who are wise will take all this to heart; they will see in our history the faithful love of the Lord."(Psalm 107:45), hence the title of the sermon, "The Hand of History."

This Psalm speaks of the activity of God in human history.

We have already noted that this Psalm is liturgy but it also poetry. A literary composition characterized by figurative language, wordplay, rhythm, balance, and emotional expression, crafted in order to produce an emotional response in the reader.

It’s great concern is to remind us that God is not passive or remote from his creation but dynamically involved in all that he has made.

Whether it’s the children of Israel; the ministry of Jesus Christ and His Apostles or now through the continuing ministry of the Church down through the annals of history until this present day., God has been and remains faithful! He continues to be active!

God is ALWAYS ACTIVE - God is active in the world of men but “his footsteps” are often “not known”.

He is actively working out his purposes. John 5:17 — Jesus said to them, “My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I, too, am working.” Isaiah 43:13 - Yes, and from ancient days I am he. No one can deliver out of my hand. When I act, who can reverse it?”

Indeed, God’s names reflects his activity and involvement in his people’s lives - Ge 22:14 “The Lord Will Provide”. Ex 15:26 “The Lord, who heals you”. Ex 17:15 “The Lord is my Banner”. Ps 95:6 “The Lord our Maker”

And that activity extends to us personally and individually. God is active in our lives. He determines the course of human lives - Acts 17:28 — ‘For in him we live and move and have our being.’ As some of your own poets have said, ‘We are his offspring.’ Our lives are according to His design - Psalm 139:16 — your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be. And our blessings and wellbeing in life are down to God - 1 Chronicles 29:12 — Wealth and honor come from you; you are the ruler of all things. In your hands are strength and power to exalt and give strength to all.

And God is actively communicating with our world. His word is a might force active in the world - Isaiah 55:10–11 — As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it. His word is a creative force - Genesis 1:3 — And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. His word is a re creative force - Ezekiel 37:4 - Then he said to me, “Prophesy to these bones and say to them, ‘Dry bones, hear the word of the Lord! Ezekiel 37:7 — So I prophesied as I was commanded. And as I was prophesying, there was a noise, a rattling sound, and the bones came together, bone to bone.”

1. God’s activity is seen in His calling and protection of His people: (Psalm 107 vs 1-30).

"Give thanks to the Lord for He is good! His faithful love endures forever."(v1).

J. A Motyer draws our attention to the most important aspect of these verses - “Throughout the psalm the love referred to is the committed, un-changing, loving determination of the Lord who will never give up those whom he has chosen for himself. This love expressed itself in redemption —the work of the ‘next-of-kin’ who took as his own all the needs of his threatened kinsfolk, himself bearing their burdens and rescuing them from their dangers.”

“Let the redeemed of the Lord say this— those he redeemed from the hand of the foe, those he gathered from the lands, from east and west, from north and south.” (vs 2-3).

The “redeemed” (Heb Goel) reminds us of Boaz, the Kinsman Redeemer who rescued Naomi and Ruth out of poverty and the bondage of slavery.

Redemption is the buying back of slaves. Quite literally in the case of Israel from Egypt but spiritually and metaphorically when we are redeemed by the blood of Christ - 1 Peter 1:18-20. “ For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, 19 but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. 20 He was chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake. 21 Through him you believe in God, who raised him from the dead and glorified him, and so your faith and hope are in God.”

Let the redeemed of the Lord say this—WE have a lot to declare - Vernon McGee said: We need more “say so” Christians. Let the redeemed of the Lord say so. Don’t go around complaining and criticizing. If you are a Christian, tell others how good God is.

In vs4-32 Motyer draws our attention to the 4 pictures:

(i). Lost in a wide world: the love that brings us home - vs4–9

Notice the distress depicted in Psalm 107:5-7 The situation is analogous to the plight of all sinners, lostness, hunger, thirst and exhaustion are all figures which our Lord Jesus was to employ in relation to himself as the “I AM” - the Way, the Bread and Water of life and the Giver of rest.

(ii). Hemmed in a narrow world: the love that makes us free - vs10–16

Notice the theme of Prisoners being released in Psalm 107:10–16.

Guilt (v11), darkness, grinding toil, and the constriction of bonds, doors and bars, create another dimension of distress, distinct from the first scene; yet as the underlying metaphor.

Until rescued, man is not simply lost in a world, like the travellers of v4ff., he is also trapped as if in a prison from which there is no escape.

Our Lord Jesus addresses this in Luke 4:18f “The Spirit of the Lord is on me because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” This is especially seen in its portraits of prisoners, in their postures now of cramped inactivity (v10), now of exhaustion and collapse (v12).

When we transcribe this to our salvation experience of the redeemed sinner, ransomed from prison it reminds us of Wesley’s great hymn:

Long my imprisoned spirit lay

Fast bound in sin and nature’s night;

Thine eye diffused a quickening ray,—

I woke, the dungeon flamed with light;

My chains fell off, my heart was free,

I rose, went forth, and followed Thee.

(iii). Damaged in a sinful world: the love that makes us whole - vs17–22

Notice also the idea of the sick being restored here in these verses. The sickness described here is self-inflicted as the opening of v17 shows, some were sick, but, bluntly, ‘Fools, through their sinful ways …’; and fools in Scripture are the perverse, not the unintelligent. In such a context, v18 could well call to mind in modern times the drug-addict, but only as one example of man’s perennial determination to get hurt.

(iv). Beaten in a hostile world: the love that brings us peace - vs23–32

Notice in these verses the storm-tossed are rescued.

This speaks of the littleness of man. Those at their “wits end”(v27) are those expert seamen who are failing against the enormous weight of the roaring seas! Only or Lord Jesus can calm the raging storms and bring calm and peace into our lives!

“The hurricane shakes us into seeing that in a world of gigantic forces we live by permission, not by good management.”(Derek Kidner).

2. God actively works in sustaining the created order (Psalm 107 vs 33-37)

Psalm 107:33–38 — He turned rivers into a desert, flowing springs into thirsty ground, 34 and fruitful land into a salt waste, because of the wickedness of those who lived there. 35 He turned the desert into pools of water and the parched ground into flowing springs;

Jesus reminds us of this in Matthew 6:28–30 “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?

And Paul declares this whilst preaching at Lystra Acts 14:17 — Yet he has not left himself without testimony: He has shown kindness by giving you rain from heaven and crops in their seasons; he provides you with plenty of food and fills your hearts with joy.”

However there is an underlying lesson here that must not be missed.

These verses are not merely about deserts and farmland, but pointers to other kinds of poverty and riches, not least those of the mind and spirit.

So v34 reminds us of Sodom and Gomorrah and e.g. the contrasts of outward and inward poverty in Revelation 2:9 and 3:17.

Vs 35–38 recall the idyllic prophecy of Isaiah 35:6f. and the blessing of Deuteronomy 28:1–5,

This makes it clear that with God poor resources become fertility and wealth but a rejection of God bring barrenness and fruitlessness.

3. God is actively at work in all the affairs of mankind (Psalm 107:38-42).

God is the great Disposer. Those who experience calamity and cry out for salvation learn of God’s sovereignty from experiences like these.

God rules over the nations . This final section enlarges on the great reversals of fortune which God delights to bring about in the affairs of men.

Psalm 22:28 — for dominion belongs to the Lord and he rules over the nations.

Job 12:23 — He makes nations great, and destroys them; he enlarges nations, and disperses them.

Acts 17:26 — From one man he made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live.

Psalm 46:8–10 — Come and see the works of the Lord, the desolations he has brought on the earth. He makes wars cease to the ends of the earth; he breaks the bow and shatters the spear, he burns the shields with fire. “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”

APPLICATION:

All of this speaks of a God who is in control of all things. We are encouraged to see it and give thanks! - “Whoever is wise, let him heed these things and consider the great love of the LORD.”(v43) or as the Online Bible put it: "those who are wise will take all this to heart; they will see in our history the faithful love of the Lord."

“History is a story written by the finger of God.”– C. S. Lewis

Let’s remember that Jesus is in control of all things! -

Colossians 1:16–17 — For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.

History is the story of God's unfolding purposes. Jesus Christ is the hinge of History.

He steps into History to rescue us from darkness and corruption and grant to us the eternal life that we need and desire!

“A little girl has defined lovingkindness. She said, “If you ask your mother for a piece of bread and butter, and she gives it to you, that is kindness. But if she puts jam on it without you asking her, that is lovingkindness.” My friend, the lovingkindness of God is lavished upon us who belong to Him.”(Vernon McGee)

Jesus is writing His story in your life book and mine!

He wants control of our lives! Active control, given when we fully surrender to His will and allow His Spirit to actively work in us

God is active in His Church by His Spirit: 1 Corinthians 12:6 — There are different kinds of working, but the same God works all of them in all men.

Prayer opens us up to more of the activity of God within! - Ephesians 3:20–21 — Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.

We are confident that God’s activity within us is not in vain - Philippians 1:6 — being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. Philippians 2:13 — 13 for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.

"those who are wise will take all this to heart; they will see in our history the faithful love of the Lord."

I love You, Lord Oh Your mercy never fails me All my days, I've been held in Your hands From the moment that I wake up Until I lay my head Oh, I will sing of the goodness of God

Cause all my life You have been faithful And all my life You have been so, so good With every breath that I am able Oh, I will sing of the goodness of God

I love Your voice You have led me through the fire And in darkest night You are close like no other I've known You as a Father I've known You as a Friend And I have lived in the goodness of God, yeah

And all my life You have been faithful, ohh And all my life You have been so, so good With every breath that I am able Oh, I will sing of the goodness of God, yeah

'Cause Your goodness is running after, it's running after me Your goodness is running after, it's running after me With my life laid down, I'm surrendered now I give You everything

And all my life You have been faithful And all my life You have been so, so good With every breath that I am able Oh, I'm gonna sing of the goodness of God

(Jenn Johnson - Bethel The Goodness of God).