Bless Our God - Part Sixteen

Introduction

Psalm 96:8 ESV

8 Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name; bring an offering, and come into his courts!

PRAY

Psalm 103 ESV

Of David. 1 Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name! 2 Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits, 3 who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases, 4 who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy, 5 who satisfies you with good so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s. 6 The Lord works righteousness and justice for all who are oppressed. 7 He made known his ways to Moses, his acts to the people of Israel. 8 The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. 9 He will not always chide, nor will he keep his anger forever. 10 He does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities. 11 For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him; 12 as far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us. 13 As a father shows compassion to his children, so the Lord shows compassion to those who fear him. 14 For he knows our frame; he remembers that we are dust. 15 As for man, his days are like grass; he flourishes like a flower of the field; 16 for the wind passes over it, and it is gone, and its place knows it no more. 17 But the steadfast love of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear him, and his righteousness to children’s children, 18 to those who keep his covenant and remember to do his commandments. 19 The Lord has established his throne in the heavens, and his kingdom rules over all. 20 Bless the Lord, O you his angels, you mighty ones who do his word, obeying the voice of his word! 21 Bless the Lord, all his hosts, his ministers, who do his will! 22 Bless the Lord, all his works, in all places of his dominion. Bless the Lord, O my soul!

An Important Contrast

But - Look at verse 16. A man and his days are like grass. He is here one day and gone the next. He is lively one moment and dead the next. He is known for a while then utterly forgotten.

David interjects a stark contrast of comparison. He now highlights the difference between the earthly existence of man and the reality of God’s steadfast love.

Davis exclaims that the steadfast love of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting.

An Infinite Love

The steadfast love of the LORD

If you recall, we have discussed before the beauty, majesty and excellence of the Hebrew word behind the translation “steadfast love”. The reality described by this word is so intricately linked to the essence of Yahweh that it is as impossible to fully describe as he is.

Let me remind you of some ways that this word is translated into English. It is rendered loyalty, lasting loyalty, faithfulness, goodness, graciousness, mercy. This is God’s covenant keeping, faithful commitment to do his people good.

I think the reason this word is so hard to define completely is no doubt because it is the love of all loves that resides in the essence of Yahweh himself. Why do I say this?

Is from everlasting to everlasting -

Look again at the way David describes this love. He writes that it is from everlasting to everlasting. In this description, David is declaring reality about this love.

First, this love is from everlasting or it originates in everlasting. One dictionary states that it is past times often in the distant past. This love of God is. It is has always been. Listen to the description of God from Psalm 90.

Psalm 90:2 (ESV) Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever you had formed the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God.

As a result, we must conclude that this love finds it origin in the boundless, infinitude of Yahweh himself. As long as God has existed so has this love.

Second, David presents the duration of this love. It is to everlasting, an indeterminate and unending time going into the future. It does last forever, It is eternal in its endurance. Once again, how will this love of Yahweh continue forever? It will keep going on and on and on because the one who extends it always continues to exists.

This love of all loves that resides in the essence of Yahweh is abiding and lasting.

On those who fear him - Those that experience the love of Yahweh will be characterized by lives lived in loving, respect of him.

An Unending Loyalty

And his righteousness - In this place David parallels God’s loved and his righteousness. David is telling his readers that the righteousness of God is on those that fear him in a similar manner as his love.

The word righteousness refers to the adherence of what is required according to a standard. God’s righteousness is the essential quality that moves him to act justly, fairly and loyally. Simply, God will do what is right. It is important to note that the standard of righteousness is found in God not outside of him. What does that mean? It means that God does not look outside of his own nature or essence to determine what is right or wrong. If God does it, it will be right because it was done by him.

To children’s children - The righteous way that God deals with him people is not a short-term endeavor. It is a generational reality. God righteous deeds done to and for his people continue one from one generation to the next.

This is a word about God’s faithfulness. He will justly keep his word, deliver upon his promises and never fail to be present for his people. J.I. Packer writes,

Psalms Vol 1&2: Crossway Classic Commentaries Psalm 103

Mercy to those with whom the Lord makes a covenant is guaranteed by righteousness; it is because he is just that he never revokes a promise, or fails to fulfill it.

An Extensive Fullness

For the sake of time, we will only look at one New Testament text that highlights in fullness what David wrote about under the old covenant.

Ephesians 1:3–14 ESV

3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, 4 even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love 5 he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, 6 to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved. 7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, 8 which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight 9 making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ 10 as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth. 11 In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will, 12 so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory. 13 In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, 14 who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.

Practical Application

Praise God.

The Treasury of David, Volume 4: Psalms 88–110 Exposition

How vast the contrast between the fading flower and the everlasting God! How wonderful that his mercy should link our frailty with his eternity, and make us everlasting too! From old eternity the Lord viewed his people as objects of mercy, and as such chose them to become partakers of his grace; the doctrine of eternal election is most delightful to those who have light to see it and love wherewith to accept it. It is a theme for deepest thought and highest joy. The “to everlasting” is equally precious. Jehovah changes not, he has mercy without end as well as without beginning. Never will those who fear him find that either their sins or their needs have exhausted the great deep of his grace.

Know that you know that you know that you are a child of God.