Gold for the heart - Psalms 105-107

Psalm 105

1 O give thanks to the LORD; call on his name: make known his deeds among the people. 2 Sing to him, sing psalms to him: talk of all his wondrous works. 3 Glory in his holy name: let the heart of them rejoice that seek the LORD. 4 Seek the LORD, and his strength: seek his face evermore. 5 Remember his marvelous works that he has done; his wonders, and the judgments of his mouth; 6 O seed of Abraham his servant, you children of Jacob his chosen. 7 He is the LORD our God: his judgments are in all the earth.

In Daniel 5:21 God removes kings and sets up kings.
He blesses those who love Him and keep His ways—Psalm 1.
He uses our own errors to correct us—Jeremiah 2:19.
He gives all life and breath—Acts 17:25.
He allows famine, plague, and earthquake jolt mankind back into reality for their eternal good. These are some of His judgments.

8 He has remembered his covenant forever, the word that he commanded to a thousand generations. 9 Which covenant he made with Abraham, and his oath to Isaac; 10 And confirmed the same to Jacob for a law, and to Israel for an everlasting covenant: 11 Saying, I will give to you the land of Canaan, the lot of your inheritance: 12 When they were but a few men in number; yes, very few, and foreigners in it. 13 When they went from one nation to another, from one kingdom to another people;

God’s covenant to us is eternal life.
He gave His people the very best.

John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in him not perish, but have everlasting life.

Deuteronomy 8:7 For the LORD your God brings you into a good land, a land of brooks of water, of fountains and depths that spring out of valleys and hills; 8 A land of wheat, and barley, and vines, and fig trees, and pomegranates; a land of oil olive, and honey;

God allowed no one to hurt them; He reproved kings for their sakes

14 He allowed no man to do them wrong: yes, he reproved kings for their sakes; 15 Saying, Do not touch my anointed, and do my prophets no harm. 16 Moreover he called for a famine on the land: he broke the whole staff of bread. 17 He sent a man before them, Joseph, who was sold for a servant: 18 whose feet they hurt with chains: he was laid in iron: 19 Until the time that his word came: the word of the LORD tried him.

God’s word tested/refined Joseph.
God uses famine to call mankind back to Himself.

20 The king sent and released him; even the ruler of the people, and let him go free. 21 He made him lord of his house, and ruler of all his possessions: 22 To bind his princes at his pleasure; and teach his senators wisdom.

Joseph taught Pharaoh’s princes and senators to fear the LORD because the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.

Psalm 111:10 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: a good understanding have all they that do his commandments: his praise endures forever.

23 Israel also came into Egypt; and Jacob sojourned in the land of Ham. 24 And he increased his people greatly; and made them stronger than their enemies. 25 He turned their heart to hate his people, to deal subtly with his servants.

If the Egyptians treated God’s people well then God’s people would have been content to stay in slavery.

26 He sent Moses his servant; and Aaron whom he had chosen. 27 They showed his signs among them, and wonders in the land of Ham. 28 He sent darkness, and made it dark; and they did not rebel against his words. 29 He turned their waters into blood, and killed their fish. 30 Their land brought forth frogs in abundance, in the chambers of their kings. 31 He spoke, and there came various sorts of flies, and lice in all their coasts.

Psalm 33:6 By the word of the LORD were the heavens made; and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth. 9 he spoke, and it was done; he commanded, and it stood fast.

32 He gave their rain hail, and flaming fire in their land. 33 He struck their vines also and their fig trees; and broke the trees of their coasts. 34 He spoke and the locusts came, and caterpillars, and that without number, 35 And ate up all the herbs in their land, and devoured the fruit of their ground. 36 He also struck all the firstborn in their land, the first of all their strength.

He brought them out rich and made them strong

37 He brought them out with silver and gold: and there was not one feeble person among their tribes. 38 Egypt was glad when they departed: for the fear of them fell on them. 39 He spread a cloud for a covering; and fire to give light in the night. 40 The people asked, and he brought quails, and satisfied them with the bread of heaven.

Psalm 78:25 Man ate angels’ food: he sent them meat to the full.

41 He opened the rock, and the waters gushed out; they ran in the dry places like a river. 42 For he remembered his holy promise, and Abraham his servant. 43 And he brought out his people with joy, and his chosen with singing: 44 And gave them the lands of the heathen: and they inherited the labor of the people; 45 That they might observe his statutes, and keep his laws. Praise the LORD.

God has placed 7,000 promises in His word for you.

1Corinthians 10:11 Now all these things happened to them for examples: and they are written for our admonition, on whom the ends of the world have come.

Matthew 4:4 But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.

Psalm 106

The LORD is good; His love endures forever

1 Praise the LORD. O give thanks to the LORD; for he is good: for his love endures forever. 2 Who can utter the mighty acts of the LORD? Who can show forth all his praise? 3 Blessed are those that keep judgment, and he that does righteousness at all times. 4 Remember me, O LORD, with the favor that you bear unto your people: O visit me with your deliverance; 5 That I may see the good of your chosen, that I may rejoice in the gladness of your nation, that I may glory with your inheritance. 6 We have sinned with our fathers, we have committed iniquity, we have done wickedly. 7 Our fathers did not understand your wonders in Egypt; they did not remember the greatness of your love; but provoked him at the sea, even at the Red sea.

The Israelites had seen God’s mighty miracles of deliverance during the ten plagues God poured out on Egypt, delivering them from 400 years of slavery.
Then they failed to trust Him when they were backed up against the Red Sea. Their lack of trust provoked Him.

Hebrews 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please him:

8 Nevertheless he saved them for his name’s sake, that he might make his mighty power to be known. 9 He rebuked the Red sea and it was dried up: so he led them through the depths, as through the wilderness. 10 And he saved them from the hand of him that hated them, and redeemed them from the hand of the enemy. 11 And the waters covered their enemies: there was not one of them left. 12 Then they believed his words; they sang his praise. 13 But they soon forgot his works; they did not wait for his counsel:

You will not get better advice anywhere than God’s word, ever.
He saved them though they didn’t deserve it so that He might make His mighty power known.

Psalm 33:11 The counsel of the LORD stands forever, the thoughts of his heart to all generations.

14 But they lusted exceedingly in the wilderness, and tempted God in the desert. 15 And he gave them their request; but sent leanness into their soul.

This showed them that it’s not things that make us happy.

Psalm16:11 You will show me the path of life: in your presence is fullness of joy; at your right hand there are pleasures for evermore.

16 They also envied Moses in the camp, and Aaron the holy one of the LORD. 17 The earth opened and swallowed up Dathan, and covered the company of Abiram. 18 And a fire was kindled in their company; the flame burned up the wicked. 19 They made a calf in Horeb, and worshipped the molten image. 20 Thus they changed their glory into the likeness of an ox that eats grass.

God’s glory was their glory.
In 526 BC Ezekiel saw visions of God. According to Ezekiel 1:26-28 God looks like an awesomely wonderful form of a man of fiery amber.
Israel exchanged that for a cow.

21 They forgot God their savior, who had done great things in Egypt; 22 Wondrous works in the land of Ham, and awesome things by the Red sea. 23 Therefore he said that he would destroy them, had not Moses, his chosen, stood before him in the breach, to turn away his wrath, that he not destroy them.

Christ intercedes for us like this when we forget God’s wonders and follow false things.

Hebrews 7:25 Therefore he is able to save them to the uttermost those that come to God by him, since he always lives to make intercession for them.

24 Yes, they despised the pleasant land, they did not believe his word: 25 But murmured in their tents, and did not listen to the voice of the LORD. 26 Therefore he lifted up his hand against them, to overthrow them in the wilderness: 27 To overthrow their seed among the nations, and to scatter them in the lands. 28 They also joined themselves to Baal-peor, and ate the sacrifices of the dead.

That sounds perfectly horrible. However, we do the same thing when we trust false things.
Our hearts partake of that which brings death rather than life.

29 Thus they provoked him to anger with their deeds: and the plague broke in on them. 30 Then Phinehas stood up and executed judgment: and so the plague was stopped. 31 And that was counted to him for righteousness to all generations for evermore. 32 Also they angered him at the waters of strife, so that it went badly with Moses because of them: 33 Because they provoked his spirit, so that he spoke unadvisedly with his lips. 34 They did not destroy the nations, concerning whom the LORD commanded them: 35 But were mixed among the heathen, and learned their works. 36 And they served their idols: which were a trap to them.

Idolatry angers God because it leads to eternal death.
God is life.

Isaiah 44:19 And none considers in his heart, neither is there knowledge nor understanding to say, I have burned part of it in the fire; yes, also I have baked bread on its coals; I have roasted flesh, and eaten it: and shall I make the rest of it an abomination? Shall I fall down to the stock of a tree?

37 Yes, they sacrificed their sons and their daughters to devils, 38 And shed innocent blood, even the blood of their sons and of their daughters, whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan: and the land was polluted with blood.

This verse tells us that demons are the moving force behind all idol worship.
Any power that leaves out Jesus Christ is evil because Jesus Christ is the only way of salvation for mankind.

John 14:6 Jesus said to him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man comes unto the Father, but by me.

39 Thus were they defiled with their own works, and went a whoring with their own deeds. 40 So the wrath of the LORD was kindled against his people, insomuch that he deeply hated his own inheritance. 41 And he gave them to the hand of the heathen; and those that hated them ruled over them.

He is jealous because His love for us is great.
He always makes a way.

Exodus 34:14 For you will worship no other god: for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God:

Deuteronomy 30:1 And it will come to pass, when all these things have come upon you, the blessing and the curse, which I have set before you, and you call them to mind among all the nations, where the LORD your God has driven you, 2 And return to the LORD your God, and obey his voice according to all that I command you this day, you and your children, with all your heart, and with all your soul; 3 Then the LORD your God will turn your captivity, and have compassion on you, and will return and gather you from all the nations, where the LORD your God has scattered you.

42 Their enemies also oppressed them, and they were brought into subjection under their hand. 43 He delivered them many times; but they provoked him with their counsel, and were brought low for their iniquity. 44 Nevertheless he regarded their affliction, when he heard their cry: 45 And he remembered for them his covenant, and repented according to the greatness of his love.

He delivers us many times.
He opens our ears by oppression so that we will listen to Him.

Job 36:15 He delivers the poor in his affliction, and opens their ears in oppression.

He caused their captors to have compassion on them

46 He made them to be pitied of all those that carried them captives. 47 Save us, O LORD our God, and gather us from among the heathen, to give thanks to your holy name, and to triumph in your praise. 48 Blessed is the Lord God of Israel from everlasting to everlasting: and let all the people say, Amen. Praise the LORD.

Psalm 16:11 You will show me the path of life: in your presence is fullness of joy; at your right hand there are pleasures for evermore.

Psalm 107

1 O give thanks unto the LORD, for he is good: for his love endures forever. 2 Let the redeemed of the LORD say so, whom he has redeemed from the hand of the enemy; 3 And gathered them out of the lands, from the east, and from the west, from the north, and from the south.

We don’t need to worry that sometime in the distant future God is going to change His mind and expel us from heaven. His mercy endures forever.
We often hear ‘why doesn’t God do something’? Why doesn’t He do something about the homeless? The poor? The sick? The wars? The prisoners? He is doing something.
Psalm 107 shows how God in His sovereign majesty is using the various circumstances to bring man to the place of blessing in Himself.
God has redeemed us from the hand of Satan.
Our redemption came at the highest price ever paid for anything.

1Peter 1:18 you know that you were not redeemed with corruptible things like silver and gold from your vain life received by tradition from your fathers; 19 But with the precious blood of Christ, as a lamb without blemish and without spot:

4 They wandered in the wilderness in a solitary way; they found no city to dwell in. 5 Hungry and thirsty, their soul fainted in them. 6 Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble, and he delivered them out of their distresses. 7 And he led them by the right way so that they might go to a city of habitation. 8 Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men! 9 For he satisfies the longing soul, and fills the hungry soul with goodness.

This speaks of physical food and spiritual yearning.

Psalm 34:6 This poor man cried, the LORD heard him and saved him out of all his troubles.

John 6:35 And Jesus said to them, I am the bread of life: he that comes to me will never hunger; and he that believes on me will never thirst.

The Lord humbles proud hearts with labor

10 Those that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, being bound in affliction and iron; 11 Because they rebelled against the words of God, and despised the counsel of the most High: 12 Therefore he brought down their heart with labor; they fell down, and there was none to help. 13 Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble, and he saved them out of their distresses. 14 He brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death, and broke their bands apart. 15 Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men! 16 For he has broken the gates of brass, and cut the bars of iron apart.

This truth explains most of the suffering on earth today.
If man obeys God they won’t be brought into affliction, but blessed.
In Eden man was blessed. Then they didn’t listen to God but to evil and their hearts were lifted up against God.
To remedy this God sent them from paradise to work the ground for their food.
It was to humble their souls into obedience so that He could bless them again. Our own choices bring most affliction upon us.

Ecclesiastes 1:13 And I gave my heart to seek and search out by wisdom concerning all things that are done under heaven: this sore travail has God given to the sons of man to be humbled by.

17 Fools because of their transgression, and because of their iniquities, are afflicted. 18 Their soul abhorred all kinds of food; and they draw near to the gates of death. 19 Then they cry to the LORD in their trouble, and he saves them out of their distresses.

His word heals our hearts

20 He sent his word, and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions. 21 Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men! 22 And let them sacrifice the sacrifices of thanksgiving, and declare his works with singing.

When our hearts are whole in God we make good choices and God blesses with physical healing also.

23 They that go down to the sea in ships, that do business in great waters; 24 These see the works of the LORD, and his wonders in the deep. 25 For he commands, and raises the stormy wind, which lifts up its waves. 26 They mount up to the heaven, they go down again to the depths: their soul is melted because of trouble. 27 They reel to and fro, and stagger like a drunken man, and are at their wits’ end/all their wisdom is swallowed up. 28 Then they cry to the LORD in their trouble, and he brings them out of their distresses. 29 He makes the storm a calm, so that its waves are still. 30 Then are they glad because they are quiet; so he brings them to their desired haven.

Acts 27 tells of God saving a shipload of sailors in a storm during Paul’s voyage.

31 Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men! 32 Let them exalt him also in the congregation of the people, and praise him in the assembly of the elders. 33 He turns rivers into a wilderness, and the water springs into dry ground; 34 A fruitful land into barrenness/saltness, for the wickedness of them that dwell in it. 35 He turns the wilderness into standing water, and dry ground into water springs. 36 And there he makes the hungry to dwell, that they may prepare a city for habitation; 37 And sow the fields, and plant vineyards, which may yield fruits of increase.

Isaiah 35:1 The wilderness and the solitary place will be glad for them; and the desert will rejoice, and blossom as the rose. 2 It will blossom abundantly, and rejoice with joy and singing: the glory of Lebanon will be given to it, the excellency of Carmel and Sharon, they will see the glory of the LORD, and the excellency of our God.

38 He blesses them also, so that they are multiplied greatly; and does not allow their cattle to decrease. 39 Again, they are diminished and brought low through oppression, affliction, and sorrow. 40 He pours contempt on princes, and causes them to wander in the wilderness, where there is no way. 41 Yet he sets he the poor on high after/from affliction, and makes him families like a flock. 42 The righteous will see it, and rejoice: and all iniquity will stop her mouth. 43 Whoever is wise, and will observe these things, they will understand the love of the LORD.

God’s love for us is eternal.

Jeremiah 31:3 The LORD has appeared of old to me, saying, Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love: therefore with loving kindness have I drawn you.

John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in him not perish, but have everlasting life.

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SUMMARY: Psalms 105-107

God allowed no one to hurt them
He reproved kings for their sake
He brought them out of slavery rich and made them strong
The LORD is good; His love endures forever
He caused their captors to have compassion on them
The LORD humbles proud hearts with labor
His word heals our hearts
His love for us is eternal