“Then they despised the pleasant land. They did not believe His Word, but complained in their tents, and did not heed the voice of the Lord. Therefore, He raised His hand in an oath against them, to overthrow them in the wilderness, to overthrow their descendants among the nations, and to scatter them in the lands.” Psalm 106:24-27
Most of the Israelites trusted the doubts of doubters rather than the belief of the two believers Caleb and Joshua. In Numbers 14:10-12, they spoke of stoning Moses and Aaron until the glory of the Lord appeared unto them.
In Numbers 14:28-30, the Lord said to Moses, “Tell them, ‘As surely as I live, declares the Lord, I will do to you the very thing I heard you say: in this wilderness your bodies will fall—every one of you 20 years old or more who was counted in the census and who has grumbled against Me. Not one of you will enter the land I swore with uplifted hand to make your home, except Caleb son of Jephunneh and Joshua son of Nun.”
The earthly Promised Land is a type of the heavenly Promised Land. God has given the promise of eternal life to whosoever believes in His Son Jesus Christ. Sadly, many doubt the words of Christ. They will not enter the heavenly Promised Land.
The lesson is clear: those who despise God’s gift eventually forfeit it. Those who reject His gracious offer of eternal life, will not enter the heavenly Promised Land. [1]
“They joined themselves also to Baal of Peor, and ate sacrifices made to the dead. Thus, they provoked Him to anger with their deeds, and the plague broke out among them.” Psalm 106:28-29
The Israelites committed a serious sin when they were a step away from entering the Promised Land. They joined themselves to sexually immoral idol worshippers. God made His displeasure known by sending a plague among the people, which quickly swept away 24,000 of them. [2]
Many years later, in Joshua 22:17-18, Joshua exclaimed, “Was not the sin of Peor enough for us? Up to this very day we have not cleansed ourselves from that sin, even though a plague fell on the community of the Lord! And are you now turning away from the Lord?”
“Then Phinehas stood up and intervened, and the plague was stopped. And that was accounted to him for righteousness to all generations forevermore.” Psalm 106:30-31
Filled with zeal for the Lord, Phinehas stood up and executed judgment on Zimri and Cozbi, prominent offenders who had openly defied God. As with Abraham, God accounted the faith of Phinehas as righteousness. [3]
In Romans 4:3-6, it is written, “What does Scripture say? ‘Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.’ Now to the one who works, wages are not credited as a gift but as an obligation. However, to the one who does not work but trusts God who justifies the ungodly, their faith is credited as righteousness. David says the same thing when he speaks of the blessedness of the one to whom God credits righteousness apart from works.”
Through this one man’s act, guilt was no longer charged to the nation. In this way, Phinehas was a type of Christ. He did what God’s Spirit led him to do on behalf of others.
“They angered Him also at the waters of strife, so that it went ill with Moses on account of them, because they rebelled against His Spirit, so that he spoke rashly with his lips.” Psalm 106:32-33
The psalmist recalls Israel’s rebellion at the waters of Meribah, where their constant grumbling provoked Moses to speak rashly and react contrary to God’s will.
“They did not destroy the peoples, concerning whom the Lord had commanded them.” Psalm 106:34
After receiving the good land God had promised them, they showed no zeal in removing the wicked inhabitants whom He had ordered them to drive out. [4]
They likely assumed they could avoid being influenced by them, but they eventually succumbed to their practices. In 1 Corinthians 15:33, God’s Word says, “Do not be deceived: evil company corrupts good habits.”
“But they mingled with the Gentiles and learned their works. They served their idols, which became a snare to them. They even sacrificed their sons and their daughters to demons, and shed innocent blood, the blood of their sons and daughters, whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan, and the land was polluted with blood.” Psalm 106:35-38
One sin led to others. After a while, they began to sacrifice their sons and daughters to demons. The very thought is horrifying. The beginning of idolatry and superstition, like the beginning of a flood, may seem small, but once unleashed there is no telling how far it will go. [5]
In his book “Finishing Strong,” Steve Farrar wrote, “Sin will take you farther than you want to go, keep you longer than you want to stay, and cost you more than you want to pay.”
We need to say, “NO” to sin. In 1 Timothy 4:1-2, Paul warns us, “Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons, speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron.” A sensitive conscience is better than a seared one. When tempted say, “NO!”
“Thus they were defiled by their own works and played the harlot by their own deeds.” Psalm 106:39
They defiled themselves by participating in ungodly activities. Their rebellion was especially offensive because they had known God’s goodness and love. [6]
“Therefore the wrath of the Lord was kindled against His people, so that He abhorred His own inheritance.” Psalm 106:40
God’s judgments followed, as they inevitably do. The change was not in God but in them. [7]
“And He gave them into the hand of the Gentiles, and those who hated them ruled over them. Their enemies also oppressed them, and they were brought into subjection under their hand.” Psalm 106:41-42
Notice how the punishment matched the sin. They willingly mingled with the heathen and learned their ways; therefore God used those same nations to discipline them. Often the very people who lead others into sin become instruments of their suffering. Satan, who tempts, also torments. The nations that ruled over Israel hated them and oppressed them harshly. In this way God taught them the difference between serving Him and serving earthly rulers (2 Chronicles 12:8). [8]
“Many times He delivered them, but they rebelled in their counsel and were brought low for their iniquity.” Psalm 106:43
God raised up deliverers for them during the period of the Judges. Time after time God rescued them, yet they relapsed into idolatry and provoked Him with their own misguided plans and inventions. As a result, He allowed new oppressors to rise against them, and they were brought very low because of their iniquity. [9]
“Nevertheless He regarded their affliction, when He heard their cry; and for their sake He remembered His covenant and relented according to the multitude of His mercies.” Psalm 106:44-45
Though God had every reason to destroy them, He relented according to the greatness of His mercy. While God does not change His character or promises, He graciously changes His dealings with people when they turn to Him. The Lord God showed them mercy once again. They were disciplined but not destroyed; cast down but not abandoned. [10]
“He also made them to be pitied by all those who carried them away captive.” Psalm 106 46
As a God of power, He turned the hearts of their captors toward them. He not only restrained their enemies from completely destroying them but even caused those enemies to show compassion. No human effort could have produced such a change. God can transform hearts, turning lions into lambs. When a person’s ways please the Lord, He can even cause his enemies to show favor and compassion. [11]
“Save us, O Lord our God, and gather us from among the Gentiles, to give thanks to Your holy Name, to triumph in Your praise.” Psalm 106:47
Even after God had begun restoring His people, there was still reason to pray for a fuller restoration. The psalmist asked God to gather His scattered people so they might once again worship Him, give thanks to His holy Name, and rejoice in His praise. [12]
“Blessed be the Lord God of Israel from everlasting to everlasting! And let all the people say, ‘Amen!’ Praise the Lord!” Psalm 106:48
Blessing the Lord from everlasting to everlasting is what we who receive His gracious promise of eternal life shall do. The Lord God Almighty is leading us into the heavenly Promised Land through faith in His Son Jesus Christ. In the celestial city all the people of God are gathered together and they say such words as, “Amen” and “Praise the Lord!” Everyone is full of love, joy and praise in the presence of the Lord!
[1-12] Material developed and edited from Matthew Henry’s Commentary
Free resources for prophetic servants of Jesus Christ
Friday, June 26, 2026
Thursday, June 25, 2026
God’s Great Grace – Psalm 106:1-23
“Praise the Lord! O, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever. Who can utter the mighty acts of the Lord? Who can declare all His praise?” Psalm 106:1-2
God’s good deeds are too numerous to recount and too far beyond us to properly honor. In John 21:25, we read, “There are also many other things that Jesus did, which if they were written one by one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that would be written.”
“God You are good and merciful! Praise You! Thank You!”
“Blessed are those who keep justice, and he who does righteousness at all times!” Psalm 106:3
In Micah 6:8, it is written, “He has shown you, O man, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?”
God’s people are characterized by sound principles and faithful obedience. They keep judgment by following the wisdom and standards of God’s truth. They practice righteousness, living rightly before both God and others. Their obedience is not occasional but consistent. [1]
“Remember me, O Lord, with the favor You have toward Your people.” Psalm 106:4a
The psalmist asks the Lord to think of him with favor as He does towards His people. The word for favor in Hebrew is רָצוֹן (raw-tsone) which also has the meaning of pleasure, delight and good will. The psalmist wants his heavenly Father to approve of him.
In Matthew 3:17, the heavenly Father said of Jesus, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” When we abide in Christ, believe in Him and profess Him, God is well pleased with us.
“O, visit me with Your salvation, that I may see the benefit of Your chosen ones, that I may rejoice in the gladness of Your nation, that I may glory with Your inheritance.” Psalm 106:4b-5
God’s saving work comes to us in the person of His Chosen One Jesus Messiah. Jesus is the One who confers to us the joy and privilege of belonging to God and His people. It is in Christ that we inherit eternal life, and in that eternity, we shall glory in Him forever.
“We have sinned with our fathers. We have committed iniquity. We have done wickedly. Our fathers in Egypt did not understand Your wonders. They did not remember the multitude of Your mercies but rebelled by the sea—the Red Sea.” Psalm 106:6-7
How did the fathers of the psalmist sin against God? They forgot... they forgot the multitude of God’s mercies toward them. They witnessed God’s miracles in Egypt, yet failed to understand their meaning and purpose. God delivered them from Egyptian slavery to reveal Himself to them and to enjoy fellowship with Him.
The devil wants to replace our love for God with hatred of Him.
In Exodus 14:11-12, they said to Moses, “Have you taken us away to die in the wilderness because there were no graves in Egypt? Why have you so dealt with us, to bring us up out of Egypt? Is this not the word that we told you in Egypt, saying, ‘Let us alone that we may serve the Egyptians?’ For it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than that we should die in the wilderness.”
They were ready to abandon God in a moment. The mighty miracles He did among them should have strengthened their loving commitment toward Him.
Likewise, the welcome Jesus received on Palm Sunday contrasts with the rejection of Him six days later on Good Friday. In John 12:37, we read, “Although He had done so many signs before them, they did not believe in Him.” According to Matthew 26:56, on the night Jesus was betrayed, “all the disciples forsook Him and fled.”
“Nevertheless He saved them for His Name’s sake that He might make His mighty power known. He rebuked the Red Sea also, and it dried up. So, He led them through the depths, as through the wilderness. He saved them from the hand of him who hated them and redeemed them from the hand of the enemy. The waters covered their enemies. There was not one of them left.” Psalm 106:8-11
The Israelites had the Egyptians before them and the Red Sea behind them. Most assumed that they would die, but God saved them. The sea that became a path to life for Israel became a grave for Egypt. In Exodus 14:30, we read, “So the Lord saved Israel that day out of the hand of the Egyptians, and Israel saw the Egyptians dead on the seashore.” [2]
God showed mercy to an unbelieving and complaining people to magnify His Name in them.
In Deuteronomy 7:7-8, we read, “The Lord did not set His love on you [Israel] nor choose you because you were more in number than any other people, for you were the least of all peoples; but because the Lord loves you, and because He would keep the oath which He swore to your fathers, the Lord has brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you from the house of bondage, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt.”
In 1 Corinthians 1:27-29, it is written, “God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise. God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. He chose the lowly and despised things of the world, and the things that are not, to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast in His presence.”
The apostle Paul wrote in Romans 7:24-25, “O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? I thank God—through Jesus Christ our Lord!” God chose Israel, He chose Paul and He chose me because we all needed His great grace to survive and thrive.
God’s greatness was revealed in dividing the sea and in showing mercy to people who provoked Him. God’s power to forgive sin is every bit as marvelous as His power to do miracles. [3]
In Mark 2:9-11, Jesus said to His critics, “Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Arise, take up your bed and walk?’ But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins—He said to the paralytic, ‘I say to you, arise, take up your bed, and go to your house.’”
We cannot visibly see sins forgiven by God but we can see the outcomes of His forgiveness.
“Then they believed His Words. They sang His praise.” Psalm 106:12
After God parted the Red Sea and drowned the Egyptian army, Israel believed God’s words. In Exodus 14:31, we read, “Thus Israel saw the great work which the Lord had done in Egypt. So the people feared the Lord, and believed the Lord and His servant Moses.” In Exodus 15:1, they sang God’s praise.
“They soon forgot His works. They did not wait for His counsel...” Psalm 106:13
In Romans 10:17, it is written, “Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God.” God’s Word contains the accounts of reliable witnesses who saw what God did, and heard what He said. In Joshua 1:8, the Lord said to Joshua, “This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.” Joshua believed God and prospered.
“...But lusted exceedingly in the wilderness, and tested God in the desert.” Psalm 106:14
While in the wilderness, Israel missed the pleasures of Egypt. According to the World History Encyclopedia, the Egypt that Israel escaped was a center of sensuality. Archaeological and textual evidence demonstrates that the Egyptians embraced pleasure and eroticism. God got Israel out of Egypt rather quickly compared to how long it took Him to get Egypt out of Israel. The lustful habits they learned in Egypt continued to plague their relationship with God.
“And He gave them their request but sent leanness into their soul.” Psalm 106:15
Leanness of soul is a sign that something is wrong with one’s relationship with God. In 1 John 3:6, it is written, “Whoever abides in Him does not sin.” The key to victory over sin is to abide in Christ. In John 15:4, Jesus said, “Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.”
In Romans 1:28, Paul wrote, “Even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting.” Romans 1:29-31 lists the sinful desires that people can be filled with when they don’t want to abide in Christ.
“When they envied Moses in the camp, and Aaron the saint of the Lord, the earth opened up and swallowed Dathan, and covered the faction of Abiram. A fire was kindled in their company. The flame burned up the wicked.” Psalm 106:16-18
In Numbers 15:32-36, a man gathered sticks on the Sabbath Day. He was arrested and brought to Moses and Aaron. The Lord told Moses that the congregation must stone him to death, and they did. After that, in Numbers 16, Korah, Dathan and Abiram along with 250 leaders rebelled against Moses and Aaron. What did God do? He opened earth and these men and their families went down into it. This event foreshadows what happens in eternity to those who rebel against Christ and His Word.
“They made a calf in Horeb and worshiped the molded image. Thus they changed their glory into the image of an ox that eats grass. They forgot God their Savior, who had done great things in Egypt, wondrous works in the land of Ham, awesome things by the Red Sea.” Psalm 106:19-22
In 1 Corinthians 10:6-8, Paul wrote, “Now these things became our examples, to the intent that we should not lust after evil things as they also lusted. And do not become idolaters as were some of them. As it is written, ‘The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play.’ Nor let us commit sexual immorality, as some of them did, and in one day 23,000 fell.”
“Therefore He said that He would destroy them, had not Moses His chosen one stood before Him in the breach, to turn away His wrath, lest He destroy them.” Psalm 106:23
In Exodus 32:30, Moses said to the people, “You have committed a terrible sin, but I will go back up to the Lord on the mountain. Perhaps I will be able to obtain forgiveness for your sin.”
Like Israel, we have sinned and need God’s forgiveness. In Romans 3:23, it is written, “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” We need someone to stand in the gap for us.
In Luke 24:34, Jesus atoned for our sins. While on the cross He prayed for us, saying, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do.” Thus, in Romans 8:1, it is written, “There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.” It is in Christ that God forgives our sins. It is in Christ that His Holy Spirit comes to dwell in us and to fill us with love for God and for people.
1 John 4:7 says, “Love is from God.” 1 John 4:19 says, “We love because He first loved us.” We know that God loves us because of what Jesus did for us on the cross and in His resurrection. Thus, knowing our sins are forgiven and that God loves us, we can focus on loving those around us. In Galatians 5:14, it is written, “The entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” Praise the Lord, being loved and loving others is a great way to live!
[1-3] Material developed and edited from Matthew Henry’s Commentary
God’s good deeds are too numerous to recount and too far beyond us to properly honor. In John 21:25, we read, “There are also many other things that Jesus did, which if they were written one by one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that would be written.”
“God You are good and merciful! Praise You! Thank You!”
“Blessed are those who keep justice, and he who does righteousness at all times!” Psalm 106:3
In Micah 6:8, it is written, “He has shown you, O man, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?”
God’s people are characterized by sound principles and faithful obedience. They keep judgment by following the wisdom and standards of God’s truth. They practice righteousness, living rightly before both God and others. Their obedience is not occasional but consistent. [1]
“Remember me, O Lord, with the favor You have toward Your people.” Psalm 106:4a
The psalmist asks the Lord to think of him with favor as He does towards His people. The word for favor in Hebrew is רָצוֹן (raw-tsone) which also has the meaning of pleasure, delight and good will. The psalmist wants his heavenly Father to approve of him.
In Matthew 3:17, the heavenly Father said of Jesus, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” When we abide in Christ, believe in Him and profess Him, God is well pleased with us.
“O, visit me with Your salvation, that I may see the benefit of Your chosen ones, that I may rejoice in the gladness of Your nation, that I may glory with Your inheritance.” Psalm 106:4b-5
God’s saving work comes to us in the person of His Chosen One Jesus Messiah. Jesus is the One who confers to us the joy and privilege of belonging to God and His people. It is in Christ that we inherit eternal life, and in that eternity, we shall glory in Him forever.
“We have sinned with our fathers. We have committed iniquity. We have done wickedly. Our fathers in Egypt did not understand Your wonders. They did not remember the multitude of Your mercies but rebelled by the sea—the Red Sea.” Psalm 106:6-7
How did the fathers of the psalmist sin against God? They forgot... they forgot the multitude of God’s mercies toward them. They witnessed God’s miracles in Egypt, yet failed to understand their meaning and purpose. God delivered them from Egyptian slavery to reveal Himself to them and to enjoy fellowship with Him.
The devil wants to replace our love for God with hatred of Him.
In Exodus 14:11-12, they said to Moses, “Have you taken us away to die in the wilderness because there were no graves in Egypt? Why have you so dealt with us, to bring us up out of Egypt? Is this not the word that we told you in Egypt, saying, ‘Let us alone that we may serve the Egyptians?’ For it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than that we should die in the wilderness.”
They were ready to abandon God in a moment. The mighty miracles He did among them should have strengthened their loving commitment toward Him.
Likewise, the welcome Jesus received on Palm Sunday contrasts with the rejection of Him six days later on Good Friday. In John 12:37, we read, “Although He had done so many signs before them, they did not believe in Him.” According to Matthew 26:56, on the night Jesus was betrayed, “all the disciples forsook Him and fled.”
“Nevertheless He saved them for His Name’s sake that He might make His mighty power known. He rebuked the Red Sea also, and it dried up. So, He led them through the depths, as through the wilderness. He saved them from the hand of him who hated them and redeemed them from the hand of the enemy. The waters covered their enemies. There was not one of them left.” Psalm 106:8-11
The Israelites had the Egyptians before them and the Red Sea behind them. Most assumed that they would die, but God saved them. The sea that became a path to life for Israel became a grave for Egypt. In Exodus 14:30, we read, “So the Lord saved Israel that day out of the hand of the Egyptians, and Israel saw the Egyptians dead on the seashore.” [2]
God showed mercy to an unbelieving and complaining people to magnify His Name in them.
In Deuteronomy 7:7-8, we read, “The Lord did not set His love on you [Israel] nor choose you because you were more in number than any other people, for you were the least of all peoples; but because the Lord loves you, and because He would keep the oath which He swore to your fathers, the Lord has brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you from the house of bondage, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt.”
In 1 Corinthians 1:27-29, it is written, “God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise. God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. He chose the lowly and despised things of the world, and the things that are not, to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast in His presence.”
The apostle Paul wrote in Romans 7:24-25, “O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? I thank God—through Jesus Christ our Lord!” God chose Israel, He chose Paul and He chose me because we all needed His great grace to survive and thrive.
God’s greatness was revealed in dividing the sea and in showing mercy to people who provoked Him. God’s power to forgive sin is every bit as marvelous as His power to do miracles. [3]
In Mark 2:9-11, Jesus said to His critics, “Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Arise, take up your bed and walk?’ But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins—He said to the paralytic, ‘I say to you, arise, take up your bed, and go to your house.’”
We cannot visibly see sins forgiven by God but we can see the outcomes of His forgiveness.
“Then they believed His Words. They sang His praise.” Psalm 106:12
After God parted the Red Sea and drowned the Egyptian army, Israel believed God’s words. In Exodus 14:31, we read, “Thus Israel saw the great work which the Lord had done in Egypt. So the people feared the Lord, and believed the Lord and His servant Moses.” In Exodus 15:1, they sang God’s praise.
“They soon forgot His works. They did not wait for His counsel...” Psalm 106:13
In Romans 10:17, it is written, “Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God.” God’s Word contains the accounts of reliable witnesses who saw what God did, and heard what He said. In Joshua 1:8, the Lord said to Joshua, “This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.” Joshua believed God and prospered.
“...But lusted exceedingly in the wilderness, and tested God in the desert.” Psalm 106:14
While in the wilderness, Israel missed the pleasures of Egypt. According to the World History Encyclopedia, the Egypt that Israel escaped was a center of sensuality. Archaeological and textual evidence demonstrates that the Egyptians embraced pleasure and eroticism. God got Israel out of Egypt rather quickly compared to how long it took Him to get Egypt out of Israel. The lustful habits they learned in Egypt continued to plague their relationship with God.
“And He gave them their request but sent leanness into their soul.” Psalm 106:15
Leanness of soul is a sign that something is wrong with one’s relationship with God. In 1 John 3:6, it is written, “Whoever abides in Him does not sin.” The key to victory over sin is to abide in Christ. In John 15:4, Jesus said, “Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.”
In Romans 1:28, Paul wrote, “Even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting.” Romans 1:29-31 lists the sinful desires that people can be filled with when they don’t want to abide in Christ.
“When they envied Moses in the camp, and Aaron the saint of the Lord, the earth opened up and swallowed Dathan, and covered the faction of Abiram. A fire was kindled in their company. The flame burned up the wicked.” Psalm 106:16-18
In Numbers 15:32-36, a man gathered sticks on the Sabbath Day. He was arrested and brought to Moses and Aaron. The Lord told Moses that the congregation must stone him to death, and they did. After that, in Numbers 16, Korah, Dathan and Abiram along with 250 leaders rebelled against Moses and Aaron. What did God do? He opened earth and these men and their families went down into it. This event foreshadows what happens in eternity to those who rebel against Christ and His Word.
“They made a calf in Horeb and worshiped the molded image. Thus they changed their glory into the image of an ox that eats grass. They forgot God their Savior, who had done great things in Egypt, wondrous works in the land of Ham, awesome things by the Red Sea.” Psalm 106:19-22
In 1 Corinthians 10:6-8, Paul wrote, “Now these things became our examples, to the intent that we should not lust after evil things as they also lusted. And do not become idolaters as were some of them. As it is written, ‘The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play.’ Nor let us commit sexual immorality, as some of them did, and in one day 23,000 fell.”
“Therefore He said that He would destroy them, had not Moses His chosen one stood before Him in the breach, to turn away His wrath, lest He destroy them.” Psalm 106:23
In Exodus 32:30, Moses said to the people, “You have committed a terrible sin, but I will go back up to the Lord on the mountain. Perhaps I will be able to obtain forgiveness for your sin.”
Like Israel, we have sinned and need God’s forgiveness. In Romans 3:23, it is written, “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” We need someone to stand in the gap for us.
In Luke 24:34, Jesus atoned for our sins. While on the cross He prayed for us, saying, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do.” Thus, in Romans 8:1, it is written, “There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.” It is in Christ that God forgives our sins. It is in Christ that His Holy Spirit comes to dwell in us and to fill us with love for God and for people.
1 John 4:7 says, “Love is from God.” 1 John 4:19 says, “We love because He first loved us.” We know that God loves us because of what Jesus did for us on the cross and in His resurrection. Thus, knowing our sins are forgiven and that God loves us, we can focus on loving those around us. In Galatians 5:14, it is written, “The entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” Praise the Lord, being loved and loving others is a great way to live!
[1-3] Material developed and edited from Matthew Henry’s Commentary
Wednesday, June 24, 2026
Prophecies of Revelation in Psalm 105:25-45
“He turned their heart to hate His people, to deal craftily with His servants.” Psalm 105:25
In the Gospels, the hatred in the hearts of the Pharisees toward God was exposed when they demanded the crucifixion of God’s Son Jesus Christ.
In Genesis 43:3, the hatred in the hearts of the Egyptians toward God’s people was exposed when they would “not eat food with the Hebrews, for that is an abomination to the Egyptians.” Eventually, the hatred in their hearts led to ever worsening mistreatment of God’s servants.
God turned the hearts of the Egyptians to hate His people, that is, to no longer hide what was in their hearts, but reveal it by their misdeeds. The Egyptians dealt craftily with them. The Hebrew word for “craftily is נָכַל (nâkal). It means to scheme or act treacherously against someone.
The Egyptians used every political strategy to weaken them, and reduce their numbers. They made their labor harsh, their lives bitter, and killed their male children at birth. [1]
What the Egyptians did to God’s servants in Exodus is a foreshadowing of what the “beast” or antichrist ruler of Revelation 13 will do to the saints. In Revelation 13:7, we read, “It was granted to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them. And authority was given him over every tribe, tongue, and nation.”
God removed the restraints of Pharaoh from acting out his hatred against His servants before He destroyed him. God will also remove the restraints from the earth’s final antichrist before He destroys him. In this way, all such rulers, who want to appear as saviors of the world are exposed as deceivers and embodiments of Satan.
In 2 Thessalonians 2:7-8, we read, “The mystery of lawlessness is already at work. Only He who now restrains will do so until He is taken out of the way. And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth and destroy with the brightness of His coming.” God is restraining worldwide cruelty, but cruel hatred is already in the hearts of many. Don’t get caught off-guard.
In the Book of Revelation, God reveals to us the final end of all Pharaoh-like rulers. Rulers who deceive people to think that they are better gods and saviors than God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Such rulers harbor hatred of Christ and His servants.
In Revelation 19, when Christ returns, He casts the end time’s antichrist into a lake of fire. After that, in Revelation 20, the devil is cast into a lake of fire. In Revelation 21-22, the followers of Christ enjoy a heavenly Promised Land much better than the one located here on earth.
“He sent Moses His servant, and Aaron whom He had chosen.” Psalm 105:26
The instruments God used to deliver Israel from Egypt were prophets. God chose Moses to be Israel’s leader and lawgiver, and He made Aaron their high priest. Moses represents the Law which convicts people of sin. Aaron represents the Gospel for God appointed him to make atonement for the sins of His people.
In Revelation 11, the Lord speaks of two witnesses who speak for God during the end time. After they are martyred and resurrected, and ascend to heaven, we read in Revelation 11:15, “The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever!” In Revelation 11:19, we read, “the temple of God was opened in heaven.” These two embodied Christ and the Holy Spirit. They exposed evil and revealed God.
“They performed His signs among them, and wonders in the land of Ham. He sent darkness and made it dark. And they did not rebel against His Word.” Psalm 105:27-28
The plagues are called God’s signs and wonders. They demonstrate God’s wrath against evil. Each plague carried a clear message, namely, “Let My people go.” [2]
In Exodus 10:21-23, we read, “Then the Lord said to Moses, ‘Stretch out your hand toward heaven, that there may be darkness over the land of Egypt, darkness which may even be felt.’ So Moses stretched out his hand toward heaven, and there was thick darkness in all the land of Egypt three days. They did not see one another. Nor did anyone rise from his place for three days. But all the children of Israel had light in their dwellings.”
Then, “they”—that is, the Israelites—“did not rebel against His Word.” The plague of darkness was the ninth of ten plagues. By this time, the Israelites who at first doubted God, believed Him.
Many of the signs that God did in Egypt are also done in the Book of Revelation. For example, in Revelation 16:10, we read, “Then the fifth angel poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast, and his kingdom became full of darkness.”
“He turned their waters into blood and killed their fish.” Psalm 105:29
The Nile, which the Egyptians worshiped, became bloody and wreaked of death. The Egyptians loss their convenient water supply and delicious fish when their water was turned to blood. [3]
In Revelation 16:4, 6, we read, “Then the third angel poured out his bowl on the rivers and springs of water, and they became blood.” “They have shed the blood of saints and prophets, and You have given them blood to drink. For it is their just due.”
“Their land abounded with frogs, even in the chambers of their kings.” Psalm 105:30
Frogs invaded the king’s palace. His contempt for God yielded contempt in his chambers. [4]
In Revelation 16:13, we read, “I saw three unclean spirits like frogs coming out of the mouth of the dragon, out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet.”
“He spoke, and there came swarms of flies, and lice in all their territory.” Psalm 105:31
According to Exodus 8:17, 24, swarms of flies filled the air, and lice covered them. God can use the smallest creatures to humble the proud and magnify His power.
“He gave them hail for rain and flaming fire in their land. He struck their vines also, and their fig trees, and splintered the trees of their territory.” Psalm 105:32-33
According to Exodus 9:23, the hail and fire also destroyed their livestock and crops.
In Revelation 8:7, we read, “The first angel sounded: And hail and fire followed, mingled with blood, and they were thrown to the earth. And a third of the trees were burned up, and all green grass was burned up.”
“He spoke, and locusts came, young locusts without number, and ate up all the vegetation in their land and devoured the fruit of their ground.” Psalm 105:34-35
God has many arrows in His quiver. Locusts are a part of His arsenal. Though individually weak, God unites them to overwhelm His enemies. [5]
In Revelation 9:3, we read, “Then out of the smoke locusts came upon the earth. And to them was given power, as the scorpions of the earth have power.”
“He also destroyed all the firstborn in their land, the first of all their strength.” Psalm 105:36
During the night, the pride and hope of Egyptian families was struck down by an angel of death. Egypt refused to release God’s firstborn people Israel, so God took Egypt’s firstborn. [6]
In Revelation 14:19-20, we read that an angel thrust his sickle into the earth and gathered the vine of the earth (those not of God), and threw it into the great winepress of the wrath of God. And blood came out of the winepress, up to the horses’ bridles for many miles.
“He also brought them out with silver and gold, and there was none feeble among His tribes.” Psalm 105:37
The impoverished slaves came forth from Egypt strong and with much treasure.
In Revelation 21:21, we read of New Jerusalem, “The twelve gates were twelve pearls: each individual gate was of one pearl. And the street of the city was pure gold, like transparent glass.”
“Egypt was glad when they departed, for the fear of them had fallen upon them.” Psalm 105:38
Previously mistreated by Egypt, Israel left Egypt with honor. God made His people a stone too heavy for Egypt. The Lord says in Zechariah 12:3, “I will make Jerusalem a very heavy stone for all peoples. All who would heave it away will surely be cut in pieces, though all nations of the earth are gathered against it.” [7]
“He spread a cloud for a covering, and fire to give light in the night.” Psalm 105:39
God spread a cloud above Israel to shade them from the sun by day. He appointed a pillar of fire to light their way by night. God graciously provides for His people day and night, until they (we) reach heaven, where there will be eternal light. [8] Praise the Lord!
“The people asked, and He brought quail, and satisfied them with the bread of heaven.” Psalm 105:40
The people asked for meat, and God gave them quail. Numbers 11:31 says that there were so many birds that the ground was covered about three feet deep with them.
“He opened the rock, and water gushed out. It ran in the dry places like a river.” Psalm 105:41
The water ran like a river, abundantly and continually, accompanying them throughout their journey. This is why in 1 Corinthians 10:4 the Scripture says that the rock followed them. This river of God flowed through dry desert regions without disappearing into the sand. This miracle is echoed in Isaiah 43:19-20, “I will give rivers in the desert, to give drink to My chosen.” [9]
In Revelation 7:17, we read, “The Lamb who is in the midst of the throne will shepherd them and lead them to living fountains of waters. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”
“For He remembered His holy promise, and Abraham His servant.” Psalm 105:42
Though Israel was often unworthy and ungrateful, God acted on their behalf because He remembered His covenant with Abraham. He did not allow His promise to fail. [10]
“He brought out His people with joy, His chosen ones with gladness.” Psalm 105:43
While Egypt cried, Israel rejoiced. They looked back with gratitude at the slavery they had escaped and forward with hope toward the promised land. God gave them a new song. [11]
In Hebrews 12:22-23, God reminds us, “You have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, to an innumerable company of angels, to the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are registered in heaven, to God the Judge of all, to the spirits of just men made perfect.” We too, will experience joy and gladness with God!
“He gave them the lands of the Gentiles, and they inherited the labor of the nations, that they might observe His statutes and keep His laws. Praise the Lord!” Psalm 105:44-45
The Israelites enjoyed what others had labored to build. The wealth of those who sacrificed their children to idols were transferred to Israel. Just as the Egyptians had benefited from Israel’s labor, Israel now benefited from the labor of the Canaanites. [12]
God gave to Israel the lands of the nations that they might observe His statutes and keep His laws. They weren’t to sit back, take their ease and only satisfy their lust for pleasure. They were to put the wealth of the nations to work by creating communities on earth that reflected the glory of the kingdom of God that is coming.
The phrase, “Praise the Lord,” with which Psalm 105 ends will likely be a phrase that we shout when we who believe in and profess Jesus Christ enter heaven.
[1-12] Material developed and edited from Matthew Henry’s Commentary
In the Gospels, the hatred in the hearts of the Pharisees toward God was exposed when they demanded the crucifixion of God’s Son Jesus Christ.
In Genesis 43:3, the hatred in the hearts of the Egyptians toward God’s people was exposed when they would “not eat food with the Hebrews, for that is an abomination to the Egyptians.” Eventually, the hatred in their hearts led to ever worsening mistreatment of God’s servants.
God turned the hearts of the Egyptians to hate His people, that is, to no longer hide what was in their hearts, but reveal it by their misdeeds. The Egyptians dealt craftily with them. The Hebrew word for “craftily is נָכַל (nâkal). It means to scheme or act treacherously against someone.
The Egyptians used every political strategy to weaken them, and reduce their numbers. They made their labor harsh, their lives bitter, and killed their male children at birth. [1]
What the Egyptians did to God’s servants in Exodus is a foreshadowing of what the “beast” or antichrist ruler of Revelation 13 will do to the saints. In Revelation 13:7, we read, “It was granted to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them. And authority was given him over every tribe, tongue, and nation.”
God removed the restraints of Pharaoh from acting out his hatred against His servants before He destroyed him. God will also remove the restraints from the earth’s final antichrist before He destroys him. In this way, all such rulers, who want to appear as saviors of the world are exposed as deceivers and embodiments of Satan.
In 2 Thessalonians 2:7-8, we read, “The mystery of lawlessness is already at work. Only He who now restrains will do so until He is taken out of the way. And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth and destroy with the brightness of His coming.” God is restraining worldwide cruelty, but cruel hatred is already in the hearts of many. Don’t get caught off-guard.
In the Book of Revelation, God reveals to us the final end of all Pharaoh-like rulers. Rulers who deceive people to think that they are better gods and saviors than God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Such rulers harbor hatred of Christ and His servants.
In Revelation 19, when Christ returns, He casts the end time’s antichrist into a lake of fire. After that, in Revelation 20, the devil is cast into a lake of fire. In Revelation 21-22, the followers of Christ enjoy a heavenly Promised Land much better than the one located here on earth.
“He sent Moses His servant, and Aaron whom He had chosen.” Psalm 105:26
The instruments God used to deliver Israel from Egypt were prophets. God chose Moses to be Israel’s leader and lawgiver, and He made Aaron their high priest. Moses represents the Law which convicts people of sin. Aaron represents the Gospel for God appointed him to make atonement for the sins of His people.
In Revelation 11, the Lord speaks of two witnesses who speak for God during the end time. After they are martyred and resurrected, and ascend to heaven, we read in Revelation 11:15, “The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever!” In Revelation 11:19, we read, “the temple of God was opened in heaven.” These two embodied Christ and the Holy Spirit. They exposed evil and revealed God.
“They performed His signs among them, and wonders in the land of Ham. He sent darkness and made it dark. And they did not rebel against His Word.” Psalm 105:27-28
The plagues are called God’s signs and wonders. They demonstrate God’s wrath against evil. Each plague carried a clear message, namely, “Let My people go.” [2]
In Exodus 10:21-23, we read, “Then the Lord said to Moses, ‘Stretch out your hand toward heaven, that there may be darkness over the land of Egypt, darkness which may even be felt.’ So Moses stretched out his hand toward heaven, and there was thick darkness in all the land of Egypt three days. They did not see one another. Nor did anyone rise from his place for three days. But all the children of Israel had light in their dwellings.”
Then, “they”—that is, the Israelites—“did not rebel against His Word.” The plague of darkness was the ninth of ten plagues. By this time, the Israelites who at first doubted God, believed Him.
Many of the signs that God did in Egypt are also done in the Book of Revelation. For example, in Revelation 16:10, we read, “Then the fifth angel poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast, and his kingdom became full of darkness.”
“He turned their waters into blood and killed their fish.” Psalm 105:29
The Nile, which the Egyptians worshiped, became bloody and wreaked of death. The Egyptians loss their convenient water supply and delicious fish when their water was turned to blood. [3]
In Revelation 16:4, 6, we read, “Then the third angel poured out his bowl on the rivers and springs of water, and they became blood.” “They have shed the blood of saints and prophets, and You have given them blood to drink. For it is their just due.”
“Their land abounded with frogs, even in the chambers of their kings.” Psalm 105:30
Frogs invaded the king’s palace. His contempt for God yielded contempt in his chambers. [4]
In Revelation 16:13, we read, “I saw three unclean spirits like frogs coming out of the mouth of the dragon, out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet.”
“He spoke, and there came swarms of flies, and lice in all their territory.” Psalm 105:31
According to Exodus 8:17, 24, swarms of flies filled the air, and lice covered them. God can use the smallest creatures to humble the proud and magnify His power.
“He gave them hail for rain and flaming fire in their land. He struck their vines also, and their fig trees, and splintered the trees of their territory.” Psalm 105:32-33
According to Exodus 9:23, the hail and fire also destroyed their livestock and crops.
In Revelation 8:7, we read, “The first angel sounded: And hail and fire followed, mingled with blood, and they were thrown to the earth. And a third of the trees were burned up, and all green grass was burned up.”
“He spoke, and locusts came, young locusts without number, and ate up all the vegetation in their land and devoured the fruit of their ground.” Psalm 105:34-35
God has many arrows in His quiver. Locusts are a part of His arsenal. Though individually weak, God unites them to overwhelm His enemies. [5]
In Revelation 9:3, we read, “Then out of the smoke locusts came upon the earth. And to them was given power, as the scorpions of the earth have power.”
“He also destroyed all the firstborn in their land, the first of all their strength.” Psalm 105:36
During the night, the pride and hope of Egyptian families was struck down by an angel of death. Egypt refused to release God’s firstborn people Israel, so God took Egypt’s firstborn. [6]
In Revelation 14:19-20, we read that an angel thrust his sickle into the earth and gathered the vine of the earth (those not of God), and threw it into the great winepress of the wrath of God. And blood came out of the winepress, up to the horses’ bridles for many miles.
“He also brought them out with silver and gold, and there was none feeble among His tribes.” Psalm 105:37
The impoverished slaves came forth from Egypt strong and with much treasure.
In Revelation 21:21, we read of New Jerusalem, “The twelve gates were twelve pearls: each individual gate was of one pearl. And the street of the city was pure gold, like transparent glass.”
“Egypt was glad when they departed, for the fear of them had fallen upon them.” Psalm 105:38
Previously mistreated by Egypt, Israel left Egypt with honor. God made His people a stone too heavy for Egypt. The Lord says in Zechariah 12:3, “I will make Jerusalem a very heavy stone for all peoples. All who would heave it away will surely be cut in pieces, though all nations of the earth are gathered against it.” [7]
“He spread a cloud for a covering, and fire to give light in the night.” Psalm 105:39
God spread a cloud above Israel to shade them from the sun by day. He appointed a pillar of fire to light their way by night. God graciously provides for His people day and night, until they (we) reach heaven, where there will be eternal light. [8] Praise the Lord!
“The people asked, and He brought quail, and satisfied them with the bread of heaven.” Psalm 105:40
The people asked for meat, and God gave them quail. Numbers 11:31 says that there were so many birds that the ground was covered about three feet deep with them.
“He opened the rock, and water gushed out. It ran in the dry places like a river.” Psalm 105:41
The water ran like a river, abundantly and continually, accompanying them throughout their journey. This is why in 1 Corinthians 10:4 the Scripture says that the rock followed them. This river of God flowed through dry desert regions without disappearing into the sand. This miracle is echoed in Isaiah 43:19-20, “I will give rivers in the desert, to give drink to My chosen.” [9]
In Revelation 7:17, we read, “The Lamb who is in the midst of the throne will shepherd them and lead them to living fountains of waters. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”
“For He remembered His holy promise, and Abraham His servant.” Psalm 105:42
Though Israel was often unworthy and ungrateful, God acted on their behalf because He remembered His covenant with Abraham. He did not allow His promise to fail. [10]
“He brought out His people with joy, His chosen ones with gladness.” Psalm 105:43
While Egypt cried, Israel rejoiced. They looked back with gratitude at the slavery they had escaped and forward with hope toward the promised land. God gave them a new song. [11]
In Hebrews 12:22-23, God reminds us, “You have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, to an innumerable company of angels, to the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are registered in heaven, to God the Judge of all, to the spirits of just men made perfect.” We too, will experience joy and gladness with God!
“He gave them the lands of the Gentiles, and they inherited the labor of the nations, that they might observe His statutes and keep His laws. Praise the Lord!” Psalm 105:44-45
The Israelites enjoyed what others had labored to build. The wealth of those who sacrificed their children to idols were transferred to Israel. Just as the Egyptians had benefited from Israel’s labor, Israel now benefited from the labor of the Canaanites. [12]
God gave to Israel the lands of the nations that they might observe His statutes and keep His laws. They weren’t to sit back, take their ease and only satisfy their lust for pleasure. They were to put the wealth of the nations to work by creating communities on earth that reflected the glory of the kingdom of God that is coming.
The phrase, “Praise the Lord,” with which Psalm 105 ends will likely be a phrase that we shout when we who believe in and profess Jesus Christ enter heaven.
[1-12] Material developed and edited from Matthew Henry’s Commentary
Tuesday, June 23, 2026
Being a Professing Believer in Christ – Psalm 105:1-24
“O, give thanks to the Lord! Call upon His Name. Make known His deeds among the peoples!” Psalm 105:1
In Isaiah 43:10, the Lord says to us, “You are My witnesses... My servant whom I have chosen, that you may know and believe Me, and understand that I am He. Before Me there was no God formed, nor shall there be after Me.”
The three short sentences of Psalm 105:1 provide for us three keys to be a witness for God.
First, give Him thanks. In Christ we live, move and have our being. The air we breathe, the ground we walk on, the food we eat, the loving friendships we enjoy, the protection from harm, the revelation of who He is and the gift of eternal life are some of His many blessings to us.
Second, call upon His Name. Don’t attempt to speak for or serve God in your own strength. In Acts 1:8, Jesus said to us, “You shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you and you shall be My witnesses...” We need the power of the Holy Spirit. In Acts 4:29-31, after God’s people prayed that they would speak God’s Word with boldness, “they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the Word of God with boldness.” In Ephesians 6:18-20, Paul asked Christians to pray that he would make known the Gospel to others with boldness.
Third, “Make known His deeds among the peoples.” Trust the Lord to be with you! In Mark 16:15-18, when Jesus called the disciples to go into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature, He went with them and did signs such as casting out demons, giving them new tongues, healing the sick and protecting them from harm. His miracles opened doors for them.
“Sing to Him, sing psalms to Him. Talk of all His wondrous works! Glory in His holy Name. Let the hearts of those rejoice who seek the Lord!” Psalm 105:2-3
Sing praises to God. Throughout history, testimonies of God’s miraculous works have been preserved in the lyrics of Holy Spirit anointed songs.
In Matthew 26:30, Jesus sang a hymn with His disciples before they went to the Garden of Gethsemane where He was a witness to the guards who arrested Him. In Acts 16:25, Paul and Silas sang hymns to God before they witnessed to the jailer and his family. Evangelists, like Billy Graham, preach the Gospel after their listeners sing praises to God. The Holy Spirit moves in peoples’ hearts when God’s praises are sung. God inhabits the praises of His people.
Sharing testimonies of God’s wondrous works is also another way to capture the attention of people who are generally disinterested in “God-talk.” The goal of every witness is to glorify the Lord so that the hearts of the seekers rejoice in HIM.
In Jeremiah 9:23-24, “Thus says the Lord, ‘Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, let not the mighty man glory in his might, nor let the rich man glory in his riches, but let him who glories glory in this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the Lord, exercising lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth, for in these I delight,’ says the Lord.”
“Seek the Lord and His strength. Seek His face evermore! Remember His marvelous works which He has done, His wonders, and the judgments of His mouth, O seed of Abraham His servant, you children of Jacob, His chosen ones!” Psalm 105:4-6
Some ancient translations read, “Seek the Lord and be strengthened.” Those who desire strength in their inner being must receive it from God through faith and prayer. [1]
“Remember His marvelous works!” In John 14:26, Jesus said, “The Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My Name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.”
Consider your relationship with God. You are a “seed of Abraham His servant.” You belong to God’s household and share in the privileges of His servants—His protection and provision. [2]
You are “children of Jacob His chosen.” You have inherited the blessings associated with all the saints of God who have gone before you. God is your Father. You are a member of His family. [3]
“He is the Lord our God. His judgments are in all the earth.” Psalm 105:7
In Isaiah 26:9, Isaiah wrote of God, “When Your judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world learn righteousness.” In Deuteronomy 32:3-4, Moses wrote of God, “I proclaim the Name of the Lord. Ascribe greatness to our God. He is the Rock. His work is perfect. For all His ways are justice. A God of truth and without injustice, righteous and upright is He.” God’s verdict on every legal case that is brought before Him is perfect.
In Acts 17:30-31, Paul proclaimed to the men of Athens, Greece, “God commands all men everywhere to repent, because He has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man whom He has ordained. He has given assurance of this to all by raising Him from the dead.”
In Revelation 20:12, John shares what the Lord showed him, saying, “I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books.” In Revelation 20:15, we read, “Anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.”
How does your name appear in the Book of Life? You believe in Jesus Messiah. The worst sin is to reject God’s remedy for sin... His Son Jesus. The best deed is to believe and profess Him.
“He remembers His covenant forever, the Word which He commanded, for 1,000 generations, the covenant which He made with Abraham, and His oath to Isaac, and confirmed it to Jacob for a statute, to Israel as an everlasting covenant, saying, ‘To you I will give the land of Canaan as the allotment of your inheritance,’ when they were few in number, indeed very few, and strangers in it. When they went from one nation to another, from one kingdom to another people, He permitted no one to do them wrong. Yes, He rebuked kings for their sakes, saying, ‘Do not touch My anointed ones, and do My prophets no harm.’” Psalm 105:8-15
Throughout all His dealings with Israel, God remembered His covenant promises to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. The land of Canaan was not obtained by human achievement but was granted by God’s gracious promise. In the same way, believers receive their heavenly inheritance not through their own merit but through the grace of God in Christ. [4]
The patriarchs were few in number, strangers in the land, and wanderers from nation to nation. From a human perspective, they appeared weak and vulnerable. Yet God protected them. He did not allow anyone to oppress them and even rebuked kings for their sake, saying, “Touch not mine anointed, and do my prophets no harm.” Though they possessed little earthly security, they were safely kept under God’s sovereign care. [5]
“Moreover He called for a famine in the land. He destroyed all the provision of bread. He sent a man before them—Joseph—who was sold as a slave.” Psalm 105:16-17
In Genesis 37, after Joseph shared with his father and brothers a dream that God gave him concerning his future and theirs, some of his brothers hated him and decided to kill him.
Thankfully, Reuben intervened for Joseph. He urged them to throw Joseph into a pit instead of killing him. He planned to rescue Joseph from the pit when his brothers were gone. However, while Reuben was temporarily absent, Joseph’s other brothers sold him as a slave to Midianite human traffickers. Was God’s promise to Joseph and the patriarchs thwarted?
“They hurt his feet with fetters, he was laid in irons. Until the time that his Word came to pass, the Word of the Lord tested him. The king sent and released him, the ruler of the people let him go free. He made him lord of his house, and ruler of all his possessions, to bind his princes at his pleasure, and teach his elders wisdom.” Psalm 105:18-22
Though Joseph suffered betrayal, slavery, false accusation, and imprisonment, God resurrected him from a metaphoric death and exalted him to the throne room of the king of Egypt. [6] Suddenly, the wealth of the mightiest nation on earth was committed to his care. He was over the princes (the king’s sons) and over the king’s advisors.
Joseph’s life serves as a striking foreshadowing of Christ. Just as Joseph was humbled before being exalted, so Christ suffered before entering into His glory. [7] Despite the evil that was done to Him while on earth, Jesus now sits on a throne at the right hand of God His Father.
“Israel also came into Egypt, and Jacob dwelt in the land of Ham. He increased His people greatly and made them stronger than their enemies.” Psalm 104:23-24
God fulfilled His promise to Abraham. He greatly multiplied his descendants. The king of Egypt feared them. What God promises, He accomplishes. [8]
The safest place to be on earth is resting in the promises of God. In Hebrews 11, the author recounts the many miracles that God did for those who trusted in Him.
“Dear Heavenly Father, please grant us Holy Spirit empowered convictions of faith in You. Please open doors of opportunity for us to boldly share the Gospel with those whose hearts You have prepared. I ask this in Name of Your Son and our Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.”
[1-8] Material developed and edited from Matthew Henry’s Commentary
In Isaiah 43:10, the Lord says to us, “You are My witnesses... My servant whom I have chosen, that you may know and believe Me, and understand that I am He. Before Me there was no God formed, nor shall there be after Me.”
The three short sentences of Psalm 105:1 provide for us three keys to be a witness for God.
First, give Him thanks. In Christ we live, move and have our being. The air we breathe, the ground we walk on, the food we eat, the loving friendships we enjoy, the protection from harm, the revelation of who He is and the gift of eternal life are some of His many blessings to us.
Second, call upon His Name. Don’t attempt to speak for or serve God in your own strength. In Acts 1:8, Jesus said to us, “You shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you and you shall be My witnesses...” We need the power of the Holy Spirit. In Acts 4:29-31, after God’s people prayed that they would speak God’s Word with boldness, “they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the Word of God with boldness.” In Ephesians 6:18-20, Paul asked Christians to pray that he would make known the Gospel to others with boldness.
Third, “Make known His deeds among the peoples.” Trust the Lord to be with you! In Mark 16:15-18, when Jesus called the disciples to go into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature, He went with them and did signs such as casting out demons, giving them new tongues, healing the sick and protecting them from harm. His miracles opened doors for them.
“Sing to Him, sing psalms to Him. Talk of all His wondrous works! Glory in His holy Name. Let the hearts of those rejoice who seek the Lord!” Psalm 105:2-3
Sing praises to God. Throughout history, testimonies of God’s miraculous works have been preserved in the lyrics of Holy Spirit anointed songs.
In Matthew 26:30, Jesus sang a hymn with His disciples before they went to the Garden of Gethsemane where He was a witness to the guards who arrested Him. In Acts 16:25, Paul and Silas sang hymns to God before they witnessed to the jailer and his family. Evangelists, like Billy Graham, preach the Gospel after their listeners sing praises to God. The Holy Spirit moves in peoples’ hearts when God’s praises are sung. God inhabits the praises of His people.
Sharing testimonies of God’s wondrous works is also another way to capture the attention of people who are generally disinterested in “God-talk.” The goal of every witness is to glorify the Lord so that the hearts of the seekers rejoice in HIM.
In Jeremiah 9:23-24, “Thus says the Lord, ‘Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, let not the mighty man glory in his might, nor let the rich man glory in his riches, but let him who glories glory in this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the Lord, exercising lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth, for in these I delight,’ says the Lord.”
“Seek the Lord and His strength. Seek His face evermore! Remember His marvelous works which He has done, His wonders, and the judgments of His mouth, O seed of Abraham His servant, you children of Jacob, His chosen ones!” Psalm 105:4-6
Some ancient translations read, “Seek the Lord and be strengthened.” Those who desire strength in their inner being must receive it from God through faith and prayer. [1]
“Remember His marvelous works!” In John 14:26, Jesus said, “The Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My Name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.”
Consider your relationship with God. You are a “seed of Abraham His servant.” You belong to God’s household and share in the privileges of His servants—His protection and provision. [2]
You are “children of Jacob His chosen.” You have inherited the blessings associated with all the saints of God who have gone before you. God is your Father. You are a member of His family. [3]
“He is the Lord our God. His judgments are in all the earth.” Psalm 105:7
In Isaiah 26:9, Isaiah wrote of God, “When Your judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world learn righteousness.” In Deuteronomy 32:3-4, Moses wrote of God, “I proclaim the Name of the Lord. Ascribe greatness to our God. He is the Rock. His work is perfect. For all His ways are justice. A God of truth and without injustice, righteous and upright is He.” God’s verdict on every legal case that is brought before Him is perfect.
In Acts 17:30-31, Paul proclaimed to the men of Athens, Greece, “God commands all men everywhere to repent, because He has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man whom He has ordained. He has given assurance of this to all by raising Him from the dead.”
In Revelation 20:12, John shares what the Lord showed him, saying, “I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books.” In Revelation 20:15, we read, “Anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.”
How does your name appear in the Book of Life? You believe in Jesus Messiah. The worst sin is to reject God’s remedy for sin... His Son Jesus. The best deed is to believe and profess Him.
“He remembers His covenant forever, the Word which He commanded, for 1,000 generations, the covenant which He made with Abraham, and His oath to Isaac, and confirmed it to Jacob for a statute, to Israel as an everlasting covenant, saying, ‘To you I will give the land of Canaan as the allotment of your inheritance,’ when they were few in number, indeed very few, and strangers in it. When they went from one nation to another, from one kingdom to another people, He permitted no one to do them wrong. Yes, He rebuked kings for their sakes, saying, ‘Do not touch My anointed ones, and do My prophets no harm.’” Psalm 105:8-15
Throughout all His dealings with Israel, God remembered His covenant promises to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. The land of Canaan was not obtained by human achievement but was granted by God’s gracious promise. In the same way, believers receive their heavenly inheritance not through their own merit but through the grace of God in Christ. [4]
The patriarchs were few in number, strangers in the land, and wanderers from nation to nation. From a human perspective, they appeared weak and vulnerable. Yet God protected them. He did not allow anyone to oppress them and even rebuked kings for their sake, saying, “Touch not mine anointed, and do my prophets no harm.” Though they possessed little earthly security, they were safely kept under God’s sovereign care. [5]
“Moreover He called for a famine in the land. He destroyed all the provision of bread. He sent a man before them—Joseph—who was sold as a slave.” Psalm 105:16-17
In Genesis 37, after Joseph shared with his father and brothers a dream that God gave him concerning his future and theirs, some of his brothers hated him and decided to kill him.
Thankfully, Reuben intervened for Joseph. He urged them to throw Joseph into a pit instead of killing him. He planned to rescue Joseph from the pit when his brothers were gone. However, while Reuben was temporarily absent, Joseph’s other brothers sold him as a slave to Midianite human traffickers. Was God’s promise to Joseph and the patriarchs thwarted?
“They hurt his feet with fetters, he was laid in irons. Until the time that his Word came to pass, the Word of the Lord tested him. The king sent and released him, the ruler of the people let him go free. He made him lord of his house, and ruler of all his possessions, to bind his princes at his pleasure, and teach his elders wisdom.” Psalm 105:18-22
Though Joseph suffered betrayal, slavery, false accusation, and imprisonment, God resurrected him from a metaphoric death and exalted him to the throne room of the king of Egypt. [6] Suddenly, the wealth of the mightiest nation on earth was committed to his care. He was over the princes (the king’s sons) and over the king’s advisors.
Joseph’s life serves as a striking foreshadowing of Christ. Just as Joseph was humbled before being exalted, so Christ suffered before entering into His glory. [7] Despite the evil that was done to Him while on earth, Jesus now sits on a throne at the right hand of God His Father.
“Israel also came into Egypt, and Jacob dwelt in the land of Ham. He increased His people greatly and made them stronger than their enemies.” Psalm 104:23-24
God fulfilled His promise to Abraham. He greatly multiplied his descendants. The king of Egypt feared them. What God promises, He accomplishes. [8]
The safest place to be on earth is resting in the promises of God. In Hebrews 11, the author recounts the many miracles that God did for those who trusted in Him.
“Dear Heavenly Father, please grant us Holy Spirit empowered convictions of faith in You. Please open doors of opportunity for us to boldly share the Gospel with those whose hearts You have prepared. I ask this in Name of Your Son and our Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.”
[1-8] Material developed and edited from Matthew Henry’s Commentary
Monday, June 22, 2026
Praise The Lord – Psalm 104:19-35
“He appointed the moon for seasons. The sun knows it’s going down.” Psalm 104:19
God established the continual cycle of day and night and appointed the sun and moon to govern them. Many ancient nations were so impressed by the sun and moon and their benefits to the earth that they worshiped them as gods. Scripture repeatedly reminds us that these heavenly bodies are not deities but servants of the one true God. [1]
In Genesis 37:9, Joseph’s vision from God depicts his father as the sun, his mother as the moon, and his brothers as stars. They represent the twelves tribes of Israel through whom God gave the revelation of Himself to humanity.
In Revelation 12:1, a “woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet and a crown of twelve stars” represent the nation of Israel.
In Jeremiah 31:35-36, God compares His faithfulness to preserve Israel with the reliability of the sun’s and moon’s daily appearance. “Thus says the Lord, who gives the sun for a light by day, the ordinances of the moon and the stars for a light by night... if this fixed order departs from before Me... then shall the offspring of Israel cease from being a nation before Me forever.”
“You make darkness, and it is night, in which all the beasts of the forest creep about. The young lions roar after their prey and seek their food from God.” Psalm 104:20-21
Though darkness may seem unpleasant, it contributes to the beauty and balance of creation. During the night, the wild animals leave their hiding places to seek food. [2]
This nighttime activity also reminds us of spiritual dangers. Just as wild animals emerge under cover of darkness, temptations often gain strength when our souls are darkened by ignorance, discouragement, or sin. Satan frequently takes advantage of such moments. [3]
The young lions roar as they hunt for prey. Their cries are, in a sense, appeals to their Creator for provision. If God notices the cries of lions, how much more does He hear the prayers and groanings of us His children, even when our words are weak and imperfect.
“When the sun rises, they gather together and lie down in their dens. Man goes out to his work and to his labor until the evening.” Psalm 104:22-23
When the sun rises, the night time predators retreat to their dens. This arrangement is a great mercy from God, protecting people as they travel and labor during the daylight hours. [4]
In a spiritual sense, the rising sun represents Christ. In John 8:12, Jesus declared, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows Me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”
In Acts 26:18, Jesus called Paul to “open the eyes of people so that they turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in Me.”
In 1 Peter 2:9, Peter wrote to Christians, saying, “You are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for His [God’s] own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.”
In Revelation 22:5, those in the Heavenly Jerusalem “will need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they will reign forever and ever.” God will be the light.
“O Lord, how manifold are Your works! In wisdom You have made them all. The earth is full of Your riches.” Psalm 104:24
God has created more works of art than we can number. None of His works are senseless or foolish. Wisdom is contained in everything that He created. [5]
“This great and wide sea, in which are innumerable teeming things, living things both small and great. There the ships sail about. There is that leviathan which You have made to play there.” Psalm 104:25-26
The sea provides an abundant supply of fish and other sea creatures for food. It also provides a clear passageway for massive amounts of goods to be transported across great distances. [6]
In Job 41, leviathan is described as a beast of the sea that is impossible for humans to catch, with impenetrable scales, blazing eyes, and the terrifying ability to breathe fire and make the ocean boil. [7] In Psalm 74:14: God crushes the heads of Leviathan. In Isaiah 27:1, we read, “The Lord slays the dragon that is in the sea.” Revelation 12:3-17 and 20:1-3, connects the leviathan imagery to Satan, describing him as a red dragon who opposes God’s people.
In Psalm 104:25-26, the sea is a place where leviathan plays. Revelation 13 describes a beast coming out from the sea. The sea represents chaos. The beast is an incarnation of Satan. Satan gives him power and authority to war against saints. In Revelation 19:20, the beast is thrown into a lake of fire. In Revelation 20:10, Satan is cast into a lake of Fire. “Praise God!”
“These all wait for You, that You may give them their food in due season. What You give them they gather in. You open Your hand they are filled with good.” Psalm 104:27-28
Following the instincts God has given them, creatures seek food at the proper time and in the proper way. Yet they only obtain what He provides. He fills them with what is good for them. [8]
“You hide Your face, they are troubled. You take away their breath, they die and return to their dust. You send forth Your Spirit, they are created, and You renew the face of the earth.” Psalm 104:29-30
Creatures dying and creatures being born reminds us of the reality of death and resurrection.
Amidst these observations, the psalmist bursts into praise, saying...
“May the glory of the Lord endure forever! May the Lord rejoice in His works.” Psalm 104:31
What does the Psalmist want God to do? He asks God to make His glory endure forever, and to preserve His works that He delights in.
“He looks on the earth, and it trembles. He touches the hills, and they smoke.” Psalm 104:32
What ruins created things? Satan and sin do. In Jeremiah 2:7, the Lord says, “I brought you into a plentiful land to enjoy its fruits and its good things. But when you came in, you defiled my land and made my heritage an abomination.” The pollution that God cannot tolerate is sin. In the Book of Revelation, the Lord issues seven seal, seven trumpet and seven bowl judgments upon creation for the purpose of bringing sinners to repentance so that they might be saved.
In Revelation 16:9, we read, “They were scorched by the fierce heat, and they cursed the Name of God who had power over these plagues. They did not repent and give Him glory.” When sinners do repent of their sin in the Name of Jesus and give God glory, He removes the curses.
The earth cannot withstand God’s wrath. Mountains that smoke with fire remind us of His righteous wrath against sin. A mere touch from God produces trembling. [9]
“I will sing to the Lord as long as I live. I will sing praise to my God while I have my being. May my meditation be sweet to Him. I will be glad in the Lord.” Psalm 104:33-34
The psalmist sings praises to “my God” all his days. He has a personal relationship with God. He wants his thought-life to be sweet to God. He wants the Lord to see that He is glad in Him.
“May sinners be consumed from the earth, and the wicked be no more. Bless the Lord, O my soul! Praise the Lord!” Psalm 104:35
Those who know, love, and praise God want the hatred of Him to end. The last prayer in the Bible is recorded in Revelation 22:20. It is short. Just six words: “Amen! Even so, come, Lord, Jesus.” Rather than curse and hate God, the psalmist commands his soul to bless the Lord, and then, he exclaims, “Praise the Lord!”
[1-6] Material developed and edited from Matthew Henry’s Commentary
[7] gotquestions.org
[8-9] Material developed and edited from Matthew Henry’s Commentary
God established the continual cycle of day and night and appointed the sun and moon to govern them. Many ancient nations were so impressed by the sun and moon and their benefits to the earth that they worshiped them as gods. Scripture repeatedly reminds us that these heavenly bodies are not deities but servants of the one true God. [1]
In Genesis 37:9, Joseph’s vision from God depicts his father as the sun, his mother as the moon, and his brothers as stars. They represent the twelves tribes of Israel through whom God gave the revelation of Himself to humanity.
In Revelation 12:1, a “woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet and a crown of twelve stars” represent the nation of Israel.
In Jeremiah 31:35-36, God compares His faithfulness to preserve Israel with the reliability of the sun’s and moon’s daily appearance. “Thus says the Lord, who gives the sun for a light by day, the ordinances of the moon and the stars for a light by night... if this fixed order departs from before Me... then shall the offspring of Israel cease from being a nation before Me forever.”
“You make darkness, and it is night, in which all the beasts of the forest creep about. The young lions roar after their prey and seek their food from God.” Psalm 104:20-21
Though darkness may seem unpleasant, it contributes to the beauty and balance of creation. During the night, the wild animals leave their hiding places to seek food. [2]
This nighttime activity also reminds us of spiritual dangers. Just as wild animals emerge under cover of darkness, temptations often gain strength when our souls are darkened by ignorance, discouragement, or sin. Satan frequently takes advantage of such moments. [3]
The young lions roar as they hunt for prey. Their cries are, in a sense, appeals to their Creator for provision. If God notices the cries of lions, how much more does He hear the prayers and groanings of us His children, even when our words are weak and imperfect.
“When the sun rises, they gather together and lie down in their dens. Man goes out to his work and to his labor until the evening.” Psalm 104:22-23
When the sun rises, the night time predators retreat to their dens. This arrangement is a great mercy from God, protecting people as they travel and labor during the daylight hours. [4]
In a spiritual sense, the rising sun represents Christ. In John 8:12, Jesus declared, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows Me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”
In Acts 26:18, Jesus called Paul to “open the eyes of people so that they turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in Me.”
In 1 Peter 2:9, Peter wrote to Christians, saying, “You are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for His [God’s] own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.”
In Revelation 22:5, those in the Heavenly Jerusalem “will need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they will reign forever and ever.” God will be the light.
“O Lord, how manifold are Your works! In wisdom You have made them all. The earth is full of Your riches.” Psalm 104:24
God has created more works of art than we can number. None of His works are senseless or foolish. Wisdom is contained in everything that He created. [5]
“This great and wide sea, in which are innumerable teeming things, living things both small and great. There the ships sail about. There is that leviathan which You have made to play there.” Psalm 104:25-26
The sea provides an abundant supply of fish and other sea creatures for food. It also provides a clear passageway for massive amounts of goods to be transported across great distances. [6]
In Job 41, leviathan is described as a beast of the sea that is impossible for humans to catch, with impenetrable scales, blazing eyes, and the terrifying ability to breathe fire and make the ocean boil. [7] In Psalm 74:14: God crushes the heads of Leviathan. In Isaiah 27:1, we read, “The Lord slays the dragon that is in the sea.” Revelation 12:3-17 and 20:1-3, connects the leviathan imagery to Satan, describing him as a red dragon who opposes God’s people.
In Psalm 104:25-26, the sea is a place where leviathan plays. Revelation 13 describes a beast coming out from the sea. The sea represents chaos. The beast is an incarnation of Satan. Satan gives him power and authority to war against saints. In Revelation 19:20, the beast is thrown into a lake of fire. In Revelation 20:10, Satan is cast into a lake of Fire. “Praise God!”
“These all wait for You, that You may give them their food in due season. What You give them they gather in. You open Your hand they are filled with good.” Psalm 104:27-28
Following the instincts God has given them, creatures seek food at the proper time and in the proper way. Yet they only obtain what He provides. He fills them with what is good for them. [8]
“You hide Your face, they are troubled. You take away their breath, they die and return to their dust. You send forth Your Spirit, they are created, and You renew the face of the earth.” Psalm 104:29-30
Creatures dying and creatures being born reminds us of the reality of death and resurrection.
Amidst these observations, the psalmist bursts into praise, saying...
“May the glory of the Lord endure forever! May the Lord rejoice in His works.” Psalm 104:31
What does the Psalmist want God to do? He asks God to make His glory endure forever, and to preserve His works that He delights in.
“He looks on the earth, and it trembles. He touches the hills, and they smoke.” Psalm 104:32
What ruins created things? Satan and sin do. In Jeremiah 2:7, the Lord says, “I brought you into a plentiful land to enjoy its fruits and its good things. But when you came in, you defiled my land and made my heritage an abomination.” The pollution that God cannot tolerate is sin. In the Book of Revelation, the Lord issues seven seal, seven trumpet and seven bowl judgments upon creation for the purpose of bringing sinners to repentance so that they might be saved.
In Revelation 16:9, we read, “They were scorched by the fierce heat, and they cursed the Name of God who had power over these plagues. They did not repent and give Him glory.” When sinners do repent of their sin in the Name of Jesus and give God glory, He removes the curses.
The earth cannot withstand God’s wrath. Mountains that smoke with fire remind us of His righteous wrath against sin. A mere touch from God produces trembling. [9]
“I will sing to the Lord as long as I live. I will sing praise to my God while I have my being. May my meditation be sweet to Him. I will be glad in the Lord.” Psalm 104:33-34
The psalmist sings praises to “my God” all his days. He has a personal relationship with God. He wants his thought-life to be sweet to God. He wants the Lord to see that He is glad in Him.
“May sinners be consumed from the earth, and the wicked be no more. Bless the Lord, O my soul! Praise the Lord!” Psalm 104:35
Those who know, love, and praise God want the hatred of Him to end. The last prayer in the Bible is recorded in Revelation 22:20. It is short. Just six words: “Amen! Even so, come, Lord, Jesus.” Rather than curse and hate God, the psalmist commands his soul to bless the Lord, and then, he exclaims, “Praise the Lord!”
[1-6] Material developed and edited from Matthew Henry’s Commentary
[7] gotquestions.org
[8-9] Material developed and edited from Matthew Henry’s Commentary
Sunday, June 21, 2026
Small Saplings Became Towering Trees – Psalm 104:1-18
“Bless the Lord, O my soul! O Lord my God, You are very great. You are clothed with honor and majesty. You cover Yourself with light as with a garment, and stretch out the heavens like a curtain.” Psalm 104:1-2
In Isaiah 64:7, the prophet lamented that no one was calling upon the Lord’s Name. No one was taking hold of God. Where were the “Davids” whose souls bless the Lord?
I am very thankful to live in a time and place where many souls bless the Lord. I appreciate the worship songs that are being composed and led by skilled musicians. Within 5 minutes of my house there is a church that holds nearly 1,000 people, and it has three worship services per weekend full of people. It is only one of many Christ exalting church in our area. “Thank You Heavenly Father for raising up so many worshippers and lovers of You in the St. Louis area!”
Besides the churches in my area, there are also many worship services available online. Two of my daughters’ husbands (Todd Fletcher and Chris Stevenson) pastor a church in Coal Creek Canyon, Colorado, called Chapel in the Hills. The Lord has anointed Chris with the gift of worship leading and preaching, and Todd is the senior pastor. He preaches extremely well-prepared, Scripture-based Christ-exalting messages. I attached the link to the Chapel’s website below. [1]
What surrounds God? Honor and majesty! He is worshipped by millions in heaven and on earth.
David describes God’s greatness using images associated with earthly kings, showing that even the most magnificent rulers pale in comparison to Him. [2]
Kings display greatness by wearing royal garments. What royal garment does God wear? He “covers Himself with light.” Jesus declared, “I am the light of the world.” In James 1:17, we read, “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.” Light helps us to see things clearly. God is a revealer of truth. In His light, we can discern between right and wrong.
“He lays the beams of His upper chambers in the waters, who makes the clouds His chariot, who walks on the wings of the wind, who makes His angels spirits, His ministers a flame of fire.” Psalm 104:3-4
Kings display greatness by living in palaces. God’s palace is heaven itself. He “stretches out the heavens like a curtain.” The waters above the heavens are held firmly in place by His power. [3]
Kings display greatness by riding in splendid chariots. God “makes the clouds His chariot” and He “walks on the wings of the wind.” God travels on a super highway in the sky above obstacles and steers the wind as a driver steers a car.
Kings display greatness by delegating important matters to their servants. God’s angels are on fire to serve Him. They are swift, powerful, and pure. They carry out His commands with perfect obedience. The tasks that He gives them to do are righteous, holy and beneficial.
“You laid the foundations of the earth, so that it should not be moved forever.” Psalm 104:5
Paul wrote of Jesus in Colossians 1:17, saying, “He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.” Jesus keeps creation from falling apart. This truth is echoed in Hebrews 1:3, which states that Jesus upholds all things by the Word of His power.
Personally, I can say that Jesus has kept me from falling apart. I have had my heart broken numerous times, but Jesus healed it and made it stronger afterwards. Thus, I bless His Name!
“You covered it [the earth] with the deep as with a garment. The waters stood above the mountains. At Your rebuke they fled. At the voice of Your thunder, they hastened away. They went up over the mountains. They went down into the valleys, to the place which You founded for them. You have set a boundary that they may not pass over, that they may not return to cover the earth.” Psalm 104:6-9
God also demonstrates His power by setting boundaries for the sea. At creation, the waters covered the earth, making it unsuitable for human habitation. But in Genesis 1:9, at God’s command, the waters retreated and dry land appeared. The waters fled at His rebuke to the place that He had assigned them. They obeyed God immediately and completely. [4]
We too can obey God immediately and completely by the power of His Spirit and Word working in us. In Acts 5:32, Peter testified that God gives the Holy Spirit to those who obey Him. In 2 Peter 1:3, he wrote, “His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue.”
“He sends the springs into the valleys. They flow among the hills. They give drink to every beast of the field. The wild donkeys quench their thirst. By them, the birds of the heavens have their home. They sing among the branches.” Psalm 104:10-12
The oceans contain vast amounts of water, but the saltiness of the water makes it unfit to drink. So, our Heavenly Father kindly provides fresh water springs and streams to flow from hills into valleys. [5] Thus, He quenches the thirst of panting beasts, braying donkeys, and chirping birds.
“He waters the hills from His upper chambers. The earth is satisfied with the fruit of Your works. He causes the grass to grow for the cattle, and vegetation for the service of man, that he may bring forth food from the earth, and wine that makes glad the heart of man, oil to make his face shine, and bread which strengthens man’s heart.” Psalm 104:13-15
God waters the hills from His heavenly storehouses. He fills the clouds with moisture, and then, orders them to rain upon the earth. Lands neglected by rivers are refreshed by rain.
The abundance of fresh water on earth is a great mercy. Without it, much of the world would be uninhabitable. Blessings that are common are often overlooked, but their very necessity makes them all the more valuable. [6]
I enjoy listening to birds sing their joyful melodies as gentle raindrops begin to fall. I have seen them take playful baths in puddles. They appear to be so happy. God takes care of them.
The Lord refreshes cattle, crops, vineyards and orchards with water so that we people have an enjoyable variety of foods to keep us happy, healthy, and strong.
“The trees of the Lord are full of sap, the cedars of Lebanon which He planted, where the birds make their nests. The stork has her home in the fir trees. The high hills are for the wild goats. The cliffs are a refuge for the rock badgers.” Psalm 104:16-18
“Bless the Lord O my soul because He makes small saplings grow into towering trees!” He gives to us the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness, that we “may be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified.” (Isaiah 61:3)
“Bless the Lord O my soul because He provides safe places for creatures of the earth!”
Storks, wild goats, and rock badgers cannot easily defend themselves against vicious predators. Tall fir trees, high hills, and mountain cliffs are places of safety for them. [7]
“Bless the Lord O our souls because God provides care for lesser creatures of the earth, and He provides care for you and me who are made in His image!”
[1] Livestream: https://youtube.com/@chapelinthehills1957?si=cwigQqhRRaW_2Jc4
In Isaiah 64:7, the prophet lamented that no one was calling upon the Lord’s Name. No one was taking hold of God. Where were the “Davids” whose souls bless the Lord?
I am very thankful to live in a time and place where many souls bless the Lord. I appreciate the worship songs that are being composed and led by skilled musicians. Within 5 minutes of my house there is a church that holds nearly 1,000 people, and it has three worship services per weekend full of people. It is only one of many Christ exalting church in our area. “Thank You Heavenly Father for raising up so many worshippers and lovers of You in the St. Louis area!”
Besides the churches in my area, there are also many worship services available online. Two of my daughters’ husbands (Todd Fletcher and Chris Stevenson) pastor a church in Coal Creek Canyon, Colorado, called Chapel in the Hills. The Lord has anointed Chris with the gift of worship leading and preaching, and Todd is the senior pastor. He preaches extremely well-prepared, Scripture-based Christ-exalting messages. I attached the link to the Chapel’s website below. [1]
What surrounds God? Honor and majesty! He is worshipped by millions in heaven and on earth.
David describes God’s greatness using images associated with earthly kings, showing that even the most magnificent rulers pale in comparison to Him. [2]
Kings display greatness by wearing royal garments. What royal garment does God wear? He “covers Himself with light.” Jesus declared, “I am the light of the world.” In James 1:17, we read, “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.” Light helps us to see things clearly. God is a revealer of truth. In His light, we can discern between right and wrong.
“He lays the beams of His upper chambers in the waters, who makes the clouds His chariot, who walks on the wings of the wind, who makes His angels spirits, His ministers a flame of fire.” Psalm 104:3-4
Kings display greatness by living in palaces. God’s palace is heaven itself. He “stretches out the heavens like a curtain.” The waters above the heavens are held firmly in place by His power. [3]
Kings display greatness by riding in splendid chariots. God “makes the clouds His chariot” and He “walks on the wings of the wind.” God travels on a super highway in the sky above obstacles and steers the wind as a driver steers a car.
Kings display greatness by delegating important matters to their servants. God’s angels are on fire to serve Him. They are swift, powerful, and pure. They carry out His commands with perfect obedience. The tasks that He gives them to do are righteous, holy and beneficial.
“You laid the foundations of the earth, so that it should not be moved forever.” Psalm 104:5
Paul wrote of Jesus in Colossians 1:17, saying, “He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.” Jesus keeps creation from falling apart. This truth is echoed in Hebrews 1:3, which states that Jesus upholds all things by the Word of His power.
Personally, I can say that Jesus has kept me from falling apart. I have had my heart broken numerous times, but Jesus healed it and made it stronger afterwards. Thus, I bless His Name!
“You covered it [the earth] with the deep as with a garment. The waters stood above the mountains. At Your rebuke they fled. At the voice of Your thunder, they hastened away. They went up over the mountains. They went down into the valleys, to the place which You founded for them. You have set a boundary that they may not pass over, that they may not return to cover the earth.” Psalm 104:6-9
God also demonstrates His power by setting boundaries for the sea. At creation, the waters covered the earth, making it unsuitable for human habitation. But in Genesis 1:9, at God’s command, the waters retreated and dry land appeared. The waters fled at His rebuke to the place that He had assigned them. They obeyed God immediately and completely. [4]
We too can obey God immediately and completely by the power of His Spirit and Word working in us. In Acts 5:32, Peter testified that God gives the Holy Spirit to those who obey Him. In 2 Peter 1:3, he wrote, “His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue.”
“He sends the springs into the valleys. They flow among the hills. They give drink to every beast of the field. The wild donkeys quench their thirst. By them, the birds of the heavens have their home. They sing among the branches.” Psalm 104:10-12
The oceans contain vast amounts of water, but the saltiness of the water makes it unfit to drink. So, our Heavenly Father kindly provides fresh water springs and streams to flow from hills into valleys. [5] Thus, He quenches the thirst of panting beasts, braying donkeys, and chirping birds.
“He waters the hills from His upper chambers. The earth is satisfied with the fruit of Your works. He causes the grass to grow for the cattle, and vegetation for the service of man, that he may bring forth food from the earth, and wine that makes glad the heart of man, oil to make his face shine, and bread which strengthens man’s heart.” Psalm 104:13-15
God waters the hills from His heavenly storehouses. He fills the clouds with moisture, and then, orders them to rain upon the earth. Lands neglected by rivers are refreshed by rain.
The abundance of fresh water on earth is a great mercy. Without it, much of the world would be uninhabitable. Blessings that are common are often overlooked, but their very necessity makes them all the more valuable. [6]
I enjoy listening to birds sing their joyful melodies as gentle raindrops begin to fall. I have seen them take playful baths in puddles. They appear to be so happy. God takes care of them.
The Lord refreshes cattle, crops, vineyards and orchards with water so that we people have an enjoyable variety of foods to keep us happy, healthy, and strong.
“The trees of the Lord are full of sap, the cedars of Lebanon which He planted, where the birds make their nests. The stork has her home in the fir trees. The high hills are for the wild goats. The cliffs are a refuge for the rock badgers.” Psalm 104:16-18
“Bless the Lord O my soul because He makes small saplings grow into towering trees!” He gives to us the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness, that we “may be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified.” (Isaiah 61:3)
“Bless the Lord O my soul because He provides safe places for creatures of the earth!”
Storks, wild goats, and rock badgers cannot easily defend themselves against vicious predators. Tall fir trees, high hills, and mountain cliffs are places of safety for them. [7]
“Bless the Lord O our souls because God provides care for lesser creatures of the earth, and He provides care for you and me who are made in His image!”
[1] Livestream: https://youtube.com/@chapelinthehills1957?si=cwigQqhRRaW_2Jc4
Website: www.chapelinthehills.org/sermons
[2-7] Material developed and edited from Matthew Henry’s Commentary
Saturday, June 20, 2026
Bless the Lord O My Soul – Psalm 103
“A Psalm of David. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless His holy Name! Bless the Lord, O my soul and forget not all His benefits.” Psalm 103:1-2
David told his soul to bless the Lord and not to forget all His benefits. My experience is that when my soul is satisfied with abiding in Christ and proclaiming His Name, the rest of me is happier, and less hungry for that which is not good for me. As John the Baptist said in John 3:30, “He [Jesus] must increase, but I must decrease.” One Christian chorus puts it this way, “Turn your eyes upon Jesus. Look full in His wonderful face. And the things of earth will grow strangely dim in the light of His glory and grace.”
“He forgives all your iniquities. He heals all your diseases. He redeems your life from destruction. He crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies. He satisfies your mouth with good things, so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.” Psalm 103:3-5
Bless the Lord because He forgives, heals and redeems us. In 1 Peter 1:18-19, Peter reminds us that we were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from our aimless conduct received by tradition from our fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.
“He heals our diseases.” 1 Peter 2:24, says that Jesus “bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness—by whose stripes you were healed.” The mother of all diseases is sin. Sin yields disease and death. Christ took our sin upon Himself, and thus, has a legal base to heal us. In Acts 10:38, Peter preached that Jesus “went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil.” Hebrews 13:8 says, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.” He is still healing people today.
Jesus crowns us with lovingkindness and tender mercies by giving us His Spirit. The Holy Spirit satisfies our mouth with confessions of Christ. He renews our youth by giving us eternal life. Think of it! No matter how old you are now, once you receive eternal life in Christ, you are a young person again. Even 100 years old is young when you have eternal life.
The eagle was thought to regain strength and vigor as it renewed its feathers. [1] Jesus renews humankind’s original strength and vigor by filling us with His Spirit. In 2 Corinthians 5:17, we read, “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.”
The redemption of the soul is beyond anything we could accomplish ourselves. Thus, we bless the Lord for His gracious work in our lives. [2]
“The Lord executes righteousness and justice for all who are oppressed.” Psalm 103:6
God’s goodness is revealed when He intervenes on behalf of oppressed people. It is His glory to humble oppressors and lift up the oppressed.
“He made known His ways to Moses, His acts to the children of Israel.” Psalm 103:7
One of God’s greatest gifts is His revelation. By making Himself known, He restores us to fellowship with Him. Through His Word, He teaches us who He is, how He works, what He requires of us, and what we may expect from Him. [3] He also reveals to us our purpose.
“The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in mercy. He will not always strive with us, nor will He keep His anger forever.” Psalm 103:8-9
Psalm 103:8-9 basically repeats what God revealed to Moses about Himself. In Exodus 34:6, the Lord passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, “The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin.”
Ephesians 6:4 says, “Fathers, do not exasperate your children. Instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.” Our Heavenly Father’s goal is not to exasperate us. Daily, He comes alongside of us by His Spirit and instructs us in His ways.
How thankful we should be that God does not constantly rebuke us! If He dealt with us as harshly as we deserve, we could not stand. [4]
“He has not dealt with us according to our sins, nor punished us according to our iniquities. For as the heavens are high above the earth, so great is His mercy toward those who fear Him.” Psalm 103:10-11
God does not punish us according to our sin when we receive His Son Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 5:21, “He [God] made Him [Jesus] who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” Jesus took the wrath that our sin deserved and gave to us the righteousness of God. It is “just-as-if-I’d” never sinned when I am in Christ... this is what it means to be justified by faith in Christ.
“As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us.” Psalm 103:12
When God forgives, He removes our sins completely. They are no longer charged against us or brought up in judgment. They are gone beyond recovery. This is why we ask God to forgive us.
In Micah 7:19, we read, “You [God] will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea.”
“As a father pities his children, so the Lord pities those who fear Him.” Psalm 103:13
Like a loving father, He instructs His children when they lack understanding, bears patiently with their weaknesses, comforts them in suffering, lifts them when they fall, forgives them when they repent, and defends them when they are wronged. [5]
The reason for this compassion is that He knows our frailty.
“For He knows our frame. He remembers that we are dust.” Psalm 103:14
God knows how fragile our bodies are, and how imperfect our understanding can be. Therefore, He deals with us gently and mercifully. [6]
“As for man, his days are like grass; as a flower of the field, so he flourishes.” Psalm 103:15
Our current bodies are like grass or flowers that flourish briefly and then fade away. Being ever mindful of this keeps us humble, less attached to this world, and more mindful of eternity. [7]
“For the wind passes over it, and it is gone, and its place remembers it no more. But the mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear Him, and His righteousness to children’s children – to such as keep His covenant, and to those who remember His commandments to do them.” Psalm 103:16-18
Though human life is short, God’s mercy is eternal. God’s mercy extends beyond this present life. It reaches back into His eternal purposes and forward into His everlasting glory. Death cannot shorten or diminish the blessings He has prepared for us who love Him. [8]
God’s mercy continues to 1,000 generations of those who love Him. In Deuteronomy 7:9, He said, “Therefore know that the Lord your God, He is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and mercy for a thousand generations with those who love Him and keep His commandments.”
“The Lord has established His throne in heaven, and His kingdom rules over all.” Psalm 103:19
God does not miss anything. In Matthew 10:29, Jesus said that not one sparrow falls to the ground apart from our Father’s will. In Matthew 10:30, Jesus told us, “The very hairs of your head are all numbered.” He is all knowing. Before AI, it was hard for us to imagine that one database could hold and intelligibly compute so much information, but God is greater than AI.
“Bless the Lord, you His messengers, who excel in strength, who do His Word, heeding the voice of His Word. Bless the Lord, all you His army, you ministers of His, who do His pleasure.” Psalm 103:20-21
David urged all God’s messengers to keep on blessing the Lord. What does God do for His messengers? He gives us strength to hear His voice and do His pleasure. In Philippians 2:13, Paul wrote that “God works in you both to will and to do His good pleasure.” Praise the Lord!
“Bless the Lord, all His works, in all places of His dominion. Bless the Lord, O my soul!” Psalm 103:22
All creation displays God’s glory, but amidst all created things, nothing else more clearly reflects God’s image than you and me. Thus, we should not let stones or any other created thing render more blessings to God than we do.
In Luke 19:40, when a multitude of His disciples joyfully praised God and shouted, “Blessed is the King who comes in the Name of the Lord,” the Pharisees in the crowd asked Jesus to rebuke and quiet them down. Jesus answered them, “I tell you, if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out.” [9]
David ends this Psalm as he began it, by singing, “Bless the Lord, O my soul!”
[1-8] Material developed and edited from Matthew Henry’s Commentary
[9] gotquestions.org/rocks-cry-out.html
David told his soul to bless the Lord and not to forget all His benefits. My experience is that when my soul is satisfied with abiding in Christ and proclaiming His Name, the rest of me is happier, and less hungry for that which is not good for me. As John the Baptist said in John 3:30, “He [Jesus] must increase, but I must decrease.” One Christian chorus puts it this way, “Turn your eyes upon Jesus. Look full in His wonderful face. And the things of earth will grow strangely dim in the light of His glory and grace.”
“He forgives all your iniquities. He heals all your diseases. He redeems your life from destruction. He crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies. He satisfies your mouth with good things, so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.” Psalm 103:3-5
Bless the Lord because He forgives, heals and redeems us. In 1 Peter 1:18-19, Peter reminds us that we were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from our aimless conduct received by tradition from our fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.
“He heals our diseases.” 1 Peter 2:24, says that Jesus “bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness—by whose stripes you were healed.” The mother of all diseases is sin. Sin yields disease and death. Christ took our sin upon Himself, and thus, has a legal base to heal us. In Acts 10:38, Peter preached that Jesus “went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil.” Hebrews 13:8 says, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.” He is still healing people today.
Jesus crowns us with lovingkindness and tender mercies by giving us His Spirit. The Holy Spirit satisfies our mouth with confessions of Christ. He renews our youth by giving us eternal life. Think of it! No matter how old you are now, once you receive eternal life in Christ, you are a young person again. Even 100 years old is young when you have eternal life.
The eagle was thought to regain strength and vigor as it renewed its feathers. [1] Jesus renews humankind’s original strength and vigor by filling us with His Spirit. In 2 Corinthians 5:17, we read, “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.”
The redemption of the soul is beyond anything we could accomplish ourselves. Thus, we bless the Lord for His gracious work in our lives. [2]
“The Lord executes righteousness and justice for all who are oppressed.” Psalm 103:6
God’s goodness is revealed when He intervenes on behalf of oppressed people. It is His glory to humble oppressors and lift up the oppressed.
“He made known His ways to Moses, His acts to the children of Israel.” Psalm 103:7
One of God’s greatest gifts is His revelation. By making Himself known, He restores us to fellowship with Him. Through His Word, He teaches us who He is, how He works, what He requires of us, and what we may expect from Him. [3] He also reveals to us our purpose.
“The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in mercy. He will not always strive with us, nor will He keep His anger forever.” Psalm 103:8-9
Psalm 103:8-9 basically repeats what God revealed to Moses about Himself. In Exodus 34:6, the Lord passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, “The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin.”
Ephesians 6:4 says, “Fathers, do not exasperate your children. Instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.” Our Heavenly Father’s goal is not to exasperate us. Daily, He comes alongside of us by His Spirit and instructs us in His ways.
How thankful we should be that God does not constantly rebuke us! If He dealt with us as harshly as we deserve, we could not stand. [4]
“He has not dealt with us according to our sins, nor punished us according to our iniquities. For as the heavens are high above the earth, so great is His mercy toward those who fear Him.” Psalm 103:10-11
God does not punish us according to our sin when we receive His Son Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 5:21, “He [God] made Him [Jesus] who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” Jesus took the wrath that our sin deserved and gave to us the righteousness of God. It is “just-as-if-I’d” never sinned when I am in Christ... this is what it means to be justified by faith in Christ.
“As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us.” Psalm 103:12
When God forgives, He removes our sins completely. They are no longer charged against us or brought up in judgment. They are gone beyond recovery. This is why we ask God to forgive us.
In Micah 7:19, we read, “You [God] will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea.”
“As a father pities his children, so the Lord pities those who fear Him.” Psalm 103:13
Like a loving father, He instructs His children when they lack understanding, bears patiently with their weaknesses, comforts them in suffering, lifts them when they fall, forgives them when they repent, and defends them when they are wronged. [5]
The reason for this compassion is that He knows our frailty.
“For He knows our frame. He remembers that we are dust.” Psalm 103:14
God knows how fragile our bodies are, and how imperfect our understanding can be. Therefore, He deals with us gently and mercifully. [6]
“As for man, his days are like grass; as a flower of the field, so he flourishes.” Psalm 103:15
Our current bodies are like grass or flowers that flourish briefly and then fade away. Being ever mindful of this keeps us humble, less attached to this world, and more mindful of eternity. [7]
“For the wind passes over it, and it is gone, and its place remembers it no more. But the mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear Him, and His righteousness to children’s children – to such as keep His covenant, and to those who remember His commandments to do them.” Psalm 103:16-18
Though human life is short, God’s mercy is eternal. God’s mercy extends beyond this present life. It reaches back into His eternal purposes and forward into His everlasting glory. Death cannot shorten or diminish the blessings He has prepared for us who love Him. [8]
God’s mercy continues to 1,000 generations of those who love Him. In Deuteronomy 7:9, He said, “Therefore know that the Lord your God, He is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and mercy for a thousand generations with those who love Him and keep His commandments.”
“The Lord has established His throne in heaven, and His kingdom rules over all.” Psalm 103:19
God does not miss anything. In Matthew 10:29, Jesus said that not one sparrow falls to the ground apart from our Father’s will. In Matthew 10:30, Jesus told us, “The very hairs of your head are all numbered.” He is all knowing. Before AI, it was hard for us to imagine that one database could hold and intelligibly compute so much information, but God is greater than AI.
“Bless the Lord, you His messengers, who excel in strength, who do His Word, heeding the voice of His Word. Bless the Lord, all you His army, you ministers of His, who do His pleasure.” Psalm 103:20-21
David urged all God’s messengers to keep on blessing the Lord. What does God do for His messengers? He gives us strength to hear His voice and do His pleasure. In Philippians 2:13, Paul wrote that “God works in you both to will and to do His good pleasure.” Praise the Lord!
“Bless the Lord, all His works, in all places of His dominion. Bless the Lord, O my soul!” Psalm 103:22
All creation displays God’s glory, but amidst all created things, nothing else more clearly reflects God’s image than you and me. Thus, we should not let stones or any other created thing render more blessings to God than we do.
In Luke 19:40, when a multitude of His disciples joyfully praised God and shouted, “Blessed is the King who comes in the Name of the Lord,” the Pharisees in the crowd asked Jesus to rebuke and quiet them down. Jesus answered them, “I tell you, if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out.” [9]
David ends this Psalm as he began it, by singing, “Bless the Lord, O my soul!”
[1-8] Material developed and edited from Matthew Henry’s Commentary
[9] gotquestions.org/rocks-cry-out.html
Friday, June 19, 2026
Faithful to All Generations – Psalm 102
“A Prayer of the afflicted, when he is overwhelmed and pours out his complaint before the Lord.” Psalm 102 introduction
Psalm 102 corresponds with the Apostle Paul’s words in 2 Corinthians 11:28, “Besides everything else, I face daily the pressure of my concern for all the churches.” Prayer is an opportunity to cast our burden on the Lord. God invites us to speak freely to Him. In Psalm 55:22, we read, “Cast your burden on the Lord, and He will sustain you.”
“Hear my prayer, O Lord, and let my cry come to You. Do not hide Your face from me in the day of my trouble. Incline Your ear to me. In the day that I call, answer me speedily.” Psalm 102:1-2
We can pray with confidence. God invites us to seek Him and promises to answer our prayers. Jesus encouraged us to be persistent in prayer. I like the option here of praying for a quick reply.
“For my days are consumed like smoke, and my bones are burned like a hearth. My heart is stricken and withered like grass, so that I forget to eat my bread. Because of the sound of my groaning my bones cling to my skin. I am like a pelican of the wilderness. I am like an owl of the desert. I lie awake and am like a sparrow alone on the housetop. My enemies reproach me all day long. Those who deride me swear an oath against me. For I have eaten ashes like bread, and mingled my drink with weeping, because of Your indignation and Your wrath. For You have lifted me up and cast me away.” Psalm 102:3-10
The enemies of God cannot tolerate anyone who is like Him. In John 1:10-11, we read, “He [Jesus] was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him.”
The religious leaders in Jerusalem vehemently opposed Jesus. In Matthew 15:13-14, Jesus advised His disciples concerning them, saying, “Every plant which My heavenly Father has not planted will be uprooted. Let them alone. They are blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind leads the blind, both will fall into a ditch.” They grieved the Lord to the point of exasperation.
In Philippians 3:18-19, the Apostle Paul wrote, “For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ: whose end is destruction, whose god is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame—who set their mind on earthly things.”
When devotion to God is treated with contempt, it grieves those who love Him.
In Psalm 102:3-11, the bones of the Psalmist are burning. His heart is dry. He has lost his appetite. He is thin. He feels like a lonely pelican, owl or sparrow. His enemies have hit him with continuous waves of insults. His tears are flowing. He’s thinking that even God is against him.
Jesus experienced such grief. In Matthew 27:46, He cried out from the cross, saying, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” According to Isaiah 53:4, Jesus bore our griefs and carried our sorrows but was esteemed by people as a person stricken, smitten and afflicted by God.
Isaiah 53:5 assures us that, “He was wounded for our transgressions. He was bruised for our iniquities. The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed.”
“My days are like a shadow that lengthens, and I wither away like grass.” Psalm 102:11
Finally, he sees himself as a dying man. [1]
“But You, O Lord, shall endure forever, and the remembrance of Your Name to all generations.” Psalm 102:12
He rejoices that God lives forever. In Matthew 16:18, Jesus assured us that the gates of hell will not prevail against His Church. Antichristian politicians, philosophers and popular stars will fade away, but our resurrected Savior Jesus Christ and those who love Him live forever and ever.
“You will arise and have mercy on Zion for the time to favor her, yes, the set time, has come.” Psalm 102:13
The psalmist rests in God’s grace and timing. God’s deliverance does not happen randomly, it happens at the appointed time. The seventy-year captivity in Babylon illustrates this truth. When the appointed time arrived, God restored His people to the Promised Land. [2]
For us who trust in God today, let us remember that the same God who hears a farmer’s prayer for rain, hears our prayer for a rainless day. He takes all things into consideration and does what is best for all who are involved, and does so at the right moment.
“For Your servants take pleasure in her stones and show favor to her dust.” Psalm 102:14
God’s servants loved Zion so deeply that they cherished even its scattered stones and dust. Their affection did not disappear when the temple was destroyed. True love for God’s Church remains steadfast in times of suffering as well as prosperity. Such concern in the hearts of God’s people is a sign of His Spirit moving among them. [3]
“So the nations shall fear the Name of the Lord, and all the kings of the earth Your glory.” Psalm 102:15
As people of nations realize that God defends and blesses His servants, their attitudes toward Him change. Some will even be drawn to join themselves to the Lord, say with the words of Zechariah 8:23, “We will go with you, for we have seen that God is with you.” [4]
“For the Lord shall build up Zion. He shall appear in His glory.” Psalm 102:16
After Jesus died upon the cross for our sins, those who loved Him placed His body in a tomb. Those who hated Him assigned guards to ensure that His dead body remained in the tomb. However, the prophecy that the Lord shall build up Zion and appear in glory must be fulfilled, so three days later, the Lord appeared to His disciples. He ate with them and allowed them to touch His hands and side. It is this good news that builds up Zion. Jesus makes Himself real to us who believe in Him, and we give to Him GLORY!
“He shall regard the prayer of the destitute and shall not despise their prayer.” Psalm 102:17
Earthly rulers often overlook the poor, but God does not. The Lord listens carefully, and answers their requests. When they express fear, God assures them that He is with them and loves them.
God assures us in 1 John 2:1, “If anyone sins, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.” In Hebrews 4:15, we read that Jesus Christ is the High Priest that is touched with the feelings of our infirmities because He was tempted in all points as we are, yet without sin.”
“This will be written for the generation to come, that a people yet to be created may praise the Lord.” Psalm 102:18
God preserves the Bible. He wants all people to hear the Gospel and be saved.
“For He looked down from the height of His sanctuary. From heaven the Lord viewed the earth, to hear the groaning of the prisoner, to release those appointed to death, to declare the Name of the Lord in Zion, and His praise in Jerusalem.” Psalm 102:19-21
When God’s people were captives in Egypt, Assyria, and Babylon, He heard their cries. He restored His scattered people to the Promised Land. [5]
The fulfilled prophecies of God to Israel encourage us that He will keep His promises to us as well. In John 14:1-3, Jesus promised us, “Let not your heart be troubled. You believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many mansions. If it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go to prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.”
We proclaim and praise the Name of the Lord because He keeps His promises to His people.
“When the peoples are gathered together, and the kingdoms, to serve the Lord.” Psalm 102:22
When God gathers His people, others are often drawn to join them. The above passage points beyond the Old Testament to the gathering of Jews and Gentiles into the Church of Christ. [6]
Christ sets captives free. Through His Gospel, people from every nation have come together to worship the Lord and praise His Name.
“He weakened my strength in the way. He shortened my days.” Psalm 102:23
When the ten tribes disappeared into Assyrian captivity and the remaining tribes were nearly destroyed in Babylon, the nation’s strength seemed broken and its future cut short. In Ezekiel 37:11, they cried out, “Our hope is lost. We are cut off.” How could God’s promise of Messiah be fulfilled if the people of Israel ceased to exist? [7]
“I said, ‘O my God, do not take me away in the midst of my days. Your years are throughout all generations.’” Psalm 102:24
God’s people must not be cut off before the promised Messiah arrives. Though Israel deserved judgment, she pleaded for mercy because of the blessing still contained within her. As God commanded in Isaiah 65:8, “Destroy it not! For a blessing is in it.” [8]
The promise of Messiah must be fulfilled if anybody is to inherit eternal life.
“Do not take me away in the midst of my days.” We want to live forever with God. Thus, we hold to the promise that Christ made to us in John 3:16, “God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”
“Of old You laid the foundation of the earth, and the heavens are the work of Your hands. They will perish, but You will endure. Yes, they will all grow old like a garment. Like a cloak You will change them, and they will be changed. But You are the same, and Your years will have no end. The children of Your servants will continue, and their descendants will be established before You.” Psalm 102:25-28
The Apostle Paul applies these verses to Christ in Hebrews 1:10–12. [9] The world, as we know it now, will pass away, but Jesus Christ remains forever and so do those who serve Him.
As Hebrews 13:8 says, “Jesus Christ remains the same yesterday, today, and forever.”
His years cannot be shortened. His purposes cannot fail. [10]
The day is coming when the present heaven and earth will give way to a new creation. Like an old garment cast aside, the present order will be replaced by a new heaven and new earth.
Psalm 102 concludes with a comforting promise: “The children of Your servants shall continue.” Thus, we can release our burden for our children to God. He will be faithful to our future generations! Praise the Lord!
[1-10] Material edited and developed from Matthew Henry’s Commentary
Psalm 102 corresponds with the Apostle Paul’s words in 2 Corinthians 11:28, “Besides everything else, I face daily the pressure of my concern for all the churches.” Prayer is an opportunity to cast our burden on the Lord. God invites us to speak freely to Him. In Psalm 55:22, we read, “Cast your burden on the Lord, and He will sustain you.”
“Hear my prayer, O Lord, and let my cry come to You. Do not hide Your face from me in the day of my trouble. Incline Your ear to me. In the day that I call, answer me speedily.” Psalm 102:1-2
We can pray with confidence. God invites us to seek Him and promises to answer our prayers. Jesus encouraged us to be persistent in prayer. I like the option here of praying for a quick reply.
“For my days are consumed like smoke, and my bones are burned like a hearth. My heart is stricken and withered like grass, so that I forget to eat my bread. Because of the sound of my groaning my bones cling to my skin. I am like a pelican of the wilderness. I am like an owl of the desert. I lie awake and am like a sparrow alone on the housetop. My enemies reproach me all day long. Those who deride me swear an oath against me. For I have eaten ashes like bread, and mingled my drink with weeping, because of Your indignation and Your wrath. For You have lifted me up and cast me away.” Psalm 102:3-10
The enemies of God cannot tolerate anyone who is like Him. In John 1:10-11, we read, “He [Jesus] was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him.”
The religious leaders in Jerusalem vehemently opposed Jesus. In Matthew 15:13-14, Jesus advised His disciples concerning them, saying, “Every plant which My heavenly Father has not planted will be uprooted. Let them alone. They are blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind leads the blind, both will fall into a ditch.” They grieved the Lord to the point of exasperation.
In Philippians 3:18-19, the Apostle Paul wrote, “For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ: whose end is destruction, whose god is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame—who set their mind on earthly things.”
When devotion to God is treated with contempt, it grieves those who love Him.
In Psalm 102:3-11, the bones of the Psalmist are burning. His heart is dry. He has lost his appetite. He is thin. He feels like a lonely pelican, owl or sparrow. His enemies have hit him with continuous waves of insults. His tears are flowing. He’s thinking that even God is against him.
Jesus experienced such grief. In Matthew 27:46, He cried out from the cross, saying, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” According to Isaiah 53:4, Jesus bore our griefs and carried our sorrows but was esteemed by people as a person stricken, smitten and afflicted by God.
Isaiah 53:5 assures us that, “He was wounded for our transgressions. He was bruised for our iniquities. The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed.”
“My days are like a shadow that lengthens, and I wither away like grass.” Psalm 102:11
Finally, he sees himself as a dying man. [1]
“But You, O Lord, shall endure forever, and the remembrance of Your Name to all generations.” Psalm 102:12
He rejoices that God lives forever. In Matthew 16:18, Jesus assured us that the gates of hell will not prevail against His Church. Antichristian politicians, philosophers and popular stars will fade away, but our resurrected Savior Jesus Christ and those who love Him live forever and ever.
“You will arise and have mercy on Zion for the time to favor her, yes, the set time, has come.” Psalm 102:13
The psalmist rests in God’s grace and timing. God’s deliverance does not happen randomly, it happens at the appointed time. The seventy-year captivity in Babylon illustrates this truth. When the appointed time arrived, God restored His people to the Promised Land. [2]
For us who trust in God today, let us remember that the same God who hears a farmer’s prayer for rain, hears our prayer for a rainless day. He takes all things into consideration and does what is best for all who are involved, and does so at the right moment.
“For Your servants take pleasure in her stones and show favor to her dust.” Psalm 102:14
God’s servants loved Zion so deeply that they cherished even its scattered stones and dust. Their affection did not disappear when the temple was destroyed. True love for God’s Church remains steadfast in times of suffering as well as prosperity. Such concern in the hearts of God’s people is a sign of His Spirit moving among them. [3]
“So the nations shall fear the Name of the Lord, and all the kings of the earth Your glory.” Psalm 102:15
As people of nations realize that God defends and blesses His servants, their attitudes toward Him change. Some will even be drawn to join themselves to the Lord, say with the words of Zechariah 8:23, “We will go with you, for we have seen that God is with you.” [4]
“For the Lord shall build up Zion. He shall appear in His glory.” Psalm 102:16
After Jesus died upon the cross for our sins, those who loved Him placed His body in a tomb. Those who hated Him assigned guards to ensure that His dead body remained in the tomb. However, the prophecy that the Lord shall build up Zion and appear in glory must be fulfilled, so three days later, the Lord appeared to His disciples. He ate with them and allowed them to touch His hands and side. It is this good news that builds up Zion. Jesus makes Himself real to us who believe in Him, and we give to Him GLORY!
“He shall regard the prayer of the destitute and shall not despise their prayer.” Psalm 102:17
Earthly rulers often overlook the poor, but God does not. The Lord listens carefully, and answers their requests. When they express fear, God assures them that He is with them and loves them.
God assures us in 1 John 2:1, “If anyone sins, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.” In Hebrews 4:15, we read that Jesus Christ is the High Priest that is touched with the feelings of our infirmities because He was tempted in all points as we are, yet without sin.”
“This will be written for the generation to come, that a people yet to be created may praise the Lord.” Psalm 102:18
God preserves the Bible. He wants all people to hear the Gospel and be saved.
“For He looked down from the height of His sanctuary. From heaven the Lord viewed the earth, to hear the groaning of the prisoner, to release those appointed to death, to declare the Name of the Lord in Zion, and His praise in Jerusalem.” Psalm 102:19-21
When God’s people were captives in Egypt, Assyria, and Babylon, He heard their cries. He restored His scattered people to the Promised Land. [5]
The fulfilled prophecies of God to Israel encourage us that He will keep His promises to us as well. In John 14:1-3, Jesus promised us, “Let not your heart be troubled. You believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many mansions. If it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go to prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.”
We proclaim and praise the Name of the Lord because He keeps His promises to His people.
“When the peoples are gathered together, and the kingdoms, to serve the Lord.” Psalm 102:22
When God gathers His people, others are often drawn to join them. The above passage points beyond the Old Testament to the gathering of Jews and Gentiles into the Church of Christ. [6]
Christ sets captives free. Through His Gospel, people from every nation have come together to worship the Lord and praise His Name.
“He weakened my strength in the way. He shortened my days.” Psalm 102:23
When the ten tribes disappeared into Assyrian captivity and the remaining tribes were nearly destroyed in Babylon, the nation’s strength seemed broken and its future cut short. In Ezekiel 37:11, they cried out, “Our hope is lost. We are cut off.” How could God’s promise of Messiah be fulfilled if the people of Israel ceased to exist? [7]
“I said, ‘O my God, do not take me away in the midst of my days. Your years are throughout all generations.’” Psalm 102:24
God’s people must not be cut off before the promised Messiah arrives. Though Israel deserved judgment, she pleaded for mercy because of the blessing still contained within her. As God commanded in Isaiah 65:8, “Destroy it not! For a blessing is in it.” [8]
The promise of Messiah must be fulfilled if anybody is to inherit eternal life.
“Do not take me away in the midst of my days.” We want to live forever with God. Thus, we hold to the promise that Christ made to us in John 3:16, “God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”
“Of old You laid the foundation of the earth, and the heavens are the work of Your hands. They will perish, but You will endure. Yes, they will all grow old like a garment. Like a cloak You will change them, and they will be changed. But You are the same, and Your years will have no end. The children of Your servants will continue, and their descendants will be established before You.” Psalm 102:25-28
The Apostle Paul applies these verses to Christ in Hebrews 1:10–12. [9] The world, as we know it now, will pass away, but Jesus Christ remains forever and so do those who serve Him.
As Hebrews 13:8 says, “Jesus Christ remains the same yesterday, today, and forever.”
His years cannot be shortened. His purposes cannot fail. [10]
The day is coming when the present heaven and earth will give way to a new creation. Like an old garment cast aside, the present order will be replaced by a new heaven and new earth.
Psalm 102 concludes with a comforting promise: “The children of Your servants shall continue.” Thus, we can release our burden for our children to God. He will be faithful to our future generations! Praise the Lord!
[1-10] Material edited and developed from Matthew Henry’s Commentary
Thursday, June 18, 2026
A Committed Follower of Christ – Psalm 101
“A Psalm of David. I will sing of mercy and justice, to You, O Lord, I will sing praises.” Psalm 101:1
David sang praises to the Lord. God was the “action” hero who provided for him mercy and justice. The evil one sought to destroy him throughout his life, but as Paul later wrote in 2 Timothy 4:18, it was also true for David: “The Lord will rescue me from every evil attack and will bring me safely to His heavenly kingdom. To Him be glory forever and ever. Amen.” Thus, David reserved his praises for God alone.
Paul also wrote in 1 Thessalonians 5:18, “In everything give thanks. For this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.” We should thank and praise God whether He is pruning us or allowing us to flourish. God is working all things together for good for us who love Him and are called by Him. He promised us this in Romans 8:28.
“I will behave wisely in a perfect way. O, when will You come to me? I will walk within my house with a perfect heart.” Psalm 101:2
David began this Psalm with singing praises to the Lord. After worshipping the Lord, he considered his daily routines. Was he behaving wisely? Were his actions saying, “I love You Lord” or “Not now Lord – only come to me on Sabbaths?” Was his heart pursuing God? David wanted the Lord to come to him daily. His behavior during weekdays was also worship to God.
David pursued excellence for God’s glory both in the work place and at home. He willingly submitted to the disciplines of the Lord. [1] He conformed his lifestyle to God’s ways. He was a disciple of the Lord.
David prayed, “Oh, when will You come to me?” He did not want to hide from God as Adam and Eve did after they sinned. He desired God's presence in his home. He wanted God to come to him. In John 15:5, Jesus said, “If you remain in Me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from Me you can do nothing.” We must have God to have a godly home environment.
“I will set nothing wicked before my eyes. I hate the work of those who fall away. It shall not cling to me.” Psalm 101:3
Years ago, I learned that there is a Bible verse in the King James Version of the Bible about TV. In Psalm 119:37, there is a word that begins with “T” and a word that begins with “V.” “Turn away mine eyes from beholding Vanity; and quicken Thou me in Thy way.” The New King James Version of this text is, “Turn away my eyes from looking at worthless things, and revive me in Your way.” So much of what is on TV is vain and worthless. Those who walk wisely will not let a TV spew forth blasphemy and vulgarity into their homes.
David was careful about those he allowed into his household and government. He would not encourage sinful people, give them influence, or allow them to spread corruption. [2]
“A perverse heart shall depart from me. I will not know wickedness.” Psalm 101:4
In Job 1:8, the Lord said of His servant Job, “There is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, one who fears God and shuns evil.” In Job 31:1, Job declared, “I have made a covenant with my eyes. Why then should I look upon a young woman?” In Matthew 5:28, Jesus said, “Whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.” A TV show or theater movie does not have to be rated, TV14, PG, R or X to be perverse in nature. If the images evoke perverse thoughts, or if God’s name or if a slang for God’s name is used like “Gosh” for “God” or “Gee” for “Jesus,” it is good to shun such evil and to honor God.
Do we have a “high place” that we refuse to purge? “High places were locations outside of the Jerusalem Temple where Israelites went to offer sacrifices and worship, often intermingling Canaanite idolatry with the worship of the Lord.” [3] Solomon built them for his pagan wives.
Personally, I refuse to honor Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny and Halloween. God alone deserves the glory for sending His Son into the world to save us. God alone keeps us from evil and causes our fields to produce generous crops of food for us to eat. Yes, people can chemically enhance plants and livestock, but some chemicals are harmful, and it is never good to partake of poison.
The Bible notes that some good kings failed to purge Israel of its high places. “Kings as good as Asa, whose heart was “wholly true to the Lord all his days,” did not remove the high places (1 Kings 15:14). Jehoshaphat and Jotham did “what was right in the sight of the Lord,” and “Yet the high places were not taken away, and the people still sacrificed and made offerings on the high places” (1 Kings 22:43; 2 Kings 15:34-35). These stubborn centers of idolatry were a perpetual stain in Israelite worship.”
“Overall, high places plagued Israel off-and-on right up until the exile. The list of those who had the courage and wisdom to remove them for a generation is short. Only kings Hezekiah and Josiah tore them down (2 Kings 18:4; 2 Kings 23:19).” [4]
Which “high places” have remained among us for generations with no one willing to remove them? David not only avoided wrongdoing. He hated it. Zeal for God consumed him.
“Whoever secretly slanders his neighbor, him I will destroy. The one who has a haughty look and a proud heart, him I will not endure.” Psalm 101:5
Slanderers tarnish people’s image. This is what many news stations do. They seek for bad stories about people, and if they cannot find one, they create one. Such people create conflict because their motive is selfish in nature and not motivated by God’s love.
David opposed haughty looks and proud hearts. So did Jesus! In Matthew 23:4-7, Jesus called out the Pharisees for doing their works for self-serving purposes. They loved the best seats in the synagogues and special greetings in the marketplaces, and to be called by men, “Rabbi.” Jesus taught, “He who is greatest among you shall be your servant. And whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”
“My eyes shall be on the faithful of the land, that they may dwell with me. He who walks in a perfect way, he shall serve me.” Psalm 101:6
David sought trustworthy and godly people to serve with him. He looked for people who loved God and people. Godly character mattered more to David than surface attractiveness.
Christ welcomes faithful servants into His presence. In Matthew 25:21, Jesus said, “Well done, good and faithful servant. You were faithful over a few things. I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your Lord.”
“He who works deceit shall not dwell within my house. He who tells lies shall not continue in my presence.” Psalm 101:7
Unlike rulers who used deceit to accomplish their goals, David removed liars from his presence.
Jesus said of Satan in John 8:44, “He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it.” The devil’s destiny is the lake of fire.
“Early I will destroy all the wicked of the land, that I may cut off all the evildoers from the city of the Lord.” Psalm 101:8
David’s concern extended beyond his own household and court. He wanted righteousness to spread throughout the nation. He acted quickly against proven wrongdoing. He enforced justice without delay. His goals included the honor of God and the purity of God’s people. [5]
A nation is weakened and destroyed by persistent wickedness. Therefore, everyone should do what they can in their own sphere of influence to promote righteousness and oppose evil. [6]
David’s efforts point forward to the day when Christ purges heaven and earth from evil. Nothing sinful will exist in New Jerusalem. [7]
Psalm 101 is about being a disciple of Jesus. There is a difference between being a “Christian” in name-only and a committed follower of Christ. A committed disciple wants the Lord to mentor and fill him or her daily with His Spirit. He or she wants others to see Jesus in his or her life.
[1] Material edited and developed from Matthew Henry’s Commentary
[2] Ibid
[3] www.bcne.net/articles/tear-down-the-high-places, article by Rick Harrington
[4] Ibid
[5-7] Material edited and developed from Matthew Henry’s Commentary
David sang praises to the Lord. God was the “action” hero who provided for him mercy and justice. The evil one sought to destroy him throughout his life, but as Paul later wrote in 2 Timothy 4:18, it was also true for David: “The Lord will rescue me from every evil attack and will bring me safely to His heavenly kingdom. To Him be glory forever and ever. Amen.” Thus, David reserved his praises for God alone.
Paul also wrote in 1 Thessalonians 5:18, “In everything give thanks. For this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.” We should thank and praise God whether He is pruning us or allowing us to flourish. God is working all things together for good for us who love Him and are called by Him. He promised us this in Romans 8:28.
“I will behave wisely in a perfect way. O, when will You come to me? I will walk within my house with a perfect heart.” Psalm 101:2
David began this Psalm with singing praises to the Lord. After worshipping the Lord, he considered his daily routines. Was he behaving wisely? Were his actions saying, “I love You Lord” or “Not now Lord – only come to me on Sabbaths?” Was his heart pursuing God? David wanted the Lord to come to him daily. His behavior during weekdays was also worship to God.
David pursued excellence for God’s glory both in the work place and at home. He willingly submitted to the disciplines of the Lord. [1] He conformed his lifestyle to God’s ways. He was a disciple of the Lord.
David prayed, “Oh, when will You come to me?” He did not want to hide from God as Adam and Eve did after they sinned. He desired God's presence in his home. He wanted God to come to him. In John 15:5, Jesus said, “If you remain in Me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from Me you can do nothing.” We must have God to have a godly home environment.
“I will set nothing wicked before my eyes. I hate the work of those who fall away. It shall not cling to me.” Psalm 101:3
Years ago, I learned that there is a Bible verse in the King James Version of the Bible about TV. In Psalm 119:37, there is a word that begins with “T” and a word that begins with “V.” “Turn away mine eyes from beholding Vanity; and quicken Thou me in Thy way.” The New King James Version of this text is, “Turn away my eyes from looking at worthless things, and revive me in Your way.” So much of what is on TV is vain and worthless. Those who walk wisely will not let a TV spew forth blasphemy and vulgarity into their homes.
David was careful about those he allowed into his household and government. He would not encourage sinful people, give them influence, or allow them to spread corruption. [2]
“A perverse heart shall depart from me. I will not know wickedness.” Psalm 101:4
In Job 1:8, the Lord said of His servant Job, “There is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, one who fears God and shuns evil.” In Job 31:1, Job declared, “I have made a covenant with my eyes. Why then should I look upon a young woman?” In Matthew 5:28, Jesus said, “Whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.” A TV show or theater movie does not have to be rated, TV14, PG, R or X to be perverse in nature. If the images evoke perverse thoughts, or if God’s name or if a slang for God’s name is used like “Gosh” for “God” or “Gee” for “Jesus,” it is good to shun such evil and to honor God.
Do we have a “high place” that we refuse to purge? “High places were locations outside of the Jerusalem Temple where Israelites went to offer sacrifices and worship, often intermingling Canaanite idolatry with the worship of the Lord.” [3] Solomon built them for his pagan wives.
Personally, I refuse to honor Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny and Halloween. God alone deserves the glory for sending His Son into the world to save us. God alone keeps us from evil and causes our fields to produce generous crops of food for us to eat. Yes, people can chemically enhance plants and livestock, but some chemicals are harmful, and it is never good to partake of poison.
The Bible notes that some good kings failed to purge Israel of its high places. “Kings as good as Asa, whose heart was “wholly true to the Lord all his days,” did not remove the high places (1 Kings 15:14). Jehoshaphat and Jotham did “what was right in the sight of the Lord,” and “Yet the high places were not taken away, and the people still sacrificed and made offerings on the high places” (1 Kings 22:43; 2 Kings 15:34-35). These stubborn centers of idolatry were a perpetual stain in Israelite worship.”
“Overall, high places plagued Israel off-and-on right up until the exile. The list of those who had the courage and wisdom to remove them for a generation is short. Only kings Hezekiah and Josiah tore them down (2 Kings 18:4; 2 Kings 23:19).” [4]
Which “high places” have remained among us for generations with no one willing to remove them? David not only avoided wrongdoing. He hated it. Zeal for God consumed him.
“Whoever secretly slanders his neighbor, him I will destroy. The one who has a haughty look and a proud heart, him I will not endure.” Psalm 101:5
Slanderers tarnish people’s image. This is what many news stations do. They seek for bad stories about people, and if they cannot find one, they create one. Such people create conflict because their motive is selfish in nature and not motivated by God’s love.
David opposed haughty looks and proud hearts. So did Jesus! In Matthew 23:4-7, Jesus called out the Pharisees for doing their works for self-serving purposes. They loved the best seats in the synagogues and special greetings in the marketplaces, and to be called by men, “Rabbi.” Jesus taught, “He who is greatest among you shall be your servant. And whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”
“My eyes shall be on the faithful of the land, that they may dwell with me. He who walks in a perfect way, he shall serve me.” Psalm 101:6
David sought trustworthy and godly people to serve with him. He looked for people who loved God and people. Godly character mattered more to David than surface attractiveness.
Christ welcomes faithful servants into His presence. In Matthew 25:21, Jesus said, “Well done, good and faithful servant. You were faithful over a few things. I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your Lord.”
“He who works deceit shall not dwell within my house. He who tells lies shall not continue in my presence.” Psalm 101:7
Unlike rulers who used deceit to accomplish their goals, David removed liars from his presence.
Jesus said of Satan in John 8:44, “He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it.” The devil’s destiny is the lake of fire.
“Early I will destroy all the wicked of the land, that I may cut off all the evildoers from the city of the Lord.” Psalm 101:8
David’s concern extended beyond his own household and court. He wanted righteousness to spread throughout the nation. He acted quickly against proven wrongdoing. He enforced justice without delay. His goals included the honor of God and the purity of God’s people. [5]
A nation is weakened and destroyed by persistent wickedness. Therefore, everyone should do what they can in their own sphere of influence to promote righteousness and oppose evil. [6]
David’s efforts point forward to the day when Christ purges heaven and earth from evil. Nothing sinful will exist in New Jerusalem. [7]
Psalm 101 is about being a disciple of Jesus. There is a difference between being a “Christian” in name-only and a committed follower of Christ. A committed disciple wants the Lord to mentor and fill him or her daily with His Spirit. He or she wants others to see Jesus in his or her life.
[1] Material edited and developed from Matthew Henry’s Commentary
[2] Ibid
[3] www.bcne.net/articles/tear-down-the-high-places, article by Rick Harrington
[4] Ibid
[5-7] Material edited and developed from Matthew Henry’s Commentary
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