Day 175: Psalms 101-106

(The previous post covered five psalms encouraging us to praise to God.)

Psalm 101

A Psalm of David.

¹ I will sing of lovingkindness and justice: Unto thee, O Jehovah, will I sing praises.
² I will behave myself wisely in a perfect way: Oh when wilt thou come unto me? I will walk within my house with a perfect heart.

(David stated he would sing to God of His lovingkindness/mercy and Justice. He would behave wisely (making profitable decisions) and with a perfect (maximum profitability) heart.)

³ I will set no base thing before mine eyes: I hate the work of them that turn aside; It shall not cleave unto me.

(David also stated he would not set anything "base" before his eyes. The word base meant "worthless." Not only did he say he would live profitably but he also would not put unprofitable things before his eyes!)

⁴ A perverse heart shall depart from me: I will know no evil thing.
⁵ Whoso privily slandereth his neighbor, him will I destroy: Him that hath a high look and a proud heart will I not suffer.

(David would destroy the evil from his own life and the lives of others.)

⁶ Mine eyes shall be upon the faithful of the land, that they may dwell with me: He that walketh in a perfect way, he shall minister unto me.
⁷ He that worketh deceit shall not dwell within my house: He that speaketh falsehood shall not be established before mine eyes.

(David would only allow those who walked perfectly to serve in his house. Those who were deceitful and liars would not be permitted to serve with him.)

⁸ Morning by morning will I destroy all the wicked of the land; To cut off all the workers of iniquity from the city of Jehovah.



Psalm 102

A Prayer of the afflicted, when he is overwhelmed, and poureth out his complaint before Jehovah.

¹ Hear my prayer, O Jehovah, And let my cry come unto thee.
² Hide not thy face from me in the day of my distress: Incline thine ear unto me; In the day when I call answer me speedily.

(The psalmist cried to God about the affliction he was experiencing. He asked that God hear his cry and answer it quickly.)

³ For my days consume away like smoke, And my bones are burned as a firebrand.
⁴ My heart is smitten like grass, and withered; For I forget to eat my bread.

(The psalmist’s days seemed wasted and his heart was withered, to the point he was forgetting to eat.)

⁵ By reason of the voice of my groaning My bones cleave to my flesh.
⁶ I am like a pelican of the wilderness; I am become as an owl of the waste places.
⁷ I watch, and am become like a sparrow That is alone upon the house-top.

(He felt as if he was all alone.)

⁸ Mine enemies reproach me all the day; They that are mad against me do curse by me.
⁹ For I have eaten ashes like bread, And mingled my drink with weeping,
¹⁰ Because of thine indignation and thy wrath: For thou hast taken me up, and cast me away.

(The psalmist stated that God’s indignation and wrath was the cause of his weeping.)

¹¹ My days are like a shadow that declineth; And I am withered like grass.
¹² But thou, O Jehovah, wilt abide for ever; And thy memorial name unto all generations.

(He felt like he was dying but recognized that God would live forever.)

¹³ Thou wilt arise, and have mercy upon Zion; For it is time to have pity upon her, Yea, the set time is come.
¹⁴ For thy servants take pleasure in her stones, And have pity upon her dust.

(God’s servants take pleasure in His city’s stones: His creation.)

¹⁵ So the nations shall fear the name of Jehovah, And all the kings of the earth thy glory.
¹⁶ For Jehovah hath built up Zion; He hath appeared in his glory.

(God built up Zion: Jerusalem.)

¹⁷ He hath regarded the prayer of the destitute, And hath not despised their prayer.
¹⁸ This shall be written for the generation to come; And a people which shall be created shall praise Jehovah.

(This was written for the people who were not yet born with the hope that they would praise God.)

¹⁹ For he hath looked down from the height of his sanctuary; From heaven did Jehovah behold the earth;
²⁰ To hear the sighing of the prisoner; To loose those that are appointed to death;
²¹ That men may declare the name of Jehovah in Zion, And his praise in Jerusalem;
²² When the peoples are gathered together, And the kingdoms, to serve Jehovah.

(The "peoples gathered together" was the Church.)

²³ He weakened my strength in the way; He shortened my days.
²⁴ I said, O my God, take me not away in the midst of my days: Thy years are throughout all generations.

(Hebrews 1:10-12 referenced the next three verses.)

²⁵ Of old didst thou lay the foundation of the earth; And the heavens are the work of thy hands.

(God created the heavens and the earth.)

²⁶ They shall perish, but thou shalt endure; Yea, all of them shall wax old like a garment; As a vesture shalt thou change them, and they shall be changed:
²⁷ But thou art the same, And thy years shall have no end.

(God had always been Right and Just and will always be Right and Just.)

²⁸ The children of thy servants shall continue, And their seed shall be established before thee.




Psalm 103

A Psalm of David.

¹ Bless Jehovah, O my soul; And all that is within me, bless his holy name.
² Bless Jehovah, O my soul, And forget not all his benefits:

(We were told to not forget all of God’s "benefits." The word benefits meant "recompense." We should not forget God’s Justice.)

³ Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; Who healeth all thy diseases;
⁴ Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; Who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies;
⁵ Who satisfieth thy desire with good things, So that thy youth is renewed like the eagle.
⁶ Jehovah executeth righteous acts, And judgments for all that are oppressed.

(God was Right and Just and all of His actions were Right and Just.)

⁷ He made known his ways unto Moses, His doings unto the children of Israel.

(Moses and Israel were aware of God’s ways.)

⁸ Jehovah is merciful and gracious, Slow to anger, and abundant in lovingkindness.
⁹ He will not always chide; Neither will he keep his anger for ever.
¹⁰ He hath not dealt with us after our sins, Nor rewarded us after our iniquities.

(God was merciful on them. He postponed His judgment against their sins.)

¹¹ For as the heavens are high above the earth, So great is his lovingkindness toward them that fear him.
¹² As far as the east is from the west, So far hath he removed our transgressions from us.

(God’s forgiveness of our sins (against Him) removed them from us. First, we must go to God with confession and repentance.)

¹³ Like as a father pitieth his children, So Jehovah pitieth them that fear him.

(God was compassionate towards those who feared Him.)

¹⁴ For he knoweth our frame; He remembereth that we are dust.

(God knew we were made of flesh.)

¹⁵ As for man, his days are as grass; As a flower of the field, so he flourisheth.
¹⁶ For the wind passeth over it, and it is gone; And the place thereof shall know it no more.
¹⁷ But the lovingkindness of Jehovah is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear him, And his righteousness unto children's children;

(God’s mercy was eternal for those who feared Him. We will all be judged but God will continue to be merciful for eternity.)

¹⁸ To such as keep his covenant, And to those that remember his precepts to do them.
¹⁹ Jehovah hath established his throne in the heavens; And his kingdom ruleth over all.

(God was the Ultimate Authority.)

²⁰ Bless Jehovah, ye his angels, That are mighty in strength, that fulfil his word, Hearkening unto the voice of his word.
²¹ Bless Jehovah, all ye his hosts, Ye ministers of his, that do his pleasure.
²² Bless Jehovah, all ye his works, In all places of his dominion: Bless Jehovah, O my soul.

(The psalm ended with an exhortation to bless God.)




Psalm 104
¹ Bless Jehovah, O my soul. O Jehovah my God, thou art very great; Thou art clothed with honor and majesty:

(God was "very great." The word great was also translated as "to grow, to nourish up, to magnify.")

² Who coverest thyself with light as with a garment; Who stretchest out the heavens like a curtain;
³ Who layeth the beams of his chambers in the waters; Who maketh the clouds his chariot; Who walketh upon the wings of the wind;
⁴ Who maketh winds his messengers; Flames of fire his ministers;

(Hebrews 1:7 referenced this verse.)

⁵ Who laid the foundations of the earth, That it should not be moved for ever.

(The heavens and earth were God’s handiwork. He created it all and used it to speak to His people, like the Book of Job stated.)

⁶ Thou coveredst it with the deep as with a vesture; The waters stood above the mountains.
⁷ At thy rebuke they fled; At the voice of thy thunder they hasted away
⁸ (The mountains rose, the valleys sank down) Unto the place which thou hadst founded for them.
⁹ Thou hast set a bound that they may not pass over; That they turn not again to cover the earth.

(Verses 6-9 described the wonders of the Flood.)

¹⁰ He sendeth forth springs into the valleys; They run among the mountains;
¹¹ They give drink to every beast of the field; The wild asses quench their thirst.
¹² By them the birds of the heavens have their habitation; They sing among the branches.
¹³ He watereth the mountains from his chambers: The earth is filled with the fruit of thy works.

(God’s creatures were given all the provisions they would need.)

¹⁴ He causeth the grass to grow for the cattle, And herb for the service of man; That he may bring forth food out of the earth,
¹⁵ And wine that maketh glad the heart of man, And oil to make his face to shine, And bread that strengtheneth man's heart.

(God was the cause of the food and drink that brought nourishment to man and beast.)

¹⁶ The trees of Jehovah are filled with moisture, The cedars of Lebanon, which he hath planted;
¹⁷ Where the birds make their nests: As for the stork, the fir-trees are her house.
¹⁸ The high mountains are for the wild goats; The rocks are a refuge for the conies.
¹⁹ He appointed the moon for seasons: The sun knoweth his going down.

(Even wild animals that were not used for man’s fields and food were taken care of by God.)

²⁰ Thou makest darkness, and it is night, Wherein all the beasts of the forest creep forth.
²¹ The young lions roar after their prey, And seek their food from God.
²² The sun ariseth, they get them away, And lay them down in their dens.
²³ Man goeth forth unto his work And to his labor until the evening.

(God’s creation made it possible for man to work.)

²⁴ O Jehovah, how manifold are thy works! In wisdom hast thou made them all: The earth is full of thy riches.

(God’s works were done wisely. Wisdom was a profitable decision, a right how. Wisdom came from God.)

²⁵ Yonder is the sea, great and wide, Wherein are things creeping innumerable, Both small and great beasts.
²⁶ There go the ships; There is leviathan, whom thou hast formed to play therein.
²⁷ These wait all for thee, That thou mayest give them their food in due season.
²⁸ Thou givest unto them, they gather; Thou openest thy hand, they are satisfied with good.
²⁹ Thou hidest thy face, they are troubled; Thou takest away their breath, they die, And return to their dust.

(Not only did God provide the needs of His creatures, He had the power to take away their breath. Again, this was the second and final mention of "leviathan" in the Book of Psalms. In the Book of Job, "leviathan" symbolized God's enemies. The final mention in the Old Testament was Isaiah 27:1.)

³⁰ Thou sendest forth thy Spirit, they are created; And thou renewest the face of the ground.
³¹ Let the glory of Jehovah endure for ever; Let Jehovah rejoice in his works:
³² Who looketh on the earth, and it trembleth; He toucheth the mountains, and they smoke.

(The earth trembled at a mere look from God.)

³³ I will sing unto Jehovah as long as I live: I will sing praise to my God while I have any being.
³⁴ Let thy meditation be sweet unto him: I will rejoice in Jehovah.

(The psalmist wanted his meditation (thoughts) to be sweet (pleasing) to God.)

³⁵ Let sinners be consumed out of the earth. And let the wicked be no more. Bless Jehovah, O my soul. Praise ye Jehovah.




Psalm 105
¹ Oh give thanks unto Jehovah, call upon his name; Make known among the peoples his doings.
² Sing unto him, sing praises unto him; Talk ye of all his marvelous works.
³ Glory ye in his holy name: Let the heart of them rejoice that seek Jehovah.
⁴ Seek ye Jehovah and his strength; Seek his face evermore.
⁵ Remember his marvellous works that he hath done, His wonders, and the judgments of his mouth,

(Remembering God’s works will build your faith. The psalmist facilitated this for the rest of this psalm.)

(Verse 6-23: a reminder to us of events from Abraham through Joseph.)

⁶ O ye seed of Abraham his servant, Ye children of Jacob, his chosen ones.
⁷ He is Jehovah our God: His judgments are in all the earth.
⁸ He hath remembered his covenant for ever, The word which he commanded to a thousand generations,
⁹ The covenant which he made with Abraham, And his oath unto Isaac,
¹⁰ And confirmed the same unto Jacob for a statute, To Israel for an everlasting covenant,

(The Abrahamic Covenant was passed on to Isaac and confirmed in Jacob/Israel as an everlasting covenant.)

¹¹ Saying, Unto thee will I give the land of Canaan, The lot of your inheritance;

(The land of Canaan was the Promised Land.)

¹² When they were but a few men in number, Yea, very few, and sojourners in it.
¹³ And they went about from nation to nation, From one kingdom to another people.
¹⁴ He suffered no man to do them wrong; Yea, he reproved kings for their sakes,
¹⁵ Saying, Touch not mine anointed ones, And do my prophets no harm.
¹⁶ And he called for a famine upon the land; He brake the whole staff of bread.
¹⁷ He sent a man before them; Joseph was sold for a servant:

(Joseph was sent by God.)

¹⁸ His feet they hurt with fetters: He was laid in chains of iron,
¹⁹ Until the time that his word came to pass, The word of Jehovah tried him.

(God’s Word tested Joseph.)

²⁰ The king sent and loosed him; Even the ruler of peoples, and let him go free.
²¹ He made him lord of his house, And ruler of all his substance;

(Joseph's response to his unjust imprisonment was handled so well that he was eventually made ruler over all of Pharaoh’s substance.)

²² To bind his princes at his pleasure, And teach his elders wisdom.
²³ Israel also came into Egypt; And Jacob sojourned in the land of Ham.

("Ham" was used as another name for Egypt.)

²⁴ And he increased his people greatly, And made them stronger than their adversaries.
²⁵ He turned their heart to hate his people, To deal subtly with his servants.
²⁶ He sent Moses his servant, And Aaron whom he had chosen.

(The rest of this psalm reminded us of the events from the Exodus…)

²⁷ They set among them his signs, And wonders in the land of Ham.

(The signs God set before them, His plagues…)

²⁸ He sent darkness, and made it dark; And they rebelled not against his words.
²⁹ He turned their waters into blood, And slew their fish.
³⁰ Their land swarmed with frogs In the chambers of their kings.
³¹ He spake, and there came swarms of flies, And lice in all their borders.
³² He gave them hail for rain, And flaming fire in their land.
³³ He smote their vines also and their fig-trees, And brake the trees of their borders.
³⁴ He spake, and the locust came, And the grasshopper, and that without number,
³⁵ And did eat up every herb in their land, And did eat up the fruit of their ground.
³⁶ He smote also all the first-born in their land, The chief of all their strength.

(The Passover)

³⁷ And he brought them forth with silver and gold; And there was not one feeble person among his tribes.
³⁸ Egypt was glad when they departed; For the fear of them had fallen upon them.

(The Egyptians were happy when the Israelites left. The Egyptians feared the Israelites because of the signs God had made come to pass.)

³⁹ He spread a cloud for a covering, And fire to give light in the night.
⁴⁰ They asked, and he brought quails, And satisfied them with the bread of heaven.

(God gave the people flesh (quails) and He also gave them bread from heaven: manna.)

⁴¹ He opened the rock, and waters gushed out; They ran in the dry places like a river.
⁴² For he remembered his holy word, And Abraham his servant.
⁴³ And he brought forth his people with joy, And his chosen with singing.
⁴⁴ And he gave them the lands of the nations; And they took the labor of the peoples in possession:

(God fulfilled His promise by giving His people the Promised Land.)

⁴⁵ That they might keep his statutes, And observe his laws. Praise ye Jehovah.

(The next psalm was the concluding psalm of the "Numbers" section. It presented a summary of the testing God's people experienced and failed...)




Psalm 106
¹ Praise ye Jehovah. Oh give thanks unto Jehovah; for he is good; For his lovingkindness endureth forever.
² Who can utter the mighty acts of Jehovah, Or show forth all his praise?

(God's acts were so mighty and great, who could give Him all the praise?)

³ Blessed are they that keep justice, And he that doeth righteousness at all times.

(Blessed were those who kept God's Justice and Righteousness at all times.)

⁴ Remember me, O Jehovah, with the favor that thou bearest unto thy people; Oh visit me with thy salvation,
⁵ That I may see the prosperity of thy chosen, That I may rejoice in the gladness of thy nation, That I may glory with thine inheritance.

(Verses 6-48: the events of Israel's rebellion against God and God's mercy toward the Israelites.)

⁶ We have sinned with our fathers, We have committed iniquity, we have done wickedly.
⁷ Our fathers understood not thy wonders in Egypt; They remembered not the multitude of thy lovingkindnesses, But were rebellious at the sea, even at the Red Sea.

(The Jews who experienced God’s signs in Egypt did not understand them. Their rebellion began as early as the passing of the Red Sea.)

⁸ Nevertheless he saved them for his name's sake, That he might make his mighty power to be known.
⁹ He rebuked the Red Sea also, and it was dried up: So he led them through the depths, as through a wilderness.
¹⁰ And he saved them from the hand of him that hated them, And redeemed them from the hand of the enemy.
¹¹ And the waters covered their adversaries; There was not one of them left.

(God delivered the Jews from their enemies by causing the Red Sea to fall back upon them. All of them died.)

¹² Then believed they his words; They sang his praise.
¹³ They soon forgat his works; They waited not for his counsel,

(After the Red Sea miracle, the people believed and sang to God. However, soon they forgot Him and did not go to Him for direction.)

¹⁴ But lusted exceedingly in the wilderness, And tempted God in the desert.
¹⁵ And he gave them their request, But sent leanness into their soul.
¹⁶ They envied Moses also in the camp, And Aaron the saint of Jehovah.

(The people were jealous of Moses and Aaron.)

¹⁷ The earth opened and swallowed up Dathan, And covered the company of Abiram.

(This was covered in Numbers 16.)

¹⁸ And a fire was kindled in their company; The flame burned up the wicked.
¹⁹ They made a calf in Horeb, And worshipped a molten image.

(The people, with Aaron, made a golden calf in Horeb/Sinai: Exodus 32:1-6.)

²⁰ Thus they changed their glory For the likeness of an ox that eateth grass.
²¹ They forgat God their Saviour, Who had done great things in Egypt,
²² Wondrous works in the land of Ham, And terrible things by the Red Sea.
²³ Therefore he said that he would destroy them, Had not Moses his chosen stood before him in the breach, To turn away his wrath, lest he should destroy them.

(Moses changed God’s Mind: Numbers 14:13-19.)

²⁴ Yea, they despised the pleasant land, They believed not his word,
²⁵ But murmured in their tents, And hearkened not unto the voice of Jehovah.
²⁶ Therefore he sware unto them, That he would overthrow them in the wilderness,

(God caused the Israelites to wander the wilderness for forty years because of their disobedience and wickedness. The first generation did not get to enter the Promised Land.)

²⁷ And that he would overthrow their seed among the nations, And scatter them in the lands.
²⁸ They joined themselves also unto Baal-peor, And ate the sacrifices of the dead.
²⁹ Thus they provoked him to anger with their doings; And the plague brake in upon them.
³⁰ Then stood up Phinehas, and executed judgment; And so the plague was stayed.

(Phineas turned God's wrath away from the Israelites and God gave Phineas a Covenant of Peace: Numbers 25:11-12.)

³¹ And that was reckoned unto him for righteousness, Unto all generations for evermore.
³² They angered him also at the waters of Meribah, So that it went ill with Moses for their sakes;

(This referenced where Moses struck the rock instead of speaking to it as God commanded (Numbers 20:11). As a result, Moses did not get to enter the Promised Land.)

³³ Because they were rebellious against his spirit, And he spake unadvisedly with his lips.
³⁴ They did not destroy the peoples, As Jehovah commanded them,
³⁵ But mingled themselves with the nations, And learned their works,
³⁶ And served their idols, Which became a snare unto them.
³⁷ Yea, they sacrificed their sons and their daughters unto demons,
³⁸ And shed innocent blood, Even the blood of their sons and of their daughters, Whom they sacrificed unto the idols of Canaan; And the land was polluted with blood.

(The people were rebellious and worshipped other gods.)

³⁹ Thus were they defiled with their works, And played the harlot in their doings.
⁴⁰ Therefore was the wrath of Jehovah kindled against his people, And he abhorred his inheritance.
⁴¹ And he gave them into the hand of the nations; And they that hated them ruled over them.

(The Israelites were taken captive. God gave them to nations that hated them.)

⁴² Their enemies also oppressed them, And they were brought into subjection under their hand.
⁴³ Many times did he deliver them; But they were rebellious in their counsel, And were brought low in their iniquity.
⁴⁴ Nevertheless he regarded their distress, When he heard their cry:
⁴⁵ And he remembered for them his covenant, And repented according to the multitude of his lovingkindnesses.

(God continued to hear their cries and remembered His covenant with them.)

⁴⁶ He made them also to be pitied Of all those that carried them captive.
⁴⁷ Save us, O Jehovah our God, And gather us from among the nations, To give thanks unto thy holy name, And to triumph in thy praise.
⁴⁸ Blessed be Jehovah, the God of Israel, From everlasting even to everlasting. And let all the people say, Amen. Praise ye Jehovah.

(The "Numbers" section of the Book of Psalms began with two psalms from Moses. The rest of the psalms, except for David's only psalm in this section, encouraged us to praise God during our time of testing. This section was compiled by David. The final section of the Book of Psalms was known as the "Deuteronomy" section and was believed to have been compiled by Ezra. These forty-four psalms declared the glory of God's Kingdom, His Divine government.)

(This post covered the completion of the "Numbers" section of the Book of Psalms which encouraged us to praise God during our time of testing.)

Day 176