Psalm 106:1

Psalm 106:1

Introduction

This is another lengthy psalm, and it takes a different tone to Psalm 105. Psalm 105 celebrates the acts of God in saving and freeing the Israelites from Egypt. It declares His power and His provision for the people as He fulfilled His covenant promises to the patriarchs and brought Israel to the land that was promised. 

Psalm 106 focusses primarily on the rebellion and disregard of Israel for the Lord their God and His commands. So, Psalm 105 celebrates God’s salvation of His people and Psalm 106 describes that people’s rejection of Him. And so it has ever been! The writer begins with a few verses of praise but, in verse 6, the theme changes dramatically to one of repentance and sorrow on behalf of a recalcitrant nation. It could be written for today, as we shall see!

 

V1        The Psalm begins with yet another command to “Praise the Lord!” One of the most potent ways of thanking God for all that He has done is simply to praise Him. Praise and thanks are like identical twins and you cannot have one without the other. If you start thanking God for who He is and what He has done, you end up praising Him! If you begin with praise, it almost always ends in thanksgiving. The two are inseparable.

This opening verse gives us a couple of reasons for praise and thanks. Firstly, the Lord is good. Such a simple statement but so profound in its meaning. He is good in His character. He is good in His Word. He is good in His attributes. He is good in His promises. He is good in every “cell” of His being! There is not one stain upon His character, whenever we have dealings with God we are dealing with goodness. Whatever He says or does, it is good.

We should also give thanks and praise to the Lord for His love that endures forever. This is not sloppy, sentimental love. Neither is it demanding, self-interested love. God’s love is sacrificial, and He gives without needing to be compensated, His love is expressed in ways that no human can ever reproduce or imitate. It is a love that never gives up, that never wanes, that never thinks the worst of its objects, that never ceases to flow from the depths of a heart that is made of love. That love, for you and me, is guaranteed forever. Hallelujah! 

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