Psalm 107:41

Psalm 107:41

The families increased like flocks

The nation of Israel has suffered many times throughout its history from being needy! It happened to the wandering tribes in the wilderness. It was a problem for King David who, more than once, found himself betrayed and living as a fugitive. It happened to the peoples who were overcome by occupational forces and who found themselves in slavery to foreign powers. It has also happened to the entire nation of the Jews since AD 70 and the diaspora that saw them scattered to the four winds. It happens to God’s people when they rebel and disobey Him and His blessings are replaced with curses.  However, our God is just and faithful, He does not let His people suffer forever and so, when they call out to Him, He lifts them out of their affliction and gives them back their dignity and also their productivity. In this instance the psalmist notes that their numbers grow like the flocks of animals they tend. 

These principles should be learned by the Church, but they rarely are. If we obey God’s Word and worship Him alone, if we keep His commandments and serve Him faithfully, despite all the aggravations around us, then He will sustain us. If we make material gain and our own efforts the yardstick by which we measure success, and if we allow nobles (see yesterday’s verse) to rule over us, then we will become needy. If we seek to humbly serve our Lord and show compassion to one another, then our flocks will increase. Every lesson that we have learned from Israel is a lesson that applies today in the church of Jesus Christ. 

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