Sermon series: A SUMMER IN THE PSALMS

Psalm 107:1-32
"Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever. Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, whom He has redeemed from the hand of the enemy, and gathered out of the lands, from the east and from the west, from the north and from the south.
They wandered in the wilderness in a desolate way; they found no city to dwell in. Hungry and thirsty, their soul fainted in them. Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble, and He delivered them out of their distresses. And He led them forth by the right way, that they might go to a city for a dwelling place.
Oh, that man would give thanks to the Lord for His goodness, and for His wonderful works to the children of men! For He satisfies the longing soul, and fills the hungry soul with goodness.
Those who sat in darkness and in the shadow of death, bound in affliction and irons—because they rebelled against the words of God, and despised the counsel of the Most High, therefore He brought down their heart with labor; they fell down, and there was none to help.
Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble, and He saved them out of their distresses. He brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death, and broke their chains in pieces. Oh, that men would give thanks to the Lord for His goodness, and for His wonderful works to the children of men! For He has broken the gates of bronze, and cut the bars of iron in two.
Fools, because of their transgression, and because of their iniquities, were afflicted. Their soul abhorred all manner of food, and they drew near to the gates of death. Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble, and He saved them out of their distresses. He sent His word and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions. Oh, that men would give thanks to the Lord for His goodness, and for His wonderful works to the children of men! Let them sacrifice the sacrifices of thanksgiving, and declare His works with rejoicing.
Those who go down to the sea in ships, who do business on great waters, they see the works of the Lord, and His wonders in the deep. For He commands and raises the stormy wind, which lifts up the waves of the sea. They mount up to the heavens, they go down again to the depths; their soul melts because of trouble, they reel to and fro, and stagger like a drunken man, and are at their wits' end. Then they cry out to the Lord in their trouble, and He brings them out of their distresses. He calms the storm, so that its waves are still. Then they are glad because they are quiet; so He guides them to their desired haven. Oh, that men would give thanks to the Lord for His goodness, and for His wonderful works to the children of men! Let them exalt Him also in the assembly of the people, and praise Him in the company of the elders."

In all probability, this Psalm was written upon the return from the Babylonian captivity.

***PAGE BREAK***
(Page Two)

It seems the Psalm was designed to be used at the rededication of the temple after the restoration. Every part of it would be appropriate to such an occasion.
The Psalm is divided into five different sections, each dealing with some phase of the human journey experienced by the traveler. Redemption, deliverance from the chains of sin, healing from sickness, victory in the fight of faith, refreshment for the journey...these are the subjects which make up this beautiful song!
It begins with the invitation to give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! The Lord is unchanging in His mercy for it is an attribute of His very nature. He is constantly manifesting it. The word MERCY means favour shown to the guilty; kindness, goodness, benignity. And for all who have been drawn through the work of the Holy Spirit unto a living faith in Jesus Christ, there is every reason to rejoice. LET THE REDEEMED OF THE LORD SAY SO!
REDEMPTION!
Thinking of the Bible as a whole, there are two inescapable truths forcing themselves upon the reader. One truth is that man has rebelled and departed from God.
"For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools" (Romans 1:20-22). "Therefore, as through one man's offense judgment came to all men, resulting in condemnation even so through one Man's righteous act the free gift came to all men, resulting in justification of life. For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man's obedience many will be made righteous" (Romans 5:18-19). All men are sinners
The second great truth of Scripture is that "God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him shall not perish, but have everlasting life" (John 3:16). To be forgiven and set free from sin's guilt and penalty is called REDEMPTION.
Peter writes: "For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, as lamb without blemish or defect." (1 Peter 1:18-19).
"He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins." (Colossians 1:13-14).
The word for REDEMPTION as used throughout the Bible has , many shades of meaning. One word that is used describes the freeing of a captive. This is the word used in the passage we have just quoted from 1 Peter. The thought resident in this term is that of release from bondage or captivity by the judgment of a ransom, the ransom being the precious blood of Jesus Christ. He is the One who, by His sacrifice, liberates the sinner from the control of sinful and foolish self by a most costly price to Himself. We were slaves of Satan, sold under sin, and utterly unable to ransom ourselves because of the abso

***PAGE BREAK***
(Page Three)

lute obedience due to God. No act of ours could satisfy for the least offense, but Christ became our Ransom!
Another word in the Bible used for REDEMPTION means "to buy up out of the possession of any one, to acquire out of a forum. This is the word used in Galatians 3:13: "Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, "Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree." A court of justice is represented by this word, with Christ claiming what He had bought. Having paid the ransom demanded by the law, Christ brings the sinner out from any further claims upon him, and leads him forth to liberty. Our Redeemer not only went into the market place to buy us, but brought us out of our captivity and set us free. Now Christ exhibits the ransom He paid, which perfectly met all the demands of the broken law of God.
WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF OUR REDEMPTION? Why is the redeemed called upon to rejoice and speak out? Ah! The benefits and blessings of redemption are as varied as they are vast. Simply and solely with His precious blood Christ has redeemed us from the penalty, power and consequences of sin; from the curse, condemnation and rule of the law; from this present evil world and from its prince and god; from ourselves and the world; from the wrath of God and the pangs of hell.
LET THE REDEEMED OF THE LORD SAY SO! "I will sing of my Redeemer and His wondrous love to me; On the cruel cross He suffered, from the curse to set me free. I will tell the wondrous story, how, my lost estate to save, In His boundless love and mercy, He the ransom freely gave!"
"Redeemed, how I love to proclaim it! Redeemed by the blood of the Lamb; redeemed through His infinite mercy. His child forever I am. Redeemed and so happy in Jesus, no language my rapture can tell; I know that the light of His presence with me doth continually dwell."
Our Psalm tells us that we have been redeemed from the hand of the enemy...Satan! Our journey before Christ reached out to us in love and forgiveness was like a wandering in the wilderness where there was nothing to satisfy the longing of our soul. We were lost and we knew it and there was nothing we could do about it.
Then we cried out to the Lord and He delivered us out of distress and led us forth into the path of peace and joy and purpose. Our pathway now leads us to that city built by God. The writer to the Hebrews says: "These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off were assured of them, embraced them and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. For those who say such things declare plainly that they seek a homeland. And truly if they had called to mind that country from which they had come out, they would have had opportunity to return. But now they desire a better, that is, a heavenly country. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a city for them" (Hebrews 11:13-16). "Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also there was no more sea...Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls filled with the last plagues came to me and

***PAGE BREAK***
(Page Four)

talked with me, saying, "Come, I will show you the bride, the Lamb's wife. And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me the great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God." (Rev. 21:9-10)
FOR THE PROMISE OF OUR ETERNAL HOME, our Psalmist tells us...OH, THAT MEN WOULD GIVE THANKS TO THE LORD, FOR HIS GOODNESS, AND FOR HIS WONDERFUL WORKS TO THE CHILDREN OF MEN!
And he reminds us..."For He satisfies the longing soul, and fills the hungry soul with goodness." (v. 9)
"My soul will be satisfied as with the richest of foods, with singing lips my mouth will praise you" (Ps. 63:5)
"The Lord will guide you always; He will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail" (Isaiah 58:11).
Now, the subject for praise changes in our Psalm.
"Those who sat in darkness and in the shadow of death, bound in affliction and irons—because they rebelled against the words of God, and despised the counsel of the Most High. Therefore He brought down their heart with labor; they fell down and there was none to help."
HERE IS THE PICTURE OF MEN AND WOMEN WHO KNOWINGLY TURN AGAINST THE WORDS OF THE LORD AND FIND THEMSELVES TRAPPED AND BOUND WITH THE FETTERS OF SIN. The reference in these verses is evidently to the children of Israel, when in Babylon; and the design is, to show the goodness of God to them in their trouble, and the occasion which they had for praising Him on that account. The word used in the Scriptures to describe this spiritual condition is BACKSLIDING...and there are some very serious warnings given to the backslider. Peter writes: "Forsaking the straight road they have gone astray; they have followed the way of Balaam [the son] of Beor, who loved the reward of wickedness...For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through [the full, personal] knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they again become entangled in them and are overcome, their last condition is worse [for them] than the first" (2 Peter 2, 15, 20).
Here are verses that cause me to tremble each time I read them! (Hebrews 6:4-8 in the Amplified Text) "For it is impossible [to restore and bring again to repentance] those who have been once for all enlightened, who have consciously tasted the heavenly gift and have become sharers of the Holy Spirit, and have felt how good the Word of God is and the mighty powers of the age to come, if they then deviate from the faith and turn away from their allegiance—[it is impossible] to bring them back to repentance, for (because, while, as long as) they nail upon the cross the Son of God afresh [as far as they are concerned] and are holding [Him] up to contempt and shame and public disgrace. For the soil which has drunk the rain that repeatedly falls upon it and produces vegetation useful to those for whose benefit it is cultivated partakes of a blessing from God. But if [that same soil] persistently bears thorns and thistles, it is considered worthless and near to being cursed, whose end is to be burned."

***PAGE BREAK***
(Page Five)

There are many different explanations given by Bible scholars, but to I prefer to leave the text just as it.
There is a certain truth though that is very obvious here. At the back of the thought of the writer to the Hebrews there is a tremendous conception. He saw the Cross as an event which opened a window into the heart of God. He saw it as showing in a moment of time the suffering love which is for ever in that heart. The Cross said to men: "That is how I have loved you and always will love you. This is what your sin does to Me and always will do to Me. This is the only way I can ever redeem you."
In God's heart there is always, so long as there is sin, this agony of suffering and redeeming love. Sin does not only break God's law; it breaks His heart. It is true that when we fall away, we crucify Christ again.
Further, the writer to the Hebrews says that when we fall away we make a mocking show of Christ. How is that? When we sin the world will say: "So that is all that Christianity is worth. So that is all Christ can do. So that is all the Cross achieved." It is bad enough that when a Church member falls into sin he brings shame to himself and discredit on his church; but what is worse is that he draws men's taunts and jeers on Christ!
But our Psalm tells us that in such a backslidden spiritual condition...if we cry out in our trouble, He will save us out of our distress. He will bring us out of sin's darkness and the shadow of spiritual death. He will break the chains that bind us, for He breaks the gates of bronze and He cuts the bars in two!
As I have noted on the previous page, this picture before us described the backsliding of Israel who found themselves in captivity and they sat in darkness and in the shadow of death as a nation. They had rebelled against the commandments of their God and God had judged them. They were guilty of the most dreadful sins. Darkness had closed in, and dreary days had dragged by on leaden feet...for seventy years! Death haunted the shadows, but God had come and opened the prison doors: "Oh that men would praise the Lord for His goodness, and for His wonderful works to the children of men!
GOD HEARS THE CRY OF A SINCERE HEART! "Now is happened in the process of time that the king of Egypt died. Then the children of Israel groaned because of the bondage, and THEY CRIED OUT: AND THEIR CRY CAME UP TO GOD BECAUSE OF THEIR BONDAGE." (Exodus 2:23) And the next verse tells us that God heard their groanings and God remembered His covenant..."When the children of Israel cried out to the Lord, the Lord raised up a deliverer for the children of Israel..." (Judges 3:9). "This poor man cried out, and the Lord heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles." (Psalm 34:6)
There is a very solemn note that I would like to add here. God does forgive our sins when we willfully turn away from His commandments, but in most cases, we must live with the consequences of our deeds of sin! God has removed the nail, but He leaves the nail-hole in many situations that we must live with.

***PAGE BREAK***
(Page Six)

Now, our Psalm describes another condition of life that many experience on their earthly journey.
"Fools, because of their transgression, and because of their iniquities, were afflicted. Their soul abhorred all manner of food, and they draw near to the gates of death" (vv. 17-18). We must remember that our Psalm is describing the conditions of the nation of Israel and sin had brought that nation to its deathbed. The economic physicians, the political and social and religious physicians, the liberal and conservative and scholastic physicians, all tried their hand at doctoring the patient, but the nation's case grew steadily worse.
Sin was at the root of the trouble, and none of those doctors could diagnose or prescribe for that. Listen to Isaiah as he describes the problem: "Alas, sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, a brood of evil doers, children who are corrupters! They have forsaken the Lord, they have provoked to anger the Holy One of Israel, they have turned away backward. Why should you be stricken again? You will revolt more and more, the whole head is sick, and the whole heart faints. From the sole of the foot even to the head, there is no soundness in it, but wounds and bruises and putrefying sores; they have not been closed or bound up, or soothed with ointment" (Isaiah 1:4-6).
Because of their sin, the nation was brought near to extinction. Indeed, it had already been pronounced dead by the watching world powers. But when God stepped in, something happened. How? He sent His Word and healed them! "For the Word that God speaks is alive and full of power [making it active, operative, energizing, and effective]; it is sharper than any two-edged sword; penetrating to the dividing line of the breath of life (soul) and [the immortal] spirit, and of joints and marrow [of the deepest parts of our nature], exposing and sifting and analyzing and judging the very thoughts and purposes of the heart" (Hebrews 4:12 (Amplified Text).
God had given the nation of Israel a warning! "If you reject My decrees and abhor My laws and fail to carry out all My commands and so violate My covenant, then I will do this to you: I will bring upon you sudden terror, wasting diseases and fever that will destroy your sight and drain away your life. (Lev. 26:16).
BUT WHEN ISRAEL TURNED TO THE LORD AND OBEYED HIS WORD...SPIRITUAL HEALING AND NATIONAL HEALING FOLLOWED.
But there is also a very practical and personal application to these verses. Not all sickness is the result of sin and lack of faith as some teach today. But frequently sickness is the result of neglect and violating the rules for good health. Alcohol destroys the liver and takes away the very dignity of living. Smoking can injure the lungs and ultimately result in death. Many sicknesses are the direct result of foolish acts. Thoughtless and lustful men by drunkenness, gluttony, and the indulgence of their passions fill their bodies with diseases of the worst kind. Sin is at the bottom of all sorrow, but some sorrows are the immediate results of wickedness. But the truth of our Psalm remains...God, in His sovereign purposes and in His plan, does heal our bodies even when we are the reason for the illness.

***PAGE BREAK***
(Page Seven)

And should God show His power and His love in healing our sick bodies, no matter what may have caused the illness, we have the joy and the responsibility of lifting our voice in gratitude and praise for his healing touch. Oh that men would praise the Lord!
The next portion of our Psalm describes the scene of mariners battling the raging of the seas.
"Those who go down to the sea in ships, who do business on great waters, they see the works of the Lord, and His wonders in the deep. For He commands and raises the stormy wind, which lifts up the waves of the sea. They mount up to the heavens, they go down again to the depths; their soul melts because of trouble. They reel to and fro, and stagger like a drunken man, and are at their wits’ end." (vv. 23-27). When they cry unto the Lord, He brings them out of their distresses.
"He calms the storm, so that its waves are still. Then they are glad because they are quiet; so He guides them to their desired haven."
Many commentaries have been written and each see these verses differently. But I see them from a very personal point of view for they are to me the description of the struggle and wrestling of faith when being tried.
There have been times when life to me was like riding in a small ship through a terrible storm, and at times, it seemed that my faith was taking a terrible beating, insomuch that I despaired even of believing. My feelings can best be described in the words of Psalm 73. "Truly God is good to Israel, to such as are pure in heart. BUT AS FOR ME, MY FEET HAD ALMOST STUMBLED: MY STEPS HAD NEARLY SLIPPED." The writer of this Psalm was honestly opening his heart and describing the storm that was raging in his faith. When our mind and heart try to fathom the greatness and the sovereignty of Almighty God, we are sailing in deep waters! There are seasons when God's presence is so real and so close, and there are other seasons when the winds of doubt and fear take over and our emotions and thoughts rise and sink into despair. I can honestly agree with the writer of Psalm 73 that God is a good God...but when I try to place that truth along side the realities of life, it is hard to come to that conclusion and the storms of doubt begin to stir and foment.
Now you may not have these struggles with faith and trust, but others of us do. Maybe you can sail along through life and your faith never is attacked by doubt and fear. You can praise God for that!
But David wrestled with his faith at times. Listen to him! "As the deer pants for the water brooks, so pants my soul for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When shall I come and appear before God? My tears have been my food day and night, while they continually say to me, "Where is your God?" When I remember these things, I pour out my soul within me. For I used to go with the multitude; I went with them to the house of God, with the voice of joy and praise, with a multitude that kept a pilgrim feast. Why are you cast down, O my soul? and why are you disquieted with me? Hope in God, for I shall yet praise Him for the help of His countenance."

***PAGE BREAK***
(Page Eight)

David is doing great spiritual business in deep waters!
He is wrestling with DOUBT. And James likens doubt as a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind!
"For he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind" (James 1:6)
What is doubt? And how is it related to faith and unbelief? Our English word DOUBT comes from the Latin DUBITATE, which is rooted in an Aryan word meaning TWO.
The heart of DOUBT is a divided heart. To doubt is to waver between belief and disbelief. This two-ness or double-ness is the heart of doubt and the deepest dilemma it represents. In English the doubleness of doubt is pictured in a phrase such as "having a foot in both camps." The Chinese picture of irresolution is humorous as well as graphic. They speak of a person "having a foot in two boats." If people are torn between options, unable to "make up" their minds, or if they are "up in the air" over something and unsure which side they should "come down on," or if they are furiously debating with themselves or hanging back, or weighing up their reservation, they are nothing if not in two minds. This condition of doubleness is the essence of doubt, and creates an intense spiritual storm within our minds and hearts. It is in this mental and spiritual turmoil that we stagger like a drunken man and our souls melts because of trouble. With this turmoil within and a turbulent world twisting and turning around us, we sometimes come to our wits’ end! And our poet makes some additional observations...sometimes, He turns rivers into a wilderness, and the watersprings into dry ground...a fruitful land into barrenness...By this, he is suggesting how quickly life situations can drastically change! One moment...it is quietness, the next moment a storm is raging. But just as quickly. He turns a wilderness into pools of water, and dry land into watersprings! There He makes the hungry dwell, that they may establish a city for a dwelling place and sow fields and plant vineyards that they may yield a fruitful harvest.
And the writer of our psalm concludes the matter with these words: "WHOEVER IS WISE WILL OBSERVE THESE THINGS, AND WILL UNDERSTAND THE LOVINGKINDNESS OF THE LORD."
Here is his conclusion. All who are truly wise, all who have a proper understanding of things, or who are disposed to look at them aright...all who will attentively consider the various situations of life and God's response to them will see the proofs of wisdom and goodness of our wonderful Heavenly Father. When we were lost and without hope. He loved us so much He sent His Son to redeem us and bring us unto Him in faith and forgiveness. When we deliberately wandered away into the pathways of disobedience. He patiently drew us back unto Himself and broke the bands of sin that held us captive. When in our illness, sometimes self-inflicted, He healed us. And in our deep moments of spiritual struggles when faith seems almost gone, He tenderly brought us into a haven of rest and peace and turned our barrenness into fruitfulness and joy! Oh! That we never forget to praise Him for His wonderful works in our lives...May we always be grateful for His goodness to us!