Previously on Bible Book Club
Psalm 90 was Moses’s only psalm and the oldest psalm. The psalm was a reminder to Israel that God was their refuge long before a physical Temple ever existed. For us, it was a great reminder to ask God to teach us to number our days so that we can make every day count. Psalms 93 and 95-99 are the “enthronement” psalms and focus completely on praise. Since human kings failed, these psalms declare that God is the true King. And that He reigns eternally. Fun fact: Psalm 98 inspired the famous Christmas hymn Joy to the World. With Psalms 100-106, we will finish Book 4 of the Psalms, leaving just one more book to go!
Psalm 100: Enter His Gates with Thanksgiving
Psalm 100
A psalm. For giving grateful praise.
1 Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth.
2 Worship the Lord with gladness;
come before him with joyful songs.
3 Know that the Lord is God.
It is he who made us, and we are his;
we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving
and his courts with praise;
give thanks to him and praise his name.
5 For the Lord is good and his love endures forever;
his faithfulness continues through all generations.
What is Psalm 100 about?
Psalm 100 is a joyful call for all people to follow, worship, and thank God. Psalm 100 is considered by many to be the culmination of the enthronement or royal psalms from our last psalms, which stated multiple times, “the Lord Reigns.”
Verse 3 of Psalm 100 states why we know he reigns and what our response is:
Psalm 100:3 3 Know that the Lord is God.
we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.
What does “enter His gates with thanksgiving” mean in Psalm 100?
In ancient Israel, the gates were the outer entryways to the city and Temple. The open courtyard is where the worshipers gathered before the Temple. The Israelites would have entered the gates and found themselves standing on holy ground. The physical action of entering the gates would have shifted their focus to reverence and awe as they approached God’s presence in the Temple.
Because believers today do not approach a physical Temple in Jerusalem, the phrase carries a symbolic meaning for worship. The approach for us is not physical but just as reverent. Passing through “gates” represents a transition, moving from the noise and distraction of the outside world into a sacred space. Starting prayer or worship with thanksgiving shifts the worshiper’s focus away from immediate anxieties and onto God’s character.
A Prayer from Psalm 100 When You Need to Praise and Thank Him for His Enduring Love
1 Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth. 3 Know that the Lord is God.
3 It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.
4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise;
5 For the Lord is good and his love endures forever;
Psalm 101: I Will Be Careful to Lead a Blameless Life
Psalm 101
Of David. A psalm.
1 I will sing of your love and justice;
to you, Lord, I will sing praise.
2 I will be careful to lead a blameless life—
when will you come to me?I will conduct the affairs of my house
with a blameless heart.
3 I will not look with approval
on anything that is vile.I hate what faithless people do;
I will have no part in it.
4 The perverse of heart shall be far from me;
I will have nothing to do with what is evil.5 Whoever slanders their neighbor in secret,
I will put to silence;
whoever has haughty eyes and a proud heart,
I will not tolerate.6 My eyes will be on the faithful in the land,
that they may dwell with me;
the one whose walk is blameless
will minister to me.7 No one who practices deceit
will dwell in my house;
no one who speaks falsely
will stand in my presence.8 Every morning I will put to silence
all the wicked in the land;
I will cut off every evildoer
from the city of the Lord.
What Is Psalm 101 About?
Psalm 101 is a leader’s vow to live with integrity and reject evil. Because we know that He is God and our creator, we are His! The psalm is a fitting climax because it emphasizes God’s love for His people and the joy that can be found in following and worshipping Him. The New Testament offers a similar command for us today.
Colossians 3:16 16 Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts.
This psalm was probably written early in David’s reign. The phrase “when will you come to me?” most likely reflects his desire to bring the Ark to Jerusalem. The psalm emphasizes the heart; a leader’s heart should first and foremost be devoted to the Lord.
The word blameless does not mean sinless. David failed as every leader does at some point. David sinned greatly, committing both adultery and murder. But no other leader besides Jesus has ever led a blameless and sinless life. To the best of our ability, we can commit to wholehearted integrity and an undivided heart, publicly and privately endeavoring to live genuinely for the Lord.
A Prayer from Psalm 101 of Commitment to a Blameless Life
1 I will sing of your love and justice 2 I will be careful to lead a blameless life
4 The perverse of heart shall be far from me; I will have nothing to do with what is evil.
7 No one who practices deceit will dwell in my house; no one who speaks falsely will stand in my presence.
Psalm 102: You Remain the Same and Your Years Will Never End
Psalm 102
A prayer of an afflicted person who has grown weak and pours out a lament before the Lord.
1 Hear my prayer, Lord;
let my cry for help come to you.
2 Do not hide your face from me
when I am in distress.
Turn your ear to me;
when I call, answer me quickly.3 For my days vanish like smoke;
my bones burn like glowing embers.
4 My heart is blighted and withered like grass;
I forget to eat my food.
5 In my distress I groan aloud
and am reduced to skin and bones.
6 I am like a desert owl,
like an owl among the ruins.
7 I lie awake; I have become
like a bird alone on a roof.
8 All day long my enemies taunt me;
those who rail against me use my name as a curse.
9 For I eat ashes as my food
and mingle my drink with tears
10 because of your great wrath,
for you have taken me up and thrown me aside.
11 My days are like the evening shadow;
I wither away like grass.12 But you, Lord, sit enthroned forever;
your renown endures through all generations.
13 You will arise and have compassion on Zion,
for it is time to show favor to her;
the appointed time has come.
14 For her stones are dear to your servants;
her very dust moves them to pity.
15 The nations will fear the name of the Lord,
all the kings of the earth will revere your glory.
16 For the Lord will rebuild Zion
and appear in his glory.
17 He will respond to the prayer of the destitute;
he will not despise their plea.18 Let this be written for a future generation,
that a people not yet created may praise the Lord:
19 “The Lord looked down from his sanctuary on high,
from heaven he viewed the earth,
20 to hear the groans of the prisoners
and release those condemned to death.”
21 So the name of the Lord will be declared in Zion
and his praise in Jerusalem
22 when the peoples and the kingdoms
assemble to worship the Lord.23 In the course of my life he broke my strength;
he cut short my days.
24 So I said:
“Do not take me away, my God, in the midst of my days;
your years go on through all generations.
25 In the beginning you laid the foundations of the earth,
and the heavens are the work of your hands.
26 They will perish, but you remain;
they will all wear out like a garment.
Like clothing you will change them
and they will be discarded.
27 But you remain the same,
and your years will never end.
28 The children of your servants will live in your presence;
their descendants will be established before you.”
What is Psalm 102 about?
Psalm 102 is about affliction and suffering transformed by faith in God’s eternity. This psalm was most likely written long after the destruction of Jerusalem, close to the end of the 70-year captivity prophesied by Jeremiah.
The author is deeply distressed and suffering; we know not how. Yet he pivots in verse 12, moving from his own agony to God and His promises. The most important of which is his unshakeable belief that the throne of God was and is secure, even if it appears the throne of David was not. Little did the psalmist know that the throne of David would remain empty until the Son of God himself claimed it.
How is Psalm 102 quoted in the New Testament Book of Hebrews?
Psalm 102:25-27 are quoted directly in Hebrews 1:10-12 as part of a list.
“In the beginning, Lord, you laid the foundations of the earth,
and the heavens are the work of your hands.
11 They will perish, but you remain;
they will all wear out like a garment.
12 You will roll them up like a robe;
like a garment they will be changed.
But you remain the same,
and your years will never end.”
The author of Hebrews provides a list of notes on all the ways Christ is superior to what they had in the past and have now. Jesus is superior to the prophets and the angels, and in this case even the earth. For all will fade, but God is eternal.
A Prayer from Psalm 102 When Afflicted, but Trusting in Eternity with God
1 Hear my prayer, Lord; let my cry for help come to you.
4 My heart is blighted and withered like grass; I forget to eat my food.
12 But you, Lord, sit enthroned forever; 27you remain the same, and your years will never end.
17 You will respond to the prayer of the destitute; 28 The children of your servants will live in your presence.
For the remainder of this blog post, we will discuss two pairs of literary diptychs back-to-back in the Bible.
What is a literary diptych and how is it used in the Bible?
The word diptych originally referred to a physical notebook that, when opened, had two matching parts. Around the late Roman Empire, public officials began carving intricate relief sculptures into the outer ivory covers of their writing tablets. The diptych was still a book, but the outside was now decorative art.
Later, in the Middle Ages, the format of two paintings hinged together became a standard structure for religious artwork and altarpieces. The format of paired writings or diptychs can be found throughout the Bible. We have two pairs: Psalms 103/104 and Psalms 105/106.
Psalm 103-104: As Far as the East Is from the West
Psalm 103
Of David.
1 Praise the Lord, my soul;
all my inmost being, praise his holy name.
2 Praise the Lord, my soul,
and forget not all his benefits—
3 who forgives all your sins
and heals all your diseases,
4 who redeems your life from the pit
and crowns you with love and compassion,
5 who satisfies your desires with good things
so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.6 The Lord works righteousness
and justice for all the oppressed.7 He made known his ways to Moses,
his deeds to the people of Israel:
8 The Lord is compassionate and gracious,
slow to anger, abounding in love.
9 He will not always accuse,
nor will he harbor his anger forever;
10 he does not treat us as our sins deserve
or repay us according to our iniquities.
11 For as high as the heavens are above the earth,
so great is his love for those who fear him;
12 as far as the east is from the west,
so far has he removed our transgressions from us.13 As a father has compassion on his children,
so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him;
14 for he knows how we are formed,
he remembers that we are dust.
15 The life of mortals is like grass,
they flourish like a flower of the field;
16 the wind blows over it and it is gone,
and its place remembers it no more.
17 But from everlasting to everlasting
the Lord’s love is with those who fear him,
and his righteousness with their children’s children—
18 with those who keep his covenant
and remember to obey his precepts.19 The Lord has established his throne in heaven,
and his kingdom rules over all.20 Praise the Lord, you his angels,
you mighty ones who do his bidding,
who obey his word.
21 Praise the Lord, all his heavenly hosts,
you his servants who do his will.
22 Praise the Lord, all his works
everywhere in his dominion.
Psalm 104
Lord my God, you are very great;
you are clothed with splendor and majesty.2 The Lord wraps himself in light as with a garment;
he stretches out the heavens like a tent
3 and lays the beams of his upper chambers on their waters.
He makes the clouds his chariot
and rides on the wings of the wind.
4 He makes winds his messengers,
flames of fire his servants.5 He set the earth on its foundations;
it can never be moved.
6 You covered it with the watery depths as with a garment;
the waters stood above the mountains.7 But at your rebuke the waters fled,
at the sound of your thunder they took to flight;
8 they flowed over the mountains,
they went down into the valleys,
to the place you assigned for them.
9 You set a boundary they cannot cross;
never again will they cover the earth.10 He makes springs pour water into the ravines;
it flows between the mountains.
11 They give water to all the beasts of the field;
the wild donkeys quench their thirst.
12 The birds of the sky nest by the waters;
they sing among the branches.
13 He waters the mountains from his upper chambers;
the land is satisfied by the fruit of his work.
14 He makes grass grow for the cattle,
and plants for people to cultivate—
bringing forth food from the earth:15 wine that gladdens human hearts,
oil to make their faces shine,
and bread that sustains their hearts.
16 The trees of the Lord are well watered,
the cedars of Lebanon that he planted.
17 There the birds make their nests;
the stork has its home in the junipers.
18 The high mountains belong to the wild goats;
the crags are a refuge for the hyrax.19 He made the moon to mark the seasons,
and the sun knows when to go down.
20 You bring darkness, it becomes night,
and all the beasts of the forest prowl.
21 The lions roar for their prey
and seek their food from God.
22 The sun rises, and they steal away;
they return and lie down in their dens.
23 Then people go out to their work,
to their labor until evening.24 How many are your works, Lord!
In wisdom you made them all;
the earth is full of your creatures.
25 There is the sea, vast and spacious,
teeming with creatures beyond number—
living things both large and small.
26 There the ships go to and fro,
and Leviathan, which you formed to frolic there.27 All creatures look to you
to give them their food at the proper time.
28 When you give it to them,
they gather it up;
when you open your hand,
they are satisfied with good things.
29 When you hide your face,
they are terrified;
when you take away their breath,
they die and return to the dust.
30 When you send your Spirit,
they are created,
and you renew the face of the ground.31 May the glory of the Lord endure forever;
may the Lord rejoice in his works—
32 he who looks at the earth, and it trembles,
who touches the mountains, and they smoke.33 I will sing to the Lord all my life;
I will sing praise to my God as long as I live.
34 May my meditation be pleasing to him,
as I rejoice in the Lord.
35 But may sinners vanish from the earth
and the wicked be no more.
What do Psalm 103 and Psalm 104 have in common?
What makes Psalms 103 and 104 a matched set is not just the content. The openings and closings are identical.
- Psalm 103:1 opens, “Praise the LORD, my soul”
- Psalm 103:22 closes, “Praise the LORD, my soul.”
- Psalm 104:1 opens, “Praise the LORD, my soul”
- Psalm 104:35 closes, ”...Praise the LORD, my soul. Praise the LORD.”
Matching Windows
Between the bookends of “Praise the Lord, my soul” are matching windows. Psalm 103 is a window that looks in. Psalm 104 is a window that looks out.
Psalm 103 speaks of God’s care for His people with six blessings from God to the individual.
- God forgives all your sins
- Heals all your diseases
- Redeems your life from the pit
- Crowns you with love
- Satisfies your desires with good things
- So your youth is renewed like the eagle’s
Psalm 104 speaks of God’s care for the world by poetically detailing God’s work in the six days of creation.
- Day 1 light: 2 The Lord wraps himself in light as with a garment
- Day 2 sky and sea: 7 But at your rebuke the waters fled,
- Day 3 land and vegetation: 14 and plants for people to cultivate—
bringing forth food from the earth - Day 4 sun and moon: 19 He made the moon to mark the seasons, and the sun knows when to go down.
- Day 5 sea creatures and birds: 25 There is the sea, vast and spacious, teeming with creatures beyond number
- Day 6 animals and mankind: 27 All creatures look to you to give them their food
Same God, two windows on the world. One window shows us what God has done for us. The other shows what God has done for creation, the world He provided for us. And in both psalms the response to God for what God has done is the same: Praise the LORD.
Psalm 103 is the most popular of the two. It is King David’s personal praise to the Lord for all He does and all He is. David is overawed by what God has done. He sings from a humble heart of gratitude, to forget not all his benefits, because God’s love is so great. Higher than the heavens and far more than we deserve in our sin, which God has removed from us farther than the east is from the west
But David reminds us that while God’s love is that of a father’s to his children, God is not blind.
Psalm 103:17-18 17 But from everlasting to everlasting
the Lord’s love is with those who fear him,
and his righteousness with their children’s children—
18 with those who keep his covenant
and remember to obey his precepts.
There was a covenant in place, and the people had a role. To fear God was to be faithful to Him alone. And out of faithfulness, to obey.
God’s grace hung on their faithfulness and obedience. | ||
|---|---|---|
Israel’s relationship with God depended on how well they could keep God’s law. | Our relationship with God depends on how well Christ could keep the law for us. | |
Christ fulfilled all of it, every law, for us. Took our sin and forever moved it as far as the east is from the west. |
It is for this reason that Psalm 103 is considered one of the most comforting chapters in the Old Testament.
Why does Psalm 103 say God removes sins “as far as the east is from the west”?
Verse 12, “as far as the east is from the west,” is the classic biblical image used to illustrate total forgiveness, something David could only imagine. But in the tenderness of the moment when he wrote this song, it must have been a vivid vision. For he ended with a cry from the heart for even the angels to praise the Lord.
Psalm 103:20-22 20 Praise the Lord, you his angels,
you mighty ones who do his bidding,
who obey his word.
21 Praise the Lord, all his heavenly hosts,
you his servants who do his will.
22 Praise the Lord, all his works
everywhere in his dominion.
While Psalm 103 is the star of this pair, I don’t want to skip the beauty of 104 without one more mention. The psalm opens with interesting imagery.
Psalm 104:1-2 1 Praise the Lord, my soul.
Lord my God, you are very great;
you are clothed with splendor and majesty.2 The Lord wraps himself in light as with a garment;
This is a picture of God as king clothed in light, an interesting analogy that should ring a bell. The psalmist is carrying forward the image of light from Genesis 1 to John 1.
How does Psalm 104 retell the story of creation from Genesis 1?
Psalm 104 is a poetic retelling of Genesis 1, which begins with how God created the heavens and the earth...and the first thing God did was say, “Let there be light.” John 1 begins with:
John 1:1-4 1 In the beginning was the Word,
2 He was with God in the very beginning.
3 Through him all things came into existence,
and the life was the light of the human race.
How does the imagery of light bridge Psalm 104 to John 1?
Jesus was there when God created the world, and Psalm 104:2 sits somewhere in the middle as a bridge linking the creation account in Genesis 1 to John 1. When you trace the idea of “light” through these passages, God was clothed in light. That light was the light of Christ, and Christ is the original source of creation’s light because 3 through him all things were made.
God wrapped Himself in light as a garment. Jesus brought the light to mankind to shine into the darkness. How did he bring the light to mankind? In John 1:14, the Word, Jesus, wrapped Himself in human flesh. 14 “The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us.”
- God speaks light into being (Gen 1:3)
- God is clothed in light as Creator (Ps 104:2)
- The Word who made everything is the light coming into the world (John 1).
The Bible, or Word of God, and the mystery of how these words all came together defies human ability. Its inconceivable design is divine proof of God. And proof of His enduring love for us. For He has placed His Word in our hands and the Word, His Son, in our hearts, so that we may know Him and dwell in the Presence of God without the Temple. Something the Israelites could only dream of.
A Prayer from Psalm 103 Praising the Lord Who Is Slow to Anger and Abounding in Love
2 Praise the Lord, my soul, and forget not all his benefits
8 The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love.
10 he does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities.
11 For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him;
12 as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.1 Praise the Lord, my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name.
Psalms 105-106: Give Thanks to the Lord, for He Is Good: His Love Endures Forever
Psalm 105
Give praise to the Lord, proclaim his name;
make known among the nations what he has done.2 Sing to him, sing praise to him;
tell of all his wonderful acts.
3 Glory in his holy name;
let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice.
4 Look to the Lord and his strength;
seek his face always.5 Remember the wonders he has done,
his miracles, and the judgments he pronounced,
6 you his servants, the descendants of Abraham,
his chosen ones, the children of Jacob.
7 He is the Lord our God;
his judgments are in all the earth.8 He remembers his covenant forever,
the promise he made, for a thousand generations,
9 the covenant he made with Abraham,
the oath he swore to Isaac.
10 He confirmed it to Jacob as a decree,
to Israel as an everlasting covenant:
11 “To you I will give the land of Canaan
as the portion you will inherit.”12 When they were but few in number,
few indeed, and strangers in it,
13 they wandered from nation to nation,
from one kingdom to another.
14 He allowed no one to oppress them;
for their sake he rebuked kings:
15 “Do not touch my anointed ones;
do my prophets no harm.”16 He called down famine on the land
and destroyed all their supplies of food;
17 and he sent a man before them—
Joseph, sold as a slave.
18 They bruised his feet with shackles,
his neck was put in irons,
19 till what he foretold came to pass,
till the word of the Lord proved him true.
20 The king sent and released him,
the ruler of peoples set him free.
21 He made him master of his household,
ruler over all he possessed,
22 to instruct his princes as he pleased
and teach his elders wisdom.23 Then Israel entered Egypt;
Jacob resided as a foreigner in the land of Ham.
24 The Lord made his people very fruitful;
he made them too numerous for their foes,
25 whose hearts he turned to hate his people,
to conspire against his servants.
26 He sent Moses his servant,
and Aaron, whom he had chosen.
27 They performed his signs among them,
his wonders in the land of Ham.
28 He sent darkness and made the land dark—
for had they not rebelled against his words?
29 He turned their waters into blood,
causing their fish to die.
30 Their land teemed with frogs,
which went up into the bedrooms of their rulers.
31 He spoke, and there came swarms of flies,
and gnats throughout their country.
32 He turned their rain into hail,
with lightning throughout their land;
33 he struck down their vines and fig trees
and shattered the trees of their country.
34 He spoke, and the locusts came,
grasshoppers without number;
35 they ate up every green thing in their land,
ate up the produce of their soil.
36 Then he struck down all the firstborn in their land,
the firstfruits of all their manhood.
37 He brought out Israel, laden with silver and gold,
and from among their tribes no one faltered.
38 Egypt was glad when they left,
because dread of Israel had fallen on them.39 He spread out a cloud as a covering,
and a fire to give light at night.
40 They asked, and he brought them quail;
he fed them well with the bread of heaven.
41 He opened the rock, and water gushed out;
it flowed like a river in the desert.42 For he remembered his holy promise
given to his servant Abraham.
43 He brought out his people with rejoicing,
his chosen ones with shouts of joy;
44 he gave them the lands of the nations,
and they fell heir to what others had toiled for—
45 that they might keep his precepts
and observe his laws.
Psalm 106
Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;
his love endures forever.2 Who can proclaim the mighty acts of the Lord
or fully declare his praise?
3 Blessed are those who act justly,
who always do what is right.4 Remember me, Lord, when you show favor to your people,
come to my aid when you save them,
5 that I may enjoy the prosperity of your chosen ones,
that I may share in the joy of your nation
and join your inheritance in giving praise.6 We have sinned, even as our ancestors did;
we have done wrong and acted wickedly.
7 When our ancestors were in Egypt,
they gave no thought to your miracles;
they did not remember your many kindnesses,
and they rebelled by the sea, the Red Sea.
8 Yet he saved them for his name’s sake,
to make his mighty power known.
9 He rebuked the Red Sea, and it dried up;
he led them through the depths as through a desert.
10 He saved them from the hand of the foe;
from the hand of the enemy he redeemed them.
11 The waters covered their adversaries;
not one of them survived.
12 Then they believed his promises
and sang his praise.13 But they soon forgot what he had done
and did not wait for his plan to unfold.
14 In the desert they gave in to their craving;
in the wilderness they put God to the test.
15 So he gave them what they asked for,
but sent a wasting disease among them.16 In the camp they grew envious of Moses
and of Aaron, who was consecrated to the Lord.
17 The earth opened up and swallowed Dathan;
it buried the company of Abiram.
18 Fire blazed among their followers;
a flame consumed the wicked.
19 At Horeb they made a calf
and worshiped an idol cast from metal.
20 They exchanged their glorious God
for an image of a bull, which eats grass.
21 They forgot the God who saved them,
who had done great things in Egypt,
22 miracles in the land of Ham
and awesome deeds by the Red Sea.
23 So he said he would destroy them—
had not Moses, his chosen one,
stood in the breach before him
to keep his wrath from destroying them.24 Then they despised the pleasant land;
they did not believe his promise.
25 They grumbled in their tents
and did not obey the Lord.
26 So he swore to them with uplifted hand
that he would make them fall in the wilderness,
27 make their descendants fall among the nations
and scatter them throughout the lands.28 They yoked themselves to the Baal of Peor
and ate sacrifices offered to lifeless gods;
29 they aroused the Lord’s anger by their wicked deeds,
and a plague broke out among them.
30 But Phinehas stood up and intervened,
and the plague was checked.
31 This was credited to him as righteousness
for endless generations to come.
32 By the waters of Meribah they angered the Lord,
and trouble came to Moses because of them;
33 for they rebelled against the Spirit of God,
and rash words came from Moses’ lips.34 They did not destroy the peoples
as the Lord had commanded them,
35 but they mingled with the nations
and adopted their customs.
36 They worshiped their idols,
which became a snare to them.
37 They sacrificed their sons
and their daughters to false gods.
38 They shed innocent blood,
the blood of their sons and daughters,
whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan,
and the land was desecrated by their blood.
39 They defiled themselves by what they did;
by their deeds they prostituted themselves.40 Therefore the Lord was angry with his people
and abhorred his inheritance.
41 He gave them into the hands of the nations,
and their foes ruled over them.
42 Their enemies oppressed them
and subjected them to their power.
43 Many times he delivered them,
but they were bent on rebellion
and they wasted away in their sin.
44 Yet he took note of their distress
when he heard their cry;
45 for their sake he remembered his covenant
and out of his great love he relented.
46 He caused all who held them captive
to show them mercy.47 Save us, Lord our God,
and gather us from the nations,
that we may give thanks to your holy name
and glory in your praise.48 Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel,
from everlasting to everlasting.
What is the difference between Psalms 105 and 106?
Psalms 105 and 106 are a matched pair, but for different reasons than Psalms 103 and 104. They’re the same history told from opposite sides, both expressing God’s unwavering faithfulness and Israel’s confession of rebelliousness.
- Psalm 105 tells the story of God’s faithfulness from Abraham to the Promised Land. It never mentions Israel’s sin, only how good God has been to Israel.
- Psalm 106 retells that same time period as a confession of their rebelliousness. It details the disobedience that led to their exile.
Same story, very different perspectives:
- One a national success, the other a national failure.
- One a psalm of praise, the other a lament.
- One of faithfulness kept, one of rebellion confessed.
There is a purpose to the Old Testament’s repetition of history.
Why did Israel repeat their history through Psalms of memory?
God is building faith through memory. Present faith is strengthened by recalling how God is faithful to keep His promises even in the midst of Israel’s unfaithfulness. It is a story that should feel familiar. Even today we live the same pattern. All have sinned and fall short. Therefore, we all stumble. Often.
I am not sure we take this lesson to heart. In our sin, do we take the time to remember how God has forgiven us? The sacrifice that was made so that we can dwell in His presence. The Israelites had to work so hard for it. God made it simple for us, painless. But for God, for His Son, it is excruciating. We should remember, every time we stumble, that the gift of forgiveness is worthy of praise. Every single time.
Psalm 106 brings us to the end of Book 4 and the fourth doxology.
Psalm 106:48 48 Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel,
from everlasting to everlasting.
Fittingly, Psalm Book 4 is the companion to the Book of Numbers, and its theme of wilderness and God’s sovereignty is clearly highlighted in these last two psalms.
A Prayer from Psalms 105-106 to Remember God’s Wonders and Love That Endures Forever
106:1 Praise the Lord. Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever.
105:2 Sing to him, sing praise to him; tell of all his wonderful acts.
105:5 Remember the wonders he has done, his miracles, and the judgments he pronounced,
105:6 you his servants, the descendants of Abraham, his chosen ones, the children of Jacob.105:8 He remembers his covenant forever, the promise he made, for a thousand generations,
106:48 Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting.
I do believe that the Psalms Prayer List may be approaching 100 prayers now. And in our next episode, we will begin the final book in our season of Psalms.
New Psalms Playlist Song
The Apple and Spotify Psalms Playlists grew by three more songs:
- “Psalm 100” by Chris Tomlin (Psalm 100)
- “10,000 Reasons,” by Matt Redman (Psalm 103)
- “O Worship the King,” by Chris Tomlin (Psalm 104)
Listen to the entire Psalms Playlist on Apple Music or Spotify.
Group Discussion Questions for Psalms 100-106
- In Psalm 100, we learn about entering God’s gates with thanksgiving as a way to transition out of the noise and distractions of daily life. What is one distraction that consistently pulls your focus away from God during the week, and what is one small routine that helps you reset your heart and enter God’s presence with reverence and thanksgiving?
- Psalm 102 shows how an afflicted person turns their distress toward God’s eternal promises. When you are going through a heavy or uncertain season, do you tend to pull away from God or draw closer to Him? What helps you hold onto faith during those times?
- Psalms 105 and 106 remind us that remembering God’s past goodness helps build present faith. Looking back on your life journey so far, what is one specific story or moment where God proved His faithfulness to you in a way you’ll never forget?
